“There are a lot of choices there, actually.” Austin sounded annoyed, and his dark eyes looked down at the floor. “I just got busy and didn’t think about it for a while. I work for myself and presentation isn’t always important.” There was a sense of loftiness in his voice that made me feel small. I shrank back.
He was the arrogant ass they portrayed him as on television, after all. I’d hoped that there was still some of the sweetness that Austin had back in high school. It wasn’t often in the two years that we were together, but I did see that side of him.
“I see,” I murmured. I went to grab the scissors and dropped them. I groaned.
Get it together. He won’t be here forever.
“How long have you worked here?” Austin asked. I forced a fake smile to my face.
“Ten years,” I said. “I graduated from beauty college and they hired me immediately.” He looked at me in the mirror again.
“You saw that through,” he said.
I nodded. We both had our plans and seemed to have gone through with them, even if they were like night and day.
“I did,” I said. I bent over to get the scissors, managing to get a grip this time. I smoothed his hair through my fingers and trimmed the ends. Austin always had gorgeous hair, and I enjoyed the sensation of my hands in it again. “I thought I saw that you were flying somewhere for the holidays. They made such a fuss over it. Wasn’t it the Bahamas?”
“That was just to throw the paparazzi off. They’d f
lood the town, otherwise, and it isn’t big enough for that.” Austin smirked. “I didn’t want to burden my family with it, either. They normally come to see me for a while in the winter, and it’s a lot crazier there.”
“I would imagine,” I murmured, giving him a sympathetic glance. “I heard about Mel, and I’m so sorry, Austin. I hope he’s well. That’s what the word is.”
“He is. The doctor is making him relax and eat better, which he hates. That’s part of why I’m here. Mom didn’t want him traveling too much, and she begged me for a traditional Christmas.” Austin shrugged. “How is your family doing?”
“They moved to Arizona when Dad retired from the factory. Scottsdale. They love the heat, and I tolerate it to visit them as often as possible. I miss them, but my sister, Kim, is still here, working for the library. We live right down the street from one another.” I smiled at the mention of my baby sister.
“Did you stay in your parents’ place?” Austin asked.
I nodded. “She rents a cottage down the road, though…” I let my voice drift off.
“What is it?” Austin asked.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “There’s some issues with the library. You know how old it is. It’s in dire need of repairs. The city is having a hard time fitting that into the budget. As much as parents love it for their kids, nobody wants an increase in their taxes.” I glanced at Austin in the mirror as he frowned. We’d all spent hours there, reading as kids, and doing schoolwork once we were older. It wasn’t big like some of the ones in the larger cities, but it had a special place in my heart. Kim worried about having to move out of North Reed, and I didn’t want that.
“It concerns you,” he said.
“Yeah, if they can’t fix it up, Kim will lose her job. I’ve invited her to move into the house if need be. We can figure it out if worse comes to worst.” I pushed my worry away and snipped some more hair off.
“She can always run off to Paris. Is she still obsessed with that damn place?”
I giggled. Kim’s room had been covered with everything Paris in high school, and her place still had that theme.
“Let’s just say it’s a good thing that decor is back in style,” I replied dryly and shook my head. My sister and I loved it here. All the Paris talk was just that. Talk.
“It’s a beautiful city,” he said with awe in his voice. “I traveled all over Europe a few times. I think I’ve been everywhere over there by now.”
I noticed the arrogant tone of his voice. Wasn’t he special just running away from home to see the world? I was already over this reunion, and I yanked his hair in my fingers to trim another set of uneven lengths.
Austin arched a brow at me, apparently still aware of how I had trouble hiding my moods. “Are you okay?” he asked in a low tone.
I tried to focus on the song playing over the speakers. I used to love it.
“Why are you even here?” I asked coldly, looking around to see who was watching us.
The billionaire being in town was a big deal, and this was a small town. I didn’t want to be part of the rumor mill and eaten alive. Thankfully, it was mostly older customers today, and they were busy talking to their stylists. They didn’t notice me in the corner.
Mid-morning in December was like this. A lot of the kids were sleeping in after being up late with their friends. I missed those times, looking back.