Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
We all climb out of the car, and I turn to Eliza. “You wanna come inside for a drink? I just have to put the little boy here to bed.”
“No, that’s all right.” She shakes her head. “Got a couple of new girls coming by the salon tomorrow to interview bright and early. I should go home and hit the sack.”
“What time are those interviews?” Jameson asks, checking his watch ostentatiously. “I’ll make sure I’m there so you don’t screw up and hire the wrong people.”
Eliza smirks and turns to me. “Does he want me to kill him? Because I don’t want to kill my best friend’s husband, but if I have to…”
“Eliza will make sure she hires the best girls tomorrow, honey,” I say, sliding under Jameson’s arm as we walk up the steps to the front door. “Won’t she?”
“Of course I will,” Eliza laughs. “Good night, everyone!”
Eliza waves goodbye and heads over to her car.
It’s hard to believe how far she’s come too. A few years ago, she was a dancer at Jaguars, and now she’s running her own beauty salon that employs five girls, but she’s looking to hire more to keep up with the demand and number of customers she keeps getting.
At first it was just an idea she had that she’d mentioned to me a few times in passing, but she kept saying how it was just a pipe dream as she would never have the money to even think about starting her own business. So without even mentioning it to her, I brought the idea to Jameson.
He said he’d be interested in investing if Eliza would bring him an actual business plan and show him her vision for the place, so I went back to her and let her know.
At first she was pissed that I’d told him without asking her first. But when she got over that, she went full throttle and started working on her concept for the place. It wasn’t long before she had something to show Jameson, and before I knew it, the two of them were talking like business partners. I thought Jameson was just going to be interested in investing, but he actually got involved in the process of getting the salon going and helping Eliza when she needed it.
Things started off a little slow, but it wasn’t long before everyone in town was talking about how great the place was, and pretty soon, Eliza couldn’t keep up with the demand. She was hiring new girls, Jameson was putting more money into the place, and the whole thing was a massive success.
It feels incredible to watch my friend take something in her life that she thought was just a fantasy and then bring it to life. And the fact that my wonderful husband was able to help her with it only makes it that much better.
It’s like we’re all wrapped together beneath this wonderful blanket of happiness that covers us all, whereas four years ago, we were all just struggling to get by and fighting to find any meaning in life whatsoever.
Charlie is nearly asleep as I hold him in my arms and step into the house. My mom looks down at him and smiles.
“All that excitement was just too much for him,” she whispers. I nod.
“Do you want to put him down?”
“Do you mind?” she asks, looking excited. She loves looking after him. My mom hasn’t gone back to working full-time yet and is only doing part-time shifts as a volunteer at the library, so she loves doing anything she can to help out with Charlie. And to be honest, I think it’s good for her.
“Of course not,” I reply, gently handing him over to her. Jameson smiles and wraps his arm around me, and we all walk up to Charlie’s room, which is right next to ours, and my mom sets him down in his bed.
We both watch as mom gets him all dressed up in his night-time pajamas, his favorite ones with the lions on them, and then tucks him in under the covers.
Then I go over and give him a kiss on the cheek and whisper, “Good night, honey.”
Charlie takes a deep breath of contentment and curls up and whispers back, “Night, mama.”
Jameson comes up beside me and gives him a soft pat on the head, and we all back quietly out of the room, leaving just his nightlight on in the corner.
“What a sweet boy.” My mom smiles as she shuts the door.
“Would you like to eat something with us?” Jameson asks her. “We’ve got the leftover roast chicken from yesterday, or I could make some pasta. Or we could order something.”
My mom glances at both of us and smiles softly. “No, that’s all right. I’m not too hungry, I think I’ll just have a protein bar and go watch some trashy television in my room. You two go on ahead.” She leans in again and pulls me in for another hug. “Congratulations again, honey.”