Better If He Goes (Always You #1) - Allie Everhart Page 0,87
mom almost punched Kandace. I almost wish she had.
"So Kari, how long are you here for?" April asks.
"I haven't decided. I came here last spring with my mom to help my grandmother with some health issues. We didn't plan to stay, but then we heard the salon was up for sale. Now that we own it, we're renting a house for a few months while we work on the salon redesign. Once that's done, we'll decide if we want to stay or go back to Dallas. I personally can't imagine staying. This town is so boring and there's no good shopping."
"What about your dad?" April asks. "Is he here too?"
"My parents are separated." Kari looks directly at me. "It was my mom's decision. She's far too sophisticated for him. But she'll be getting more than her fair share in the divorce."
My mom will be happy about the divorce, but it won't change her decision about the salon. She'll never come back here. And now I have to quit. Why couldn't someone else buy the salon? Why did it have to be Kandace?
"So why did your mom want to buy this place?" I ask Kari.
"My mother always wanted a salon. And she grew up going here. My grandmother used to as well until a certain stylist made her feel unwelcome." She smirks. "But she won't have to worry about that anymore."
Is that why Kandace bought the salon? So my mom would be out of a job? I can't believe she'd spend all that money just to get rid of my mom, but if she's anything like her daughter, it's possible.
"We should get to work," April says, nudging me.
"Yes, go ahead," Kari says. "Oh, and Riley, I'd like you to start in the bathrooms. The toilets could use a good scrubbing." She laughs to herself as she walks off.
"I can't stand her," I say under my breath. "There's no way I'm working for her."
"Just ignore her," April says, keeping hold of my arm so I don't run over and punch Kari. "She only said that to make you quit. Do you really want to give her that power?"
"She already has all the power. She owns the place. She's my boss."
"Her mom is. Kari's not."
"Doesn't matter. Her mom will give her the power to do whatever she wants." I turn to April. "I'm just gonna go. There's no reason to stay here."
"Riley, you need the money. Your mom just quit and you know she won't be getting another job anytime soon."
"I still have the job at the pool."
"That's not enough. It barely pays anything."
"So I'll get another job."
"But in the meantime, you could keep working here. Just stay away from Kari and you'll be fine."
"I can't do it. I can't stay. Not with Kari and her mom running the place. I feel sick just being here with her. I'm going to text Brad and see if we could meet somewhere. He always makes me feel better."
Her eyes move behind me and she smiles. "I think he read your mind."
"What do you mean?" I turn back and see Brad walking in.
He sees me and smiles. "Needed a haircut."
All the stylists stare at him as he walks over to us. He gets that kind of attention everywhere he goes. He's big and tall and has a presence that makes people stop what they're doing and focus on him.
"Babe!" I hear Kari's high-pitched squeal and cringe. I look over and see her running over to Brad.
Wait—how does she know Brad? And why the hell was she calling him 'babe'?
"What are you doing here?" Kari grabs his arm and reaches up to kiss his cheek.
I almost vomit. If I had, I would've aimed it right at her designer heels.
"Kari." Brad backs away. "You work here?"
"No, silly." She laughs as she wraps her arm around his. "I own the place."
"You own the salon?"
"Well, technically my mother does, but we'll be running it together."
"So when you said you're moving here to start a business—"
"It was this!" She smiles. "I couldn't tell you until we announced it to the staff, but now you know! And how funny that you just happened to stop by today, right after we told everyone."
Feeling enraged as I watch her touch my boyfriend, I storm up to them. "How do you two know each other?"
Kari looks at me, annoyed. "Why are you still here? I told you to clean bathrooms."