Page 92 of Too Good to Be True

“Coming!” she yelled. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she said, “Let me do the talking.”

He made the motion of zipping his lips, although they were quirked up at the corners. He sat down on the couch and adopted a casual pose as she swung open the door.

“Hey,” Jenna said, trying to peer behind her.

“Hey.”

“Whatcha doing?”

“Not much. What are you doing here?”

“Visiting my sister. Can I come in?” Jenna went up on her tiptoes to see better, but Stacy was still taller than her, and Nick remained hidden from view.

“It’s not the best time.”

“Whose car is that?”

She felt his presence before he spoke.

“Mine. I’m Nick Perez. Nice to meet you.”

Stacy gave him a look that might have withered a lesser man, but he just smiled. “She’s your sister,” he gently scolded.

“Jenna Young. It’s very nice to meet you too.”

Stacy noticed the emphasis her sister had put on very. “You might as well come in,” she said, waving Jenna inside.

Jenna perched on the edge of a chair while Nick reclaimed his seat on the couch. Then he made eye contact with Stacy and patted the space beside him.

Defeated, she plunked down.

“You never stop by on a Monday night,” Stacy accused.

“I had a last-minute cancellation, so my shift ended early.”

“What do you do?” Nick asked politely.

“I’m a hairdresser.”

“Ah. Do you do your sister’s hair?”

“Yes,” Jenna said proudly. “In fact, it looks like she could use a root touch-up.”

Stacy wanted to strangle her, but for now, she gave her a dirty look.

“So, you’re the guy Stacy’s been…training,” Jenna said, ignoring Stacy’s scowl.

“Yes, and she’s been an excellent teacher.” He placed his hand on her knee and gave it a squeeze. The gesture might have been partly apologetic, since she was sitting stiffly and refused to look at him.

“Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I’m glad I got to meet you.”

“Me too.”

“Sis, do you want to set up your next appointment since I’m here?”

“Not now. We’ll discuss it on Thursday night.”

“What’s happening Thursday night?”