Spas and Pizza and Guns, Oh, my! (Gardens to Guns #2) (Academy fanfic)

Part 3

        An hour later, I was so relaxed that I was barely conscious. Any knots and sore muscles had been stretched and kneaded into mush. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes when Nathan called my name.

            "Ready for your manicure, Peanut?”

            I sighed. “Sure.”

            He was already redressed. “I’ll step out so that you can get dressed.” With that, he gave me some privacy.

            I jumped off the table and redressed. I opened the door to find Nathan and Gabriel waiting for me. “Come on, Trouble. Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand and practically dragged me down the hall.

            “Are you two getting manicures?”

            Nathan smiled. “I am. He’s ‘observing’, whatever that means.”

            “I’m still figuring this shit out. Maybe I can learn something new.”

            Nathan and I sat down at manicure tables next to each other, and Gabriel pulled up a chair next to mine. Two young women sat down and began soaking our hands.

           “Did you choose a color?” the technician sitting at my table asked.

           “Does she have to have polish?” Nathan asked.

           “Well… no. I can buff her nails like you are having done instead. If that is what she wants.” She looked at me, asking consent with her eyes. I nodded. Nathan smiled.

           We made small talk with the techa as they worked on our hands. Meanie peppered them with questions, and they indulged him. I kept telling them not to encourage them, but they thought it was sweet. The tech working on Nathan’s hands even offered to give him a few bottles of polish. He as in heaven.

           We were almost finished when North and Silas walked in, looking for us.

           “Nate, what are you doing?” Silas asked.

           “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m getting a manicure.”

           North smirked. “What color did you pick out?”

           Nathan just glared. “Jealous much?”

           North laughed. “Not really. No. The ONLY person doing anything to my nails besides me is Baby. And that’s only on her birthday.”

           Silas nudged him with his elbow. “Or when she asks. Or pouts. Or just smiles at you.”

           North gave him the look. “Oh yeah… like you can say ‘no’ to her. Ever.”

           Silas grinned. “I don’t even try, my friend. I don’t even try.”

           North rolled his eyes, and then looked at me. “Baby, are you just about finished?”

           I looked at the tech, and she nodded. “Just about. Why?”

           “We’re starving. Mr. Blackbourne just got a call from Axel, and he wants to meet for a lunch meeting.”

           “A lunch meeting?” I looked from guy to guy, confused. They don’t usually meet in public, do they?

           “Yeah. His guys are starving, too, and we need to coordinate our schedules on a few things.”

           Nathan stood up, thanking his tech. “Then I guess we should go. A hungry Raven is never a good thing.”