Leave it to Fate (Fate Series - Book #1)

Chapter Three - Grand Gestures

A Monday afternoon that began with nothing remarkable about it, changed my life.

I woke up that morning to the shrill sound of my alarm, and made my way into my kitchen to make my usual cup of coffee.

I sighed in relief to see no notifications on any of my social channels.

It's finally calmed down.

I walked into the spa with a bit of pep in my step, feeling like I had finally woken from my bad dream.

"Good morning!" I greeted my co-workers as I stepped through the employee-only entrance.

"Morning, Luna," Keri called back as she collected her bagged tools for the day. "Any update on your Romeo?" she teased.

"Not a thing!" I was happy to report.

Taking a look at the booking app that showed my schedule, I saw I had back-to-back facials that would keep my day distraction-free.

Perfect!

I began to plan my recommendations for the returning clients.

Yes, I had returning clients! What a wonderful feeling to begin helping people with their long term skin care goals. The trust they were showing me, fueled my fire. I'm finally back on track. Being newly single, allowed me to focus all my attention on my career. And that's exactly where I wanted it.

My final client of the day had a stubborn case of acne on her cheeks, and she was just beginning to believe my recommendation of removing dairy from her diet--something no one ever wants to hear. Everyone desires a quick fix that isn't there.

I came out of my facial room after having cleaned it from my last service to find my manager rushing up to me. I was startled at her hast.

Oh jeez. What's wrong? God, I hope it's not a bad Yelp review. I worried, my mind building the worst-case-scenario.

"Luna," she almost whispers, stopping in front of me, a bit out of breath from her short sprint. "Someone is here to see you," she looked behind her back before speaking her next words, "and there are cameras." she whispered as if they would hear her. She was as concerned as she was curious.

"What?" Cameras? Could it be someone wanting to interview me for a local paper like they had with Janice previously or for a beauty wellness blog?

Those were the only instances I had seen a cameraperson in our salon before. Janice had made waves in the industry with her holistic approach and her pending book had already gained some traction in Boston. My mood shifted back toward the positive. The publicity would be wonderful. Anything besides the one that kissed the rock star. I thought, momentarily grumpy.

Walking toward the front of the salon, I checked my uniform; my black leggings were clean and my white button-up was crisp; no marks from the clays or tinctures. I put on my best customer service smile for the cameras I knew were beyond the curtain that separated the front of the house from the back, and stepped forward.

The half-smile with impossibly perfect teeth took me by surprise and the familiarity of it sent a flutter through my chest.

It's him.

Standing next to the reception counter, leaning on his back foot, shifting nervously as his eyes lifted from the floor and locked onto mine. My breath caught in my throat. He looked as if he had just walked off a Paris runway and yet slightly still as if he had just rolled out of bed. He wore tight black jeans with combat boots and a white v-neck shirt that revealed his tattoos climbed up to his collarbone. The leather jacket hugged his broad shoulders just right, it looked soft like he had been wearing it for years. I could see the shape of a pack of cigarettes in the pocket.