Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“It sounds perfect,” Ledger says.
“It is.” Then, I hesitate. “The only issue is it’s a small space. I always imagined a slightly bigger salon. But it’ll be fine for my first salon. I think if it’s just me and one other booth, I can make the rent for the place. I think.”
At least that’s what I tell myself.
“And this is what you want?” Dev asks as if he wants to be absolutely certain.
I weigh his question, but the reality is it just feels right—in my gut. And I’ve been learning to trust my gut. “I do want it.”
“You should go for it,” Ledger says.
“You absolutely should,” Dev echoes.
I cherish their support.
A few weeks later, Trina and I are working to finalize the deal. I’m crunching numbers over Saturday morning coffee at the kitchen counter when an email lands on my phone.
My heart drops like an anchor as I read the disappointing email from the landlord. Last night, he writes, he got a better offer on the lease for the little space. But there’s real estate on the other side of the bookstore which is a lot bigger and could be retrofitted. I could rent that one, he suggests. But it’s much more expensive.
That sounds too daunting, and I definitely don’t have the money for a bigger space.
“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be,” I tell the guys as they grab their water bottles before heading to the gym for a morning workout.
“But you liked the space,” Dev says, annoyed on my behalf.
“It was perfect for you,” Ledger adds, equally irritated.
“I did and that’s true.” I shrug sadly. “But what can you do?”
Two hours later, they come home, but they’re not sweaty. “Did you not work out?” I ask, eyeing them up and down.
Ledger smiles like a cat and shakes his head. “Nope.”
“We made a deal instead,” Dev adds, his eyes twinkling.
“What did you do?” I ask, a little giddy, a little nervous.
Ledger reaches for my hand. “We’ll show you.”
I leash up my pup and the four of us head down Jackson Street to Fillmore. We turn onto the busy shopping street and weave through Saturday crowds until we reach the empty block.
There are three spaces here. The little potential salon, the bookstore space, and the bigger potential salon.
They stop in front of the planned bookstore. The small place that would have been my own salon mocks me. But the bigger spot on the other side? It is huge, and also too big for my little wallet.
Ledger takes a deep breath. “We bought them both,” he says. “Both spaces next to the bookstore.”
My head spins, and I stutter, “You did?” They can’t be serious.
Ledger’s smile is sweet, a little unsure. “When you mentioned the bigger space this morning, everything clicked. I had a wild idea, and you can say no. I swear you can say no, honey,” he assures me. He sounds so vulnerable but so excited too. “We saw the landlord an hour ago and made an offer he couldn’t refuse for both places. The little space and the bigger one. I thought this one”—he gestures to the big place—“would be a perfect hair salon for you. And the little one? That seems perfect for an ex-hockey player who wants to try his hand at running a plant shop.”
My hand flies to my mouth, then I let go and jump into his arms. “That’s so perfect for you. I love it. And I love you. You have to do it. I insist. I insist so hard.”
“But if you want more space and don’t want to work next to me, I’ll find another place in the city,” he says, clearly wanting to make sure this works for me.
But it does. Oh yes, it does.
“We want you to have the space next to your friend, though,” Dev puts in. “So we bought them both.”
I hug Ledger tighter then let go and throw my arms around Dev. “I love you guys so much.”
When I break the embrace, Ledger still looks unsure, his smile tentative. “If you don’t want to work close to me, it’s fine, Aubrey. I get it.”
I swat his arm. “I do. I really, really do.”
I can picture it now. My salon next to my best friend’s bookstore next to my guy’s brand-new plant shop.
A few months later, a neon sign in bright, bold pink lights up the front of my salon, reading Hello, Gorgeous. It’s right next to the fabulous bookstore Once Upon A Good Time. On the other side is the cutest plant shop in the city—Welcome to the Jungle.
It’s my favorite block in San Francisco.
Especially when the first day is bustling, and Ledger sells more succulents, prayer plants, and ferns than he’d ever expected.
When the clock hits closing time, we lock up and head together to the arena. His team is out of playoff contention, but the Golden State Foxes aren’t. Ledger and I have on our matching jerseys, and we’re going to cheer on our favorite goalie.