The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
Zahra
Islam the door to my locker shut.
“What’s got you all upset?” Claire takes a seat on the bench across from me and puts on her flats. Her dark, shoulder-length hair curtains around her face, and she shoves it out of the way.
“I met the biggest jerk this morning during the meeting. And you won’t believe who it was.”
“Who?!”
“Rowan Kane.”
“Get the fuck out!” My roommate’s brown eyes go wide.
A couple heads snap in our direction. Mrs. Jeffries fumbles for her cross necklace as she stares at us.
“Claire.” I groan.
“He’s Dreamland royalty. Excuse my shock.”
“Trust me. Some things are better left to the imagination.”
Whatever sweet stories Brady shared about his youngest grandson were nothing but a fantasy. The rumors circulating Dreamland were right. Rowan has earned a reputation as a ruthless businessman known to stir up the same level of happiness as animal euthanasia. He first gained attention after being the tie-breaker vote against increasing the minimum wage for employees. Because of him, The Kane Company has continued to pay their employees pennies for their hard work. His reign of terror was solidified over the years. He has cut back on employee’s paid vacation days, swapped our health insurance plan for one that hurts rather than helps, and laid off thousands of employees.
Rowan might have the looks of an angel but the rest of him is pure sin.
Claire tugs on my dress. “Well, tell me! Does he smell as good as he looks?”
“No.” Yes. But I’m not about to tell Claire that.
Not only did Rowan smell amazing, but his company photo doesn’t do him justice. Rowan is beautiful in an unapproachable kind of way. Like a marble statue surrounded by a red velvet rope, tempting me to cross into forbidden territory for one single touch. His cheekbones seem sharp enough to cut while his lips look soft enough to kiss. And based on the part I pinched and the thigh I touched, he is packed with lean muscle. He seems perfect, looking every bit like a pretty boy with his perfectly styled brown hair, pressed suit, and deep caramel-colored eyes.
That is until he opens his mouth.
“Okay, let’s ignore the fact that he’s a jerk and talk more about if he’s single or not.” She bats her lashes.
“Last time I checked, he isn’t your type.” I shove her shoulder, knowing she doesn’t give a damn about boys. She declared herself gay during high school and never blinked at men ever again.
“Bitch, I’m asking for you, not me.”
I run a hand down my purple renaissance costume. “Seeing as he told me that my job wasn’t important enough to be missed, I’m not interested. Not to mention he’s our boss.” Even though Dreamland doesn’t have any rules against fraternization, I’ve officially labeled Rowan off-limits. Been there, done that, and bought the souvenir. My ex-boyfriend met my lifetime asshole quota.
“Man. What a dick.”
“Tell me about it. I can’t believe he’s our new Director. It was so all of a sudd—”
“Roll call!” Regina, the salon manager, shouts from the main floor.
Claire and I step onto the salon floor and line up with the rest of the staff. We’re surrounded by a sea of empty, colorful chairs and lit vanities waiting to house children who dream of being dressed up as princesses and princes during their time in Dreamland.
All the employees stand through our assignments before setting up our stations.
“Ready?” Claire looks over at me from her vanity.
I grab my unplugged curling wand and wield it like a sword. “I was born ready.”
Henry, today’s floor attendant, opens the doors and lets in a crowd of kids and their parents. My heart warms at the bright-smiling, starry-eyed children who assess all the costumes lining the walls.
Henry rolls a little girl in a wheelchair toward my station. “Hi, Zahra. This is Lily. She’s excited to have you make her look like Princess Cara today.”
I bend over and give Lily my hand. “Are you sure you need a makeover?”
She nods and smiles.
“Are you sure you’re not a princess already?”
Lily muffles her giggle with her other hand. Her straight blonde hair falls into her face, shielding her green eyes from me.
I tap her scrunched nose. “You’re going to make my job so easy that my boss might think I have superpowers.”
Lily laughs. The sound is so sweet, I can’t help joining her.
“I like your pin.” She points at today’s enamel pin that rests above my name tag.
“Thank you.” I smile at the Bee Happy script covering a cartoon bumblebee. My small rebellion against the uniform code is a hit with the little ones.
I get to work, starting with Lily’s hair. Her straight hair stubbornly struggles to hold the classic Princess Cara curls, but I don’t give up until she looks perfect.
A weird prickling sensation shoots down my spine. I turn toward the vanity without watching my hands and swipe Lily’s cheek with purple eyeshadow.
“Hey!” She laughs.
“Oh God.”
“What?”
Rowan stands beside the front desk. His weighted stare in the mirror has my skin heating and my eyes threatening to pop out of their sockets. A flush spreads across my cheeks, and I turn away from the makeup station to hide my reaction.
“Ohh, you’re getting red. Mommy does that with Daddy.” Lily’s eyes light up.
“Hmm.” What is he doing here? Am I going to be fired?
Lily catches me staring at Rowan’s reflection in the mirror. “Do you like him?”
“Shh! No!” I wipe the makeup off her cheek.
“Is it a secret?” she whispers.
“Yes!” I’ll say anything to get her to shut up.
I take another peek over my shoulder. The asshole-in-Armani’s eyes remain focused on me, adding to my anxiety with nothing but a scowl.
Henry walks up to my vanity under the guise of offering Lily a juice box. “So, care to share why Mr. Kane is asking about you?”
“Because I might have made him angry earlier?”
Henry’s eyes crinkle with concern. “I wanted to come over and warn you that he’s asking Regina all kinds of questions about you.”
I hope Regina keeps her personal dislike toward me to herself. While she would love nothing more than to complain about me, my performance speaks for itself. My client tips are nearly double everyone else’s, which only fuels her personal vendetta against me. I don’t understand her problem. Her daughter is the one who had an affair with my now very ex-boyfriend while we were still dating. I’m nothing close to a threat because I wouldn’t touch Lance with a hazmat suit, let alone get back with him.
I straighten my spine. Thinking about Lance and Tammy only dampens my mood. It puts me back in that bad mental place, and I refuse to reduce myself to being that girl who thought she would marry her college sweetheart. That future crashed and burned after finding out about Lance’s double life with Tammy.
Let it go. Show them that they didn’t break you, no matter how close you got.
“Is he your prince?” Lily grins.
I snap back into the conversation.
Henry shimmies his shoulders. “We’ll have to wait and see if he carries her off to his kingdom.”
The only kingdom that man resides in is hell and I’m not interested in visiting. He’s a devil in a designer suit with a personality to match.
“Good luck! You’re going to need it.” Henry leaves after patting me on the head like a child.
Every time I look in the mirror, Rowan’s emotionless, brown eyes meet mine. I shiver under his stare despite the warm lights of the vanity.
During the entire makeover, I somehow keep a straight face despite my heart pounding against my rib cage. I throw all my energy into ignoring my new boss while making Lily the prettiest princess in the whole park.
As I get closer to the reveal, I turn her chair toward the center of the room and away from the mirror. I finish up the final touches before making a show of swiveling her chair back in front of the mirror for the big reveal. Her eyes water as she checks out her reflection.
“You look beautiful.” I bend over and give her a small hug.
“Thank you.” She frowns at her chair.
My heart squeezes in my chest, making me wish I could do more for kids like Lily. They always seem to be overlooked.
I wrap my arm around Lily’s shoulder and smile into the mirror. “You’re one pretty lady. I bet someone is going to mistake you for the real Princess Cara the moment you leave here.”
“Really?” Her entire face brightens again.
I tap her nose. “You bet. And I know kids are going to be jealous of your cool wheels when their feet are aching and sore.”
She laughs. “You’re funny.”
“If someone asks you for a free ride, make sure to charge them. Promise?”
“Pinky promise.” She holds up her tiny finger for me. We lock ours together and shake on it.
I turn to call for Lily’s parents. My eyes lock on Rowan’s. Heat blooms in my stomach, spreading like wildfire across my skin from one look.
Am I coming down with a fever?I knew that sniffling kid at my station yesterday didn’t have allergies.
Lily’s parents come over and rave all about her makeover. While her dad kneels to talk to Lily, her mother turns and clutches my hand with her trembling one. “Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter. She was scared she wouldn’t fit in here like the other girls but you went out of your way to make her day special.” She throws her arms around me.
I return her hug. “It’s my pleasure. But Lily made it easy because you both have one beautiful daughter, inside and out.”
Lily’s dad blushes while her mom grins. With one last look in the mirror, her parents roll Lily away.
I turn toward the area where Rowan and Regina were chatting, only to find it empty. My stomach sinks.
I remain permanently nauseous for the rest of the day. No matter how many smiling kids leave my chair, I can’t shake this weird feeling in my gut. I’m not sure what Rowan’s up to but I need to keep an eye out. There was a time I ignored my intuition and I refuse to make that mistake ever again.
