The Boys Down South by Abbi Glines

29

dixie

The clock on the wall finally said it was lunch time. At noon, the salon closed for an hour. Everyone was free to spend their break as they pleased. The other employees usually used the tanning beds during this time or styled each other’s hair. I occasionally got a wash and cut, but most of the time, I just read a book and ate a sandwich.

Today, however, I had other plans. I had decided the front desk needed a little sprucing up. A nice pot of flowers would do and I knew just where to get them. This was not what Asher and I had agreed on last night, but I wanted to see him. Maybe say hello. It wasn’t like I was taking him lunch and making a scene for the town to talk about.

I called out to let them know I was leaving for my break and then headed out the door, making sure I flipped the sign on the door before I locked it up. This was the only salon in Malroy and it always closed for lunch. Customers expected it. But we still turned that sign around in case anyone forgot.

For the first time in three years, I had opened my eyes that morning and a smile had spread across my face. A real one. It was so big; it had hurt my cheeks and I’d loved every second of it. That feeling of joy, excitement, hope was new to me now. It was a wonder I’d even gone to sleep last night. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better night if I’d tried. When I’d been younger, I had imagined something like that daily. But over time, it began to hurt too much to even think about it, so I’d forced myself to think of other things just to stop the pain and tears as I closed my eyes at night.

Those tears were a part of the person I’d become now, but I wouldn’t miss them or the hollowness inside my chest. Asher hadn’t promised me anything, but what he’d said was all I needed to hear for now. He loved me. He wanted to meet me there again tonight. And then again the next night.

I hurried down the street. Denver’s Feed and Seed was only half a mile from the salon and walking there was faster than driving because there were three stoplights between the two stores.

The wooden furniture that I was sure everyone in this town owned in some shape or form in their back yard, and on their porches, was displayed out front. Bright yellow sunflowers decorated the space and I had to admit even I wanted to go sit down and enjoy some lemonade. It was very welcoming. I wondered if Asher had unloaded all that. Probably had. That just made me smile even more. I didn’t care at all about how goofy I must’ve looked, grinning all alone while walking down the sidewalk.

Turning onto the gravel parking lot, I scanned the flowers on display for something affordable since I was buying these out of my own pocket. As I looked, my eyes also searched around for any sign of Asher. I didn’t want to be obvious, but I knew he’d know immediately why I was here.

I made my way to the side of the building where the store’s entrance was. Just as I stepped into the shade of the overhang, I heard a female voice that made me stop in my tracks.

“Time to eat, Asher. I got you the roast beef with that dark sauce you like to dip it in. I ate a few of your fries, though.” The voice belonged to Hannah and it was flirty. It also appeared to be very familiar with what Asher liked. I didn’t know if I should continue walking in their direction.

“Did you get me a sweet tea?” he asked and I saw him then, walking in from the back. His sleeveless undershirt was dirty and clung to his sweaty skin. He was wearing his cowboy hat and it shaded his eyes. I couldn’t see his face, but his tone was friendly. And he seemed pleased.

“Of course. Oh, hi, Dixie, can I help you with something?” Hannah asked, and I shifted my focus to her. She was giving me a fake smile. It was too bright and it didn’t meet her eyes.

“I, uh, no, I’m just, I,” I stopped stuttering and pointed to a wall of hoes and shovels, then hurried toward them.

“Dixie.” Asher’s voice called after me. I was not turning around. She’d caught me off guard. I hadn’t been prepared to speak yet. Not as I was still processing what I had witnessed.

Maybe they were just friends. He said before they were friends and I believed him. But the way she had talked to him, the tone in her voice… it said something else.

“Dixie, wait.” He was closing in on me. I could start running, but then I’d look ridiculous and draw even more attention to myself. That would, of course, make Asher and me the topic of everyone’s dinner conversation tonight. Including my own family’s. Wincing, I stopped walking and just waited on him to reach me.

His fingers wrapped around my upper arm and I let him turn me around. “Why did you walk off?” He looked completely confused.

“I don’t know,” I lied. I knew I was overreacting.

He frowned and looked around. “Come out back to my truck.”

I felt eyes on me. I was almost positive they belonged to Hannah, but I didn’t check. I didn’t care. I only cared about being alone with Asher.

“Okay.” I acquiesced and let him lead me to the back. Once we were around the storage bins, his truck came into view. When we were on the far side of the truck, hidden from view, he backed me up against it and placed his hands on either side of me. His palms sat flat on the door behind me. “Tell me what just happened.”

Sighing, I closed my eyes because this was embarrassing. “I came to get flowers for the salon in hopes of seeing you. Then I heard you and Hannah talking. Y’all were friendly. She was being flirty with you.”

Asher put a finger under my chin and tilted my head back. “Open your eyes, Dix.” He sounded amused. I slowly opened them and then blinked against the sun.

“Hannah is my friend. We work together.”

I nodded.

He just smirked and pressed a kiss to my lips. “I like you jealous. I have to admit it.”

“I don’t,” I pouted.

He laughed, but then dropped his hands from the truck behind me and stood back up straight. “I’ve got to eat lunch, you’ve got to get flowers, and if I stay back here with you any longer, I’ll start kissing you the way I want to. We can’t do that just yet. Not in public.”

Because of Steel.

“Okay,” I replied, wishing things were different. But I understood.

“Come on,” he said with a gentle tug of my hand, walking us back around the truck. I wasn’t embarrassed anymore, so when my eyes found Hannah looking at us, I smiled. I didn’t care what she thought of me. I had acted silly and if she wanted to think I was nuts, I couldn’t blame her.

“I’d share half my sandwich with you if it wouldn’t make people talk,” he said.

“I’ll eat back at the salon.”

“I won’t enjoy my lunch company. I promise.”

I laughed at that. He quickly squeezed my hand, then moved away.

It wasn’t until I lifted my eyes to start looking for flowers that I saw him. Steel. He was standing just outside his truck watching us. His angry glare caused my breath to hitch, making Asher follow my gaze. He tensed and immediately put distance between us.

“Come on, you. Time to eat. Thanks for helping Dixie with that. I had no idea where to find it,” Hannah said brightly as she walked in between us and wrapped both her arms around Asher’s arm.

“Wha—” Asher started to say, but then nodded. “Yeah. No problem.”

Hannah was saving him from Steel. I understood that, but it still didn’t feel good to see her cuddling up against him. “Oh, hey, Steel!” she called out, waving and walking Asher away from me. She glanced back at me. “Just take what you need to the front. Nora will check you out. We’re taking our lunch now.” There was a challenge in her gaze as she looked at me. Then she gave me a slow smile, went up on her toes and pressed a kiss to Asher’s face. “He’s just the sweetest.”

I waited to see him push her away. To tell her to stop. To question why she thought she could do that. But he did none of those things. He let her continue to cling to him. I didn’t want to watch anymore. My stomach felt sick as I walked away, back toward the street. Away from Steel, away from Asher, and away from Hannah. I didn’t want to pretend anymore. I had pretended for years. Pretended that I was okay. That I wasn’t hurting every single day. That I wasn’t lost. I was done with it all.

Last night, I’d allowed myself to hope that maybe sometime soon, Asher would want to fight for me, too. That after we had sex, he’d want more. He’d want back what he had taken from us. But what I’d just witnessed hadn’t been fighting. That had been acting. That had been just one more lie to add to the growing pile between us all.