Rainier Drive (Cedar Cove #6)(29)

“Seth and I are having a few problems,” Justine confessed, sounding sad and lost. Her voice was so low Teri had to strain to hear. “We’ll be all right…. It’s just that things are difficult now.”

“Which they’re bound to be after something this upsetting,” Teri reassured her. Again, their eyes met.

“We haven’t made love in weeks,” Justine whispered. “Not since the fire. Seth is so angry. He doesn’t know how to deal with this.” She closed her eyes again, and Teri gently squeezed her shoulder.

“Don’t you worry,” Teri said. “Everything will work out, you wait and see.” She didn’t mean to serve up platitudes; every word was sincere. Teri had seen it happen over and over. Some trauma would upset a family and it was the marriage that took the brunt of that strain—but if the relationship was strong, husband and wife could survive it together.

“How long have I been cutting your hair?” Teri asked. It wasn’t a rhetorical question.

“I don’t know,” Justine replied. “Six or seven years for sure.”

“That’s what I thought. I remember when you were dating Warren Saget. I never did understand what you saw in that geezer, but who you decided to date was your business. Then Seth came along and—oh, my goodness—you were dumbstruck. I ran into you down by the waterfront one Saturday, and I saw the way you looked at each other. You two were crazy in love, no mistake about that.”

Justine’s eyes stayed closed as Teri washed her hair, but she smiled. “I remember those days, too. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”

Teri grinned. “You pretended Seth meant nothing to you. I made the mistake of mentioning his name one time, and you nearly bit my head off.”

“I most certainly did not,” Justine protested.

“Did, too,” Teri retorted, working the shampoo into the long, thick hair. “I’ll bet Seth still looks at you the same way he did back then. There’s no denying that man loves you and you love him. Just hang in there, okay?”

Justine opened her eyes and blinked up at her. “I hope you’re right.”

Denise, the part-time receptionist, approached Teri as she finished the shampoo. “There’s someone here to see you,” she said.

Teri wrapped the towel around Justine’s head. “Did you get a name?”

“He wouldn’t give me one.”

“He?” Joan, Jane and the other girls all stopped what they were doing and stared at her.

“Go check it out,” Rachel suggested from where she sat doing the mayor’s wife’s nails.

Teri led Justine to her station and dried her hands. “I’ll be right back,” she promised.

A tall, extremely thin man hovered just inside the salon. He glanced nervously around, as though afraid one of the stylists would tackle him, tie him up and dye his hair pink.

“I’m Teri Miller,” she said, hand on her hip. She wasn’t buying anything and she didn’t have time for chitchat, either.

“Bobby Polgar would like to speak with you,” he announced, clearly expecting her to drop everything immediately. “He’s in the car outside.”

“Oh.” Her first reaction was astonishment.

“Miss Miller,” the thin man added, “Mr. Polgar doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“Is that right?” Teri muttered, frowning at him. She remembered now that she’d seen this guy at the chess match with Bobby and had assumed he was either a friend or employee. “Well, it so happens I’m busy, and I’m going to be busy all day. Kindly tell Mr. Polgar that if he wants to see me, he should make an appointment like everyone else.”

“Teri,” Joan cried in utter exasperation. “Don’t be an idiot. He probably wants to thank you.”

“As he should,” Teri reminded her friends. The man owed her, and all she’d gotten for her trouble was an escorted exit from the competition. Not only had Bobby Polgar not paid her, he hadn’t seen fit to thank her, either.

“Miss?” the man asked again.

Everyone in the salon seemed to be watching her, waiting for her to decide.

For a second she was tempted to walk out to the car and listen politely while the great Bobby Polgar deigned to grant her an audience. But frankly, she wasn’t that hard up. Nor did she want to give this…chessman the idea that she was at his beck and call.

“Please thank Mr. Polgar for coming,” Teri said smoothly, “but explain that I have a full schedule today and am unavailable until after six o’clock.” With that, she turned to see her friends and customers staring at her.

“I don’t think Mr. Polgar will be pleased,” the man said.

Teri shook her head. In her opinion, too many people already catered to Bobby Polgar’s likes and dislikes. It was about time someone stood up to him.

When she returned to Justine, it seemed the entire salon had gone silent. “What?” Teri demanded.

Activity resumed, and she heaved a sigh of relief.

A few minutes later, Denise was back. “That skinny guy asked me to give you this.” She handed her a hundred-dollar bill.

Teri shrugged and stuffed it in her hip pocket. Apparently there was even more money in chess than she’d guessed. A hundred bucks for a haircut was about four times what she normally charged. She’d say one thing for Bobby Polgar—he was a decent tipper.