Red(49)

“Thanks!” The girl fingered the end of her coppery ponytail. “I’m still getting used to it, but I think I like it.”

“I’m telling you, it’s awesome. Where’d you have it done?”

“Live Free or Dye, over on Orchard.”

Felicity suddenly realized what they were talking about, and she drew in her breath sharply. How could this Sienna girl openly admit to having dyed her hair? This was a public place, and anyone could be listening. Didn’t she know that hair dye should only be discussed in whispers in the privacy of one’s own home? Though the girl seemed totally at ease, Felicity flushed with embarrassment on her behalf. She had the urge to avert her gaze, as if the other redhead were doing a drunken striptease on the counter.

But at the same time, she couldn’t stop staring. Because even to her expert eyes—eyes that looked at dyed red hair every single day of her life—this girl’s hair color looked natural. And that meant there was someone right here in Caldner who was just as skilled with dye as Rose Vaughn.

Gabby had said she’d make her mom drop Felicity as a client if she refused to cooperate, but that threat was totally meaningless. Rouge-o-Rama wasn’t the only option out there. The realization shocked Felicity so much that her knees felt a little weak.

“You okay?” Jonathan gently touched her shoulder.

“What? Yeah. Sure.” Felicity realized the other couple had moved on and that she had been staring very intently into space. She tried to pull herself together.

The tiny blonde was back behind the register now, and she smiled radiantly when she saw Jonathan. “Hey, cutie! How are you? What’re you all dolled up for? Who’s your … um … friend?”

Jonathan grinned and looked at his shoes, and Felicity smiled to see a little glimpse of bashful School Jonathan peeking through the SuperJonathan exterior. “This is Felicity. She helped me escape from prom. Felicity, this is April, my brother’s girlfriend.”

April held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Felicity. You have such gorgeous hair. Wow, two redheaded customers in a row. What are the odds?”

The question seemed ludicrous—at the stores and restaurants Felicity frequented, nearly all the customers were redheads. But as her eyes skimmed over the Fry Me to the Moon crowd, she had the startling realization that she and the ponytailed girl were the only redheads in the entire room. The lack of red made her feel a bit unsettled. “Crazy,” she managed.

“Why’d you guys need to escape from prom?” April asked. “Isn’t that usually a place people want to be?”

“Long story,” Jonathan said. “And we’re desperately in need of fries.”

“Well, you’re in the right place. What can I get for you?”

Felicity tried to focus on the menu, but it was overwhelming. There were at least twenty dipping sauces to choose from, and they all sounded equally delicious. She definitely needed some waffle fries, but was she in a jalape?o cheddar mood or a cinnamon barbecue mood? Maybe the spicy mayo was the way to go. Just as she was about to start asking questions, Jonathan said, “Well, since it’s Felicity’s first time, I think we better have one order of waffle fries with jalape?o cheddar and one order of sweet potato fries with cinnamon barbecue sauce.” He turned to her. “Is that okay with you?”

Felicity’s eyes widened. “How did you know what I wanted?”

“Trust me, those are the best. You want a milk shake?”

She was about to say she didn’t need a milk shake, but she decided she deserved one after the night she’d had. “Yeah. Chocolate malt, please.”

“Good call. I’ll have the same thing.”

Felicity opened her bag and reached for her wallet, but Jonathan stopped her hand. “Don’t, um—I’ve got it.”

Did that make this a date? Felicity instinctively looked around to make sure nobody was watching, but everyone who would gossip about her and Jonathan was back in Scarletville. “You don’t have to do that,” she said.

“I know. I want to.”

April handed Jonathan his change. “Your order will be out in a few minutes,” she said. Then she reached into her apron pocket, pulled out a hamburger-shaped windup toy, and presented it to Felicity with great solemnity. “This is for you, since it’s your first time. Welcome to the Fry Me to the Moon family.”

“Thanks,” Felicity said. She wound up the hamburger, and it hopped crookedly across the counter. She found it more amusing than she should have, considering her age. She knew she should give it to her brothers when she got home, but she planned to keep it.

Jonathan led Felicity to a free table next to a mosaic of a pelican with its beak full of fries. Felicity chose a gold chair painted with pineapples, and Jonathan sat down across from her in a purple striped one. He looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. “So, you like this place?” he asked.

“I love it. How’d you find it? I never would have known this was here.”

“I’ve been coming here pretty often since Jake and April started dating a couple years ago. It’s pretty much the only place that stays open late, except for the truck stop on I-35, and that’s not exactly my scene.”

“Is that anybody’s scene?”

“I think the football team goes there sometimes. They serve huge pieces of pie, and nobody cares if you act really rude and stupid.” Jonathan’s eyes suddenly widened. “Oh God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean Brent. I’m sure he’s— I mean—”