“We’re not going to cut your hair entirely,” she pacifies me, an evil glint in her eye. “Just a trim.”
“Two hours ago, you said we were just getting one pair of shoes. I now own three pairs.” I consider clutching the rim of the salon door for leverage, but she’s already pulled me inside, the scent of expensive shampoo and styling products engulfing us.
“When was the last time you had a haircut?” she demands to know. “Your hair reaches past your hips. It’s very pretty and all, but don’t you want to change your look?”
I’m not overly attached to my hair. As long as it isn’t bothering me, I let it alone. My mother had always been against me cutting my hair. I guess I’ve held on to some of her rules since childhood like invisible chains.
“Well, maybe just a little bit,” I relent, already knowing I’ll regret it.
I should have known that giving anybody in this family even a little bit of leeway means that they will shove the entire door open. I walk out of the salon with soft bangs and hair that goes just a little past my shoulders. But it looks good, framing my face in a way that makes my eyes seem larger.
When we finally head to lunch, my feet are aching, and I crave another massage, each step sending a jolt of pain up my legs. “I’m never going shopping with you again.”
Megan laughs lightly, sliding into her chair at the upscalerestaurant she’s chosen. “Of course you are. Seeing how obsessed my brother is with you, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me. Who knew that Ethan would finally settle down? Aside from Nick, all my brothers are allergic to commitment.”
“Commitment? We are not settling down anywhere!” I say quickly, panic fluttering in my chest.
Megan rolls her eyes at me, the gesture exaggerated. “You’re both all over each other. Stop embarrassing yourself.”
Megan has a sharp tongue, but she’s quite likable, her directness oddly refreshing.
“I’m serious,” I insist, gripping the menu with unnecessary force. “There’s really nothing going on between me and your brother. We just—We had a one-night stand?—”
Megan crosses her arms over her chest and studies me, her dark eyes—the shape of them so similar to Ethan’s—narrowing. “A one-night stand takes place once. And my brother doesn’t do one-night stands. Trust me. I know far too much about his personal life than I would like to. He doesn’t give me his credit card to shop for a woman who is not family. He doesn’t smile the way he does when he’s with you, and he doesn’t spend the night in a woman’s bed. In fact, the only time I remember him having a girlfriend was for a few months and that was in college.”
My fingers press into the menu, the expensive paper crinkling. “He doesn’t date?”
“Well, he’s dated, sure,” she informs me, taking a sip of her water, “but he’s very selective. He definitely doesn’t do one-night stands. In the past five years, he’s been obsessed with—” Her eyes narrow as she stares at my hair. “Didn’t you say that my brother and you knew each other from a couple of years ago?”
I shrug awkwardly, suddenly very interested in the dessert section. “Something like that.”
Her lips spread into a wide Cheshire smile, and she leansforward, resting her chin on her folded fingers. “You know something interesting? My brother has recently become quite obsessed with red hair. In fact, I would say it’s been a few years. He went out with two or three actresses, just dinner dates, and he only said yes to them because of their hair color.”
I stare at her, my heart skipping a beat. “I don’t follow.”
“Something happened between you and my brother a couple of years ago, didn’t it?” She grins, clearly delighted by her deduction. “He’s never acted the way he does around you. He’s never brought a girl home before. I had my suspicions, but now I’m sure of it. He’s playing for keeps.”
A strange emotion blooms within me, something between fear and hope. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that, like it or not, Natalie, my brother has committed to you. And I’m starting to think that you are the one who’s trying to run away from him. Did I hit the nail on the head?”
My mouth is dry, my pulse racing. “Ethan isn’t committing to me?—”
She leans back in her chair, gesturing dismissively with her hand. “Please. The few women he’s gone out with, he’s acted like a cold, arrogant jerk. Do you know how many women have tried to tie him down? The ones he paid the slightest attention to all had red hair like you and similar builds. But it’s never progressed past dinner. They’re all too boring or too chatty. Now I understand why he was acting this way. None of those women were you.”
I feel the heat bloom across my face, spreading to the tips of my ears. “You must’ve misunderstood?—”
“There’s oblivious, and then there’s you.” Megan rolls her eyes. “If you don’t want to see what’s right in front of you, no one can help you. But I’ll say it out loud for you, Natalie. My brother has feelings for you. And seeing as how I grew up withhim, I know what I’m talking about. Maybe you should take your head out of the sand for five minutes.”
“You’re very rude,” I mutter, trying to deal with this onslaught of information that’s making my head spin.
“So I’ve been told.” Megan motions towards one of the servers, her diamond bracelet catching the light. “But somebody needs to call you out on your bullshit.”
“Very, very rude,” I mutter, wishing I could form a more eloquent retort.
She just smiles sweetly at me. “I like you, too. My brother has impeccable taste. Now let’s eat.”
I gape at her, lost for words.
