Keep Coming Back To Love. Christa Maurice

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СКАЧАТЬ I got this shirt done for you. Can you try it on under the smock to make sure it fits?”

      “I’ve got a T-shirt on. Is that okay?”

      Jody was right, next time they really needed a head start on these emergencies. “Okay, never mind. We’ll have to cross our fingers. I was kinda talking while I was finishing it up.”

      “Who were you talking to?”

      “A customer. He’s got me tailoring five shirts for him to pick up next week.”

      “Do you do this for everybody?” Tyler’s eyes narrowed under the mask. Already possessive. Good.

      “No, but he saw me working on yours and asked if I could do his. Decent money, too.” Really decent. The college fund was looking more hopeful all the time.

      A timer dinged and Jody pushed her out of the way to poke at Tyler’s hair. “Time to rinse. Cross everything that this works.”

      Gina edged in and touched the facial mask with her fingertips. “Try not to get this wet. It needs to dry completely before we take it off.”

      “I’ll do my best.”

      Candy checked her watch. Who needed food? “I better get back. Try the shirt on before you go so I can fix it if I have to.”

      As she hurried out, she took one last look back. Tyler was in the rinse chair with Jody washing the dye out of his hair while trying not to get the facial wet. Hopefully he’d look decent once he got all that stuff off. Jody was good. Still in beauty school at the county Vo Tech, but she had good instincts. Hopefully.

      * * * *

      Tyler slithered through the kitchen door as quietly as possible. He wished he could burst through the front crowing about how he’d met this great girl and got in the band all in the same day, but Dad was home. Probably should have climbed up the garage drainpipe and in through his bedroom window, but that would have meant not eating again tonight.

      His mother walked in while he was rummaging through the fridge.

      “How did it go?” she whispered. He stood up and her mouth fell open. “What happened to your hair this time?”

      “I got in the band.”

      “What happened to your hair?”

      Tyler touched his hair. It felt less like wire than usual. The girl at the salon had tortured him about using the right stuff when he washed it and conditioning regularly. Have to start using his sister’s shampoo. “I met this girl and she thought it would help and it did. I got in the band.”

      “That’s great, honey.” Anxiety bracketed her eyes. “Your father isn’t going to like it.”

      “He doesn’t like anything I do.”

      His mother made a noise. “I know.”

      “Oh my God!” Tiffany shrieked from the doorway.

      Tyler and his mother both jumped.

      “What’s going on?” His father lumbered into the room and the temperature dropped fifteen degrees. He wore a stained undershirt with saggy jeans. “You look like a faggot. What the hell are you wearing?”

      Tyler looked down at the shirt. The colors were a little weird, but it fit like skin and made him feel finished in some way he couldn’t put his finger on. When he’d shown Candy before he left the store, she’d been very pleased.

      “You look like a faggot,” Dad repeated, louder this time.

      “Roger!” His mother snapped. “Leave him alone. It’s very nice. It’s good to see him taking an interest in how he looks.”

      “He looks like a faggot.”

      Tiffany giggled.

      “Shut up, Tiff,” Tyler snarled. Should have climbed in the window. Right now he could be lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about Candy.

      “I think he looks more grown up and professional.” His mother set her jaw. “I’m going to give him my credit card so he can go get more clothes like those. Maybe he’ll be inspired to go to college.”

      Her credit card was still in his pocket, but Tyler figured this was a bad time to bring that up.

      “He doesn’t need to go to college. He needs to grow up and get a job instead of running around looking like—like a homo.”

      “There’s nothing wrong with how he looks and if he wants to go to college, he should. Better than getting stuck in some dead-end job he complains about every night over dinner,” his mother shouted.

      “What? Like teaching school so he can complain about how much money he’s not making for teaching other people’s brats?” his father shouted back.

      Tyler’s stomach contracted to a pinpoint. All they ever did was fight about him. He should chuck it all and go to the Vo Tech to learn something glamorous like engine repair. “Stop it! I hate you people. I hate this house!” Tyler stomped upstairs and slammed his bedroom door. His room was always clean, clothes put away, desk and dresser cleared, bed made. Never knew when Dad was going to pull a surprise inspection and confiscate anything he thought was out of place.

      Throwing himself on his bed, still dressing in the clothes Candy picked out for him, Tyler stared at the Rage Against the Machine poster on the wall. The whole day had been awesome until he got home. When he’d told Mom about the audition this morning on the way to school, she’d insisted he get some new clothes. Then he’d met Candy and she’d been so cool. The girls in the salon fussed over him as if he was important and that little old lady gave him ten bucks because he sang “Moon River” for her twice. The guys in the band were impressed with his voice and with the way he looked. They had a paid gig already for Friday and he’d have to rehearse with them every night at their manager’s house to get ready.

      The band had a manager. He’d never been in a band big enough to have a manager before. And Candy. Man, even if he hadn’t gotten in the band, Candy would have made the whole day worth it. So hot and smart. She planned to go to college. Maybe he should think about it too. Even if he ended up being a teacher like his mom, it would be better than driving truck like his dad. Anything would be better than being like his dad.

      His mom tapped on his door. Had to be his mom. His dad and Tiff just barged in.

      “Yeah?”

      “Hi honey.” She stepped through the doorway and scanned the room. “I wanted you to know I’m proud of you for trying this. You’ve worked very hard and even if it doesn’t pan out, you’ll know you did your best.”

      “Thanks, Mom.”

      She swallowed. “And I do want to you go back to the store and get some more clothes like these. You look very nice. Even your hair.” She smiled a little. “It is shorter.”

      “Yeah.”

      She sat on the end of the bed and folded her hands in her lap. “So you met a girl. What’s she like?”

      Tyler СКАЧАТЬ