Chapter 13

Duane assures him, “Let me work, man, and I’ll get your water back on soon enough, okay?”

With a sigh, Jai drops into a comfy armchair in the small waiting area near the front door. From here he can watch Duane through the large bay window—the plumber huddles against the blustery wind to the back of his truck, where he rummages around for a few things, tucking them into the pockets of his jacket before Jai can see what they are. At this time of the morning, the sidewalks are usually busy with people strolling amid the small shops that line the street, but with today’s weather, there’s no one out and about. Even if the salon does open later, Jai doesn’t think they’ll get any more walk-ins than they did the night before. It almost doesn’t matter whether or not the hot water gets fixed.

Then Duane is back, stomping his feet on the salon’s hardwood floor in an effort to warm up. “Damn, it’s cold,” he mutters, shivering in his jacket a moment longer before shucking it off.