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eyes, embarrassed that he’d stooped so low as using the sex card. That had to be it. Why else would she keep him around doing what he did? And he didn’t think it was love. Maybe in the beginning it might have been, but not now. He’d known Tina for a couple of years now and not once had he heard the sentence, “I love Erik” come out of her luscious mouth. Nope, she didn’t love him and he bet she fretted over how to get out of the relationship with him without either of them getting hurt. But there was no way around it. Tina needed to ditch that loser and get on with her life.
    He didn’t remember walking to the administration office, but he stood there with Alexis’ eagle eyes glued on him and a know it all smile on her lips.
    “Good morning,” she told him.
    “Good morning,” Kevin said. “How are you doing?”
    “I’m fine,” Alexis replied. “How about you?”
    “Pissed,” he answered.
    “Anything I can help you with?”
    Tina took that very moment to come into the administration office.
    “Maybe later,” he said.
    “Good morning,” Tina said, bowing to him.
    “Good morning. What time is the staff meeting?” Kevin asked.
    “Ten,” Tina answered.
    That gave Erik three hours to make it to work.
    “I’ll be in my office,” Kevin said, bowing to the two women. He walked off.
     
    ****
     
    “Why are meetings so exhausting?” Alexis asked as she and Tina entered the beauty salon. There were a few women already there before them getting their hair and nails worked on, while others had their feet resting in water preparing for a pedicure.
    “That’s because people have a right to their opinion, which makes the meetings longer,” Tina explained.
    “Well, at least we get a break next week since you’ll be out of town.”
    “Yeah, I’m looking forward to a couple of days in San Francisco.” She was going there to talk with the toy crafter and manufacturers.
    The male owner of the salon waved them over. “What can I do for your ladies today?”
    “Hair, a pedicure, and a full set of nails,” Alexis answered.
    “Same for me,” Tina told the man.
    He pointed to two empty seats for them to have their pedicures done first.
    “And you’ll have Kevin with you to keep you company.”
    “What is that supposed to mean?” Tina asked Alexis. She put her feet into the water. “I’ve been on plenty of business trips before by myself.”
    “And what do you do while you’re there?” Alexis asked. “You just stay in your room working and not going out on the town for a little sight-seeing.” She eased her feet into the water and lay back in the seat.
    “That’s because I’m on a business trip. If I planned to sight-see, it would be called a vacation. Anyway, I probably won’t be seeing much of Kevin. He has some friends in San Francisco that he might visit.”
    Alexis shook her head. She loved Tina like a sister, but sometimes she went through life with blinders on. She was going to be alone in San Francisco with a gorgeous man who liked her and all she thought about was work.
    “Maybe I’ll get in some sight-seeing,” Tina said, non-committal. “Or, Erik and I can go on vacation there after the holidays.”
    Alexis tried not to let her contempt for Erik show on her face. The man had come to work late again today, reeking of cheap cologne and pretending that nothing was wrong. Even Tina couldn’t be that blind.
    They moved over to the manicurists after their pedicures were done. Two young women entered and sat next to Alexis. One of them looked familiar to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
    “I need a full set of nails,” the one with the blonde hair said to the manicurist.
    Why is her voice so familiar ?
    Tina looked up at the sound of the woman’s voice, stared, and then looked back down at what the young Asian woman was doing to her nails.
    Was it her imagination or did Tina seem to know the young woman or recognize her voice? Alexis leaned to her right. “Do you