Chapter 16: Not Everything Needs a Business Plan
The Dream House
Book One
By the time Luna's braids were finished, the sun had already started dropping behind the buildings.
I don't know how women do it.
Seriously.
One minute you're sitting down.
The next thing you know half the day has disappeared.
Ruth was making final adjustments while Luna admired herself in the mirror for what had to be the fifteenth time.
Maybe sixteenth.
I stopped counting.
"Okay," I said, standing up. "You officially love yourself."
Luna rolled her eyes.
"Do you blame me?"
"No."
She smiled.
"Good answer."
I looked at Ruth.
She looked exhausted.
Not physically.
Satisfied exhausted.
The kind people feel after creating something.
"You did a great job."
"Thank you."
She smiled.
For the first time I noticed she looked younger than I originally thought.
Not young young.
Just younger than the confidence she carried.
There was something comforting about her.
Like she could probably become friends with anybody in five minutes.
Meanwhile, Sinnad was cleaning his station.
The weird thing about him was how little attention he seemed to need.
Most business owners want everybody to know they're the boss.
Not him.
If nobody had told me, I would have assumed he was simply another barber.
Actually...
I still wasn't sure.
The thought crossed my mind.
Maybe he isn't the owner.
Maybe he's just really comfortable acting like he owns the place.
Before I could ask, the front door opened.
And in walked Selena.
Of course.
The woman somehow managed to enter every room like she was attending an important meeting.
Even when she was wearing jeans.
She immediately stopped.
Looked at Luna.
Then looked at me.
Then looked at the braids.
Then back at Luna.
"Oh wow."
Luna smiled proudly.
"I know."
"They actually look amazing."
"I know."
Selena laughed.
"You're becoming annoying."
"I know."
The three of us burst out laughing.
Even Ruth smiled.
Then Selena's eyes drifted toward Sinnad.
Who continued wiping down his station as if absolutely nothing important was happening.
I noticed something immediately.
Selena was studying him.
The same way she studied business opportunities.
The same way she studied problems.
Like she was trying to understand him.
Unfortunately for her...
Sinnad wasn't paying attention.
Not even a little.
Which made it worse.
Much worse.
Because people usually paid attention to Selena.
She wasn't arrogant.
Not really.
But she was used to being noticed.
Used to being listened to.
Used to being taken seriously.
Sinnad seemed completely unaffected.
And somehow that was hilarious.
Selena finally walked over.
"You're Sinnad, right?"
He looked up.
"Depends."
I nearly laughed.
Selena blinked.
"Depends?"
"If you're here to complain, I'm someone else."
Luna immediately covered her mouth.
I turned away.
Ruth looked like she was fighting for her life trying not to laugh.
Selena folded her arms.
"Oh, you're one of those people."
Sinnad looked confused.
"People who answer questions with questions."
"Oh."
He nodded.
"Sometimes."
Selena stared at him.
Sinnad stared back.
The silence lasted just long enough to become awkward.
Then he returned to cleaning his station.
Just like that.
Conversation over.
I almost felt bad for Selena.
Almost.
"What was that?" she asked.
"No idea," I replied.
"Is he always like that?"
"Pretty much."
Selena looked annoyed.
Which honestly made the entire situation funnier.
For the next few minutes we sat near the waiting area while Luna took approximately four hundred selfies.
At least it felt like four hundred.
The shop continued buzzing around us.
Customers came and went.
A teenager walked in and immediately greeted Sinnad.
An elderly man leaving the shop shook his hand before heading toward the door.
A little kid ran up and gave him a fist bump.
The strange thing was that none of it looked forced.
People genuinely seemed happy to see him.
Which made me curious.
Because I still couldn't figure him out.
He wasn't loud.
He wasn't flashy.
He wasn't trying to impress anybody.
Yet people clearly respected him.
I watched him for a moment.
Then looked toward Selena.
She was watching too.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Luna noticed it as well.
Apparently.
Because she leaned toward me and whispered:
"She's annoyed."
"I know."
"No."
Luna smiled.
"She's intrigued."
I glanced toward Selena.
Then toward Sinnad.
Then back toward Selena.
The possibility had honestly never crossed my mind.
Not even for a second.
Besides...
Selena would never admit something like that.
Not in a million years.
Unfortunately for Selena...
Luna and I knew her better than that.
And judging by the smile on Luna's face...
She had already started connecting dots.
The problem was...
I wasn't sure which dots she was connecting.
And somehow...
That worried me more than the journal.