Shooting Star

Sunday had passed rather quickly for Layton. She had ended up finishing everything she needed to get done, and was able to actually enjoy Sunday evening with just Marley and herself. Her father, David, had spent the evening with his friends playing poker down the street, so the house was pretty quiet for the night.

Monday morning seemed to arrive quicker than she wanted it to. Although she loved doing hair and knew that she was going to love working at Maria’s salon with her and the other woman, she was still pretty exhausted. Raising a six-year-old by herself happened to wear Layton out, so adding the whole moving part into the situation made it worse. She knew, however, that she would be able to catch up on sleep the following weekend if everything went smoothly within the next five days.

Layton hadn’t heard from Matt yet, even though they both traded numbers before parting ways at the hospital Saturday afternoon. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She just hoped he wasn’t thinking about backing out and forgetting about Marley, because if so, that would break Marley’s little heart. All Marley had done Sunday was chat away about how sweet her daddy happened to be and how happy she was to have met him, and Layton was sure that she would kill Matt if he walked away from Marley because of doubting himself as a father or not knowing if he could actually be a father to her or not.

Layton tried not to think about that though. Instead, she kept busy taking care of clients and doing what she seemed to do best, which was cut and style hair. She had only been at work for a few hours and she already found herself really liking the other woman in the salon. She knew that she was going to love working there, and so far she had.

Layton was chatting a way with a nice older lady as she cut her hair when the bell on the door rang, signaling someone had just walked into the salon. She looked across the salon and over at the door for a second before hers widened slightly. Matthew was standing in front of the receptionist desk talking with Maria. Layton wondered why he was there. She didn’t recall ever telling him that she worked there, but then again, Gena had probably told Zacky who had then told Matt. She didn’t mind if he knew where she worked, but she was still curious as to why he was there.

The brunet turned back to her client as she breathed out a sigh of what seemed frustration. Layton wasn’t sure who she was frustrated at though, to be honest.

“Layton!” Gena called out with a grin as she came up behind her, “Maria wants you to finish up with Mrs. Hopkins and then take your lunch break. Matt wants to talk to you during that time as well,” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Layton laughed and rolled her eyes at the older woman, “Get your mind out of the gutter, Gena. Nothing is going on between us.”

“Whatever,” She shrugged and walked off.

Layton sighed softly and went back to finishing the woman’s hair she was working on. Twenty minutes later, Mrs. Hopkins was walking out of the salon with a nice happy smile on her face, while Layton stuffed a five-dollar bill as her tip into her purse. Layton glanced over at Matt who was still chatting away with Maria in the front. With a deep breath, Layton headed towards the two.

“I’m gonna take my lunch break now, Maria,” Layton said softly.

“You go right ahead, dear,” Maria smiled, “And I think you two have some things to discuss as well. Be back here in forty-five minutes for your next client.”

“I’ll have her back by then, I promise,” Matt spoke up, offering Layton a dimpled smile.

“I trust you, Matthew,” She said before saying goodbye and walking off.

Layton glanced at Matt, their eyes connecting, “I didn’t realize you were stopping by here today to talk to me while I take my lunch break.”

Matt shrugged, “I figured it was a better shot than waiting for you to get off work later.”

“Alright,” Layton murmured before brushing past him and over to the door, “Are you coming or not?” She said from over shoulder when she didn’t hear his footsteps behind her.

“I’m coming,” He murmured.

The two of them made their way out of the salon and across the street to a local dinner that seemed good enough for lunch. Gena and few other of Layton’s co-workers had told her that it was a pretty decent place to eat without having to travel too far, so she figured it would be just fine for her and Matt to eat lunch at.

The two sat down at a booth table next to the window that over looked the street. Layton sighed softly as she opened up the menu that sat in front of her before reading through the different choices she had to eat. In the middle of reading, she glanced up at Matt for a moment and could see him staring at her.

Layton licked over her bottom lip and set the menu aside, “Stop staring at me.”

“You know, you really don’t look that much different,” Matt told her, “You have more curves now, and your hairs longer and a bit darker, but that’s it. That’s all that’s different on the outside.”

She blinked before quickly replying, “You don’t have your lip ring anymore, your hair is a bit shorter, and you have more tattoos, which really doesn’t surprise me. Oh, and you don’t have those god awful holes in your ears anymore.”

He smirked, “We’re getting old.”

“You mean, you’re getting old,” She cracked a smile, “I’m only twenty seven, while you’re thirty three now.”

Matt chuckled, “Trust me, the next few years are gonna fly by. You’ll be my age before you know it.”

“I certainly hope not,” She laughed, “I want enjoy these years as much as I can.”

Nothing else was much said between the two for quite a few minutes as the waitress came over to take their order. Layton just ordered a simple salad, not feeling up to much of anything else at the moment, while Matt ordered himself a hamburger. It was strange for Layton to be sitting there with him, eating lunch and having small talk. It reminded her of when they were dating and they would do the exact same thing, except they were younger and it wasn’t as awkward or weird. She missed that. She missed him. But things were different now. Matt was getting married to Val, and she was working at the salon and as a full time mom to their daughter. Life was more complicated now.

“I told Val,” Matt said softly, watching as Layton picked at her salad, “About Marley.”

“Oh,” Layton murmured, looking up at him, “Is everything okay?”

“Well,” He muttered, “For the most part,” He nodded, “I think she’s just a bit shocked.”

Layton nodded with a small sigh, “That’s understandable.”

“She wants to meet Marley soon, if that’s okay with you,” He said.

“Of course,” She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

“I still have to tell my parents, and, well, everyone else,” He breathed out, “but I thought that you might help me with that, I mean with my parents. I’ll handle the guys, but my parents are gonna be a little different than them.”

Layton licked her bottom lip, her nerves starting to rise just at the thought, “I don’t know, Matt. It might be better if you just tell them, let it sink in a little bit, and then let them meet her. I don't think it's a good idea that I actually be with you when you tell them.”

“Okay,” He shrugged, “If that’s what you want to do.”

Layton nodded and glanced out the window, “She couldn’t stop talking about you yesterday. She wants to see you again soon.”

“I can come by this evening,” He offered, “If you don’t mind.”

She smiled softly as she looked back at him, “No, that’s fine. Anytime after five you’re welcomed to come by. I’m uh, living with my dad right now until I can afford to get us our own place. You remember where he lives, right?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Matt nodded, “I pass the street he lives on all the time.”

Layton cleared her throat, “Well, I should probably be getting back to work soon,” She murmured as she reached into her purse for her wallet.

“Don’t bother,” He stopped her, “I’ve got the bill.”

She shook her head, “No, Matt, I can’t let you pay for my lunch.”

He rolled his eyes and took out his own wallet, “It’s only, like, six dollars, Lay, don’t be ridiculous,” He laughed and set a twenty-dollar bill and a few ones down on the table on top of the check.

Layton sent a soft smile his way, “Thank you, Matt.”

A large dimpled smile stretched across his face, “There’s no thank you needed.”