ode to life | cameron dallas

Chapter 28

Four hours later, 5:30PM

"Hey, Ariel. You mind if we clock out thirty minutes earlier today?" One of Ariel's workers asked, popping his head into her personal ink room in the back of the parlor. "It's just Friday, and we're tryna get our weekend started."

Ariel turned from her desk to face him and sighed. "Sure, Kyle. I don't expect anyone else coming on a Friday night."

"Thanks boss," he beamed. Kyle twisted his head to the other employees in the front of the shoppe and nodded. "She said yeah!" Then he faced back to Ariel. "By the way, how did that book signing go today?"

"Oh, it was all right."

"Isn't the author that actor that plays in all those chick flicks? What's his name? Cameron.."

"Cameron Dallas," Ariel nodded.

"Oh, yeah. Him. Man, I bet you any money ninety percent of that audience was there just to meet him. Probably didn't even read his book."

"It's a shame," Ariel shrugged. "It's a really good book."

"Yeah." Awkward silence. "Hey why don't you join us tonight?"

"Where to?"

"Nothing in particular. We might just go downtown, look for something to do."

"Isn't that a bit weird?"

"How?" Kyle laughed.

Ariel shrugged. "I'm your boss. Now I'll know what you all do on Friday nights and why you guys always ask to clock out so early."

"Oh come on. We're like, about the same age. Is it so weird that we want to hang out with our chill ass boss?"

Ariel laughed. "Thanks, Kyle. I appreciate the invite, but I think I'm just gonna stay in tonight. Probably clean up the parlor. But you all have fun."

Kyle shrugged. "Alright, then. Thanks Ariel."

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6:15PM

"Ariel, hey!"

"Hi, Danny. How are you?" Soft, indie rock played throughout the shoppe as she continued to clean out supplies. She usually went home around this time, but today she decided to keep herself as busy as possible to restrain herself from all the thoughts that consumed her. Not only had she ran into her first love for the first time in four years, but it was also the fifth year anniversary of her bestfriend's death.

"I'm fine. Still in Denver with Reily and the twins," Danny replied through the phone. He was put on speakerphone.

"How are they?"

"Reily's great. She's staying at home with the twins while I work, of course. I don't know how she does it, raising two baby girls. I don't know how I'm going to do it once they turn to teenagers," he laughed.

It took nearly three years for Danny to get back into the dating game after Grace's passing away. If it weren't for Ariel herself, he would have never intended to try to meet other people. But Ariel knew how disappointed Grace would have been in the both of them if Danny were to never move on and if Ariel hadn't tried to make him to.

Luckily, he met a woman from work named Reily who truly helped him cope with the death and successfully made him fall in love again. Ariel liked her a lot, and although she was no Grace, she was still a wonderful woman for him nonetheless. They now have two month old twin girls, and Danny was happy again.