Free Things Good Girls Don't Do by Codi Gary

herself Miss Know It All and she is pretty dead on. It’s way better than celebrity gossip because these people, I actually know.” Pointing to a picture, she said, “Did you know that Kirsten Winters went home from Buck’s last night with Doug Dooly? I mean, I know she’s a little dim, but she could do way better than that dork.”
    Katie looked at the paper and shook her head. “Just what this town needs, more gossip. Only this time it is in print, so it’s got to be gospel.”
    She finally found her phone in the small pocket, next to a white napkin. Pulling out the crinkled paper, she read through her list for the first time since Chase had stolen it at the bar. Curiously, she saw that there was another task added to the end, and it wasn’t in her handwriting.
    Eleven. Call Chase.
    Katie tried to fight a smile, but it couldn’t be stopped; the guy was a charmer. So, he had added his own little item and just waited for her to demand it back? The whole thing was actually kind of . . . sweet.
    An idea popped into her head. “Kitty, when’s my next appointment?”
    Kitty looked up from the paper distractedly. “Actually, Michelle was supposed to be a cut and highlight, so you had blocked out three hours for her.”
    “Hey, Holly!” Katie called as she came around the desk.
    The short, round stylist with a cute A-line cut called, “Yeah?”
    “After you finish Charlie’s cut, wanna do something crazy?” Katie asked with a grin.
    Holly gave her an are-you-serious look and said, “Girl, you know I’m always down for crazy! What did you have in mind?”
    K ATIE CALLED S TEPH from her cell phone as she walked down the street. The call went to her voice mail and after the beep, she giggled. “Dude, call me! You are never going to believe what I did.”
    She hung up and caught a glimpse of herself in a shop window, her champagne-blond hair streaked with bright purple strands. Holly had twisted some of the hair away from her face and curled it down her back in tight ringlets. Katie hadn’t felt this good in a while and, with a flip of her new hair, she walked down the street with attitude.
    Digging into her purse for her keys, she got a hold of that list again. Maybe she would go by Chase’s shop, see what he thought. Turning around and heading in the other direction, she felt bold. Punching in Chase’s number, she texted, What are you doing?
    She walked past Becca’s store and heard her phone chirp, but before she could read his reply, a voice said from right behind her, “Hey! You were just going to walk by and not come in?”
    Dropping her phone with a cry of surprise, Katie bent over to pick it up quickly, checking it for cracks. She turned to glare at a grinning Becca, standing in the doorway of her shop. “Hasn’t anyone told you it’s not nice to jump out at people?”
    “Hey, if it gets you into my store, then my job is done,” Becca said.
    Katie hesitated. “I really need to get going.”
    Becca rolled her eyes. “Relax. You may be hot, but you are way too type-A for me. I’m digging those streaks, though.” She stepped back and held the door farther open. “Come on.”
    “I didn’t think you were hitting on me,” Katie grumbled, walking by the other woman. Once inside, she looked around at the rows of clothes. “Oh man!” She picked up a black, flowy halter top with red cherries on it. “This is so cute.”
    “Hell yeah, it is, and it would look awesome on you with . . .” Becca walked around to another rack and held up a pair of jeans. “Size seven?”
    “Yeah, how did you know?”
    Becca pshawed. “I went to design school. You’ve got too much ass for a five.”
    Katie’s hands drifted down to her butt and asked, “So, why aren’t you off in New York, living large?”
    “I went after graduation,” Becca said as she grabbed some other things off the rack. “And I did well for a while. I didn’t want to be famous or even rich, though. I just wanted people to love my