As I watch her walk out the door, I have to force myself to look over at Elliot. I don’t know why, but it’s really freaking me out that he’s standing in front of me, smiling like we’re long-lost friends.
“Long time no see,” he says with that gorgeous smile of his.
“If you call yesterday morning a long time ago,” I state. “Are you here for a haircut? Or are you just passing through?”
He looks at the other customers sitting on the chairs waiting. “Um, yeah. I want a haircut. Can you fit me in?”
“Ah,” I cut my eyes to the clock upon the wall while I think. “It could take a good hour. I have two clients ahead of you.”
Drumming his hands on the counter, he nods. “That’s fine. I'll wait.”
Six
Paige
“You know that guy who's been waiting for an hour?” Andrea says behind me as I blow dry my current client’s hair. I nod in response, still focusing on curling the brush to create enough volume.
“Well… he’s asleep.”
“What?” I laugh incredulously, turning my head slightly to spot him in a chair with his head slumped on his chest. Oh wow.
“You think I should wake him?”
“No. He flew in on the same flight as me yesterday. Probably jet lagged. I’ll get him when I’m done here.”
When I finish up with my client, I walk her to the counter, quickly offering her some product, but not caring if she takes any. I can’t seem to stop my eyes from flitting constantly to the sleeping figure in the waiting area.
The moment she leaves, I walk over to Elliot and stand in front of him as I contemplate how best to wake him.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Andrea calls out in one of those whispers that might as well be a yell. “I want to witness this.” She stands beside me and adjusts her shirt as she prepares herself.
“What are you doing?” She looks like she’s getting ready to catch a ball or something.
“I don’t know,” she shrugs, laughing a little. “Just wake him. Wait. Do you think I should film it?”
“What? No.”
“You’re right. That would be mean.” She pulls out her phone. “I’ll just take a couple of pictures.”
Elliot
I jerk my head up as a loud clapping sound startles me awake. Wait. I was asleep? Slowly, my eyes focus and I’m met by the sight of Paige and her co-worker standing in front of me, smiling their arses off. The co-worker takes a couple of pictures. Great.
“Jetlag can be a bitch, huh?” Paige comments. “You still want that haircut?”
I scratch my head and stand up, stretching to bring myself fully awake. “Yeah, I still want that haircut,” I reply through a yawn. "Won't mind you getting rid of those pictures too.”
The co-worker shakes her head. “Nah-uh. I need these to show my sister while we laugh about you later. They might also go on our Instagram to show our customers how comfy our waiting area is.”
“Always bloody Instagram,” I mutter as Paige inclines her head towards the wash basins. I follow her over, taking the seat she points to.
“Not a social media fan?” She places a towel around my neck and gets me to lean back against the hard porcelain.
“Hate it. I prefer talking in person.”
As she turns the water on and tests the temperature on the back of her hand she says, “Try not to fall asleep on me. I don’t want to have to pull your hair to wake you up.”
I laugh. “I’ll do my best, but no promises.”
God, I love getting my hair washed by a hairdresser. The way they massage your head is brilliant. Knowing it’s Paige doing the massaging makes it that much better.
“All right, sit up,” she instructs as she throws a towel over my head and dries it off. Once finished, she walks me over to a chair and drapes a waterproof cape over my clothes, securing it around my neck.
“Just a trim? Or you going for a whole new style?” she asks.
“I have no idea, what do you think?”
She smiles to herself, and I think I catch an eye roll. “Well, if it were up to me, I’d shave it off. I like very short hair on guys,” she replies, her eyes on me via the mirror.
“How short are we talking?” I ask, suddenly worried she might try to shave my head bald.
“A number four,” she tells me, and I can see the challenge in her eye.
I look at my hair in the mirror. It's gotten long to the point that it gets in my eyes and almost touches my shoulders. “Number four it is,” I say seriously, holding her eyes in the mirror.
She raises her eyebrows slightly and nods, preparing the clippers to buzz all of my hair off. I’m a little nervous, but hair grows back… right?
Paige
I really didn’t think he’d go for it. Truthfully, I don’t care how long or short a guy’s hair is, but I enjoy the way it feels when it’s short and you run your hand over the spikes. My very first relationship was with a guy with cropped hair, and before it went to shit, playing with his hair was my favourite thing to do. So it wasn’t a total lie.
As I lift the clippers towards Elliot’s hair, I look at him in the mirror. “Are you sure?” He looks at me and nods confidently, so I take the strip of hair away straight down the middle of his head.
“Reverse Mohawk,” he says.
“Can’t change your mind now.”
He laughs. “I don’t want to.”
I run the clippers slowly through his hair, watching as his golden locks cascade over his shoulders and slide down the cape to the floor.
“Where are you staying?” he asks.
“Heathrow, near the airport. I’m there for a couple of weeks until I find a share house. First stop was a job though.”
“You got a job in a day?”
“I got a trial in a day.”
“She got a job in a day,” Andrea interrupts. “As long as she wants it.”
I pause and smile at Andrea. “Really? Thank you, Andrea.”
“Well, you’re good and I need help. It’s a win win.” She winks at me and carries some wet towels into the back room.
“Congratulations,” Elliot says, smiling.
“Thank you.” I can’t help but smile back. I’m so glad the job part is sorted out now.
“Can I take you to dinner to celebrate?”
“Oh… I don’t know about that,” I hesitate, as I finish neatening his hair and put the clippers down. I reach for a soft powdered brush to flick away the excess hair on his neck.
“You don’t want to celebrate? Or you don’t want to celebrate with me?”
Gliding my hand over the short spikes, a delicious chill runs through me. I touch him—perhaps a little more than I should—as I take a deep breath. I need to put a stop to this. “Listen, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea here.”
“And what idea is that?”
“I see the way you look at me.”
“How do I look at you?”
“Like I make you hungry. But I can’t give you what you want. You’re a great-looking guy. I'd be a fool not to notice that, but I need to be clear—I’m not the girl for you.”
He sits up and spins his chair so he’s facing me now. “Oh wow. You’re mistaking my literal hunger for sexual hunger—I skipped lunch. And while I’m flattered you think I’m so great looking, you’ve got the wrong idea about me. I think it would be pointless to start anything with anyone. Especially with you. I only have three months, and you’re here indefinitely. However, you’re the first girl I’ve met in a long time that doesn’t giggle every time I speak. So I like you, I’d like to get to know you… if you’ll let me. As friends.”
“I don’t know.” I take a step back.
“Oh god, girl,” Andrea interrupts. “A fit man like that offers to feed you and you turn him down?” She puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head. “Nah-uh. I’m not letting you do that. Go and be young and free. It’s your second day in the country and all you’ve done is sleep and work. Go.”
I sigh as I narrow my eyes at Elliot. “Only friends?”
“Only friends,” he says.
I’m not sure I believe him. But, I have to admit that I am hungry, and he is the only other person I know in town besides my boss. “All right. We can have dinner.”
Andrea cheers.
Elliot
“Tell you what,” I say, getting up from the seat. “I’ll take you to the flat I’m staying in, and we can see what everyone else is doing. It can’t possibly be a date that way. Plus, you’ll get to meet some new people. Maybe they know someone looking for a flat mate?”
I can practically see the wheels turning in her head as she considers my proposal. “Where are you staying?”
“About a five-minute walk from here.”
“OK, fine. Just give me time to finish up, and I’ll meet you outside.” She walks me to the register, and I pay for my haircut. I can’t stop running my hand back and forward over my head. It feels strange and awesome all at the same time.
She’s smiling as she watches me do it. “Feels good, huh?”
“It does,” I admit. “I’ll see you when you’re through?” She nods, and I walk out the door as she flips the sign to ‘closed’ behind me. I’m waiting maybe ten minutes before she comes out with her bag.
“That was fast,” I point out.
“I got let off early for being such a good worker.”
“Lucky you.”
“No, lucky you. You would have been waiting for a good thirty minutes otherwise.”
“I don’t mind. Listen, don’t take this as flirting, but I like your hair this way… it’s pretty. I mean, I like it curly. I like it both ways actually… maybe I just like your hair.” I laugh nervously, tripping over my words and sounding kind of dopey.
She smiles back. “Normally I would definitely take that as flirting, but since you were so clear that it wasn’t, I will take it as it is—you like my hair. Although I’ll admit, now that your hair is short, I like yours too.” She reaches her hand up and rubs it over the fuzz that covers my head.
“You didn’t like it longer?”
She shakes her head vigorously and scrunches up her face.
“It was that bad?” I ask, surprised.
“No, not that bad. I just don’t like long hair on guys.”
“Why not? Did you date a guy with long hair who broke your heart or something?” I ask as a joke.
“Or something,” she replies.
“Oh, I’m sorry. That was a dick thing to say.” I’m kicking myself for saying the wrong thing.
She chuckles a little. “It’s fine, Elliot. Nothing happened with a long-haired guy. Cropped hair is simply my personal preference.”
“Really? Well, that was kind of mean, making me think I took you to a bad place. Not cool, Paige. Not cool,” I tease light-heartedly.
When she smiles at me again, I’ve found my new addiction. Paige seems to have some sort of sadness emanating out of her, so when she smiles, it feels special. I wonder if getting her to laugh will feel like winning the lottery…
Approaching the block of flats, I point ahead and dig for my keys in my pocket.
“That’s it, the white one?” she asks.
“Sure is,” I tell her.
“What’s it like inside?”
“Cramped, but nice. You’ll see.”
Paige
Elliot leads me up a few flights of stairs until we reach a cream-coloured door with a brass ‘12’ attached to it above a peephole. Using his manners, he opens the door for me, and I smile as I step inside. I’m really not used to spending time around courteous men. This is unusual.
I can hear loud voices and laughter coming from the living area. I move to the side and let Elliot go ahead of me so he can make the introductions. I don’t want to look like some random who walked in off the street.
“Hey everyone, what’s happening?” he says as he enters the room.
“Hey man, oh my god! You shaved your head,” one guy points out before moving straight on. “We’re just deciding what to do tonight. No one wants to cook, so we’re thinking of heading down to the pub for something easy.”
“Or,” another guy interrupts. “We’re thinking of getting Indian. There’s a debate over what’s best. We are a house divided.” He tilts his head as he looks from Elliot to me. “Hello there, I’m Gavin.”
“Paige,” I say, nodding at him.
Elliot does a quick introduction around the room. “We’re only missing one person, Naomi. Did she come back?”
“She’s at work,” Petra says, tucking her leg beneath her on the couch. She reminds me of a pixie.
After a small discussion, it’s decided that everyone will just go to the closest pub, which is also the place where their other roommate works.
“So, Paige,” Gavin says, as we walk towards the pub as a group. “How do you know our Elliot?”
“Oh…I wouldn’t say I know him. We met on the plane and just kind of bumped into each other again.”
“You met on the plane? Are you a Sydney girl too?”
“Kind of, not Sydney city, but not too far out. What about you? I’m going to peg you for a Brisbane boy.”
He raises his eyebrows, an impressed look on his face. “Very close, Paige. I’m from the Goldcoast, Nerang to be exact. How did you know?”
“I’m a hairdresser. I meet a lot of people, so I’ve learned how to pick the different accents.”
“That’s a good skill to have,” he says thoughtfully as Petra moves in beside him and links arms.
“What’s a good skill?” she asks.
“Paige can tell where you’re from in Australia based on your accent.”
“Really? Where am I from?” she asks.
“Melbourne,” I tell her without hesitation.
“Correct,” she smiles.
“Here we are,” Brian says as we come to a stop outside a pub called, The Hole in the Wall. It’s aptly named because there's what looks like a storm pipe coming through the wall near the roof. I wonder if it was always there and inspired the name or whether they added it to justify the name when they built the place.
As we file inside and head toward a table, everyone waves at the blonde behind the bar. Her smile isn’t as bright when it lands on me, so I nod and smile kindly at her, not wanting to ruffle any feathers.
Elliot pulls out my chair for me, and I look at him with raised eyebrows. “Seriously?” I ask.
He shakes his head and laughs. “I’m sorry. I was simply using the manners my mother taught me.”
“Well then, tell your mother I said thank you,” I say as I take the seat he offers.
“I will,” he says, before turning to the guys to discuss our all-important drink choices, and who is shouting the first round.
“All right,” Brian says. “I’ll go first round. Paige, what are you drinking?”
“Oh, just a coke for me, please.”
“You sure you don’t want something a little stronger?”
“No thanks. Coke’s fine.”
“All right. Petra, what are you having?” he asks moving his way around the table until he has everybody’s choice. Elliot gets up to help him, and I stay and chat to the others while we decide what we want to eat off the pub menu.
During dinner, I get quizzed further about where I’m from and what I’m doing in London. I try to be as vague as possible, but it’s hard to do that and not seem rude, so I deflect by asking lots of questions of my own.
“I like that accent thing you can do,” Petra says. “I always thought if you’re from Australia, your accent is just Australian. Where did you grow up?”
“Around Sydney. Are you from Melbourne city or did you grow up in one of the surrounding suburbs?”
“I’m from Templestowe. It's about twenty kilometres out of Melbourne city.”
“Did you always live there or move around?” I continue.
“I’ve been in the same place all my life. That’s
why I came to London. I need a little adventure in my life.” She smiles.
“Where are you staying, Paige?” Brian asks from next to Petra.
“A hotel near the airport,” I reply.
“That’s a bit of a hike from here,” he comments. “I'll drive you back after this. Don’t catch the tube on your own.”
“You don't have to do that, I'll be fine.”
“He insists, and I'll come for the drive too. It’s no trouble,” Petra says. “Where will you be living after that?”
“I don’t know yet. I still have to find a place. I’ll start looking around here tomorrow. There has to be a share house needing someone somewhere.”
“You should come and stay with us,” Brian suggests. “Petra is going home in a week so her bed will be free.”
“Yeah that’s a great idea,” Petra adds. “It needs to be another girl because we share rooms—that’s why the rent is so low.” She stands up from her seat and cups her hands around her mouth. “Hey, Nomes! Paige is gonna be your new roomie.” Naomi lifts her head as she’s pulling a beer and makes an O shape with her mouth. Brian and Petra give her the thumbs up, not paying any attention to whether or not she’s happy about the idea.
“There you go,” Brain says, beaming at me. “It’s settled. You’ll come and stay with us.”
“Really? Well... I guess that could work out, considering my job is so close… All right then, I think I’ll have to take you up on that,” I say feeling pleased. A full-time job and a place to live sorted in one day. My luck is good right now. It’s precisely why I left Australia. To leave the anchor of my past behind. I can be a new person here. Undamaged.
“Did I just hear that right? You’re moving in?” Elliot asks.
“Yeah, in a week. Is that cool with you?” I reply.
“Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I don’t know… it’s great for me though. Five minutes from work.” I hold my fingers up in his face for added emphasis. “How awesome is that?”
Forever: Beautiful Series, book two Page 5