The Hairdresser Diaries

by Jessica Miller

  “No, I don’t,” I said turning my head and looking out the window.

  “No worries, I’m willing to spend as much time as necessary to earn your trust.”

  “Why do you do that?” I said.

  “Do what?”

  “You’re just… just, I don’t know.” I couldn’t find the words to explain it. He raised one eyebrow at me, but I didn’t say anything. I really wanted to say he was annoying, but that would be kind of mean.

  It didn’t take long for us to get where we were going and I recognized the park as soon as Cole pulled in. I’d been here lots of times when I was younger with my parents. They use to take us here on weekends when it was nice. We’d ride our bikes along the trail and play at the playground.

  Cole pulled into an empty spot in the parking lot, got out, and opened my door for me. Then he went to the trunk of his car to retrieve a few items.

  “What are we doing here?” I asked.

  “Having a picnic,” he said. I turned and saw he was now carrying a cooler, blanket, and to my relief a pizza.

  “Here let me help.” I reached to take one of the items from him. He handed me the pizza box. It was still pretty warm. I wasn’t sure where he wanted to go so I let him lead.

  There were different sections to the park. If you went up the small hill to the left, there were picnic benches, or over down a bit to the far right there were a few more picnic benches by a bridge.

  He went straight down the hill to the open grassy knoll and stopped about ten feet from the creek. If you looked over to the left you could see the statue of a giant stone turtle that sat in the middle of the wide open space on the grass.

  Cole put down the cooler and laid out the blanket. Then he took the pizza box from me and set it in the middle of us and gestured for me to sit. I slipped out of my flip flops and took a seat on the blanket. Cole sat down, opened the cooler, and pulled out plates and napkins from the top. Then he pulled out a beer and offered it to me.

  “Pizza and beer?” I said.

  “You can never go wrong with pizza and beer.”

  “True,” I said, thinking it’s a good thing I really like pizza considering this was the third time I had it this week.

  “I brought water too, if you want that instead.”

  “No the beer’s good, thanks.” I took the beer and helped myself to some pizza. I was pretty hungry now and when it came to food that was one thing I wasn’t shy about.

  “You’re not from around here are you?” I asked Cole in between bites.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “You’re not like most people I meet.”

  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” he asked me.

  “I don’t know yet,” I said in a skeptical, guarded way.

  Cole looked at me and gave me the barest glimmer of a smile.

  “I’m originally from California. I moved here about two months ago.”

  “Why?” I said looking at him like he was crazy and thinking not to rule out serial killer yet.

  “Well Tommy’s job transferred him out here back in January. I came to visit him and I liked it here. So I thought what the hell, something different. When I got back home I packed up all my stuff, came back, and moved in with Tommy.”

  “You’re serious? Most people leave here, not come to stay.” I was really starting to think there was something wrong with him.

  “Then why are you still here?” he retorted. That question caught me by surprise. I wasn’t sure if I knew how to answer. I never really thought about leaving, but I knew there had to be some place better than here.

  “I don’t know? I guess it’s just familiarity. It’s just easier to stick with what you know. That whole fear of the unknown, maybe, I don’t know,” I said shrugging my shoulders.

  “You can’t be afraid of what you don’t know or you might miss out on some great opportunities.”

  I thought about that for a moment while I took another slice of pizza. Not knowing where to go from here I changed the subject. “Do you have any siblings?” I asked.

  “No, I’m an only child. My parents had trouble conceiving and went through a lot just to have me. To them having one child was better than none at all. I guess they didn’t want to go through the stress and disappointment again.”

  “Oh,” was all I could manage.

  “How about you? I met your brother Tyler. Do you have any other siblings?”

  “I have a younger sister, Trina, she’s thirteen. She lives with my dad in Arizona. They moved there a couple years ago.”

  “How come you and Tyler didn’t go with them?”

  “This is where we grew up. I was only eighteen at the time and I didn’t want to leave. Tyler had a steady job and a good life here. Everything I knew was here and I didn’t want to leave it behind. My friends and family are here, well most of my family.”

  “Your dad was okay leaving you here?”

  “Well not at first. Tyler told our dad he’d stay with me for a while until he knew I’d be okay. That made him feel better, knowing we’d have each other to look out for.”

  He swallowed a bite of pizza. “Do you and Tyler still live together?”

  “Ha! No, we lasted about two years then he moved out.”

  “You guys seem to get along,” Cole said looking confused.

  “We do now, because we don’t live together.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “How about you? How’d your parents feel about their only baby boy moving so far away?”

  “They were happy about it. My parents are always encouraging me to try different things. It might also have to do with the fact that they were tired of seeing me moping around bored without Tommy there.”

  “Awe, what’s the matter, no one else wanted to play with you?” I teased.

  “No, trust me I had my fun.”

  “I’m sure you did,” I said flashing him a little smile. “What exactly is it you do for a living? Being that you can just pack up and leave whenever you want.”

  “I’m, in between jobs at the moment.”

  “So you’re unemployed,” I said.

  “Basically, yeah.”

  “What do you for money?” It was the next logical question.

  “Well…money is not something I have to worry about.”

  “Ah, I see, spoiled little rich kid,” I nabbed a bite of pizza.

  “Right away you’re gonna label me?” he said looking slightly hurt.

  I shrugged, “I call them as I see ‘em.”

  “Ouch,” he said as he put his hand over his heart in a dramatic gesture.

  “How else would you put it?” I asked.

  “I’m fortunate. I grew up wealthy, but that doesn’t make me a bad person.”

  “I didn’t say it did. I just don’t like people who throw their money around and act like they’re better than everyone else.”

  He thought for a second, “I’m not like that and I don’t associate with those kinds of people either. Usually I don’t tell people I come from a wealthy background.”

  “Why’d you tell me?”

  “Because you asked me not to lie to you and I don’t want to, I don’t think I can,” he said, our eyes meeting. “Plus usually when people find out you have money they wanna be your friend for all the wrong reasons.”

  “Is that why you moved in with Tommy?”

  “Part of it. Tommy and I went to school together. We grew up together. He’s like my brother. It was hard to have him here while I was still in California. Plus I feel like I need to keep an eye out for him.”

  “Tommy seems like he could handle his own. I’d be more worried about you.”

  He laughed lightly and I saw his shoulders fall a little. He was sitting with his knees pulled up and his arms wrapped around them, staring at the water. “C’mon,” he said standing up suddenly and reaching his hand out to help me up.

  We walked down to the edge of the water. Cole picked up some rocks and handed me som
e. He started skipping them in the water and I did the same.

  “Tommy didn’t always have it great,” he began while still tossing the rocks in the water. “He was your typical spoiled rich kid. He had everything and anything he wanted. Unfortunately his dad was an alcoholic and eventually lost his job because of it. His mom was your typical Beverly Hills housewife. So when there was no money to keep up the lifestyle she was accustomed to, she left and got remarried to another wealthy man and left Tommy behind. His dad never got control of his drinking so he couldn’t keep a job. We took Tommy in for a while until his dad got help.”

  “Did his dad get help?” I asked.

  “No. Things got so bad his dad couldn’t handle it anymore. He killed himself.”

  I said nothing.

  Cole just stared across the water.

  “Tommy blames himself,” Cole said after a moment. “He says if he didn’t act so spoiled, maybe things would have been better. Maybe he could have helped his dad.”

  “He has to know it’s not his fault,” I said turning to look at Cole.

  “After a while he knew there was nothing he could have done differently, but he still struggles with it. That’s why when he got offered a job out here he jumped on it; new place, new beginning.”

  I glanced down at the ground, watching the wind blow gently, bending the soft blades of grass. I knew how he felt. I went through the same thing with my dad when my mom died.

  “Tommy’s lucky to have a friend who cares,” I said to Cole.

  He turned to me and I saw his lips curve up slightly at the corners of his mouth.

  “How about you? I noticed you didn’t mention your mom.”

  I knew this would come up sooner or later. I let out a deep breath and told Cole the whole story. He didn’t say anything right away and I couldn’t look at him. He reached out and took my hand. That was better than any words he could have said.

  I squeezed his hand and let out a breath. We stood there for a moment, taking in the comfort of the silence. Then Cole tugged at my hand and led me back to the blanket.

  We spent the rest of the evening talking about our favorite movies, books, and the kind of music we like to listen to. We also talked about our childhood, growing up, and our different friends. When it started to get dark, we packed everything up and headed back to the car.

  “How come you didn’t say anything last night?” I finally asked.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” he countered.

  “Because you didn’t,” I said with more attitude than I intended.

  Cole sensing my anger, bowed his head, and opened the trunk to put the cooler and blanket away.

  “I didn’t plan on it,” he started. “When I noticed you weren’t going to talk, I decided not to either.”

  He closed the trunk and walked over to the driver side. His eyes examined me from over the roof of the car.

  “I didn’t think you would actually go all night without saying anything. I was impressed,” he said with a sarcastic smile.

  “What’s that supposed to mean,” I said offended as he got into the car.

  He didn’t respond. He just leaned over and unlocked my car door. I refused to get in at first. He started the car and waited patiently knowing I’d eventually get in—which I did.

  “I must say, you are really cute when you get angry,” Cole said teasingly.

  I glowered at him, with my arms crossed. “Is that why you keep pissing me off, because you think it makes me look cute?”

  He wrinkled his forehead and rubbed the back of his neck. I was starting to learn this was something he did when he was uncomfortable.

  “I didn’t know I pissed you off.”

  “And I thought I was supposed to buy dinner?” I said ignoring him, still perturbed.

  “I said five dates, I never said you had to pay,” he tried to clarify. “I was actually kind of surprised you accepted.”

  “Well, I figured it was the only way I could get rid of you,” I spat the words back at him and turned to look out the window.

  “Still want to get rid of me?” he asked quietly.

  “We’ll see,” I said more calmly now. I sneaked a peek over at him and he was smiling as he put the car into drive.

  When we got to my house he opened my car door for me and walked me to the porch.

  “Thank you, I had an…interesting time,” I said to him thinking that was the best way to describe tonight. “I guess I’ll see you?”

  He didn’t respond so I turned to unlock my door when he grabbed my wrist, causing me to turn back around. He pulled me closer to him. With his other hand, he reached up and placed his palm just below my jaw line, while his thumb rested on my cheek. I started to get nervous. I knew what he was about to do, but I had no plans to stop him.

  “You’re not going to get sick are you?” he asked me.

  I started laughing. “No, I’m good.”

  He smiled slightly, then leaned in, and kissed me. It was so gentle and tender. Then the hand that was holding my wrist moved to my lower back, pulling me in tighter, closing the distance between us. Our bodies were now pressed against each other’s and our kiss was getting more intense. His lips were so warm and moist. I felt my whole body tingling with heat.

  Too soon he pulled away. His eyes sparkled with euphoria. “Sweet dreams Tatum,” he whispered softly as his warm breath brushed across my skin.

  I opened my eyes and he was already walking to his car. Not satisfied and wanting more, I called out to him, “Cole!”

  He stopped and turned around. I walked down the side walk, grabbed his face, and pulled his lips to mine. I kissed him with so much force I could feel the heat building between us. Knowing I had to stop this before it went any further. I managed to pull myself away. I said, “Goodnight,” spun around, and walked back to the porch.

  When I turned to close my door, Cole was still standing there with a stunned look on his face. I giggled and waved goodbye.

  He managed to pull himself together enough to walk to his car and leave.

  I dreaded getting out of bed. I knew I had a lot of cleaning to do and was not in the mood to do it. The only reason I had to clean the house was because my dad and sister were coming to visit for a week and would be here Saturday. Today was the only day I had time to get it done.

  I rolled out of bed, threw on shorts and a beater, pulled my hair into a ponytail and got to work. Peyton told me yesterday she’d come over and help, but I wasn’t holding my breath. Peyton didn’t do manual labor. If she did show up, she’d more or less just sit and watch.

  I figured I’d start from the top and work my way down. I turned my music on in my room and cranked it up so I could hear it down the hall. There were two other bedrooms, one was my parent’s and the other was Tyler’s old room. Trina and I used to share a room. Now they were guest rooms when friends needed a place to crash or when family from out of town came to visit.

  I dusted and vacuumed each room and put clean sheets and blankets on the beds. Once I was finished with the upstairs, I turned off my stereo, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. I flicked on my little CD player and started with the dishes. I was halfway through when Peyton showed up. The music was so loud I didn’t even hear her come in—not to mention I was too busy singing and dancing to notice.

  When I turned around, I jumped. I was startled and a little embarrassed when I noticed Cole was standing next to Peyton.

  “Hi,” Peyton said laughing. “Look who I found hovering outside your door.”

  I looked at Cole trying not to look totally mortified and mumbled, “Um, hey.”

  “So when do we get to catch the next act?” Cole asked.

  “Never,” I said as I walked over to turn the music down.

  “What the hell are you listening to?” Peyton asked.

  “Elvis.”

  “I’ll never understand your taste in music.”

  “That’s because you don’t know what good taste is.”


  “I like Elvis,” Cole said smiling at me.

  I blushed and asked, “What are you doing here?”

  “I told you I was coming over,” Peyton said.

  “Not you, Cole.”

  “Oh, um, I wanted to see if you would like to go with me to the lake today.”

  “Sorry, I can’t. I have too much cleaning to do.”

  “Maybe, I could help?” Cole offered.

  “You want to help me clean?” I asked skeptically.

  “Sure, with my help and Peyton’s help, I’m sure we can get this done in no time.”

  “Ha! Peyton won’t be much help. If anything she’ll cause us to do twice as much work.”

  “Hey!” Peyton whined. I looked at her. “Okay, true,” she admitted.

  “Well maybe if we all pitch in,” Cole glanced at Peyton. “We can get done faster and still have time to go to the lake. Landon said he’d be there all day.”

  “Wait, Landon?” I looked at Cole confused.

  “Yeah, he called me and said everyone was heading to the lake today and he invited me to come along. When I asked if you’d be there he said you were too busy, so I thought I swing by to see if I could maybe help.”

  “Did Landon call you?” I turned the question towards Peyton.

  “Yeah, I told him I was helping you clean, that’s probably why he didn’t call you.” I was a little irritated Landon didn’t call me, but Peyton was right. He knew my dad and sister were coming next weekend so he knew I’d say no. Still, he could have asked anyway.

  “Alright, let’s get to work. Who wants to help me finish the dishes?” Peyton looked down at her fingernails pretending she didn’t hear me.

  “I’ll help,” Cole volunteered.

  “Peyton, there’s a list on the fridge with what still has to be done. Pick something and get to it.” With a groan, she walked over to the fridge and tried to pick the easiest thing. Cole helped me finish up the dishes, and then we moved on to the vacuuming and dusting. It only took us about two hours to get everything done. Alone, it would have taken me half the day.

  “Thanks for helping me, well, thank you Cole.”