Gigi dropped the braid and clapped her hands. “All right then. Let’s get to it.”
Before she could even think about her decision, Alicia found herself seated in a styling chair, draped with a cape to protect her clothing. As he promised, Adam was standing in front of her, holding both her hands. The other patrons and stylists watched with great interest as Gigi went to work. Gigi had loosened her hair from its braid and combed it straight down. Unbound, the hair almost reached the floor. She gathered it loosely in her left hand and with long barber’s shears she quickly cut across the wavy length of hair, shearing it off just above the shoulder. Despite her resolve, Alicia gasped and tightened her grip on Adam’s hands. The rest of the salon went into a stunned silence after a muffled shriek from an anonymous observer.
Gigi, sensing distress, quickly soothed her niece. “Don’t worry, mija, it’s going to be beautiful. Locks of Love is a wonderful organization, you know. They need ten inches of hair to make a wig for a child who has lost hers to chemotherapy or disease, and you’ll be giving them enough for two children.”
Alicia looked at her reflection in the mirror and winced. “Yes, I know, Gigi, but I look like hell, I look like a monster. It’s a haystack,” she moaned.
And it really did look dreadful. Her thick, abundant hair, free for the first time in its entire life, sprang out like a wild bush. Alicia couldn’t bring herself to look at Adam; she just wished he were somewhere far away from the debacle. Luckily, Gigi took charge.
“Ah, don’t worry your head about this, I’m just getting started,” she said bracingly. “You go in the back and I’ll be there in just a minute. In the meantime, I think Adam should go have a beer or something to pass the time. Come back in two hours, maybe two and a half, okay?”
He nodded in agreement with Gigi, but he leaned over, brushed the hair away from Alicia’s ear, and whispered something that only she could hear. She sighed shakily and gave him an equally shaky smile. The smile turned to a grimace as she glanced in the mirror again. Her eyes grew wide and teary and Gigi urged her to get in the back to a private room so the transformation could be completed. This time she didn’t hesitate. With a quick wave at Adam she got out of the styling chair and quickly left the main salon.
Adam waited until Alicia scurried to the back of the salon. He then turned his attention to the massive hank of hair Gigi was still holding in her left hand. Without a word of warning he reached over and took a piece of the hair, agilely separating a one-inch section from the rest of the bundle. He wound it around his hand several times, and then said good-bye to Gigi.
“I’ll be back in about three hours. Take care of her,” he said as he turned to leave.
Gigi stared after his retreating figure. “Madre de Dios, where was he when I was young?” she murmured. “That, ladies, is a real man.”
True to her word, Gigi worked miracles with what was left of Alicia’s hair. First, she applied a mild relaxer to make it easier to style. The hair that was so docile when confined to a braid was lively and vigorous in its new state. Gigi applied the chemicals so expertly that Alicia didn’t sense any discomfort through the process, she just sat back and let Gigi do her work. After she was rinsed out the relaxer, she applied fragrant neutralizing shampoo. While her fingers massaged Alicia’s scalp, Gigi asked what had brought about the transition.
“Mija, I thought you would never cut this hair. What made you do it? I don’t think it was just because you wanted to donate it to a worthy organization,” she said sagely.
Alicia was so enjoying the smell of the shampoo and her aunt’s thorough massaging of her scalp she was almost asleep, but the question roused her out of her lull. “You’re right, Tia, it wasn’t just because I thought Locks of Love is a great organization. I’ve decided I can look better than I do and it’s time I paid more attention to my appearance. I’m a career woman, not a schlumpy college student”
“Hmm,” was all Gigi said, but it was plain she didn’t quite believe her niece’s story.
“And I’m tired of looking like Adam’s little sister,” Alicia added. “We were out running one day and we both had on sweats and baseball caps and I heard this woman say to her friend, “Oh, look. Twins!” I don’t think Adam heard it, but it really bothered me. Adam is a good-looking man, but I don’t want to look like him,” she grumbled.
Gigi smiled to herself as she rinsed every bit of shampoo out. While she was applying a conditioner that smelled like something delicious to eat, she probed gently. “So would I be wrong to say that you might be trying to catch a certain man’s eye?”
Alicia’s eyes opened in alarm and the look on her aunt’s face was hardly reassuring. Gigi had the dreamy, satisfied look of a yenta whose fondest wish is about to come true; she looked like she was about to start planning a wedding.
“Tia, it’s not like that. Well, maybe it is, but please don’t say anything to anyone, at least not yet He doesn’t have a clue and I don’t want—” Her barrage of words was cut off by Gigi.
“Chica, please, I am nothing if not discreet. Do you have any idea how many secrets I carry around with me? All women confide in their hairstylists and I’ve been doing hair since I got off the boat, practically. Can’t you just imagine how many things I know? Pregnancies, divorces, abortions, affairs, there isn’t much that people don’t tell me. I know everybody’s business, honey, here in Detroit and in Miami, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Chicago, too! Tia knows how to keep her mouth shut, don’t worry.” But I think your Adam has more than a clue, mija, she thought After Alicia’s hair was relaxed, conditioned, and lightly toweled dry, Gigi shaped it into a chic layered style with longer pieces caressing her nape and uneven bangs framing her face. It was shockingly becoming as the style drew attention to her big eyes and high cheekbones and made her sexy mouth even sexier. She looked sophisticated and charming, yet she looked like herself. Best of all, Alicia loved the feeling of lightness when she shook her head. She ran her hands through it and was excited to see it fall right back into place, thanks to her aunt’s expert cutting.
“Why didn’t I do this years ago?” marveled Alicia. “This feels so good!”
“And it looks fantastic, even if I do say so,” Gigi said confidently. “You are so beautiful, Alicia. The boys won’t believe it’s their little sister,” she teased.
Alicia smiled again, thinking about her family’s reaction. “You’re coming over for breakfast next Sunday, aren’t you? Papi and Mami and the boys will be home, finally. I can’t wait to see everyone.”
Her brothers both played for the Detroit Tigers and they, as well as Jose, had been on the road for almost three weeks with games in Cleveland, Minnesota, and Arizona. Her mother had naturally gone too because since her retirement Jose didn’t like to have his wife too far away and she loved to travel.
“Of course I’ll be there, we all will,” she said, meaning her sisters. “We’re bringing something special, too. Now, just let me tame those eyebrows a bit and put some makeup on that pretty face to make you glow. Adam should be back soon and you’re going to knock him out,” she predicted.
The “bit” Gigi did to the eyebrows was a waxing, a process Alicia had never had done and something she imagined would be quite painful. It wasn’t at all, thanks to Gigi’s skill. The result was amazing, though; her brows were still thick and lustrous but cleaning up the area underneath gave them a sharper arch and made them look very sexy and glamorous. As promised, she applied just a little makeup, just enough to give Alicia a healthy shimmer. A hint of gold eyeshadow, two coats of mascara and liner in the outer corners of her eyes and she suddenly had huge, smoky eyes that beckoned and beguiled. Alicia drew the line at lipstick, however.
“I’ve never worn lipstick, Gigi. You know the boys call me Patti for a reason,” she said wryly. Patti was a twist on her real nickname, Pato, the Spanish word for duck. Her brothers called her that because her lips were so prominent, especially when she was small.
Gigi clucked her tongue in
disgust “They call you that because they are idiots. Your lips are just perfect. Lots of women pay big money to get these lips, trust me. Now you just line them very lightly like so,” she said as she gently outlined Alicia’s lips with a medium brown pencil. “Then you blend in it like so.” And she used her pinky to smooth the color all over the lips. “And then a nice soft neutral color followed by a gold gloss and see? Very sexy, yes?”
Alicia had to admit it made a huge difference. Just a few light touches and she looked dramatic, mysterious, and undeniably feminine. “Nobody’s going to think we’re twins now,” she murmured. “Gigi, this is worth every penny. I can’t possibly thank you enough for this. I love you, I really do.”
“Worth what penny? I’ve never done your hair before, and you know I always do family for free. I wish you would try to pay me, I’d tear the check up in front of your face,” she said haughtily. “But there is something you can do to show your appreciation. Let me plan your wedding, mija. That will be payment enough.”
Alicia blushed fiercely upon hearing those words, but she didn’t have time to get really rattled. The receptionist buzzed to let them know that Adam had returned, so it was show time. She allowed Gigi to give her clothes one last brushing and straightening before going out into the main salon to greet him. If she’d been paying him more specific attention she’d have seen a look on his face that would have convinced her that Gigi’s line about wedding planning might not be too far-fetched. She completely missed the utter rapture that took over Adam’s face as she reentered the salon. She also didn’t hear the oohs and aahs from the stylists and the applause from the other patrons as they admired her new look. All she could do was stare openmouthed at Adam, who had a long braid in one hand and a newly shorn, neatly styled head of hair—very short hair.
“Oh, my goodness, what have you done?” she gasped.
Chapter Eight
Angelique watched her brother-in-law playing with her daughter and could tell that something was troubling his heart. Adam was always so cool and self-contained that he was difficult to know really well, but in the months since her marriage Angelique had grown close to him, close enough to know when he was troubled. She smiled as she watched Adam picking out a tune for Lily Rose on the piano while he held her firmly in his left arm and sang her a little song.
“I think your niece likes your voice, Uncle Adam,” she teased. And it was true; Lily was bubbling with enjoyment and patting her hands together as Adam entertained her.
Adam rubbed his cheek against Lily’s soft curls and kissed her. “I’m just glad she quit screaming at me,” he admitted. Lily Rose was the only member of the family who hadn’t thoroughly approved of Adam’s haircut. She’d taken one look at her uncle and yelled bloody murder. It had taken a lot of coaxing and crooning on Adam’s part to convince her that it was really he, albeit with a new look. A few weeks had passed since the great haircutting and Lily Rose seemed to have adjusted, although Adam wasn’t completely sure that he had.
“Do you want me to take her? You seem a slightly preoccupied,” said Angelique.
“No, we’re fine, aren’t we, sweetie?” Adam said.
Lily Rose cooed and reached for Adam’s hand to encourage him to get back to playing. Adam ignored Angelique’s remark about him being preoccupied; instead he pretended a sudden interest in the new decor of the living room. Big Benny, the Cochran patriarch, had presented the house to the young couple as a Christmas present, as he and his bride wanted to move into a condominium. They’d made a few changes in the house to suit their taste, but the warmth of the big brick home was the same as it had been when he was growing up in the house.
“It’s weird, Angel, but when I look around here I can feel my whole childhood pressing in on me,” he said quietly. “You’ve made some nice changes to the old place. It looks like a beautiful place in for my new niece to grow up in.”
Angelique blushed with pleasure at his simple remark and was about to respond when Lily’s sudden cries announced that she was hungry.
“Okay, sweetie, Mommy’s here,” Angelique said cheerfully. She reached for the baby and said she’d be back soon.
Adam knew that Angelique was breast-feeding and wasn’t prone to doing it in front of anyone but her husband, which was fine with him. He wouldn’t like Alicia’s breasts exposed to anyone’s eyes other than his, either. Adam groaned deeply. There it was again, yet another totally inappropriate thought about Alicia. He was supposed to be getting a handle on this obsession, and if anything he was getting worse. His fantasies were getting more frequent, more erotic and fully realized, and he was getting more and more irritable about the whole thing. Ever since Alicia’s transformation, Adam had been more aware of her than ever and his fixation was driving him crazy.
To be honest, he wasn’t entirely pleased by the change in Alicia’s appearance. For one thing, until the fateful day of the haircut, Adam wouldn’t have believed Alicia could possibly be more appealing than she already was. He’d always found her beautiful; now she was completely captivating. When she’d come out of the private room at Gigi’s salon he was sure his heart had stopped. With her exquisite features finally on display, she looked like a model for an expensive line of perfume or some kind of skin care. It was impossible for him to look away from her eyes, to ignore her flawless skin and those lips that seemed to be dripping honey just for him. He’d been shocked when she decided to cut off her hair, but the result was obviously the right decision. His Alicia had gone from being a pretty woman to an absolute stunner. And the new clothes she had taken to wearing just made her more appealing.
She certainly hadn’t been a slob before, but instead of wearing tailored shirts and slacks and neat jackets, she was wearing skirts and dresses and feminine blouses in an array of warm colors that brought out all the deep bronze of her skin. After people got over the initial shock of seeing the change in her, there were unanimous raves about her new look. And the same question was on everyone’s lips—“why did you decide to do it?” That was what was bugging Adam, although he wouldn’t admit it even to himself. He couldn’t rid himself of the idea that Alicia was trying to attract some guy’s attention and he had a sinking feeling that the guy was Bryant Porter.
He started playing the piano again, keeping it soft because of Lily Rose, who usually went right to sleep after she was fed. He was playing “Stardust” when his brother entered the room. Donnie’s first stop on arriving home had been the baby’s room, as usual. After kissing his wife and holding the baby until she went to sleep, Donnie was ready to meddle in his brother’s life, something he almost never got to do. He nodded approvingly at Adam’s technique before sitting down in the new club chair that accentuated the fresh, updated look of the room.
“I see you haven’t lost your touch. That sounds pretty good.”
“Yeah, I don’t get to play too often but I try to keep in practice. I’m thinking about getting a piano. God knows there’s enough room for it in the loft.”
Donnie agreed and then segued into the one subject Adam wished to avoid. “Hey, did Renee tell you Bryant Porter is going to be staying in the Outhouse? He stopped by to see her and Andrew and he mentioned that he was looking for some place to stay. The Outhouse will be perfect for him to use for a couple of months. He was really happy about it,” Donnie said guilelessly.
The Outhouse was the family name for the apartment over the garage in the back of the Indian Village home shared by Adam’s oldest brother, Andrew, and his wife, Renee. The house was filled to bursting with the couple and their four girls, but the Outhouse was a nice island of calm. It had one bedroom, a living/dining room, and a compact but well-equipped kitchen and was just ideal for Bryant. Bryant and Renee had been friends for years and offering him a place to stay was a perfectly nice gesture on the part of a friend. The fact that this gesture made Adam’s temples throb with tension was his own private secret. He was consumed by the fact that in a few weeks Bryant Porter was going to be in Detroit for
the entire summer with unlimited access to Alicia. The thought was causing him considerable distress. He brought his fingers down on the keys harder than he intended and stopped playing immediately. He rose from the piano and walked over to the big bay with the multi-paned windows.
Donnie tried not to let his amusement show, but he’d been in Adam’s position not too long ago. He too had been in the throes of passion for Angelique, and their courtship had been stormy to say the least. Donnie had also been intensely aware of every man who ever looked at Angelique and he knew full well that Adam wasn’t too thrilled with the Bryant Porter situation. He decided to take a shot just to see where the arrow landed. Looking perfectly innocent, he said, “By the way, Adam, I saw Alicia the other day and she was looking good, man. She’s always been pretty, but now she’s beyond fine. This woman is an absolute fox, bro. You better look out, somebody’s going to snatch up your partner and rim off with her,” he added with a friendly laugh.
Angelique returned to the living room and instantly caught the dark look passing over Adam’s face and tried to change the subject. “You know what, Adam? I’d like to take a picture of you with Lily Rose. I want to take a portrait with each member of the family. I think that would be a nice keepsake.”
Donnie decided to push a little harder this time. “It’s a good thing you’ve had so much practice being an uncle, Adam. Just think, you could be playing uncle to one of Alicia’s babies soon. Because the way she looks, with that beautiful personality of hers, she’s going to be married in less than a year, bet on it.”
“Adonis, come help me in the kitchen. Now, please.” Angelique put her hands on her hips as she stared at her thoughtless mate.
No sooner had they reached the kitchen than she turned on her big handsome husband and pointed a finger in his face. “Adonis, you have all the sensitivity of a toilet seat,” she scolded. “Can’t you see that Adam has real feelings for Alicia? Are you trying to start a fight with him?”
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