by Aspen Drake
Roman laughs. “She’s with you, isn’t she?”
“Exactly.” I shift the phone to the ear away from Bryn so she doesn’t overhear his side of the conversation. “Is an hour long enough?”
“I hate you.” Roman says that a lot but he loves me as much as I love him. “And it’ll take me at least two.”
“I know you’ll come through for us, little brother.”
I hang up the phone and see Bryn looking up at me through her artificially long lashes. “Everything okay?”
I nod and pull toward a little restaurant called Pico. “Do you like tapas?”
“I do,” she purrs into my neck. “I also like to be topless.”
I give her a half smile and lean into her neck, tracing her jawline with my nose. “Maybe we can arrange that after lunch.”
I so don’t want to do this but she’s an attractive woman and a loyal client so it could be worse.
Chapter Three
Amy
I can’t remember the last time I was home at noon on a weekday. I’m excited to surprise Shane with the cream sticks and maybe an afternoon delight. His work has been stressful lately and we’ve been growing distant. As an IT admin, he’s always on calls with idiots across the country.
Maybe after a ride on his cream stick, I can talk him into taking me out for lunch before I hit the job ads on craigslist.
The front door to our apartment is unlocked, as usual. We barely remember to lock our door when we leave but never when we’re at home. It’s such a safe neighborhood, I’d rather not have to carry a ring full of keys if I don’t have to. My piece of shit car has such a loose ignition, if I have more than two keys hanging from it, they just slide out when I make a sharp left turn. Fewer keys are better.
I drop my bag on the couch and carry the Creamy’s box into the dining room, also known as Shane’s office. He’s perched at his desk with his back to me. Just as I’m about to announce that I’m home with snacks, I hear a woman’s voice come from the computer.
“Oooh, Shane. You’re so big.”
That’s when I realize Shane’s naked.
“Yeah, baby. Take my big cock deep inside.”
The slapping sound and his vigorous shaking makes me want to vomit. Biting my tongue to keep from screaming out, I quietly step to the left and inch closer so I can see the screen.
A tiny but attractive Asian woman is sprawled on a bed, pushing a pink dildo as deep inside her it’ll go before twisting it out then plunging back. “Oh, Shane. That’s right. I’m almost there.”
“Keep going, baby.” Shane scoots his ass to the edge of his desk chair so he’s slouched in the chair. “That’s it. Fuck me hard.”
“Mmmm, Shane.” She arches off her bed and buries the silicon rod as far as it’ll go. Her body is convulsing as Shane begins his familiar grunt.
“Oh, you’re so good, Lila.” A few drops of clear come spurt pathetically on his belly.
I can’t keep quiet anymore. “Lila?”
Shane jumps from the chair and tries to cover himself as if I didn’t just watch him Skype sex with his ex.
“Amy, what are you doing here?” He slams down the lid of his laptop and reaches for the shorts that are still wrapped around his ankles.
“I fucking live here!” I push his shoulder as he’s fumbling with his boxers. “How long has this been going on?”
“What?” He slows his movements and reaches for a t-shirt. “You mean that video? You know I watch porn sometimes.”
My mouth drops as my fists clench. I’ve never thrown a punch in my life but I really want to right now. “That was not porn, Shane.”
“What are you talking about? Of course it was.” He looks to the box in my hand. “Oh, you brought donuts?”
“Are you kidding me?” I can feel the tears running down my face but they are more from anger than sadness. “That was your fucking ex-girlfriend you were fucking in my house.”
“Baby, relax.” He reaches out to me with both arms. “It’s not like I was cheating. It’s just a video.”
“Fuck you, Shane.” I throw the Creamy’s box at his computer and turn to leave. “Get your shit out of here by the end of the day.”
“I’m sorry, babe.” He reaches for me again but I swing my forearms out to avoid his grasp. “Fine. Be like that. But this is my apartment. I think you’re blowing this way out of proportion but if you feel like you need to leave then…I’ll miss you.”
The bastard turns away and walks back to his desk.
I stomp across the living room into our bedroom. His bedroom, apparently. I have a banged up suitcase in the closet so I start loading it with my favorite clothes. My daily uniform is a pair of jeans and a solid tunic. Nothing fancy. But I have a few cute dresses and nicer shirts I toss in. If I’m going to be job hunting, I need interview clothes.
When the suitcase is full, I find the largest purse I have and stuff it with shoes and underwear. How did this day go so wrong?
After taking as many bags of stuff as I can down to my ’89 Camry, I call my best friend. Gabi picks up on the first ring.
“Hi, Aims. What’s up?” She works for a car dealership and promised to help me get a good deal once I save up some more cash. Looks like that plan is shot.
“I lost…” I can’t even get the words out. The body wracking sobs are so intense I have to pull into a 7-Eleven parking lot just to collect myself. Tears are flowing down my neck and I can’t quite catch my breath. “M-M-Ming left…and Shane…”
“Wait, what?” Gabi shushes people around her. “Sorry, everyone is talking in here. What happened?”
I take a few deep breaths and focus on a squirrel running across the parking lot. “Ming closed the salon. I just found out this morning.”
“Oh, my god, Aims. I’m so sorry.”
“That’s not even the worst part.” My voice is shaky but I don’t want to cry over that asshole anymore. He doesn’t deserve my tears. “I went home and found Shane cyberfucking Lila.”
“Lila?” She’s quiet for a moment but I can’t find the words to help her. “Oh, Lila. His ex?”
“Um hmm.”
“What does cyberfucking mean? Like sexting?”
“I wish.” Those images will be burned into my brain forever. “But no. More like her ramming a giant dildo up her cunt on Skype while he jacked off and they pretended to be together. It was disgusting.”
“You watched that?” I couldn’t tell if she was aroused or grossed out.
“I didn’t mean to. I walked in and they were doing it.” I bark out a laugh. “And get this. He actually tried to tell me he was just watching a porno. Like I’m stupid or something.”
“I’m so sorry, honey.” She truly sounded heartbroken for me. “So what did you do?”
“I left his cheating ass.” The tears were back as I choked out the words. “And I moved out. I don’t know where to go.”
“Oh, Amy. You know you can stay with me. Come by and pick up my keys.”
“Really?” I don’t want to impose on my friend but I have no other options. My mom would let me move into her condo in Sacramento but she’d never let me live down my failed attempt at being a stylist. She never approved of me leaving college to go to beauty school but when she stopped making my tuition payments, there wasn’t much left for me to do.
“Of course.” Gabi was such a good friend. “It’ll be fun.”
“Thank you.”
~**~
As if on autopilot, I pick up the key to her cottage and head straight there. It’s a small bungalow built on a large property with several other guest houses. It feels isolated with all the trees surrounding the small home.
Gabi has a boyfriend in the city but he never stays over. When they’re together, she stays at his place in SoMa. She keeps the place neat and the pull out sofa bed is good enough for now. I don’t need much space. I just need a place to get my life back together.
Without trying to unpack anything, I arrange the last o
f my belongings in a corner of her garage and drop into her oversized chaise reflect on the next steps for my life.
As hurt as I am about Shane, I haven’t loved him for a while. I’m mad but not devastated. I can truly get a fresh start now. Things have been weird with us for a while and I wasn’t going to make a change so I’m almost thankful that he did. As sick as it was to witness.
~**~
The room is dark when I open my eyes again. Gabi slams the door behind her and flips on a lamp. The light blinds me for a minute and she jumps when she sees me.
“Holy shit, Aims.” She holds her hand to her chest as she walks to the couch. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Sorry.” I rub my crusty eyes and sit up. “I passed out a few hours ago. What time is it?”
“It’s almost nine.” She reaches for her phone and turns it on. ”I tried calling before I went to the gym but it just went to voicemail. Did you get my messages?”
Oops. Where the hell is my phone? “Sorry, no. I turned my phone off earlier.”
“You can’t avoid him forever.” Gabi kicks off her running shoes and rests her feet on the ottoman in front of her.
“Sure I can.” I channel my inner optimist and school my lips into a smile. “This is actually a good time to avoid Shane and all men. I can finally focus on my career without having to worry about some guy waiting for me at home.”
Amy cocks her head and raises her eyebrows. “Really? So no more men?”
“I’ve been single before.” I nod resolutely. “I can do it again. I just need to find a job and an apartment and things will be great.”
“I like your attitude.” She gets up and gives me a hug. “Things will be great. And you can stay here as long as you want. I’m hardly here so you might as well use it when I’m gone.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“It’s no trouble. You know I love hanging out with you.”
“You promise you’ll tell me if you get sick of me?” I don’t want to be a burden but I really don’t have money for my own place.
“I won’t get sick of you.” She pats my knee as she stands up. “But yes, I promise to tell you if I do. I’m gonna go take a shower then pass out.”
“No problem. I’ll probably watch TV for a while.”
Gabi flips open the cushioned lid of the ottoman. “There are sheets, blankets and pillows in here. Do you need help opening up the pullout?”
I stand and stretch. “Nope. I can handle it.”
With one more hug, Gabi disappears into her room, leaving me to consider my shit storm of a day.
Chapter Four
Nate
Since placing the ad a few hours ago with a very explicit headline of No Phone Calls, the phone in the salon has been ringing off the hook. If they can’t follow the simple instructions to email their resume, they aren’t gonna work out in my salon.
Some of the staff refer to me as Type-A but I’m just regimented. I like routine and the salon runs better when everyone can stick to the plan. Of course, there are always wrenches thrown into my plans but as the owner, I’ve come to expect it.
“Nate, can you come here when you get a second?”
There’s a panicked expression on Lindsey’s face but her voice doesn’t betray her expression.
I take a moment to brush through the long layers I’m cutting into my client’s hair before I give her shoulders a light squeeze and excuse myself. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart.”
She nods briefly without looking up from her kindle. She couldn’t care less that her cut is being interrupted.
“How’s everything going, Linds?” I give a smile to her client as I twist the chair toward the back of the salon so she’s not facing a mirror. I don’t know what’s wrong but I’m sure it’s bad.
“I just want to get your opinion on this perm?” Lindsey unwraps a wide roller from the middle of her client’s head and the platinum blonde strands are disintegrating.
I can hear my pulse beating loudly in my ears as we unwrap another roller. “What formula did you use?”
Lindsey rattles off her exact chemical ratios as I unwrap the rest of the rollers. Based on the sections that aren’t fully destroyed, at least five inches off the bottom will have to be cut.
“Ma’am.” I turn the woman back toward the mirror so I can meet her eye. “Have you been putting any chemicals in your hair?”
“No, I told her this is natural.” She’s very proud of her light hair but her roots don’t lie. “I just got back from Cancun and the sun lightened it better than any color I’ve ever paid for.”
I nod and take a closer look at the fried ends. “Have you ever used Sun-in?”
She stills for a minute then shrugs. “Well, sure. Even mother nature needs a little help. But it’s all natural.”
“Actually,” I hold up the tattered remains of a lock of her hair, “it’s not. It’s very definitely a chemical and it reacted to the perm solution.”
Her big brown eyes are clueless until my meaning sinks in. “What happened?”
I take a deep breath and place my hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry but the ends of your hair have basically dissolved. We’ll have to cut all the damaged hair down to about here.” I indicate the new length by resting my finger just under her ear.
Her eyes well up and tears begin to roll down her face. “But, I just wanted some waves.”
“I know, sweetheart, but Sun-in is a chemical. Did Lindsey ask if you had any chemicals in your hair?”
She nods but doesn’t make eye contact.
“You’re gonna look beautiful with a bob.” She’s a pretty girl with a deep tan. “It’s a much more playful look for you.”
I gently tap under her chin to get her to look up at me. “I promise.”
“Okay.” She puts the tip of her thumb in her mouth and begins chewing on the nub of her nail.
“Lindsey will take great care of you.” I pat her arm once then head back to my client.
“I’m so sorry for the interruption.” She looks at me with a twinkle in her eye that startles me. “Are you okay, Jessica?”
She wipes the corner of each eye and places her hand over mine. “You did a great job diffusing that situation.”
“Oh.” I didn’t realize she had been watching. “Well, it happens.”
My client turns to look directly at me. “You could have made her feel stupid or guilty for destroying her hair.” She nods in Lindsey’s direction. “But you complimented her and now look at her.”
I glance toward Lindsey through the mirror. She’s gushing about the girl’s Cameron Diaz style and her client is beaming. I shrug. “Like I said, it happens.”
As soon as I finish up with Jessica, I walk her to the front desk and hand her off to Jules for payment and to schedule her next appointment.
I really need to get that empty station filled so we can all get a break. The long hours are starting to wear on everyone and the next person with melting hair may not be so easy to appease.
Chapter Five
Amy
When I wake up Wednesday morning, I have a whole new outlook. Gabi’s woodsy cottage is serene and inspiring. The only thing I can hear are birds chirping and the coffee pot brewing. I can see why she doesn’t want to give up the place even though she doesn’t need it.
After a leisurely breakfast of toast and jam on the back porch, I pick up my phone and log on to craigslist. I don’t have my own laptop so job hunting is going to be a bitch.
My phone isn’t one of those smart kind that work like mini computers. I’m barely able to read the tiny ads on my monochrome screen but I manage.
I’m excited to find several jobs that look good in the area. I make a list of the locations and draw a big star next to Fierce Salon. It’s just around the corner from Ming’s old shop so I can go fill out an application in person.
The ad says to email a resume but the last resume I had was on my old laptop and isn’t up to date. Besides
, we recycled that dinosaur when the hard drive crashed and I never replaced it.
With a skip in my step, I head inside and sift through my clothes for an appropriate job inquiry outfit.
~**~
I arrive at the salon at few hours later. It’s right next door to Creamy’s so if all goes well, I’ll pick up another cream stick to make up for the one I threw at Shane yesterday. Just as I’m about to open the door, it swings outward and one of the girls I used to work with at Fabulous Hair plows into me.
Olivia is a sweet and talented girl. She set her sights high with a plan to marry a dot com millionaire before she turned thirty. During the time I knew her, she’d already dated several and had some decent prospects. At twenty-seven, time was catching up to her but she was Barbie doll gorgeous so she wouldn’t be searching for long.
“Amy?” She drops the cigarette she’s about to light and pulls me into a bear hug. “I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Hi, Olivia.” I knew she went to a fancy salon but didn’t realize this was it. “It’s so good to see you. How have you been?”
“Awesome. I’m working here now.” She gestures to the door she just exited from. “What about you? Still at Fab?”
Okay, this is my first test. Can I relay the story without breaking into tears? Yes! Yes, I can.
I take a deep breath and force a cheery tone. “As a matter of fact, no. Saturday was my last day so I’m actually looking for a new job.”
I steal another glance at the salon I came to conquer. A wrought iron sign is perched above the front window. Fierce Salon. It looks fierce.
As I scan the interior, I see a few elegantly dressed junior league types in the waiting room and a full team of stylists lining both sides of the long room. They definitely aren’t feeling any economic strain on this side of the block.
Olivia is watching me as I inspect her salon.
“I actually saw an ad that said you guys were hiring.”
I can hear the excitement in my real voice overpowering the I-told-you-it-would-work-out voice in my head.