Page 3 of Captivating Anika
“Did you have an appointment?”
“Uh…no.”
Never occurred to me. I don’t think I’ve ever called beforehand. I just walk in and I don’t normally have to wait longer than ten or fifteen minutes at most.
“That’s okay, Molly.” I look up to catch Monique removing the cape from the older woman in her chair, shaking it out. She shoots me a wink before fixing her eyes on the girl. “I can fit him in, if you wouldn’t mind ringing Ruby up?”
“Been a while,” Monique coos as she closes the Velcro strap around my neck and runs her fingers through my hair.
It does nothing for me. Not even when she leans her body against my arm. Now, if Anika was standing this close, fondling my hair, it would be an entirely different story.
“Life’s been busy,” I lie.
“The long hair suits you. What if I just trim the ends a bit?”
I shake my head. “It gets in the way when I’m working, I want it buzzed short.”
“Are you really going to make me shave it all off?” she complains.
“Nothing wrong with a good buzz,” Landon pipes up two stations over, as he runs a free hand over his own orange, short-cropped hair. “You can always liven it up with a bit of color.”
“Not for me, thanks. I don’t think tiger stripes are my thing, no offense intended,” I add.
“None taken,” he returns with a wide grin. “Not everyone can pull off this look.”
“What look?”
I catch sight of Anika’s reflection as she stops behind me.
“A little color on Hog,” Landon teases.
“And ruin that gorgeous silver peeking through? That would be a waste.” She throws me a tiny smile. “Good to see you, Hog.”
Then she lightly brushes my shoulder with her fingertips before returning to her customer.
Like an idiot I say nothing. What am I going to tell her, that I missed her? I feel like I owe her some explanation though, but not here in front of everyone.
Monique opens a drawer and pulls out the clippers.
“Sure?” she asks one more time.
“Positive.”
The buzz of the clippers thankfully makes conversation impossible, and I let my eyes drift to the mirror where I can just catch a glimpse of Anika.
I can still feel her touch on my shoulder as the first strands of my hair start falling.
CHAPTER TWO
Anika
“Oh, Kim…”
The shiner from earlier this week is fading, taking on a yellowish hue, but today she is sporting a split lip. She’s been dodging my attempts to pin her down for a chat, but that’s ending today.
Good thing she showed up early this morning, because that chat is happening now.
“I fell in the shower,” she volunteers, lying through her teeth.