Someone new and popular, younger and prettier, would pop up tomorrow. It was like anything else in life. Like having to change your name and move away from everything you’ve ever known.
“I say we all have to do what makes us happy,” she said softly. She hoped it came off as convincing because she wasn’t so sure how happy she was feeling thinking of all the changes in her life.
“Exactly. Angie is my cousin. She’s two years older than me. She went for social work and puts in a crazy amount of hours and gets paid crap. But she likes what she does and we got this trip out of it. Taylor, she’s a senior in college. Her parents saidthey’d make Taylor pay back all the tuition to them if she didn’t graduate.”
“I’m sure they are only thinking of their daughter’s future. Did she want to drop out?”
“She did,” Kylie said. “When I did. We both have our channels and followers. Lots of our posts are of us together too. We kind of feed off each other. Tonight will be great in the casino. We’ll get a bunch of videos and pictures while we’re getting ready. We have a lot of beauty sponsors. Don’t suppose I could get you to use one of these gels they sent me as samples?”
“Let me see it,” she said. “If I think it will work, sure.”
Kylie pulled it out of her big bag and handed it over. It was a lightweight gel that would offer movement. “I haven’t tried it yet. I packed it to use and forgot about it. I’m not someone that puts a heavy gel in my hair.”
“I think it will work well,” Andi said and then explained why.
“Great,” Kylie said. “I’ll take a few pictures of my hair before I leave our room. I’ll get some when we are done too and then I’ll give you a shout out here.”
“You don’t need to do that,” she said. Andi hated when this came up. She’d make sure she was out of the way of the pictures. Always this fear in her mind that someone might see her and remember Colleen.
“Of course I do. Do you have any social media pages?”
“I do,” she said. Her picture wasn’t on them. Or it was more of an animated picture with sunglasses on. It worked and kept it somewhat personal.
“We’ll make sure we share that before I’m done and I’ll just tag you and the salon.”
She wouldn’t say no to that and Amanda and the rest of the girls would love it too.
“That works,” Andi said. “Thanks.”
“This is great,” Kylie said when she was checking her hair out. “I’m going to snap a few pictures if you don’t mind. And maybe you can use my camera to get some of the back.”
“Sure,” she said. She calmed her heart down and moved out of the way for Kylie to take her pictures and went to the side to put her stuff away.
“Did I hear her right?” Callie asked. Callie was packed back to back with appointments and normally only worked a few days a week like Amanda. “She’s one of those internet influencers and whined a bit about having to workpart timefor her daddy’s law firm?”
Andi laughed. “Something like that,” she said. “To each their own. I got a good tip out of it and it made up for being a slow week. I still have ninety minutes to run to the store and grab some food for dinner tonight.”
She’d just bring it back with her here and keep the cold stuff in the fridge.
“Are you cooking for your man?” Callie asked. “Bob and I gave up years ago doing anything on this day.”
“I am,” she said. “Jarrett wanted to go out to dinner, but I said no. I’m not in the mood to deal with the crowds. Sometimes it’s better to just be home and relax.”
She didn’t have to be entertained much and told Jarrett that. She’d have to say she was the leasthigh maintenanceperson she knew.
Nothing like Kylie who had to take what seemed like a hundred different pictures and angles. She must have taken ten of the back of Kylie’s head alone.
“That’s how I like to spend my night too,” Callie’s client said from the chair where she was sitting with foils in her hair.
“There isn’t anything wrong with that,” she said. “Does anyone need anything while I’m out? I’ll grab a sandwich or salad from the cafe section to eat quickly.”
“Actually,” Callie said. “Would you get me a ham and cheese sandwich?”
Callie handed her some cash and she left.
All normal things and normal days like the kind she’d had in her life two years ago and was happy to feel as if maybe she was getting back to it. The reminders a few minutes ago hurt some, but she had to move on.
With the addition of a hot boyfriend.