Page 2 of Big Deal Sweetheart

“Hello, dear. You must be my fill in hairdresser. I sure do hope you don’t make my hair fall out like that one time at Bible Creek.”

“You mean church camp?” Nova asked.

The little blue haired woman hung her coat on a hook by her Nana’s station, then sat in the chair Nova stood behind before answering. “Church camp? Why no silly, I’ve never gone to one of those. But I went to Bible Creek once, and let me tell you, something awful happened that we won’t discuss. Suffice it to say, all my hair fell out after that terrible weekend.”

Through the mirror, she saw Linny making a slashing motion with her hand across her throat, shaking her head vigorously. But it was the way her mouth moved in an overly exaggerated way that nearly had her laughing. She narrowed her eyes to see what it was that Linny was trying to say, catching the words ‘don’t ask’the other woman kept repeating, stopping herself from doing what was on the tip of her tongue, asking.

“So, what are we doing for you today?” Nova asked instead.

For the next couple of hours, she worked, doing her Nana’s clients hair and enjoying the heck out of their stories. She was just finishing Hazel’s weekly appointment, after getting out of a dinner date with the other woman’s charming grandson who needed to settle down with a nice girl. Again, Linny’s vigorous head shaking, and slashing motion was her cue to reject the idea, nicely. “Ah, Hazel, I’m sure he’s quite lovely, but I just can’t right now. I’m on a break.” She wasn’t going to go into details of what kind of break. Heck, her Nana had an almost break so that was technically true.

“Oh, honey, are you alright? My Charleston is a sweet boy. He’s exactly what the doctor would order for a broken heart,” Hazel murmured, her wrinkled hand patted Nova’s as she spoke.

Luckily for her, she was saved from answering as the alien warning system went off, or rather the chime over the door jangled. A young blonde girl stopped inside the entryway, clearly taking stock of her surroundings. Nova smiled her way while Hazel pulled out her wallet.

“Did you hear me, dear?” Hazel Lou asked.

She blinked a couple times, unsure how to answer the older woman. “Um, Miss Hazel, I’m going to have to decline that most gracious offer. While I do appreciate it, I assure you I’m perfectly fine err, being on my own this evening.” She didn’t say every evening for the rest of eternity if it meant being set up by any of Sweetheart, Colorado busy bodies. Lord save her if one more of the little town’s citizens decided to stop by for a chit chat and then casually drop the name of their grandson, nephew, or godson. No ma’am, she was not in the market for a husband, or boyfriend. An image of the rude man from earlier popped into her mind.

He was gorgeous, and if the well-defined pecs that his button-down shirt couldn’t hide was anything to go by, the man was built quite well. And his voice, damn, she was a sucker for deep, sexy, melt your panties voices. Too bad he was a jackass.

Hazel tapped the top of her hand. A sad sigh escaped her. “Well, hun, if you change your mind, you let me know. Now don’t tell your grandmother, but you did a fantastic job on my hair. Well, you might’ve done even better than her. Why, I think I look at least five years younger. Don’t you think, Linny?”

The stylist stopped cutting the hair of the woman she had in her chair and held her scissors in the air as if she was taking the time to look Hazel over. “Actually, you look a good seven, maybe eight years younger.” Linny agreed.

Hazel’s cackling laugh could seriously lighten any mood. “We will definitely rethink thebestiething next month, dear. I’m sure Nell will be wondering how she became bestie number two.”

Linny pointed the sharp scissors at Nova. “You’re too late. I’ve already decided Nova and I were besties today, and then Nell of course is always my bestie.”

Nova and Hazel both snorted at that. “I see you’re already scheduled for next week, Miss Hazel. My Nana should be back by then. Is nine still a good time for you?” Nova asked. She couldn’t help but look over to where the young girl lingered by the door. “I’ll be right with you, hun.”

“That’s fine,” she replied in a husky voice.

Nova shook her head as Hazel sauntered out. Lord, the women in the small mountain town were going to drive her to drink by noon.

“Hi. What can I do for you?” Nova needed to keep her mind off of drinking and on her Nana’s salon. Although it was a far cry from the big city ones she was used to, it was perfect for Sweetheart, Colorado and exactly what her Nana embodied. Although the young woman, or rather girl making her way toward the desk looked like she belonged in the big city.

“I want to get my hair cut and colored. Something like this.”

Nova stared down at the magazine the girl placed on the desk, then back up at the gorgeous blonde hair. “Oh, hun, I don’t think—”

“I didn’t come here for you to think, hun. So, can you or can you not color hair?” She looked around the shop, then looked back at Nova.

The way she’d mockedhunback at Nova set her teeth on edge, but she didn’t let the girl rattle her. At one time, Nova was sure she’d been just like the little princess in front of her. She was half tempted to do just as she asked. But cut off all that glorious golden locks and color it black? Fuck to the no.

“Come on back to my station,” she said.

The girl stood taller, her shoulders going back, chin lifted. Oh, Nova recognized that too. She’d been just like her ten years ago. “Have a seat and tell me what exactly you’re aiming for?” Nova asked. Sometimes getting a client to talk about their goals actually got them to change their mind. “First, let me start by telling you my name is Nova. What’s yours?”

“Delilah. And before you ask, I’m eighteen.”

Nova lifted a black and hot pink cape from a hook behind her, snapping it open. She barely kept from snorting. Yes, Delilah looked like an eighteen-year-old, and she was taller than Nova, but she was only five feet five, so lots of people were. In the grand scheme of things didn’t mean crap, especially in the world today. Teenagers were fed some kind of grow old shit in their happy meals nowadays. “Do you have ID that proves that?”

The small purse that cost more than many peoples’ mortgages was popped open with a little twitch of her manicured fingers. A matching wallet with the signature LV label was pulled out, showing an ID with one Delilah Sparks was presented. Nova looked at it, then at the girl. “Alrighty then. Have a seat.”

Delilah sat down in the freshly cleaned chair, after she inspected it of course. Nova was happy her Nana had a young girl whose job was to see to things such as sweeping up the hair and wiping down the chairs after clients. Although Nova wasn’t against doing it herself, she’d done her fair share of it, she preferred focusing on the clients.

“Do you have a lot of experience, Nova?” Delilah met her gaze in the mirror, one perfectly arched brow raised.

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