Page 21 of Little Monster
“Such a pretty color,” she says. “Is that natural?”
“Yeah. I’ve never dyed it.”
“Never?”
I shake my head, and Jordan laughs as she reaches for a comb.
It’s comforting, being fawned over this way. I’m an only child, so I didn’t grow up with a sister, though I would’ve loved to, and Mom has never been much into beauty, so I struggled through on my own for the most part.
Jordan detangles my hair gently, then steps back and stares at me for a moment. “Straight? Waves? Curls?” she says, and Alisha looks up, her head tipping to one side.
It feels like I’m on display at a museum or something, given the intensity of their stares.
Finally, they both say, “Straight.”
While Jordan pulls out her straightener and plugs it in, I look over at Alisha.
“So, how long have you and Lucas been together?” I ask. Small talk has never been a strong suit of mine, but I have the urge to at least try.
Alisha puckers her lips thoughtfully. “Eight months.”
“Really?” Jordan says from behind me. “I didn’t realize it’d been that long.”
“Yeah. I’m his longest relationship to date.” Her full lips pull into a smirk. “I think he wants to put a ring on it.” She holds up her left hand and wiggles her ring finger.
Jordan scoffs. “Are we talking about the same Lucas?” she asks. The straightener beeps, and she starts running it gently through my hair, straightening out all the waves and kinks from the braid.
They laugh, seeming completely at ease in each other’s company. Suddenly, I get a bit jealous. I had friends in high school and college, but since moving to LA, I’ve mostly been on my own. Watching them chat so casually and comfortably with each other makes me long for a close female friend.
“What’s the deal with Sebastian?” I ask.
Jordan gets a big smile. “He’s single, I think. Always running after the wrong women and getting his heart broken. Why? Are you interested?”
“No!” I say quickly. “Just trying to figure them all out.” I look down at my hands in my lap and twist my turquoise ring around my thumb. “How about Dex?”
There’s a beat of silence, and when I glance up, they’re both giving me knowing looks.
“Don’t even go there with him,” Jordan says, shaking her head. “He’s the total opposite of Sebastian.”
Alisha nods. “Dex is a fuckboy. He’s even worse than Lucas was when I met him.”
Jordan mumbles her agreeance, and we lapse into silence as she continues straightening my hair.
What Alisha said doesn’t surprise me, so why does it feel like a knot just formed in my stomach? I’ve known Dex is a playboy since before I met him, and I’ve told myself all along not to get swept up in his charm, but it’s so hard when helooks like that.
“There. Done.” Jordan steps back, and I finally look up from my hands and into the mirror.
“Wow,” I whisper. My long brown hair is straight and smooth, and without all the waves in it, it hangs down to my elbows. “It looks amazing,” I say as I run a hand through the silky strands. “Thank you.”
“Sure. Now we need the final touch. Alisha, wanna do the honors?”
Alisha hops off the counter and slides a bathroom drawer open. After rustling around in it, she pulls out a handful of brushes, eyeshadow palettes, and mascara.
“Michael told me you run a rescue,” I say to Jordan as Alisha holds different color palettes up to my skin and eyes. “How long have you been doing that?”
“Oh, gosh.” She leans back against the bathroom counter. “I think... three years now? It started off as a little thing, but Michael got involved, and he really helped me expand. Now Wag helps hundreds of homeless dogs a year.”
“That’s awesome.” I smile. “What about you, Alisha? What do you do for a living?”
