Page 36 of Collin: Episodes 4-6
“Yes.”
“What if I pick something weird?”
Collin shrugged. “I’ll tell you all the reasons you shouldn’t, and then you make up your mind.”
“What if I dye my hair red?”
“Do you want to?”
“Yes.”
“Then you should do it. Actually, I think you’d look hot with red hair. Maybe something like an Asian boy-band style with pointy bangs and all that.”
Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Half a second later, he turned it around and showed Collin a picture.
“You can totally do that. But you’re going to have to learn what conditioner is. You can’t dye your hair and not take care of it.”
Ash made a face. “I wash it.”
“Yeah, but it’s like all dry. That guy’s hair is like soft and everything. Don’t worry, I had this friend in high school. She dyed her hair all the time; it was fine.”
“Fine.” Ash put his phone in his pocket. “You may bribe me.” He cracked open the container on the sweet and sour pork. “When are we going?”
Collin checked the time. “You got twenty minutes to eat that. You’ll have to save the cake for later.”
Ash eyed the cake, clearly calculating. He chewed and swallowed. “You are a dangerous man, Collin.”
“Why?”
“You bring pre-bribe and after-bribe.”
Collin gritted his teeth as he and Ash approached the salon. It was on the third floor of a building halfway back to The Residency. Was he going to tell Ash, who was clearly terrified, that this was his first time as well? No, not at all. Was he glad Mr. Reevesworth had had him reschedule his appointment after the unhappy lunch the previous day? Yes. Did he know what he was doing? No.
Damian had told him all he had to do was show up, sit down, answer questions from the stylist, and then sit still until they were done.
He could do that.
Hopefully Ash could, too.
Collin pushed open the door and dragged Ash inside with him. Actually, having Ash with him was good. It was easier to pretend to be at ease for someone else than for just himself.
He walked up to the receptionist. “Appointments for five thirty, for two.”
“Names, please?”
“Ryker. I booked both under the same name.”
“Ah, yes. Can I have a second name, just for our records? We like to keep our client preferences on file.”
“Ash.”
“All right, got it. Do we have a second phone number?”
Collin glanced down at Ash. The teenager shook his head. No cell phone number, then.
“You can reach Ash through me. Ash doesn’t really pay attention to his phone,. Collin smiled at the receptionist.
They were shown into the back almost immediately and placed in adjoining chairs. Everything was clean and smelled like the makeup and perfume section of a department store. Ash rubbed his palms on his knees and tucked one leg up under him. If he ever sat like a normal person, Collin had yet to see it.
