Page 9 of Knot Your Sunshine
But damn if I'm not in the mood to be exactly this unhinged right now. Maybe I'm not in a place to be in a relationship, as Alex so kindly implied, but I'm definitely in a place to talk business. On a tropical island. Which will definitely last more than just a day or two, which means...
The salon.
My stomach swoops as reality crashes back. I can't just leave. The summer walk-in season is our busiest time. And I know Mrs. Rivers has her daughter's wedding next week. And Dona needs a touch-up before her company retreat. And what about—
No. Stop spiraling.
I hit Grandma's number before I can talk myself out of it, pacing between the shampoo stations as the phone rings. Once. Twice.
"Hello, sweetheart! How's my little pumpkin?"
Her voice wraps around me like one of her hugs. "Hi, Grandma. I'm good. How are you? How's the garden?"
"Oh, I'm grand. Just destroying Margaret at Scrabble, as usual." I hear shuffling, probably her stepping away from the game. "And the tomatoes are coming in like they've got somewhere to be. I swear, I've got enough to feed half of Lakeview. Maybe I should start a roadside stand."
"You should," I say, a smile tugging at my lips despite my nerves. "You'd make a fortune."
"Don't tempt me. I've already got the sign designed in my head." A beat of silence. "So, what's going on? You sound... different. Wound up."
I take a deep breath, gripping the phone tighter. "What would you say if I told you I got offered a business opportunity? In Hawaii. And I was wondering if you'd be willing to take over the salon for a while.
"What?" The excitement in her voice is immediate. " Hawaii? What kind of business opportunity?"
My heart pounds as I force the words out. "Well, I'm not entirely sure yet. But I suspect it's about my hair oil. The person who contacted me probably wants to discuss a distribution deal or something. Maybe wholesale, maybe... I don't know. They sent me a first-class plane ticket."
"A first-class ticket?" She practically squeals, and I have to pull the phone away from my ear. "Honey, that's amazing! When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow." The word comes out as a squeak.
"Tomorrow? Oh my—" She pauses, and I can practically see her processing, probably already mentally reorganizing her week. "Well, it's short notice, but of course you're going!"
"But the salon… would you really be okay stepping back it in while I'm—"
"It would be my absolute pleasure!" She cuts in, and I can hear the smile stretching across her face. "Mia, sweetheart, these hands have been itching to get back behind a chair. You know retirement's driving me stir-crazy."
"Are you sure? It's summer walk-in season. That could mean twenty people a day, easy. Your back—"
"Is perfectly fine, thank you very much. Besides, it's perfect. No appointments to juggle, just good old-fashioned walk-ins like the old days. Besides…" Her voice softens, shifting to that warm, soothing tone. "Sweetheart, when's the last time you took a real break? You've been running yourself ragged for years."
She's right. The last time I took more than a day off was... I literally can't remember. Maybe that weekend two years ago when I got the flu? But even then, I'd planned the inventory from my bed.
"Thank you so much, Grandma." I close my eyes, pressing my free hand to my chest. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Oh, nonsense. You'd figure it out. You always do." She clears her throat. "Now go pack. And pack something nice, first class means fancy people. This is an adventure, pumpkin."
I laugh, and it comes out watery. "Yes, Grandma. And sorry for stealing you from your Scrabble domination."
"Oh please, I was winning by fifty points. Margaret keeps 'finding' Q words she can't define. Got so bad I caught her trying to palm a blank tile." She snorts. "The woman has no shame. Anyway, love you, pumpkin."
"Love you too, Grandma."
I hang up and immediately open the salon's Facebook page. My fingers hover over the screen for a moment. Once I post what I have in mind, there's no turning back.
I start typing:
Hello, my beautiful curl family! Surprise announcement! The legendary woman who started it all, my incredible grandmother, will be taking over walk-ins at Curl Up & Dye while I'm away on a little island adventure. (Big things might be coming, stay tuned!) You're in for some serious old-school magic. I'll be back soon with a tan and hopefully some exciting news!
I hit post, then immediately close the app before I overthink it. The salon falls quiet around me, save only for the soft sounds of traffic outside.
