Page 21 of Show Me How
“I’ll take you up on that.”
“Have you always had short hair?” I ask, gripping onto my products like I’m scared someone is going to come rip them away.
Lacey fiddles with her bangs. “Yep! I don’t have the desire to spend that much time on it or the money to keep up with the maintenance.”
“It looks good on you.”
“Thanks! Are you a natural blonde?”
“I’m going to bet yes, but if you didn’t get it lifted, it would be a bit darker, right?” Anna, the stylist, asks, coming up to us. There’s a towel in her hands that she’s using to wipe her fingersbefore offering me a hand. “I’m Anna Steele. I don’t think I’ve seen you here before?”
“No, this is my first time,” I reply, shaking her extended hand.
Lacey grins. “She’s staying at Shimmer Lake.”
“I’m jealous. I’ve been here for a few years now and haven’t gone,” Anna says.
“I haven’t been to the lake yet. Just staying in the cabins there. I’m afraid I missed the proper time of year for a swim.”
“Maybe that’ll entice you to come back sometime,” Lacey suggests, a hopeful rise in her voice.
I nod, shifting awkwardly. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Have you used those before?” Anna’s focused on the bottles in my hands, a spark in her eyes that reminds me of my hairdresser back home.
“They’re my usual ones, actually. I had to use the complimentary brand in my cabin this morning, and I’m sure you can see how that went,” I explain with a wince.
Anna laughs softly and nods, taking in the dry strands. “I’ve got a couple of good leave-in conditioners, too, if you wanted to grab one. I can give you a sample.”
“I’ll take the whole thing! Load me up,” I ramble.
“You got it.”
I’m overeager but can’t find it in myself to care right now. The more help I get, the longer I can stay without needing to go back home. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to extend my stay for a few weeks. It’s not like my parents would have sent out a search party for me.
They probably think that I’ll be back before they could even get one situated. I’ve never been able to get them to take me seriously, and this won’t be any different. I’m just throwing a tantrum. Surely, I’ll just get over it.
They’re wrong.
By the time Lacey and I are pulling back into Oak Point, my stomach is grumbling. A diet of snack food and gas station sandwiches has had a bit of an ugly effect on my body, and I’m in desperate need of something that won’t make me want to curl into a ball all night.
“Want to grab something to eat at Maggie’s?” Lacey asks, having heard the grumbling.
“You don’t mind?”
“Not at all. I’m sure my mom’s found her way over to the shop by now.”
“You two run it together?”
“Well, it’s technically my grandmother’s, but we’ve taken over for her now that she’s gotten too old,” she says.
We pull into a spot in front of the diner as I say, “That’s nice of you.”
“Yeah, it’s what you do for family, right?”
An ache grows in my chest. “Right.”
“Well, come on. I’ll point out all the best things on the menu for you.”
