Page 20 of Show Me How
Sure, it isn’t my first welcome . . . but Shade’s a guy of the past. I doubt I’ll ever see him again, and this girl could be someone I do see in the future. And even if it’s only today, I’ll still be glad I met her.
I’ve been offered more kindness in this town by two strangers than I have ever before, and that’s something I’m going to be thinking about for a long time after this.
7
MILLIE
Lacey’s choiceof vehicle shouldn’t have surprised me.
After being shown bits and pieces of her personality while having her as my personal shopper, it should have been obvious that she was a bit out of the box. The purple Volkswagen van she drives down Cherry Peak’s Main Street draws eyes, and I sink into the seat a bit, wishing I had some sunglasses to hide beneath.
The itch on my scalp has me scratching at it again until it feels too raw. I bite down on my cheek and sigh.
“Does your head hurt?” she asks, glancing my way before pulling into an angled parking stall.
“It was the shampoo I used at the campground. I’m not used to it.”
“Want to stop at the salon before we hit the boutique?”
My jaw nearly unhinges. “There’s a salon here? In this town?”
“Yes.” Lacey laughs, turning off the van. “Thistle and Thorn comes highly recommended. I’m not sure Anna will have a spot open for an appointment, but she does have shampoos and things like that there.”
I get out of the van in super speed, already up on the sidewalk by the time she’s opened her door. My new shoes are far more comfortable than they look like they should be, and I’m taking full advantage of that with my quick pace. The wooden sign for the salon is just up the street, swaying in the breeze.
“You really move in those shoes,” Lacey calls, rushing behind me. “How can you walk in those so well?”
“These are lower than I’m used to.”
“That makes a difference when the heels are that thin?”
“A little. I’ve just worn them a lot and gotten used to having to work on my balance.”
She hums. “Makes sense. Maybe you can give me some lessons sometime.”
“Do you have a special occasion coming up?” I ask with a quick look down at her fuzzy-booted feet.
“No. There aren’t really many special occasions that pop up in Oak Point for me to attend. I just figured I could give them a whirl and see what it is about fancy footwear that you seem to enjoy.”
“You could always use going to Peakside as a special occasion. That’s what you do around here for fun, right?”
“I guess so. Have you been there?”
I flash a subtle smile and let the question go before opening the salon door. I’m not sure I want others to know about my first and only experience at that bar yet. Shade could be completely unknown in Oak Point, or he could be their biggest celebrity. I don’t know yet, and the uncertainty of whether I’m even ever going to see him again has me deciding to keep him to myself for the foreseeable future.
Stepping into the salon, the immediate smell of luxury shampoos and hairsprays is more than welcome. I breathe it in greedily, the itch in my scalp disappearing long enough for me to concentrate on what’s going on in front of me.
It’s busy but not to the point that it’s uncomfortable. There are two women sitting in big black chairs parked in front of tall mirrors, and rows upon rows of hair care products along the opposite wall. Bright and open, the space feels very cute. With its checkered floors, light pink paint, and tons of gold fixtures, it’s unique and welcoming.
“I’ll be right with you, Lacey,” the woman behind the first chair says.
She’s concentrating on the brush between her fingers as she coats the hair in what I know to be bleach before tucking it away in a foil. I watch in fascination, never getting to be on this side of the process.
“No worries, Anna. We’re just going to browse a bit,” Lacey says.
The low beat of the music in here is soothing as I start looking over the various hair care products on the shelves. I bounce in place when I spot my shampoo and conditioner right in front of me.
“I owe you a thousand cups of coffee, Lacey,” I cheer while snagging a bottle of each.
