Page 23 of Raise The Bar
“You and I both know that you’ve worked too hard on these brows to ever do them any harm.” She arches one of them to make her point. She’s right. Again.
“I know it’s a little unorthodox, but we’re friends. Sort of.” While it’s true that I spend a lot of time puzzling over my relationship with Callum, at the end of the day I enjoy spending time with him. He makes me laugh more than anyone I’ve ever met. I pat Betty’s leg to let her know I’m done and she rolls herself up into a seated position.
“I’m all for it.” She stretches and stifles a yawn.
“Really?” Betty is probably the best friend I’ve ever had and her opinion means a lot to me. I expected her to be wary of me spending too much time with Callum, afraid I would get hurt.
“Absolutely.” Standing up, she starts to stretch her quadriceps while holding onto the treatment chair for balance. Betty took up running to participate in a marathon this spring and she still runs with Josh a few times a week. “If you remain friends and he helps you launch the business, it’s a win. If you fall madly, hopelessly in love, it’s a win. And if he hurts you, I have a Home Depot gift card with which to purchase a top of the line wood-chipper that I will feed him through. Win, win, win!”
I don’t want to think about how lonely my life would be without Betty. We put so much emphasis on romantic love that sometimes I don’t think we fully value the other types of love in this life. Betty is my best friend, my biggest fan, my sounding board, and my security blanket all wrapped into one freckled brunette. I’m not sure where I would have gone after leaving Mark, or whether I would have found the strength to leave him at all without her support.
“Only you can talk about violently ending your boyfriend’s friend’s life and still look adorable.”
“Hey,” she lowers her voice an octave in an attempt to sound more intimidating. “You mess with the bull, you get the horns.” Staring down at all five-foot-four inches of my friend, I struggle to keep a straight face.
“So you,” I say pointing at her, “are the horny bull in this scenario?”
“Exactly!” A blush colors her cheeks and we both start to laugh.
“And here I thought all this stretching was because of your running, not yours and Josh’s private training sessions.”
“I can stretch for two reasons,” she says with a sly wink.
A pang of jealousy hits me in the stomach and I do my best to ignore it. It’s not that I’m jealous of my best friend and her boyfriend, just that I wish I had someone I needed to limber up for. I feel like everyone around me, from Betty and Josh, to June and Colin, to the couple in the apartment above me, are having all the sex and I’m not having any.
“When are you and Callum getting together next, for business and/or pleasure?”
“We will be meeting for business tonight after work.”
“Mmm,” she smirks as she heads to the door. “Love those Friday night business meetings.”
My next client arrives before I can come up with a response. Betty says goodbye and I invite Stella to have a seat in the waiting area while I tidy up my treatment room. I’ve already prepped all my products and instruments for Stella’s facial, but I give the chair a wipe down and grab a blanket from the warmer.
I call her in and give her a few moments to semi-undress. My facials include a full neck and shoulder treatment and massage, so clients remove their shirts and bras for them. When she gives me the okay to enter I find her lying comfortably in the bed under the blanket, her shoulders bare and her hair pushed back from her face with a headband.
Stella, a restaurant manager with three kids, has been coming for a monthly facial for years. She burns the candle at both ends with work and her family and this hour-long facial is her gift to herself for making it through another month. By the look on her face, it’s been a rough day and I’m eager to help make it better. She doesn’t come for conversation, she doesn’t want soft music or whale sounds, she prefers silence and that’s what I give her.
She has no real skin issues aside from occasional dryness and her facials are uncomplicated. I start by massaging a gentle cleanser all over her face, neck, and chest. Stella wears very little makeup, so I don’t need to use anything stronger to remove it. Once the skin is cleansed and patted dry, I’m left with a clean palate. Now the real fun begins.
I exfoliate her skin using my personal blend of rolled oats, honey, and jojoba oil. Taking my time, I gently work the mixture over Stella’s face, making sure to pay special attention to any dry areas. I use warm, dampened cloths to remove the exfoliant, being careful not to leave any remnants on her skin. I turn on my steamer and aim it at her face, close enough so the steam will open her pores, but not so close it will suffocate her. Stella has fallen asleep like she always does and doesn’t notice.
While the steam works its magic I get fresh water and towels ready. She has a few blackheads on the sides of her nose that need to be extracted, but the steam has loosened them up and it’s a quick job to remove them.
Now for my favorite part. Turning the steam off, I grab the small bowl containing the mask and my brush and get to work. I love applying masks to my clients’ faces. I am a painter with a clean canvas, making smooth, long strokes across Stella’s skin. Not that she notices; she’s been snoring softly since I turned on the steam machine. I apply the mask to every inch of her face and neck, feeling calm and happy with my work. Reluctantly, I put my brush down. I spend a few minutes tidying my treatment room as Stella sleeps and her mask hardens. After five minutes, I use the fresh cloths and warm water to carefully remove it from her skin.
The rest of the facial goes by quickly. I apply a vitamin C serum for brightness and a moisturizer to hydrate. I finish with a massage, paying special attention to Stella’s neck and shoulders where she holds most of her tension. She starts to stir as I work at a knot on her left shoulder.
“One day, I’m going to stay awake at my appointment,” she groans sleepily, her eyes still shut.
“You obviously need the rest.” I give her shoulders a final squeeze and tell her to take her time putting herself back together.
While I wait for her to join me at the front counter, I think about how much better I feel. You would think that I was the one who just got pampered. My mind is quiet, my body loose. I feel like I’ve just spent the last hour meditating. As I select a bar of soap for Stella, I can’t help but feel so grateful that I’m able to make a living doing something I truly love.
Stella emerges from the treatment room looking rested and revived. We chat as she pays and I book her in for the same time five weeks from now. She appears to be almost boneless as she floats out the door with soap in her hand and a smile on her face.
I did that.
I quickly clean my work area and place my instruments in the sterilizer. I’m anxious to get to Callum’s. I tell myself that my excitement is for working on the business plan, but it might have something to do with seeing him again. I’m grabbing my bag from the closet when I hear the front door open.
