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“All right men, who’s ready to sweat?” This was my favorite part of the business. Sure, the corporate clients were great and provided an obscene amount of revenue, but training these guys, this was where I thrived. They all knew how quickly any scenario could become life and death, and the only way to cure that was to be prepared. For anything. “I said, who’s ready?”
Loud whistles and applause went up and I grinned. Enthusiasm was another key factor and I didn’t let my guys get away with half-assing their training. It was physically and mentally grueling, and by the end of the day I was just as exhausted as they were, but it was that happy, almost rewarding kind of exhaustion that meant sleep was hours away.
And since I was recharged and wide awake, there was just one place I wanted to be. The Big Tease.
Brenna
“All right now, Shirl. I’m gonna need you to promise me that you won’t get it in your head ever again to do this on your own.” Shirl was another of my elderly regulars, and she was an old school southern belle who believed in getting a cut and curl every other week. She didn’t even check her mail unless she wore full makeup and a nice outfit. She opened her mouth to give another excuse and I aimed a long, hot pink nail at her. “If you can’t afford it, come to me and we’ll work something out. I heard you make a killer enchilada pie.”
That took all the wind out of the old woman. “The trick is jalapeno and adobo peppers. Plus ketchup, but that’s our little secret.”
I nodded, unable to stop the smile that spread across my face at this stubborn woman. She’d come into the shop almost two hours ago, head looking like a blueberry. Now it was closer to lavender, which I was taking as a win.
“Your secret is safe with me, as long as I have your word than you’ll leave the dye jobs up to me. Because I can’t have people thinking I did that to your hair!”
Shirl nodded with a sheepish smile and she reached out her soft wrinkled hand to pat my cheek. “You’re such a good girl, Brenna. I hope you can make it work with that handsome military boy. He’s big and strong and gorgeous, just what a girl like you needs.”
“A woman doesn’t need a man, Shirl. She has one because she wants him.”
She rolled her brown eyes skyward. “That’s what you say now, but every day I wake up without my Harold, it sure as heck feels like I need him. But I’m an old lady, what do I know?” She laughed and slowly pushed herself out of the salon chair.
“You don’t know how to dye your hair,” I called after her.
“Funny and pretty? He’d be lucky to keep you, honey!”
I shook my head at yet another matchmaking senior, there was a surplus of them in Pilgrim, it seemed, always ready to offer you advice on everything from fashion choices to modern relationships. Shirl shuffled towards the door, gasping in surprise when she found Grant holding it open for her with his most charming smile.
“Looking good, Shirl. Purple is definitely your color.”
She put a hand to her hair, pleased as punch at his compliment. “Well, thanks. Brenna fixed me right up.”
“Now don’t go givin’ the old guys heart problems with this new look, you hear?” She tittered and Grant laughed with her. “Have a good evening, Shirl.”
“You too, boy. You too.” He was such a flirt, even Shirl wasn’t immune to his charms.
Grant watched her walk off down the street and I noticed the old girl had a little extra bounce in her step. When he turned that killer, smiling gaze my way, I took a deep breath. He really was too damn handsome for a woman to think straight, and I needed to think straight around this man.
“Brenna.”
“Grant,” I said in the most neutral voice I could muster, which was damn hard when he stood there staring at me like it was his first time seeing me. “This is a surprise. You here for a trim?”
His smile widened as one big hand slid through his thick brown waves. “Sure. Why not?”
“Have a seat,” I told him and busied myself with organizing everything I needed for a quick trim. “How was your day?” It was a stylist’s favorite question, because those four little words allowed the person in the chair to carry on until the job was done.
“Good. Exhausting with the new class of trainees. How about your day? Did you make the whole town beautiful?”
“I did my part.” It was nice to be around a man who didn’t belittle my work, as if they didn’t want us looking our absolute best twenty-four-seven. “They all come in here beautiful, I just highlight it for them.”
