“Fair enough.”Never wanted a career as an Instagram influencer anyway.
“Warden is sending someone to collect your new clothes and I’ve arranged for a stylist to come in to do something about that mop of yours.She should be here shortly.This afternoon you’ll take one of the capsules so you know what the side effects feel like then tonight, you and I will check into a downtown hotel appropriate for a visiting investor.”
They walked back to the conference room where Gunnar had been dealing with members of the GCR’s security team, setting up surveillance points for the following day and at the hotel that night.
“Where are we staying?”Bryn asked.
“The Four Seasons.I had Emmett book the presidential suite.Anything less would be suspicious for someone of my caliber,” Giles replied.“It’s in Back Bay, with views over the Public Garden.The kind of place where they change your sheets if you so much as wrinkle them.”
Before Bryn could comment, a petite woman with electric blue hair burst into the room, dragging a rolling case behind her.
“Darling Giles!I am here!The security guard who let me in was very handsome, no?”
“Hello, Marie, my angel.We’ll make space for you to set up at the end of the table.Do you need your customer to get his head wet?”
I’d quite like to hold your head down in a bucket of cold water, Giles.For about ten minutes.Bryn gave the lady a fake smile.
“No, no.Not necessary.Is this him?”She approached Bryn.“I’m Marie, and I’m here to save your hair from the tragedy that has befallen it.Mon dieu, who’s been cutting this?A gardener with a lawnmower?”
“I do it myself,” Bryn admitted.
Marie clutched at her chest.“You wound me!”She opened her case then spread a plastic sheet on the floor before positioning a chair on it.She then whipped out a black cape with flourish.“Sit.We have much work to do.”
For the next hour, Marie fussed and clucked and occasionally gasped in horror as she transformed Bryn’s hair with liberal use of a water spray bottle, scissors and brushes.Gunnar, who had finished his security planning, watched with barely concealed amusement.
“No, no,no!”Marie exclaimed, making everyone jump.“You cannot keep running your fingers through it.You are to be an executive assistant, yes?Executive assistants do not fidget!They glide!They float!They certainly do not mess up my precision cutting by treating their hair so!”Marie spun him around to face the small mirror she’d placed on the conference table.She’d somehow managed to make Bryn look both professional and stylish.“Now, product!You must use product!This is not optional!”
She proceeded to demonstrate proper hair product application with the intensity of someone defusing a bomb, while Gunnar shook with suppressed laughter in the corner.
“I don’t see what’s so funny,” Bryn muttered.
“You look like you’re expecting that gel to explode,” Gunnar managed between chuckles.
Emmett glanced up from his laptop.“Given your track record, that’s not entirely outside the realm of possibility.”
Warden, who had been observing from the doorway, cleared his throat.“Marie has worked a small miracle.”
“Hey!”Bryn protested.“I looked fine.”
Warden took the diplomatic path and didn’t respond.
“Thank you for your services, Marie.I believe we’re finished here,” Giles said.
Marie packed up her supplies, but not before fixing Bryn with a stern look.“If I see you again and this is ruined, we will have words.Many words.Most of them French.And you”—she gestured at Gunnar—“I would very much like to get my hands on your…hair.Giles has my number.”
After she left, Bryn turned to the others.“Is it too late to shoot our way in instead?”
“Yes,” came the unanimous response.
“I hate all of you.”
“You look great,” Emmett said.“The style suits you.”
Bryn couldn’t be mad with Emmett.He huffed.“Fine.Shall we get the next bit over with?Though I’m not sure what’s worse, the haircut or taking the capsule.”It was worrying that Giles didn’t respond.
“We should do this in the bathroom,” Giles said, opening the case containing the capsules.They glowed lilac under the lights.“Trust me, you’ll want to be near the facilities.”
“And you’re sure this won’t kill me?”
