“Not even a tiny bit. In fact, I’ll happily take you to get it cut myself.”
She boops my nose and it’s such a random, out of character thing for her to do that I can’t help but giggle.
“Okay, let’s not bother trying to detangle it then. I want tochop it all off!”
I’m so nervous-excited I can’t sit still in the salon chair. We spent the entire day yesterday in recovery at home, sleeping off the heat marathon while one of us occasionally got up to switch out the laundry.
Now I’m at the local salon with Brooks at the station on my left, Riley on the other side of him, and Vee on my right. We’re all getting pampered today, and I love that we get to do this together.
I’m also terrified they’ll end up hating me with short hair, even though they all encouraged me to do it multiple times. I take a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Neveah smiles and gives me an encouraging hand-squeeze before turning toward her mirror.
It’s time for the big chop, and the stylist checks one more time with me, then takes the scissors to my hair. They cut it off at about my shoulders, saying they want some extra to work with after shampooing, and mounds of wavy brown hair fall to the floor around me.
Riley and Brooks are getting clean-up trims, and Neveah is getting a specialized precision cut for her super curly hair. I’m the only one doing something drastic.
“You want us to watch, Petal? Or should it be a surprise?”
“Oh, um. I think I want it to be a surprise for me, but I don’t care about all of you.”
“I want to be surprised, too,” Brooks says.
“I don’t have the self control to keep my eyes off you.” Riley licks his lips dramatically as he looks me up and down, and Neveah huffs a laugh.
“I’ve a blindfold in my car for you, if you want,” she says to Riley.
“Why do you have a blindfold in your car?” Brooks interjects.
“Keep questioning me if you want to find out, big guy.”
“Ooooooh,” Riley calls, like Brooks is a kid getting in trouble. “Do it, do it! Keep questioning her, I double dogdare you.”
“I’ve got a gag, too,” Neveah says as she uncrosses her legs for the hairdresser.
The stylists all start laughing, and I cover my mouth as I join in. Neveah shoots me a wink, then hushes everyone.
“Let them work their magic,” she says.
And when they turn me around to see the end result, I’m half-convinced they do have magic. I gasp, leaning toward the mirror as my hands fly to my cheeks. The longer pieces come to about my jawline, but all of it is layered, even on top of my head. With my natural waves, it gives me a fun, sexy look that I would have never thought to go for on my own.
“Oh my gosh,” I whisper. “It doesn’t even look like me.”
“I’d know you anywhere, Petal,” Brooks says, walking up behind me as we make eye contact in the mirror.
Him and Riley were done over an hour ago, but Neveah wanted both of us to have some conditioning treatment done, so our appointments have taken longer.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it,” he says, placing his hands on my biceps. “Do you like it?”
“I love it,” I whisper, my eyes fixed on the short, wavy hairdo the stylist has given me.
“Daaaaaamn,” Riley says, sauntering up to us. “Check out this fine piece of ass.”
I break into a grin and swat at him as he wraps his arms around me and kisses my cheek. Brooks heaves a sigh and rolls his eyes, and Vee pinches his ass.
“You look incredible,” Riley murmurs in my ear.
I tilt my chin to look up at Neveah while trying not to look like I’m asking for compliments. She’s been hovering to my other side, and she steps forward when I meet her eyes.
