He grinned. “Not tonight.”
Jett led us to a booth that had lots of colorful containers. He bought two and handed me one. “Try it, it’s lychee.”
It tasted like jello, though there was an enormous chunk of fruit in it. “That’s good.”
We turned down a street that was full of clothing stores and booths of accessories and makeup.
“Are we getting manicures?” I asked as we passed a nail shop.
“Not today.” He grinned as I paused at a place with cute hair accessories.
I held up a clip. “My hair is getting so long.”
“Is that good or bad?” Jett asked as he held up a headband with bear ears.
“I don’t like the awkward stage where it’s long enough to be a bother but not long enough to really put up.” I put the headband on and posed.
“Cute,” he told me. “We can see if they have time to trim it, if you want.”
“I… no one will be mad if I cut my hair, right?” I put it back. Growing up, I hadn’t been allowed, though later my dad, who raised me, apologized and said it was silly of them.
Jett cupped my chin with his hand. “Grace, it’s your hair. While they can have opinions, it’s your choice. Sure, I prefer Bren clean shaven but I’m not going to stop him from growing a grizzly beard.”
Oh, that hair clip was pretty. I held it up. “I think you should all grow grizzly beards. The winner gets an uninterrupted night with only me.”
No matter who won, I was the real winner.
“Don’t tempt me. I’m not good at growing a beard.” Jett snuck a kiss and paid for the barrette.
“Oh. Thank you.”
“Of course.” Leaning in, he put it in my hair, lips brushing my ear. “Perfect.”
My core tightened.
Putting an arm around me, we continued. “Honestly, Wes usually has a grizzly beard. He only shaved it because the Queen Mum got mad at him for it. I’ve never seen Spencer with a beard, but Evan looks pretty delicious in a goatee. I can manage that. We just have to be very neat about it for work.”
“We’re getting our hair done? You have such very luscious locks. I’m a little jealous.” I gave him a squeeze.
“Have you ever been to a head spa?” he asked.
“Is that where they wash your hair for an hour? No, but I’ve heard of it. Is that what we’re doing?” Giddiness rose up inside me.
He nodded. “Something fun but also relaxing. They cut and style hair too, so we can ask if they have time for you if you’d like them to trim it up.”
“Why not.” Better to let someone do it now than for me to get mad because it’s itchy and trying to chop it off myself at work using my phone as a mirror and whatever scissors we had lying around.
Not that I’d ever done that.
We walked into a little shop that smelled of herbs. Bottles and containers filled the walls, making it feel like an apothecary shop in a novel. Jett greeted the woman at the desk in Mandarin. I caught some of it as he asked if they had room for us.
She led us through a curtain and into a salon-type area. Soft music played, and everything was in relaxing greens with lots of plants.
We went through another curtain. The light was much dimmer here and very quiet as people lay in reclining chairs with masks over their eyes as uniformed staff rubbed their scalps, or water rained down on their heads from curved waterfall fountains.
We were seated next to each other, and as I laid down, he reached over and squeezed my hand.
“Hi, first time?” A young woman asked me.
