‘How the heck did you do that?’ I ask. ‘I can’t see where you’ve added them? It looks like myownhair!’
‘I’ve bonded them at the root. It’s all very understated, like you asked.’ He rolls his eyes. ‘And you can take them outlater.’
I’ve had the same hairstyle my entire life. I’ve never wanted to risk changing it in case it didn’t suit me and I couldn’t change it back. But this is epic. I don’t look like oddball Olive, fastest fish filleter in the north anymore. I look like… I look like I belong in NewYorkCity.
I spin around and pull Anders into a hug. His lanky body stiffens – I wonder how long it’s been since he had a genuine hug? I squeeze him a little until he relaxes. He hugsmeback.
‘You are talented,’ I tell him with a grin. ‘And your college room-mate, Warner, was it? Well, he totally missed out not getting those fiery red locks cutbyyou.’
‘Really?’ Anders says, cocking his hip to the side. ‘Do youthink?’
‘Yeah!’ I nod emphatically. ‘This is the best my hair has ever looked. I love it.Thankyou.’
Anders takes a deep breath, his eyes filling with tears. He flaps his hands in front of his face like a pageant winner. ‘I think this is what happiness feels like, Olive,’ he says. ‘I’ve taken every drug that has ever been invented, dined at the finest restaurants the world has to offer and been blown by the sultriest male models of New York, Paris and Tokyo. But a happy hair client… there’s nothinglikeit.’
And then he bursts into joyful laughter, pulling his phone out of his pocket and taking pictures of my hair from everyangle.
‘So much better than doing it on amannequin!’
I laugh out loud at hislaughing.
He may be the weirdest person I’ve ever met. But he’s definitely growingonme…
OceanofPDF.com
ChapterThirty
Text from Birdie:Thanks for before, Brewster. Feeling a bit brighter after a longnapxxxx
Text from Birdie:Also: Good luck tonight. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you don’t feel ready to DO IT, you don’t have to! And if you do feel ready, for the love of Tina Fey USE PROTECTION. This has been a public serviceannouncement.
Text from Birdie:ALSO remember everything. I want to know itall.ALL.
Seth picksme up at eight as promised. When Anders’ doorbell goes, my forehead immediately breaks out in a light sweat. I’m nervous. But not in the all-encompassing way I have been so many times before. In anexcitedway.
After much discussion with Anders, I’ve decided to wear my lucky red tea dress. Lucky because I once found a two-pound coin on the street in Saddleworth and what was I wearing at the time? Oh yes. The red tea dress. As I fastened on the only bra that looks good underneath it, I felt very justified in bringing fifteen bras for what was supposed to be a five-daytrip.
I don’treallyknow how to do make-up and I don’t like the feel of it on my skin, so I just curled my eyelashes, combed my unruly brows into submission and dabbed on some cherry-coloured lip-stain to match the dress. I don’t wear high heels – the possibilities for falling over a bump in the pavement and breaking my leg are too much to contemplate – and so I wear my favourite chunky Doc Martens. I’m not sure they go with the tea dress but Anders told me it looks very ‘Drew Barrymore.’ Which I take as a compliment. I like Drew Barrymore. I like the way her mouth moves when shetalks.
‘Hey, girl,’ Seth greets me in a daft voice when I open the door. He coughs straight after he says it and it strikes me that maybe he’s a bit nervous too. The thought makes my shoulders drop comfortably. If confident, chilled Seth is feeling a bit nervy about this dinner of ours, then it’s not just me being afusspot.
He’s noticeably made an effort and it takes all of my effort not to dive on him right there on the stoop. Instead of his usual T-shirt and hoodie he’s wearing a white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal lightly tanned, capable-looking forearms, and new-looking dark blue jeans. He leans in to kiss me on the cheek and I get a whiff of his lovely cologne. It smells like wood and figs and grown-up man. The scent sends a tingle of lust rightthroughme.
Man, oh man. How the hell do people cope feeling this feeling and reining it in? How do horny people make it through the days without feeling themselves up the whole time just to keep the randinessatbay?
‘Hey, boy,’ I respond in the same daft voice and step out the door into the balmy spring evening. Just as I’m about to close the door behind me, Anders runs towards me out of nowhere, carrying his tin of hairspray like a weapon. He liberally spritzes it over me, causing all three us to coughdramatically.
‘Apologies!’ Anders says. ‘I didn’t think it would come out thatrapidly.’
‘Anders, this is Seth Hartman. Seth, this is Anders vonPreen.’
Anders nods regally, one eyebrow raised, while Seth gives Anders a friendly, slightly befuddledhandshake.
‘I’m Olive’s dear friend,’ Anders says territorially. He crosses his arms and lowers his voice dramatically. ‘If you hurt one hair on her head I will find you… It took me a long time to get it to shinelikethat.’
I laugh so that Seth knows that Anders isn’t being serious (although I suspect he is) and shoo him inside, instructing him to call me if we get any important news regarding the search for Chuck. It’s been nearly twelve hours and we’ve had zero responses. But I’m still hopeful. I’ve brought the burner phone with me, so I’m fully available if anyonecalls.
As Seth and I walk down the glittering Manhattan street towards the restaurant Seth has chosen – The Bistro on Irving Place – we don’t really say much. We just keep looking at each other and bursting into laughter, although nothing that funny ishappening.
