“Yeah, and have to draw them on again every morning.”At least I still look all right lying on my back. I’m glad Konrad can wait for doggie style a little longer.“You’re right. It could be worse.”
“You know, you could always go for the Victoria Beckham look. It’s very chic.”
“That would be great, if my hair will cooperate.”
Beverly chimed in as she made her way back with three more students. “I was just thinking of doing that. A wedge in the back and longer in front. Anything shorter, and you’d look like a boy.”
Roz sat up straight and raised her eyebrows.
“Oh, no. I didn’t mean that you’re not feminine. You’re beautiful! Really.”
Okay, she still earns a tip.
“So, what happened?” Anna asked.
Roz smiled despite herself. “I was taking a cooking class with my boyfriend. If we’d been paying nearly as much attention to the stove as we were to each other, this wouldn’t have happened.”
The girls laughed.
“Love,” said Beverly. “It can be hazardous to your health.”
Despite her embarrassment, Roz liked the idea of helping students learn, which is why she’d come to the school instead of an upscale Newbury Street salon in the first place. Well, that and the three-hundred-dollar difference.
“Okay, girls. For singed hair like this, what do you think you should do? Dry cut it, or wash and cut?”
The students sounded as if they were split about evenly on the answer.
“Well, I’d cut it dry first, just to get the hair all of the same integrity, then wash it and cut it again.”
I’m bound to be here all day.The girls looked so interested, though. Roz decided,What the heck.“Go for it.”
Beverly looked excited too. She probably hadn’t had the chance to show off her skills for a while. She combed out the parts that weren’t burned first, blunt cut the extra length off, and then pulled the back of the hair out straight.
“Ugh, what a mess,” one of the students said.
Roz saw Beverly squint at her in the mirror. “Is that the way to talk to clients?”
“No, ma’am.”
She’s right. My hair is ugly.
Beverly continued teaching, “If you were going to do a layered look, you’d start from here and work toward here, but in this case—”
Roz tuned her out for a while. All she knew was she wanted to come out looking good. Good for Konrad? Good for court? She was happy when she realized she just wanted to look good for herself. She was ready for a change. “It must be fulfilling to take someone from icky to beautiful.”
“Oh, it is,” Beverly said. “When you know someone leaves your chair ten times happier than they came in, it’s the best feeling in the world. Isn’t it, girls?”
They all nodded and murmured agreement.
Roz had an epiphany. “How long does it take to complete a hairdressing course?”
“It depends. Most programs are under a year, and then you have to pass an exam to get your license. For young beginners, I recommend a vocational school or junior college for formal training. Some with experience can go to an advanced program and learn salon ownership and management.
“This is a good time to get into hairdressing, especially in the city. Predictions are for steady employment growth, especially in upscale urban salons.”
“Seriously? So what if I wanted to wind up in one of those really high-end salons on Newbury Street? What training would you suggest for someone like me?”How cool would that be? Konrad and I could own a trendy salon, and I wouldn’t have to worry about women hitting on him, because they’d all assume he was gay. Wait a minute, I don’t have to worry about that anyway, because he’s monogamous.
“You? I thought you were a lawyer.”
