When I'm With You (Little Hollow Series, #2)(22)

“Hi, is that Mrs Wheeler?” I say into the phone, trying to sound anything but disinterested.

“It is.”

“Great, it’s Keeley from S & K Cuts. Sam has had to go away unexpectedly and has asked me to rearrange all her appointments for the week, I know you’re not booked in until this afternoon but I was-”

“She won’t be back all week?” She asks, impatiently.

“We’re not one-hundred percent how long she’ll have to be away for, so we’re arranging all her appointments this week just in case. So as I was saying-”

“Well that’s very short notice,” she admonishes.

I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from snapping at her. “I appreciate that, Mrs Wheeler, but it was very unexpected and I’m sure she’d be here if she could. Now as I was saying, I’m rearranging her appointments and wondered if you could come in at eleven with myself?”

The line is silent for a moment. “No, that just won’t do. Tell Sam to call me when she gets back from her… trip.”

I grit my teeth. “I have eleven free today instead of waiting for Sam to get back, as I said, I don’t know when that will be.”

“And as I said, have her call me when she gets back.”

Before I can scream down the phone, I hang up. If we lose a customer so be it, I know people like their own hairdresser but this isn’t the case at all, it’s a lady with a stick shoved so far up her ass she can’t see straight.

I jump in the shower to try and calm myself down before drying off and throwing on some old cut offs and a black tank with the phrase ‘Me? Sarcastic? Never.’ on the front. It’s one of my favorites and I smile at it as I dry off my hair, scrunching it as I go to give it beachy waves.

The rest of the day goes pretty much the same as I ring around her clients and I rub at my temple, wondering what Sam is doing. Before I know it, it’s four in the afternoon and I’m exhausted. I have no more clients left for today so I start to tidy up when the bell on the salon door chimes.

I smile in greeting at the familiar woman and her two little girls, although I only remember her having one.

“Hey there, Katy,” I say, as the four year old runs up to me.

“Hi, my sister is here too. Her name’s Adi,” she says innocently, pointing at the older looking girl.

She gives me a tentative smile and I smile back. “Hi, Adi.” I look at their mom, Faith. “What can I do for you?”

“Sorry to barge in like this, you’re probably not free, but I thought I’d try anyway. Me and Adi both need a trim,” she says, looking hopeful.

I brush away my tiredness because something about this woman makes me want to befriend her.

“You’re actually in luck, it just so happens that I’m free for the both of you. Faith, right?”

“Yeah,” she says, tucking a lock of mousey brown hair behind her ear.

“Adi, you go first, sweetie.” She tells her daughter.

I point to the chair and Adi, who can’t be much older than ten, eyes it warily before walking over to it. She’s completely different to her spunky little sister that it throws me, but I’ve never been one to turn down a challenge, I’ll get her to smile before she leaves here.

The two girls look so much like their mom apart from their hair. Katy’s is a vibrant blonde to suit her personality and Adi’s is almost a chocolate brown, but looks as if it has light running through it. It’s all natural and such an unusual color, but it’s beautiful.

“So what we doing for you today then, Adi?” I say, looking at her in the mirror.

She keeps her head down and doesn’t look up, she just shrugs and her mom walks over to me. “She doesn’t talk much, I normally cut her hair so this is a treat for us both,” she says cautiously.

“That’s cool, would you mind if I suggested something Adi?”

I make sure to direct my question at her so it doesn’t seem like she isn’t involved in the decision with her own hair. She nods and I ask her to lift her head up so I can show her what I mean. She lifts her head cautiously.

“Well, your hairs already so pretty so I thought if we just take enough off the ends so it’s nice and healthy again, then we could cut some little layers around the front here to frame your face. How does that sound?”

She nods and for the first time, she looks me in eyes through the mirror and my heart clenches at the sadness in them.

What’s going on with this girl?

I don’t voice anything on it and start dry cutting her hair. She really is a beautiful little girl, in fact, they all are with their matching blue eyes and freckles dotting their noses. They look like a clean cut wholesome family, so why are Faith and Adi’s eyes conveying a different story?

When I’m done with her hair, she finally looks into the mirror and a small smile pulls at her lips.

“Do you like it?” I ask.

Her head bobs up and down, yes, and I call Faith over from the window seat where she’s playing I-spy with Katy. She swaps places with Adi, and for the first time since she walked in here, I can see that she’s nervous.

“Is everything okay? You do like her hair don’t you?” I say as I start to question myself.

She nods her head and smiles nervously at me. “Yes of course, you did an awesome job, thank you. I just… well it’s a little embarrassing but I banged my neck getting out from under the table the other day just to let you know, no biggie, it doesn’t hurt so go about working your magic.”