Page 16 of Baja
Juniper doesn’t look the least bit offended. She just continues to grin.
“Fine!” I throw my hands up in defeat, then walk over and plant my butt in her chair. “Just a trim,” I say as Juniper drapes the smock around my front.
Juniper eyes me through the mirror. “I was thinking of trying something a little different today.” She pulls the hair tie from my ponytail, causing my long locks to tumble past my shoulders. For years, the most I’ve done to my hair has been to trim it. I take in the chestnut color sprinkled with salt and pepper while a sense of insecurity washes over me. At my age, I am happy to be blessed with beautiful skin thanks to my religious skin routine and the importance of sunscreen. I’m in decent shape due to how active I am with gardening, and twice a week, I like to take walks along the property behind the house. There is a lake about half a mile from my back door that, especially during the spring and summer months, serves as an escape when I need to disassociate from reality. I spend all day swimming or enjoying a quiet lunch on the bank. But now, sitting in front of the mirror, I see how dull my hair is. As if Juniper can read my thoughts, her smile vanishes, her expression turns serious, and our eyes lock in the mirror’s reflection.
“You’re stunning, Alice.” She runs her fingers through my hair. “And you have the most beautiful head of thick hair I’ve had the pleasure of working on.”
I can’t help but smile at the compliment.
“I know you said you only want a trim, but if you trust me, I have something else in mind.”
I take a deep breath. “You know what. It’s time for a change. I trust you.”
Juniper squeals. “I promise you won’t regret it.”
Two hours later, Juniper finishes my hair. And true to her word, I don’t regret trusting her because I’m speechless.
“Am I the master or what?” Juniper boasts.
Sukie and Sage come up beside us, both with bright smiles.
I run my hand through my hair as I take in the changes. Juniper kept the length, but she enhanced the natural color by adding a mixture of caramel and blonde highlights. The blonde blends in perfectly with my gray hair, or as I like to call them, wisdom sparkles. Juniper also added some layers throughout and around my face. The change is not overly dramatic, but it’s not subtle. “I… I don’t know what to say.” How can I look like me but not look like me? The highlights make my skin glow, and my eyes pop.
“Alice,” Juniper says, her tone hesitant. “What do you think?”
She must have considered my lack of response a bad sign when it’s quite the opposite. Standing, I turn and envelop Juniper in a tight embrace. “I love it. Thank you.”
Her body relaxes, and she immediately returns my embrace. “You’re welcome. Thank you for trusting me.”
Breaking apart, I turn back to the mirror. “I can’t remember the last time I felt this beautiful.”
Sukie walks up beside me. “You’ve always been beautiful, Mom.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” I brush my palm against her cheek.
A few seconds later, the moment is interrupted by the loud rumble of a motorcycle. The four of us turn our heads simultaneously to a bike pulling up in front of the salon. Withhis long, blond hair tied back at the nape of his neck, there is no mistaking the rider of the motorcycle is Baja. The butterflies I usually get whenever I see him are replaced by something else when I see a stunning blonde with legs a mile-long climb off the back of his bike. I watch her hand Baja his helmet as she says something that makes him laugh. The more I watch their interaction, the more my heart breaks. This woman is my complete opposite. She’s probably in her mid-twenties and has the biker babe chic look down. Even with my killer new hairstyle, I could never compete with her. I was stupid to think I could keep the attention of a man like Baja. Not that I have been giving him a chance since I’ve been avoiding him like the plague since the party at the clubhouse. It’s almost comical. I’ve been obsessing over what happened between Baja and me and wondering what it meant to him. Meanwhile, he’s off living like I was a mere blip on his radar.
“It’s not what you think.” Sage’s declaration effectively snaps me back to reality.
I blink away the fog to find Sage, Sukie, and Juniper looking at me with expressions akin to pity. Then it dawns on me—they know.And just like that, I’m even more mortified. “What?”
“Arabella works at the club,” Sage explains.
Without sparing Baja another glance, I return to Juniper’s station to retrieve my purse and pretend to play dumb. “Okay.” I can hardly control my shaking hands as I dig for my wallet. “How much do I owe you today?”
Instead of answering me, Sage continues, “All the girls at the club come here to get their hair done.”
I ignore the information.
“It’s not what you think, Alice.” Sage’s voice softens.
“Please stop,” I whisper without looking up. “I know you all know, but I don’t want to discuss it. I also don’t want to know what he’s doing with that woman or any woman.” I pause, takinga shaky breath. “Just… please,” I beg, hoping she will drop the topic.
The silence between us is awkward, but luckily, it’s broken when the bell over the door chimes, and the blonde strolls in as Baja takes off.
“I know I’m late, ladies, but my car wouldn’t start.” The blonde smiles, looking at everyone. “Is everything okay here?” she asks, clearly picking up on the energy in the salon.
Desperate to escape, I thrust a handful of bills toward Juniper with a forced smile. “Thank you, sweetheart. I love my hair.” Then I turn my attention to Sukie, who looks near tears because she knows her momma is hurting. I give her a kiss on the cheek. “Swing by for breakfast in the morning, and we’ll talk, okay.”
