Page 36 of New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe
Tori walked through the shiny silver doors of Snippers at exactly four o’clock. Located almost opposite the Cosy Cup on the other side of the village green, the salon was sandwiched between the Pink Ribbon and Harrison’s. It had changed hands just before Tori had set off on her travels andwas now under Claire’s ownership. As she looked around the slick black and silver interior, she guessed that no expense had been spared on the refurbishment. The reception desk was decorated with sparkling diamanté tiles and a gorgeous crystal chandelier was hanging from the ceiling. Tori was excited at the prospect of undergoing a makeover. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a proper haircut; spending money on luxuries like that hadn’t been something she’d been able to afford while she was travelling.
‘Hi, Tori,’ said Claire from behind the counter.
‘Mum’s booked me in for a bit of a refresh,’ said Tori, waving her voucher.
‘That’s right,’ said Claire, flashing a brilliant white smile in her direction. Tori nodded. ‘She said she wanted to treat you. Come and take a seat.’
Tori followed Claire across to one of the black leather stylists’ chairs and sat down in front of the mirror. She couldn’t help noticing how chic Claire was. She was dressed in tight leather trousers with an animal print blouse, her make-up was flawless, and her eyes sparkled from under her glossy brown fringe. She really was stunning. Tori could never pull off a look like that. She’d look ridiculous.
‘Now what are we doing today?’ Claire asked.
‘I’m not too sure… I was thinking just a trim but now I’m wondering if I should do something a bit more daring?’
Claire’s eyes twinkled and she gave a little clap of delight.
‘Do it! You’ve got great bone structure, so your face can handle most styles.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ said Tori, ‘maybe I should just go for the usual…’
‘How about we take a couple of inches off the length at the back?’ said Claire, fanning Tori’s hair out across her back. ‘And I can take the front a little shorter and feather it, like this’ – she lifted some shorter strands level with Tori’s chin – ‘and let’s add some colour. You’ve got beautiful highlights.’
‘That’s from travelling; my hair always goes lighter when I’m in the sun.’
‘Well, it looks fabulous, so let’s add a few more strands to really bring that out. What do you say?’
Tori paused for a moment. ‘Go for it – you only live once.’
‘It’ll look gorgeous – just leave it to me,’ said Claire, tilting her head to one side. Claire bustled away at the trolley beside her, mixing up a paste and she painted strands of Tori’s hair with a small brush, before carefully wrapping them in foil. She left Tori to sit for a while with a magazine to allow the colour to take, before calling ‘Alice?’ to a girl in her late teens who was sweeping up the floor. ‘Can you give Tori here a wash and condition and pop her back in my chair when you’re done?’
‘Sure,’ said Alice, putting her broom away and walking towards the row of basins on the back wall of the salon.
‘Alice will take great care of you and I’ll see you in ten,’ said Claire, flashing her bright white smile again.
Claire wasn’t wrong; Alice’s hair-washing skills were sublime. The products she used smelt heavenly, a combination of lavender and patchouli, and Alice finished the treatment offwith a head massage. Tori could feel all the stress and tension from the last couple of weeks floating away. Her mum was right: this really was just what she had needed. Alice led Tori back towards Claire who was ready and waiting, comb and scissors in hand. She began snipping away at Tori’s wet hair with expert precision.
‘So how are you settling back into village life?’
‘Good, thanks. It’s taken a while to readjust but travelling feels like a lifetime ago now.’
‘Who did you go with? Your boyfriend?’ Claire asked, almost too quickly.
Tori hesitated. Did she really want to share her dating history with someone she didn’t really know? She closed her eyes and decided, why not? Wasn’t that what people did? Tell their deep, dark secrets to their hairdresser? Claire probably knew more about what was going on in the village than Maggie Harrison did, although Tori hoped she was more discreet.
‘Ex-boyfriend. We broke up just before I got back.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry. Men, eh? More trouble than they’re worth half the time.’
‘I guess… I’m trying not to think about it. Anyway, I’ve got a lot to keep me busy right now; I’ve got big plans for the tearoom.’
‘Really? What?’
‘Well, I’ve only told a couple of people but I’m hoping to turn it into a cat café!’
‘Wow! Seriously? That sounds exciting!’ said Claire, pausing her scissors mid snip to stop and look at Tori in the mirror.
‘It is. I mean, I’ve still got a lot of research to do first but I’m hoping I’ll get the go-ahead from the council.’
‘Well, if you need any help, just let me know. Us local businesses have to stick together, right?’
