Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
“Sorry I’m late,” I said, rushing into the hair salon, both frazzled and frizzy. “I got waylaid by a security issue.”
“Nothing serious, I hope,” Camille said.
“No, nothing to worry about.” In truth, setting the ward around the perimeter of Ronald’s bedroom had taken longer than I anticipated, mainly because Neighbors kept interrupting me when it came time to work on the exterior wall.
I had to pretend I was checking a crack in the stucco instead of warding the outside of the building to protect against shadow magic.
“Here. Let’s get this on you, honey,” Camille drawled, as she fastened a smock around my neck. “Wouldn’t want to get your clothes damp. I imagine you’re going straight back to work after this.”
“Unfortunately.”
“We sure do keep you busy, don’t we? Come sit,” she said, patting the chair at the oversized sink.
I made myself as comfortable as possible as I nestled my neck in the curve of the sink. They could put a man on the moon, but they couldn’t find a more comfortable way to wash hair.
“Anything I need to know about your hair?” She scrutinized my head. “I won’t drown any snakes in the sink, will I?”
“No, they don’t work like that.”
“Phew. I’ll be honest, I was a little worried they might get mad at getting wet and bite me.”
“I’d have to release them first.”
She lifted a clump of my hair. “Are they hiding underneath?”
“No. Think of them as magical. They appear when summoned.”
“What if you were in danger and couldn’t summon them? Would they come to your defense without you calling on them?”
I turned my head to look at her. “They’re not going to think you’re drowning me, if that’s your concern.”
Camille offered a relieved smile. “Okay, good.” She started to lather my hair. “You must be real lonely without Judd.”
“I definitely feel his absence.”
She continued to massage my soapy head. “If I were you, I wouldn’t wait to replace him. Life’s too short.”
“It really isn’t up to me.”
“Honey, who else would it be up to?”
“Justine.”
Camille burst into laughter. “Why on earth would you let that crusty HOA lady choose your next lover?”
I nearly fell out of the chair and onto the floor. “Judd was my boss. That’s it.”
“Oh, I know that, but I figured you two were getting busy in more ways than one.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because you were two grapes on an island of prunes.”
“Judd and I weren’t involved. He was like a bossy big brother to me. End of story.”
She rinsed the suds from my hair. “All the more reason you ought to find someone. It isn’t healthy to spend so much time alone.”
“I see people every day.”
“Honey, that ain’t the same thing and you know it. Let me set you up with someone.”
“Camille, I can count the number of eligible bachelors on the island on one hand.”
“What about Dr. Adam? He’s dreamy. I bet with the right haircut, he might see you in a different light.”
I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that I’d rejected his advances. “I’m not the right fit for someone like him.”
“Oh, honey. Don’t diminish yourself. Once we get this hair under control, you’ll have no problem at all presenting as an attractive female of your species.”
Camille’s idea of kindness seemed to land squarely in the backhanded compliment bucket. She reminded me of my mother, except my mother hadn’t bothered with the compliment part, only the backhand.
The dryad towel-dried my hair and steered me to a chair in front of a large mirror. “Let’s get your leaves pruned, honey.” She combed and snipped away the ends of my wet hair. “What’s it like being half Gorgon anyway? I’ve always wondered about y’all.”
“You seem very interested in that part of my heritage.”
“Why wouldn’t I be? You’re a rare breed.”
I bit my tongue. I was even rarer than she realized. “I haven’t noticed too many dryads on the island.”
“No, most of us choose to settle deep in the woods somewhere, but I got too comfortable to change my life that drastically.”
“What brought you to Evermore?”
“A couple kids in my cul-de-sac spotted me changing my branches back into arms. One of them took a photo with their phone. I managed to persuade everyone it was AI, but the damage was done.”
“Advancements in technology have been tough for a lot of us.”
“Is that why you took the job here at your age? Did somebody snap a photo of your snakes?”
“No, but it was only a matter of time,” I lied. Prior to Evermore, I lived a life in the shadows. I wasn’t on anybody’s radar, least of all that of neighborhood children.
“Looking back, it was for the best,” Camille said, pulling the ends of my hair to examine them for straightness. “I’d been in one dead-end relationship after another. I was ready to turn over a new leaf.”
“Humans or paranormals?”
“I tried both. It took me a long time to recognize that I was the common denominator in those failed relationships.” She resumed snipping. “Not that I blame myself completely. Sometimes when you don’t grow up in a warm home, you spend the rest of your life living in a burning house.”
“How did you get out?”
She offered a wan smile. “I finally woke the hell up and smelled the smoke. The rest is history.”
I noticed a framed photograph of Camille and a pretty brunette on a nearby shelf. “Is that her?” I asked.
Camille followed my gaze to the photo. “Sure is. My sweet Coral. You don’t know her?”
“She looks vaguely familiar, but I don’t think we’ve met.”
“If it weren’t for Coral, I’d still think I was straight. I mean, what kind of moron takes over a century to figure out she’s bisexual? I’m embarrassed for myself.”
“You shouldn’t be. Like you said, you were too focused on surviving to figure out your feelings.”
Camille switched on the hairdryer, which was so loud, I could barely hear her reply.
“Yes,” I shouted over the noise of the dryer, although I had no idea whether that was an appropriate response to whatever she’d said next.
Once my hair was dry, she snipped a few more ends to make them even, then spun me to face the mirror. “Here we are. Pretty as a picture. What do you think?”
I gazed at my reflection. Less frizz. More framing. “Wow. I do look better.”
“Damn right you do. They don’t call me Camille Scissorhands for nothing.”
“I’ve never heard anyone call you that.”
She gave my shoulder a playful smack. “Show some gratitude, honey. I just leveled you up to a seven.”
“What was I before?”
“A six.” She patted my cheek. “A little foundation and eye makeup and you might creep up to an eight. That would really set Dr. Adam’s heart aflame.”
“No thank you.”
“Oh, honey, what’s the harm in a little canoodling?”
“I can guarantee you I have never canoodled in my life.”
“Then suffice it to say, you’re missing out.”
“I’m not interested in Dr. Adam.”
“Honey, I’m beginning to think you lack a pulse.” She held my wrist, pretending to check. “Hmm. It’s faint, but it’s there. Hey, what was all that talk about the number seven at the pool? Ya’ll sounded like you were practicing for trivia night.”
“Nothing important.”
“Are you using Meemaw as a sounding board now that Judd’s gone?
Because I may not be a witch, but I am a font of useful information.
When you’ve been cutting hair as long as I have, you learn all sorts of things, many of which you wish you hadn’t.
” She grimaced, as though recalling a specific, unpleasant memory.
I decided to throw her a bone. It couldn’t hurt. “Any insight into the number seven that you care to share?”
“Sure. I know it can represent the bridge between the mortal world and the realm of the gods. It’s a significant number in nature too. You’ve got the seven seas and the seven continents, and the seven colors of the rainbow.”
I smiled at our reflection in the large mirror. “You’re right. You have picked up a lot.”
Camille snipped her scissors in the air. “Open scissors, open mind. It also corresponds to the crown chakra. Did you know that? I had several clients who used the number in their meditation practices because they thought it would help with their spiritual awakening.”
“Did it work?” I asked.
Camille blew a raspberry. “Definitely not for poor old Mitch. He was the least self-aware man I’ve ever met in my life, but he wanted enlightenment so badly.” She gave her head a rueful shake. “Never should’ve married that one. Live and learn, I guess.”
I wasn’t sure any of the information she shared was relevant to the seers’ visions, but you never know. It was in my best interest to keep an open mind too.
“Listen, I know you’ve got your hands full while you’re working solo. If you need intel on any Neighbors, you feel free to call me. I’ve got the scoop on everybody who walks through these doors.”
I was relieved I hadn’t revealed too much about myself, not that I’d been remotely tempted. I knew better than to overshare—or share at all.
“Thanks. I appreciate the offer.”
“We’re all on the same team in the Neighborhood.” She cracked a smile. “Unless you’re like me and play on both teams.” Still gazing at us in the mirror, she pinched my cheek. “Unlike you, we can afford to be picky because we are spoiled for choice.”
“I’ll bear that in mind,” I said, eager to escape the hot seat. This entire experience was the reason I usually cut my own hair. If it meant living the rest of my life as a six, that was a sacrifice I was willing to make.
I returned to the office with a spring in my step.
Despite my discomfort at the salon, I had to admit that an actual hairstyle was a nice change of pace.
For the most part, I didn’t take much care with my appearance, which quickly became evident based on the number of compliments I received between the salon and the office.
“Maya, I almost didn’t recognize you,” Miguel said, coming to a full stop to admire my new look. “What’s the occasion?”
“Camille insisted.”
“That dryad’s got the persuasive skills of a vampire.”
“You would know. Are you on your way out?” Miguel worked in the neighboring transportation office.