Page 4 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

She tosses her ponytail over her shoulder and winks. “I confess, that advertisement was just a tiny bit bewitched. Only the right kind of people can find it.”

My brain is about ready to explode. “You mean magic?”

She chuckles. “Of course. Someone needed to take action to bring new residents to this town. I decided to step in when no one else did.”

I frown. “This place doesn’t seem like it’s in an economic downturn or in desperate need of new people.”

She crosses her arms and leans back in her seat. “You’re right. The town is doing well, but it does need some new businesses, especially ones like yours, that fill gaps in the infrastructure. And there are other reasons we need fresh blood coming in here too.” She waves a hand dismissively. “But no need to get into that right now. Maybe after you decide whether you want to stay here.”

I smile and hold a hand over my stomach when it growls again.

Astraea favors me with a warm look that’s almost motherly, and the last of my earlier wariness fades away. “So, Skylar, tell me more about what brings you to Mystic Hollow. My ad must have resonated with you. Why?”

I gulp. Time to get real. Well, without dumping my fucking trauma tale on her.

“Well, the last year’s been real rough for me for a lot of reasons. Let’s just say a fresh start sounded too good to ignore, especially if it meant I might be able to open my own hair salon.”

She looks me up and down with a shrewd gaze. “And why Mystic Hollow versus somewhere else?”

I ponder that for a second and go with my gut instinct. “The safety this place offers. I’ve spent too much of my life not feeling safe, and I’m f—real tired of it.”

That’s definitely what spoke to me the most when I read that ad.

Leaning her elbows on the table, she steeples her fingers under her chin, eyes alight with interest. “I helped create Sanctuary Havens for precisely that reason. Everyone deserves a place where they can be safe. It’s especially important for many Otherkind in this realm, but humans can also benefit from the security of these special towns.”

I stare at her wide-eyed. “You helped create Sanctuary Havens?” That must have been hundreds of years ago. “Who the hell are you?” I whisper.

Her eyes shift from electric blue to an opalescent color as smoke drifts out of her mouth. “I’m the dragon goddess of the Celestial Realm.”

Not gonna lie, I pinch myself. After I can move, that is.

Ow. Yep, this is real.

“Whoa.” I swallow hard. “Why are you here in Mystic Hollow?”

She smirks with amusement. “It’s a long story. When I came back here for the first time in centuries, I didn’t plan to stay long, but I fell in love with the town and its residents, so I’ve extended my stay.” She clears her throat. “But enough about me. Tell me more about your business proposal.”

The moment of truth has finally arrived.

You can do this, Skylar.

With shaking hands, I open my duffle and pull out the plastic folder holding the business proposal I typed up and printed out at the public library.

I hand it to her. “Look, I know this is probably a long shot. I don’t have a business degree or any fancy schooling. My credit’s for shit because my ex took out fraudulent loans in my name, and I’m still dealing with the fallout from all that.” I straighten my back and my resolve. “But I’m a hard worker and opening my own hair salon is my life’s dream. I’ll give it everything I have if you give me a chance.”

We’re momentarily interrupted when Cumar appears, setting down a steaming cappuccino with a leaf drawn in the foam. “Your usual,” he tells her.

She reaches out her hand and pats his arm. “Bless you, darling. One can never have too many cappuccinos if you ask me. Just put it on my tab.”

He smiles at us both and returns to the counter again.

Astraea sips her drink and flips through the pages of my proposal while I sit there sweating bullets. I put a lot of work into my pitch, and I didn’t try to bullshit her with anything in there either. My approach is to start small but classy and scale up over time. Everything I’ve mapped out should be sustainable for the first few years until I get established. I just need the start-up capital to get the ball rolling.

Eventually, she sets the folder down and grins. “This looks solid to me. Mystic Hollow has needed a hair salon for ages. They used to have a barbershop back in the day, but it closed when the owner retired.” She taps one pointed nail on the closed folder and cocks her head at me. “Do you think you could work with the diverse range of clientele this town has? There are more Otherkind here than there are humans, and their needs are vastly different than what you may have encountered before.”

My heart hammers in my chest, and I clasp my hands tightly under the table. “My experience is mostly working with human hair, yes, but I’ve taken a few workshops on styling hair and fur for some Otherkind species. I plan to continue learning and training so I can make every client of mine feel gorgeous when they leave my salon. I’m confident I will pick things up fast.”

That’s one trait of mine that’s served me well over the years.