Page 10 of Second Time Around

“Everything okay?” she asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Yep,” he replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

When she turned on the water and rinsed his hair, he noticed it was the perfect temperature this time—not too hot or too cold—and he took that as a good sign.

After she’d finished rinsing, she wrapped a towel around his head and said, “Follow me.”

Gladly. As he followed her to her station, he noticed a few heads turn their way, mostly her coworkers. He wondered if it was because male clients were rare or if she had so many that her coworkers were jealous. He wouldn’t be surprised if it were the latter. She’d always turned heads, and it used to make him insanely jealous. In fact, he’d gotten into a few scuffles because of it. Now he wondered how many guys she’d been with since him.

After Maggie’s hair appointment, he’d grilled her for information. She hadn’t said much, but she’d told him there was nobody special in Jenna’s life. He’d decided to step up his game while he still had the chance.

He sat down, and she removed the towel and fastened a cape around his neck.

“Too tight?” she asked.

“Little bit.” Okay, so maybe she wasn’t done being pissed at him yet.

She loosened the tie and then moved in front of him to choose her weapon, aka scissors. Turning around with them clutched in her hand, she smirked and said, “So, what do you want done?”

“You’re not going to make me look like Edward Scissorhands, are you?”

She laughed, and it lit up her whole face. “Of course not. I have a reputation to maintain.”

“I bet you want to, though,” he teased.

“It was either that or a mohawk.”

He chuckled. “I’m not sure I could pull it off.”

“You used to wear your hair longer than this.” She looked lost in thought for a moment and then shook herself out of it.

“That was back when I was a squirrely teenager. I’m a respectable businessman now.”

She glanced at her watch. “Right. Well, we’re running out of time, so how do you want it?”

He couldn’t contain his grin, and she scowled at him. “You’re still a squirrely teenager,” she accused, although she sounded more amused than disgruntled.

“Do whatever you want. I trust you.” He’d meant it as a compliment, but she stiffened. She was probably remembering prom night, and her expression gutted him. If only she’d given him a chance to explain…

She quickly moved behind him and got to work. He watched her in the mirror, but she focused on the task at hand and refused to meet his eyes. Her scissors flew around his head, and she expertly snipped until his strands fell neatly into place.

Finally, she looked up and met his gaze. “What do you think?”

“Looks great.” He was referring to her and his hair, but he wasn’t sure if she’d caught on.

She set down the scissors and said, “Do you use any styling products?”

“Like gel?”

She laughed. “It’s not the eighties.”

“What, then?”

“I have something that will keep your hair in place without making it sticky. It’ll still be touchable.”

Touchable. He liked the sound of that, and he broke out in a smile.

She shook her head. “Never mind.”