Don't Forget
"Am I Fired?"
“Rebekah send in MOD(1) next appointment.” Mia said into her walkie-talkie mike-piece.
“Copy,” Rebekah responded. It was the last appointment of the day and Mia was tired of being on her feet. Although she always gave herself an hour lunch, in a work day it never seemed like enough.
“Welcome to” Mia stopped short when she looked up into icy-blues, “Iris.”
Mia clenched her jaw shut. Then she put on her customer service smile and gestured to the chair. Connor sat. He had shaved recently so he looked more like the Connor she knew from way back when. He wore that disarming smirk that Mia hated and loved all at the same time. Mia sat down in her stool with her clipboard.
“So is there anything I need to know about your hair before we begin?” Mia asked.
“You’re just gonna pretend I’m another client?”
“I could pretend you’re the stalker that you are and call security.” Mia said. Why did he have to come to her work? How did he find her? Mia was irritated.
“You won’t call security.”
“You wanna bet?” Mia said picking up the mic piece to her walkie.
“Fine,” Connor sat back in his seat, “Ask your stupid questions?”
“Have you dyed your hair recently or used any other chemical’s in your hair?”
“No, but you know that.”
“OK.” Mia said sighing.
She stood and got her towels and smock from the cabinet under her mirror. She took another deep breath. She could do this. Just pretend he was another client. Not the stalker guy who she had a crush on most of high school. Not the guy who had kissed her and then ran across the country to escape her like the plague.
She set him up under the towel and smock and said, “Right this way.” She lead him to the sink seat and started the water. He closed his eyes and Mia was starting to get into her work mode. They were silent as she washed his hair. The rest of the session went smoothly with no real talking from either of them he answered her questions without sarcasm and she cut his hair to the length that she liked it.
“There,” She combed it to the side before turning him to face the mirror, “What do you think?”
“I’d prefer it shorter, but do you like it?” His eyes met hers. He wasn't blinking. Her heart started pounding against her chest as if it was trying to escape her chest.
“I think it makes you look more approachable.” Mia said, “I’m sure your clients would appreciate it.”
“You’re the expert.” Connor shrugged.
Mia pulled out the brush and brushed the access hair clippings from the smock and then whipped it off him. She took out the towel and brushed off any clipping she may have missed.
“That’s it! You can go to the front desk and pay there.”
“Do I give you a tip?”
“That’s all handled at the front desk.” Mia smiled her customer service smile. Thank God!
“Well it was a pleasure doing business with you Ms. Price.” Connor said holding out his hand.
Mia cautiously took it. They shook hands, when Mia was ready to let go he held her hand firmly, “So this is it?”
“Yep,” Mia said.
Connor ran his head over his head, pausing to scratch the back, “I kinda thought”-
“What,” Mia was irritated, “That you’d reappear in my life and I’d just open my legs to you.”
“Well...yeah”
Mia’s jaw dropped. The audacity. Connor Butler ladies and gentlemen. Mia didn't know much, but she knew she wasn't that broken girl from that summer way back when. She wasn't going to lose to him this time.
“Get out,” She said pointing to the door. The salon had grown eerily quiet. None of her apprentices and co-workers had seen her any way but pleasant, polite, and quiet. Connor brought an uncontrollable fire out of her.
Connor knew it, “That’s no way to treat a client.”
“Get out please,” Mia said. Her customer service smile wasn't so convincing this time.
“Have dinner with me.” He said. He pulled a card out of a card case in his pocket and held it out to her. Mia clenched her jaw shut crossing her arms, “If you agree I’ll leave. If you don’t I’ll be back here everyday until you agree.”
“You wouldn't.” Mia narrowed her eyes.
“I took time off from work to do just that.” He smirked. Mia knew he wasn't bluffing. The Connor she remembered was just the right level of crazy determined to get what he wanted.
“Ugh fine!” Mia took his card, “Leave!” She ordered pointing to the door again. When he complied she turned to her salon floor, “Get back to work!” She roared.
She stormed to her office slamming the door shut. She went to her desk and made a nest with her arms for her head. That wasn't very professional… Her mind hissed. No matter what she tried to convince herself. Connor still affected her. It was like she couldn't escape him. There was a knock at the door. It was the light timid knock of someone trying to keep their job.
“What?” Mia snapped. Rebekah was young and quiet for the most part. She was the most efficient front desk worker Mia had.
“Am I fired?” Rebekah asked. Her a-line cut hair was dyed fire engine red and it fell in her face as her head bowed.
“No you’re not fired.” Mia said sighed. Rebekah visibly relaxed, “It’s not your fault. Connor is just,” bold, an asshole, insensitive, oblivious, intuitive, sexy, tenacious, “Connor.”
“You know him?” Rebekah asked.
“Yes I know him,” Mia said. She finally regained her composure, “you need to return to your post.”
“Yes Ma’am right away.” Rebekah said scurrying out of Mia’s office closing the door behind herself. Mia groaned laying her head back into the nest of her arms, just what she needed, her subordinates gossiping about a Connor Butler scene.
“Copy,” Rebekah responded. It was the last appointment of the day and Mia was tired of being on her feet. Although she always gave herself an hour lunch, in a work day it never seemed like enough.
“Welcome to” Mia stopped short when she looked up into icy-blues, “Iris.”
Mia clenched her jaw shut. Then she put on her customer service smile and gestured to the chair. Connor sat. He had shaved recently so he looked more like the Connor she knew from way back when. He wore that disarming smirk that Mia hated and loved all at the same time. Mia sat down in her stool with her clipboard.
“So is there anything I need to know about your hair before we begin?” Mia asked.
“You’re just gonna pretend I’m another client?”
“I could pretend you’re the stalker that you are and call security.” Mia said. Why did he have to come to her work? How did he find her? Mia was irritated.
“You won’t call security.”
“You wanna bet?” Mia said picking up the mic piece to her walkie.
“Fine,” Connor sat back in his seat, “Ask your stupid questions?”
“Have you dyed your hair recently or used any other chemical’s in your hair?”
“No, but you know that.”
“OK.” Mia said sighing.
She stood and got her towels and smock from the cabinet under her mirror. She took another deep breath. She could do this. Just pretend he was another client. Not the stalker guy who she had a crush on most of high school. Not the guy who had kissed her and then ran across the country to escape her like the plague.
She set him up under the towel and smock and said, “Right this way.” She lead him to the sink seat and started the water. He closed his eyes and Mia was starting to get into her work mode. They were silent as she washed his hair. The rest of the session went smoothly with no real talking from either of them he answered her questions without sarcasm and she cut his hair to the length that she liked it.
“There,” She combed it to the side before turning him to face the mirror, “What do you think?”
“I’d prefer it shorter, but do you like it?” His eyes met hers. He wasn't blinking. Her heart started pounding against her chest as if it was trying to escape her chest.
“I think it makes you look more approachable.” Mia said, “I’m sure your clients would appreciate it.”
“You’re the expert.” Connor shrugged.
Mia pulled out the brush and brushed the access hair clippings from the smock and then whipped it off him. She took out the towel and brushed off any clipping she may have missed.
“That’s it! You can go to the front desk and pay there.”
“Do I give you a tip?”
“That’s all handled at the front desk.” Mia smiled her customer service smile. Thank God!
“Well it was a pleasure doing business with you Ms. Price.” Connor said holding out his hand.
Mia cautiously took it. They shook hands, when Mia was ready to let go he held her hand firmly, “So this is it?”
“Yep,” Mia said.
Connor ran his head over his head, pausing to scratch the back, “I kinda thought”-
“What,” Mia was irritated, “That you’d reappear in my life and I’d just open my legs to you.”
“Well...yeah”
Mia’s jaw dropped. The audacity. Connor Butler ladies and gentlemen. Mia didn't know much, but she knew she wasn't that broken girl from that summer way back when. She wasn't going to lose to him this time.
“Get out,” She said pointing to the door. The salon had grown eerily quiet. None of her apprentices and co-workers had seen her any way but pleasant, polite, and quiet. Connor brought an uncontrollable fire out of her.
Connor knew it, “That’s no way to treat a client.”
“Get out please,” Mia said. Her customer service smile wasn't so convincing this time.
“Have dinner with me.” He said. He pulled a card out of a card case in his pocket and held it out to her. Mia clenched her jaw shut crossing her arms, “If you agree I’ll leave. If you don’t I’ll be back here everyday until you agree.”
“You wouldn't.” Mia narrowed her eyes.
“I took time off from work to do just that.” He smirked. Mia knew he wasn't bluffing. The Connor she remembered was just the right level of crazy determined to get what he wanted.
“Ugh fine!” Mia took his card, “Leave!” She ordered pointing to the door again. When he complied she turned to her salon floor, “Get back to work!” She roared.
She stormed to her office slamming the door shut. She went to her desk and made a nest with her arms for her head. That wasn't very professional… Her mind hissed. No matter what she tried to convince herself. Connor still affected her. It was like she couldn't escape him. There was a knock at the door. It was the light timid knock of someone trying to keep their job.
“What?” Mia snapped. Rebekah was young and quiet for the most part. She was the most efficient front desk worker Mia had.
“Am I fired?” Rebekah asked. Her a-line cut hair was dyed fire engine red and it fell in her face as her head bowed.
“No you’re not fired.” Mia said sighed. Rebekah visibly relaxed, “It’s not your fault. Connor is just,” bold, an asshole, insensitive, oblivious, intuitive, sexy, tenacious, “Connor.”
“You know him?” Rebekah asked.
“Yes I know him,” Mia said. She finally regained her composure, “you need to return to your post.”
“Yes Ma’am right away.” Rebekah said scurrying out of Mia’s office closing the door behind herself. Mia groaned laying her head back into the nest of her arms, just what she needed, her subordinates gossiping about a Connor Butler scene.
♠ ♠ ♠
(1) MOD: Manager on Deck; I think it maybe only a retail term, but I decided to put it here. I know basically nothing about how salon's actually work, but I do work in retail so sue me...