the air, and a festive Mexican song played over the sound system. Several women walked between rooms with a strange array of green, black, and beige mud slathered on their faces. They all wore white, fluffy bathrobes and were sipping drinks.
“Welcome to Paradise!”
A tall, skinny man in his late thirties approached them. His bald head caught the light and shone bright in the dim room. Viola smiled despite herself when he reached out, grabbed her hand and began to poke at her cuticles.
“I’m Peter, the owner of Paradise Spa.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Viola.”
Peter patted her hand as he looked up and pursed his lips.
“Darling, I’m so glad you’ve come. Your hair must just hate this humid climate for it to be sleeping on the job like that.” He snorted a laugh. “Don’t fret, pet, I’ll get my best girls on the job and when they’re through, Mr. Yummy here will be eating out of your hands.”
The man gave a little growl toward Jerod and clapped his hands together.
“Val, sweetie, I have a special one for you.” Jerod cleared his throat. “Would Lisa be free?” Viola shot him a confused stare, but didn’t comment.
“Oh, Lisa’s booked solid right now. Sorry, love.”
“Actually my three o’clock just cancelled.”
A woman who could have graced the cover of any magazine she wanted strolled out from the side office. Her blonde hair and rich hazel eyes looked natural. She smiled at Viola.
“I’m Lisa. Nice to meet you.”
The women shook hands and Viola immediately liked her. She silently hoped Jerod 47
hadn’t done anything to cause that three o’clock appointment to cancel.
“Thanks, Peter. I’ll take it from here. She’ll be a few hours if you want to come back for her.” She said the last to Jerod.
Viola thought he would stick around to watch her transformation. Instead he surprised her by thanking Lisa. He took Viola’s hand in his and placed a kiss in the exact spot he had before. The tingle returned to take her breath away. Looking up, he grinned, showing every single one of his perfectly white teeth.
“I’ll return when you are done.”
And then he was gone.
“What’s with the pajamas?” Peter whispered once Jerod had left.
Her mind buzzed through the possibilities.
“It was a bet. He lost.”
“Oh, I get it,” Peter practically squealed. “Master and servant. Kinky. Enjoy your spa. Lisa, read her the fine print.”
Peter spun on his heels and disappeared into the office.
Viola faced Lisa. “He’s…”
“Interesting. I know. His heart is huge and we all love him, so not a word. Now, what can I do for you?”
Viola straightened. “I need you to make me drop-dead gorgeous. I know you don’t have much to work with, but anything you can do to make me more…” What was the right word? “…more alluring, you’d have my undying love and thanks.” Lisa linked her arm into Viola’s. “What do you mean I don’t have much to work with? You just need a little polishing, hon. There’s good stuff under there.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
For the next two and a half hours, Viola was at Lisa’s mercy. The first thing after the most amazing shampoo and head massage of her life, was a haircut. Her hair had hung straight down her back like a weighted curtain since high school. It’s not that she didn’t want to have something fun done to it, but she was scared shitless that she’d ask for the wrong thing and have a repeat of the bad perm when she was twelve. Plus, she’d never 48
been good with hair.
That didn’t seem to matter to Lisa.
“I can cut, color and style you based on what I think will make you look like a model if you want. Or you can choose your new glam from a book. But either way, your hair’s coming off.”
Viola took a deep breath. “I trust you. Go for it.” Lisa gave Viola’s shoulders a squeeze. “That’s a girl. Close your eyes if you want, but I’m going to be performing major surgery to get you the
“Welcome to Paradise!”
A tall, skinny man in his late thirties approached them. His bald head caught the light and shone bright in the dim room. Viola smiled despite herself when he reached out, grabbed her hand and began to poke at her cuticles.
“I’m Peter, the owner of Paradise Spa.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Viola.”
Peter patted her hand as he looked up and pursed his lips.
“Darling, I’m so glad you’ve come. Your hair must just hate this humid climate for it to be sleeping on the job like that.” He snorted a laugh. “Don’t fret, pet, I’ll get my best girls on the job and when they’re through, Mr. Yummy here will be eating out of your hands.”
The man gave a little growl toward Jerod and clapped his hands together.
“Val, sweetie, I have a special one for you.” Jerod cleared his throat. “Would Lisa be free?” Viola shot him a confused stare, but didn’t comment.
“Oh, Lisa’s booked solid right now. Sorry, love.”
“Actually my three o’clock just cancelled.”
A woman who could have graced the cover of any magazine she wanted strolled out from the side office. Her blonde hair and rich hazel eyes looked natural. She smiled at Viola.
“I’m Lisa. Nice to meet you.”
The women shook hands and Viola immediately liked her. She silently hoped Jerod 47
hadn’t done anything to cause that three o’clock appointment to cancel.
“Thanks, Peter. I’ll take it from here. She’ll be a few hours if you want to come back for her.” She said the last to Jerod.
Viola thought he would stick around to watch her transformation. Instead he surprised her by thanking Lisa. He took Viola’s hand in his and placed a kiss in the exact spot he had before. The tingle returned to take her breath away. Looking up, he grinned, showing every single one of his perfectly white teeth.
“I’ll return when you are done.”
And then he was gone.
“What’s with the pajamas?” Peter whispered once Jerod had left.
Her mind buzzed through the possibilities.
“It was a bet. He lost.”
“Oh, I get it,” Peter practically squealed. “Master and servant. Kinky. Enjoy your spa. Lisa, read her the fine print.”
Peter spun on his heels and disappeared into the office.
Viola faced Lisa. “He’s…”
“Interesting. I know. His heart is huge and we all love him, so not a word. Now, what can I do for you?”
Viola straightened. “I need you to make me drop-dead gorgeous. I know you don’t have much to work with, but anything you can do to make me more…” What was the right word? “…more alluring, you’d have my undying love and thanks.” Lisa linked her arm into Viola’s. “What do you mean I don’t have much to work with? You just need a little polishing, hon. There’s good stuff under there.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
For the next two and a half hours, Viola was at Lisa’s mercy. The first thing after the most amazing shampoo and head massage of her life, was a haircut. Her hair had hung straight down her back like a weighted curtain since high school. It’s not that she didn’t want to have something fun done to it, but she was scared shitless that she’d ask for the wrong thing and have a repeat of the bad perm when she was twelve. Plus, she’d never 48
been good with hair.
That didn’t seem to matter to Lisa.
“I can cut, color and style you based on what I think will make you look like a model if you want. Or you can choose your new glam from a book. But either way, your hair’s coming off.”
Viola took a deep breath. “I trust you. Go for it.” Lisa gave Viola’s shoulders a squeeze. “That’s a girl. Close your eyes if you want, but I’m going to be performing major surgery to get you the
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