She shoos me, and I follow Marie toward the back. I point at Palmer before I go. “Don’t let anything happen to her.”
“Ethel could use the practice. She doesn’t have any great-grandchildren yet.”
I walk backward, Grandma following me, and watch as Ethel allows Palmer to stack nail polish bottles on the table. Marie leads me to the wash sink.
“Just a trim, Marie. You can just wet my hair if that’s easier.”
“Nonsense. Dori said a shampoo, a bikini wax, the entire works.”
“Wax?” Oh, God no.
“Yes, dear, it’s been a while.” Grandma leans over the sink to look down at me. “You need to look good down there.”
I cross my legs. “Can we not talk about waxing?”
“We’re all ladies. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Your grandfather—”
I hold up my hand. “Please stop. Please.”
I never knew my grandfather—he passed before I was born—but I swear Grandma thinks we want to know all about their entire relationship, including the bedroom.
“Fine, but if he liked it, maybe Jamison does too. You’re missing out.” She sits in the chair at the sink next to me.
“I was with Jamison for long enough to know what he likes.” Why am I even entertaining this conversation?
“It’s been a long time. His tastes could have changed.”
“Marie, isn’t there a rule about only having customers in the back?” I look up at her as her long nails dig into my scalp. It feels like heaven and sends shivers down my neck.
“Oh, sweetie, I think you know that no rules apply to your grandma,” she says.
Grandma Dori pats my knee. “See? She’s sweet, unlike my ungrateful grandchildren.”
“Can you at least check on Palmer?”
The door chime rings, and Dori perks up next to me. “No need! There are our reinforcements.”
A million little voices ring out and I hear Harley telling everyone to quiet down.
I bolt up and soap runs down into my eye. “You called Harley?”
She pats my knee. “Sit down. And yes, I did. Palmer loves her cousins.”
“Harley has enough on her plate.”
Marie gently pushes me back over the sink with a hand on my shoulder.
“Oh, you have it all wrong. She’s going to give you a massage. Denver is coming too. Kingston’s going to meet him, and they’ll take the kids to the park until you’re all relaxed.”
Harley comes back and pats my leg. “Hey, girl, I hear tonight’s the lucky night.”
“What are you talking about? I came here for a haircut.” I shift to get up, but Marie shoves me back down in the chair again.
“Almost done,” Marie says.
I peek up with one eye to see Harley above me. “You’re in on this?”
“I thought you were in the know. Dori?”
“Please, none of you would get anything done without me.” Grandma Dori stands and walks toward the reception area. “Grandma Dori has candy!”
All the kids scream, and I hear Calista telling Palmer to come with her.
“Don’t worry, Palmer is following. Calista signed to her.” I can hear the pride in Harley’s voice. “Jamison has had quite an effect on her. I caught her watching a YouTube video the other day about signing.”
I glance over and Harley’s smiling proudly. She’s a great mother.
“While you get a cut, since this was all a surprise, I’m going to drive them to the—” she stops. “Never mind. I hear Denver.”
“What’s up, munchkins? Your favorite uncle is here,” Denver says, and all the kids cheer.
“And don’t worry, Stella’s going to the park after she’s done working. A doctor is good to have around with this lot.” Harley touches my knee.
I feel oddly vulnerable and exposed.
“Dori gave them candy, so unless you’re hiding ice cream, you’re nothing right now,” Harley yells toward the front of the shop.
“Is that the lucky lady?” Denver’s voice grows closer. “You want Cleo to call you with some tips? I know it’s been a while.”
I hold up my hand. “Okay, enough with all this. No one said anything about me getting lucky.”
I stand with the towel on my head, and Marie guides me to her chair.
Denver plops down in the chair next to me. “From the way I heard it, you could’ve gotten lucky weeks ago.” Denver holds up his hand to stop himself from talking. “Oh, but you were preggo. That’s right. Damn you for being such a great sister.”
“First of all, it hasn’t been six weeks yet, and second—”
“Didn’t you have a C-section?” Harley asks, sitting on my other side.
“Yes.”
“So technically you could do it at four weeks, if your doctor gave you the go-ahead.”
“Seriously, only you would know the guidelines of when you can have sex after birth. You’re probably knocked up again.” Denver twirls around in the chair.
“Please don’t do that,” Marie says.
Denver stops, which for him is progress.
“Let’s get back to the topic at hand. So are you getting back together with Jamie boy or not?” Denver asks.
“Of course she is,” Harley says. “From everything I’ve seen and heard, they’re meant to be together.”
The door chimes again. Damn it. What now? I look through the reflection of the mirror, but I can’t see the doorway.
“No worries, all. Jamison has no idea what’s happening tonight.” Kingston walks in and takes the seat next to Harley, twirling it around. Marie says nothing to him about it, but then again, he smiles with those two dimples that always let him get away with everything. “Hey, Marie, love the new color.”
Harley and I stare slack-jawed while he flirts with a sixty-year-old woman.
I finally yell above the chaos, “Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on and why I’m not in the know?”
The salon quiets except for the sound of Calista rounding up the little ones for a round of Duck, Duck, Goose in the middle of the salon.
“You’re going on a date with Jamison tonight,” Harley says.
“No, I’m not.”
Everyone’s chairs twirl toward Grandma Dori, who says, “I make no apologies. He’ll be at your door at five-thirty. And please don’t fight this. I’ve seen you since he returned. He’s made amends, and it’s best to get on with it. We all had a vote on it.”
I look right and left without moving my head while Marie quietly clips my hair, probably logging all this for an email she’ll send into Buzz Wheel later.
“Seriously?” I say to them all.
Harley holds up her hands. “I thought you knew. Honest.”
“I think you’ve made him suffer with blue balls long enough.” Denver holds up his hand. “I voted for the date.”
Kingston says nothing but tries to lure Palmer to him, probably using her as a distraction.
“And you, King?” I ask.
He shrugs when Palmer is more interested in playing with her cousins. “I always liked Jamison, and he seems like he’s doing well. I want you to be happy and I think Jamison makes you happy, so I voted… yes.”