"They're fine. What's wrong with you?"

My frantic search for clothes stopped. "What do you mean what's wrong with me? You called me at five thirty. I thought there was an emergency."

"Did you set your clock to Pacific time?" Kalen asked, annoyance tempering her tone. "It's seven thirty."

I staggered into the living room as the adrenaline rush faded.

My cell phone confirmed what Kalen said-it was seven thirty.

"Our power went off and on last night, apparently yours did, too." Kalen yawned loudly. "Time to replace the backup battery in your clock."

"It's still early. Why are you calling?" I asked as I set up the coffeepot.

"The flu is going around, and my doctor says I need to avoid sick people if I possibly can. We have three people out at the Ca.n.a.l Street salon, and they need some help."

14.

*I wanted to whine and complain, but I couldn't. I knew that Kalen would gladly step in and help if she could. "What do I need to do?" I asked with a sinking feeling.

"Answer phones, wash a head or two. Blitz will help you with anything you need." Kalen yawned again. This time, she apologized. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, sis, but I'm out of options."

"No need to apologize. I'll hit the shower and be there for opening."

"Thank you. I owe you big."

Blitz looked stunned when I walked in. She glanced down at her watch and back up at me.

"Kalen asked me to come in and help," I said. "Where do you need me?"

She took in my black slacks and turtleneck sweater. "You're dressed too nice to clean tanning beds." She shrugged her shoulders. "Wanna be the receptionist for the day?"

"Sounds easy enough." Something in the way Blitz arched an eyebrow told me it was anything but.

She picked up a headset and cleaned it liberally with alcohol before she handed it to me. "Bonnie has the flu," Blitz said as she went to work on the mouse and keyboard. "If I were you, I'd keep a bottle of hand sanitizer close and use it often." Blitz looked at me skeptically. "Can you multi-task?"

"I can walk and chew gum at the same time."

Blitz's eyebrow arched again. From the look on her face, if I were anyone else, I'd be out on the sidewalk at that moment. She wiggled the mouse, and a colorful calendar appeared on the screen in front of us. "Anything related to tanning or nails is transferred to those departments. They handle their own scheduling. You're strictly hair."

I nodded as I looked at the screen. Hailey Morgan at eleven o'clock jumped out at me like a snake. Blitz looked at me oddly as I recoiled. "Is that today?" I pointed at her name.

Blitz nodded. "You won't have to do much with today's schedule unless someone calls to reschedule. Matter of fact, you

10.

*really don't have to worry about Tuesday or Wednesday, we're booked. Don't worry about trying to fill a slot if someone cancels.

We pack 'em in tight, and the stylists will be grateful for the wiggle room."

Blitz went on to explain how to use the computer program.

It seemed fairly easy to handle. My brain began to scramble as she explained how to book each type of appointment. "Claire and Sandra are new, so you can't really load them up or they get behind. Marvin, Jacob, and Sloan can handle anything you throw at them, and they expect to stay hopping, so schedule them tight."

Each stylist's name was in a color-coded bar. Marvin's was pink. I wondered for half a second if he had requested it before Blitz moved on to the next topic. "Our regulars are in the computer. All you have to do is print out a slip with their next appointment date and time. It's already set up in the system. For other customers, you'll have to schedule and print their slips. You know how to use a credit card machine?"

"Yes." I looked over at the phone and felt squeamish. It looked like something I'd seen 11 operators use on TV.

Blitz explained the difference between park and hold in what seemed like a heartbeat. "You may be tempted to use the mute b.u.t.ton on your headset, but I'd advise against it. Your sister made a mistake with that once and cost us a customer. Use the hold b.u.t.ton." Blitz squeezed a glob of hand sanitizer into her palm and turned to me. "What can I get you to drink-coffee? Soda?"

"You don't have to wait on me. I can get my own drinks."

Blitz pursed her lips as her eyebrow rose again. I wondered if her head ached at the end of the day or if her brow ever froze in that position. "Once these phones begin to ring, you won't be able to move from where you're sitting. If you need something or need to go to the bathroom, you're gonna have to flag me down for it."

My eyebrow rose this time. "Is it that bad?"

"It's how you choose to look at it. Every time that phone rings, we're poised to make money, so that's not bad." Blitz smiled.

"Coffee?"

11.

*"Yes, and thank you." I turned and looked at the intimidating bank of phone lines, then at the computer. I hoped the coffee was extremely strong.

"Well, who do we have here?" Marvin leaned on the counter with a broad smile.

"A scared s.h.i.tless temp."

"Aww, it's not that bad." Marvin guffawed. "I've seen Bonnie ring up a customer, schedule an appointment, and file her nails at the same time. You've got this."

I wasn't so sure.

Marvin slapped out a tune on the counter. "Guess who's coming to see me today?"

"Hailey," I said dryly.

Marvin frowned. "Still no good with you two?"

I opened my mouth to reply when the phone rang. That b.i.t.c.h didn't stop. It rang so much that at one point I thought I could hear it ringing when there wasn't a call. To make matters worse, I was slow. It took me most of the morning to get used to scheduling the appointments. When I had to go to the bathroom, I was forced to wave Blitz over and write it down for her because I couldn't stop speaking long enough. She moved in behind me like she was taking the wheel of a car flying down the highway, reaching over me to take the controls.

At eleven, it all became one monotonous blur as Hailey came through the door. The air around her seemed infused with electricity. She took off her rain-splattered overcoat and hung it on the rack. The silver-gray pantsuit hugged every delicious curve and made my mouth go dry. When she turned toward the receptionist station, her eyes widened when she saw me. A slight smile curved her lips. I held up a finger as she approached and the phone rang again. Marvin intercepted her before we had a chance to speak.

It was hard enough to learn a new system of doing things, and I was far from getting into a comfortable groove. Hailey's presence made it nearly impossible to function. I tried to follow every move she made. I scheduled two appointments on the wrong day while watching Blitz shampoo her hair. I wished that

12.

*I'd volunteered for that position as Blitz ran her fingers through those wet golden locks. Marvin winked at me when I glanced over at him. I forced myself then to pay attention to the job at hand, which lasted until Hailey moved into his chair.

Hailey gestured, holding her hand up to her jawline. I watched in terror as Marvin held his hands on either side of her face. He looked at me in the mirror, and I shook my head. Hailey was the type of woman who could've rocked a crew cut, but I loved that golden mane, the way it flowed down her back. Marvin said something and turned Hailey's chair around to where it faced me.

He walked over and toyed with my hair. His fingers came to rest just below my shoulders. The muscles in my stomach clenched as Hailey shook her head and motioned toward her collar.

I wanted to hang up on my customer and protest as Hailey and Marvin discussed a much shorter length. When Marvin positioned his scissors right at Hailey's shoulder, I lost it. "No!

It's too gorgeous, don't cut it off."

Marvin and Hailey stared back at me in the mirror with shocked expressions. Actually, everyone in the salon did. "No, Mrs. Ronson, I'm sorry, of course you can come in for a cut.

I'm sorry for yelling in your ear." I sat back down red-faced as I scheduled her appointment.

When I ended the call, Marvin was standing at my desk with a bemused smile. "Hailey would like to know exactly how you want her hair done."

I looked around Marvin to Hailey, who sat looking at me like I was insane. "I'm sorry. You'd be lovely no matter what you did with your hair. It's just so gorgeous I can't stand to see you cut it off." A couple of customers in the waiting area agreed. I shrugged and pointed at them as though their opinions should weigh in.

Something in Hailey's eyes glimmered. She nodded and smiled at me. The warmth of it turned my insides to jelly.

Marvin took off two inches. Hailey's wet hair hung down to the bottom of her shoulder blades. The weight of those two inches made her hair look thicker. I was mesmerized at how ringlets formed around her face as her hair began to dry on its own.

1.

*"Lunch break." Blitz came to stand beside me. "Take as long as you want. You're still the boss."

I felt like shackles fell off my hands and feet as I pa.s.sed her the headset. I'd been freed, but I still stood at the counter and watched as Marvin dried Hailey's hair. My fingers twitched with envy as he ran his through those golden stands, making the curls loosen and flow.

"Her cut is on the house," I whispered so only Blitz could hear. She nodded and deleted the appointment without hesitation.

I watched as Hailey hugged and tipped Marvin.

She walked over to the counter with her wallet in her hand. I discreetly pushed it away. "My treat," I said as she looked at me in question. "Especially since you let me intervene."

She ran a hand through her hair. "You like it?" she asked shyly.

"Yes, I do." Her shyness became contagious. I looked away as I said, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. Why are you working here today?"

I looked back at her then and felt my knees go weak. "Some of the staff is out with the flu. I had to fill in."

Hailey nodded as she stuffed her wallet back into her purse.

She reached over and touched my arm. "I have to get back to the office, but it was really nice to see you." She smiled, and for a second, I saw something in her eye that filled me with sadness.

I imagined that she saw the same thing when I looked at her- longing, regret.

I watched her put on her coat and slip out the door, taking my heart along with her.

14.

Chapter 24.

No good deed...you know the rest.

I spent an entire week at the salon and developed a twitch every time the phone rang at home, a tiny dose of post-war syndrome. By Monday the following week, I was in bed with a fever and coughing up things that looked like Yoda. Marvin took pity on me and went grocery shopping. He showed up at my apartment wearing a face mask with two sacks in his arms.

"I brought you chicken noodle soup from the deli down the street," he said, keeping a distance. "I've never had it, but Alicia swears by it. Some oranges and orange juice. A pint of bourbon, lemon, and honey for toddies, and a gun in case you want to shoot yourself."