CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
I think it’s a good thing that we have hair appointments tonight. The conversation got so heavy, there was no way out of it without a lot more tears, except for the fact that José Fernando Luis Velasquez was waiting for us at his salon.
I wish more than anything I could call my sisters and tell them what’s going on, but I have no private time except for five minutes to use the bathroom before we’re on our way over. I’m sharing a ride with Ty.
“So, that was kind of crazy, huh?” he asks. We’re holding hands in the backseat.
“You could say that again.” I still can’t believe what I heard in the studio.
He glances at the driver and lowers his voice. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I lean into him so I can give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Maybe later. Maybe tomorrow.” It’s too raw for me right now. I need to let things settle. Not to mention the fact that when I have this conversation with Ty, it won’t be in front of a stranger who’s driving the car we’re in.
He squeezes my hand. “We’ve got time. All the time you need.”
I could cry over that sweet comment, except I don’t have any tears left in me. Thank goodness the salon isn’t far. The limousine holding the other band members stops at the curb ahead of us and we park behind it. All of us get out at the same time.
A few strangers walking by on the sidewalk stop to stare. There’s no way six people and their two drivers all exiting limos at the same time isn’t going to attract attention. A few of them recognize the band members, so Red and the others pause to sign autographs.
I enter the salon ahead of everyone and introduce myself to the master. “Mr. Velasquez . . . Thank you so much for fitting us in on such short notice.”
He’s looking over my shoulder with a big grin on his face as he pets my hand. “Oh, darling, I need to thank you,” he says with a Hispanic accent. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been wanting to get my hands on their hair?”
This man is exactly what I needed. I smile. “Twenty years?”
“At least that long.” He gives me an enthusiastic hug. “Who are we starting with?”
“I think you should start with the boss,” I say in a near whisper. “As soon as Red’s on board, you’ll have no problem with the rest of them.”
He nods sagely at me, narrowing his eyes. “Girl, I like how you operate.”
“I’m sneaky.”
He leans in. “I love sneaky.”
He raises his hand above his head and waves it like a windmill at the wrist. “Let’s go, friends. Snap, snap! Hop to it! We have hair to make fabulous!”
Out of the back room come several people to do his bidding, young men and women of all shapes and sizes.
I stare, not sure whether to be impressed or upset. “I thought you were cutting their hair.”
“These are my protégés. They are here to assist me.”
I nod, suitably impressed. “Okay. I’m just going to get out of your way.”
He points to a chair that looks like a throne at the edge of the room. “That is for you, Queen Bee. You go sit your little buns down over there and I’ll have somebody bring you something to drink. What would you prefer?”
“Green tea?”
He looks me up and down. “I knew it. I can read you like a book. Hippie chick from day one.”
I hold up my hand for a high five. “You know it.”
He grasps my hand in his and squeezes it. Then he kisses my knuckles. “We are going to be good friends. I know this.”
This is the happiest I’ve been since I came to New York, save all the moments I’ve spent with Ty. I wish I could live in this salon instead of the Four Seasons.
The door opens and the band comes in, leaving a crowd of people behind them.
I walk over to the throne and sit down in it as José yells, “Shades!”
His troupe of assistants rushes over to the windows and lowers the blinds so that we have complete privacy. The fans are probably still out there, but even their cameras aren’t going to get a shot of anything going on in here now. I’m so relieved; I no longer feel like a fish in an aquarium.
A couple minutes later, someone shows up with a nice mug of hot green tea for me. All the men in the band are brought into another area of the salon to have their hair shampooed and de-rat-nested.
José is barking out orders left and right. He introduces himself to each of the band members, sharing a little quip about a song of theirs or a story about one of their concerts he attended.
I can’t believe how lucky I am. You’d never know it by looking at him in his hot-orange pants, high-top sneakers, and yellow spandex top, but José is a true Red Hot fan. No wonder I got an appointment in one day.
I sip my tea, reflecting on my day. I guess I would call it a success—seriously crazy, but good. I think about all I learned and how sad it is that the lives of people I care about were influenced by a lack of communication that would have been so simple to fix.
I’m seized by the desperate need to reconnect with my roots. I have to talk to my sisters right now, and I don’t care that I’m in the middle of a hair salon. The band members are getting shampoo head massages, and I can hear them moaning with pleasure from here. I don’t think they’re going to be ready to get their haircuts anytime soon.
Rose picks up the phone immediately. “Oh, I’m so glad you called. I missed you last time.”
“I know. How’ve you been? I miss you so much.”
“I’m exhausted. I have a whole litter of puppies and no mommy to feed them, so I guess I’m the mommy now.”
“How many are there?”
“Seven border collies. They are so adorable.”
“And I’ll bet they’re eating every two hours through the night, right?” This is not the first batch of orphan puppies my sister has nursed. The guilt hits me again that I’m not there to help her.
“I’ve got them up to three hours. We’re doing pretty well. So what’s going on with you?”
“I have a lot of news, actually. But I don’t have a lot of time, so I’m going to speed through it.”
“Go for it. I’m all ears.”
“Is Em there? She’s going to want to hear this too.”
“Yeah, she just walked up. I’m putting you on speakerphone.”
“Hi, sweetie,” Em says. “How are you doing?”
“Great. I was saying to Rose that I have some incredible news and I don’t have a lot of time, so I’m going to go in fast-forward.”
“Oooh, news. I love news. I’m listening.”
I give them the play by play, reliving the conversation I had in the studio. When I’m done there’s complete silence on the other end of the line.
“Hello? Did you guys hear me? Oh crap . . . If my phone died . . .”
“No, we heard you.” It’s Rose, and she sounds terrible.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” she says, sniffling. “It’s just a lot to absorb.”
I nod, my heart breaking for my sisters who are having to hear this for the first time. I should have been more sensitive. “I know. I’ve had more time to adjust to the idea. It’s crazy, right?”
“The moms are going to be sad,” Em whispers. “They always felt like the band would have agreed with them that leaving was a good idea.”
I’ve been so busy thinking about myself and my sisters, I haven’t taken too much time to consider how our mothers would take the news, other than to think that they’ll be happy to know the guys still love them.
“Maybe we shouldn’t say anything,” I suggest. “At least not right now.”
“But when?” Rose asks. “You can’t keep it from them forever. They should know that the band never forgot them, and that those men would have wanted them to stay if they’d been given the choice.”
“No, you’re right. It wouldn’t be fair to not tell them something we know,” Em adds.
“Agreed. I don’t want to hide things. But can we wait until I get back? I really would like to be there for them when they find out.”
“We can wait until then,” Rose says. She pauses. “Em’s nodding at me, so she agrees.”
I really wish I could be there to wrap my arms around my sisters. I know they’re both crying. At least they have each other.
I look over at the band and see that their hair is being rinsed and some of them are sitting up with towels on their heads. “I need to go. I’ll call you back later or tomorrow.”
“Thanks for calling. We know you’re really busy, but we appreciate you keeping us in the loop.”
“Rose, you need to go to sleep. I can hear how tired you are in your voice.”
“Yeah, I will.” She yawns.
“I’ll put her to bed right now,” Em promises. “Just take care of yourself. You’re dealing with a lot of stuff there, and it can’t be easy doing it all alone in the middle of a strange city.”
“I will.” Funnily enough, Em’s concern feels out of place. I don’t feel burdened or worn-out; on the contrary, I feel energized. Electric. I could go another twelve hours.
“How’s Ty doing? Is he cool with everything?” Em asks.
“He’s being really wonderful. Very understanding.”
“I’m glad he’s there for you,” she says.
“Me too.” Rose sniffs. “I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
“I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen, but I would love for you to do that. I think you guys would really like him.”
José heads in my direction, so I make a kissing noise into the phone. “Gotta go, love you, bye.” I hang up the phone and slide it into my purse.
He stops in front of me but faces the men, placing his hands on cocked hips. “So, what are we talking here? Total makeover or something a little less drastic?”
“I’m thinking Jon Bon Jovi, renewal-type look.”
“Jon Bon Jovi, nineties renewal? Or Jon Bon Jovi, two thousands, serious-actor look?”
“Let’s start with the nineties; hair no longer than the shoulder but nowhere near the ear. Can you do this?”
He gives me a sassy look. “Sweetie, I can do anything.”
I grin. “I heard that about you.”
He points at my head. “And what about you? What can I do for you?”
I shrug. “Nothing. I think I’m good.”
He picks up a lock of my hair and looks at the ends, nodding and squinting as he makes me turn my chin left and then right. “I have something in mind for you. You should let me do it.”
Ty walks over in time to hear him say that. “Don’t change too much about her. I think she looks great how she is.”
José shakes his head. “Oh no, nothing drastic. You’re right. She’s a natural beauty. Earth mother all the way. But I’d like to get rid of some of the split ends and put a little shape to her style.”
When I see the four men with the towels wrapped around their shoulders, looking like wet dogs, I don’t have the heart to resist. If they can do it, so can I. “Why not?”
“That’s the spirit!” José yells as he raises his hand and snaps his fingers. “Team! I need a shampoo here, stat!”
“Him too!” I say, pointing at Ty.
He holds his hands up. “I’m good.”
“Get under that damn faucet,” Red growls from beneath his towel. “All for one and one for all.”
Ty’s shoulders sag. “Please don’t buzz all my hair off.”
José grabs him by the arm and steers him toward the shampoo area. When Ty sits down next to me and they’re wrapping a towel around his neck, he gives me a dark, sexy look. “You’re going to pay for this.”
“You can thank me later,” I say, winking at him. The protégé in charge of my hair tips my chair back and puts my head under the warm water, and I quickly fall into a blissful sleep as the shampoo suds are slowly massaged into my scalp.