2
"Come in, come in," Jessica opened the front door, "The salon's out back."
"The salon?" Missy pronounced airily, and stepped over a crate of bottles.
"Yo, Missy," Tim saluted from the couch, while Netflix announced the show he had left his cursor on.
Jessica took Tim's beer, and went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. She heard their low voices as she twisted the top off a bottled water, and saw them avert their gazes.
"- and, er, it's just a little trim," Missy fingered her hair, and glanced to Jessica, "Out there? I'll get ready?"
Jessica walked over to Tim, and folded her arms. "What was that about?"
"Each o' these costs the same as a haircut," Tim eyed the label, and drunk deep, "If we're goin' healthy all of a sudden, there's a sale at PC Richards for water purifiers."
"We don't need a new fridge," Jessica eyed Tim's cast, "And we don't have the money."
The little room out back had a stack of old New Jersey Monthly's, a chair with squeaking vinyl, and tiles which showed scuff marks.
"Does anybody read these?" Missy picked up a magazine, while Jessica draped a cape around her, "I think there's an app for it."
"Only two clients beside you," Jessica picked up the spray bottle, "I've come this close to putting business cards in the letterboxes along my street, but they'd only complain at the next homeowner's association meeting."
"You could try small talk, persuade them," Missy smiled slowly, while Jessica bared her teeth and shook her head.
The girls chatted while snips of hair thudded onto the cape, and through the mirror they eyed one another at intervals. Jessica used a little brush on Missy's neck to brush lingering strands away, and Missy sneezed.
"Guess who I bumped into outside Fairman's," Missy crumpled the tissue in her lap, "She's got the cutest little boy. She said - well, she said he might show up - "
"Who show up?"
Missy covered her mouth, "Oh-my-god."
Jessica glanced over her shoulder, "Is that what you and Tim were talking about?"
Missy sucked her lips in and nodded. Jessica removed the cape with a flourish, and began to sing.
"Who's planning it?"
"Nobody. I mean, you can't tell her I blabbed," Missy glanced up, "It's already awkward enough."
Tim's laughter from the living room, punctuated by Bojack Horseman, made the girls share small smiles.
"You know it'll be over soon," Missy patted her hair, "And everything will get back to normal."
Jessica raised her eyebrows.
"I'm not used to having him round all the time. And this is where I work."
"Was it busier before Tim's accident?"
"I didn't even try," Jessica shrugged, "He had it built for our tenth, and I had quit the salon before then. I got used to him covering all the bills, and I could focus on writing - well, not that I've tried that either. My grandma's stopped taking my word for it; now she's put my name down on a cross stitch catalogue."
Missy rifled through her purse and paused, handing over the cash and Jessica reached for the dustpan and brush.
"When the ex got bone spurs, he went binge drinking," Missy blurted, "Sorry, that doesn't help. But I saw the beer in the living room."
"Tim is not like your ex," Jessica fidgeted with her wedding ring, "There's an issue with our health insurance. The excess is too much to cover. I know he'd like to sort it, but for a change, it's good to handle the decisions before he's aware of them."
Missy giggled, "So you can check the mail before he sees it?"
"He says he's going to do stand up comedy, if he can't skate again," Jessica shrugged, "I really don't want to bother him with this."
"You have to include him," Missy nodded, "Trust me. Guys take it so personally when they're not included. Yeah, they'll march on in and take your idea as his own. But you'll get to keep going on as you always have, and let's face facts, you got out before it started getting really bad."