Chapter 20

Just Like the Old Times

Spinner walked the streets hand in hand with Darcy his side, when they left the condo they parked and they stopped to grab themselves a bite to eat at Lil Miss. While there they saw Holly J working. She was home for winter break vacation and picked up a shift or two for some extra Christmas cash. She and Spinner caught up as Darcy looked on seeing him in his element seeing old friends. He was extremely happy to see her, he hadn't seen her since the obvious, when he screamed at her at the party. He didn't get to see her at his wedding, he should have seen it as a sign that his marriage would fail because one of his best friend's weren't there. For awhile, he even blamed himself for why he never saw Holly J. It always is hard to lose a friend, for Spinner to lose her as a friend was hard considering all they went through. He was happy to hear, saddened to see she was no longer with Declan but they've talked lately. She said she's not expecting anything to come with that but that it was great seeing her. When Spinner left home he traveled wherever the wind blew. He was just like a nomad, distant and largely alone. When he returned he had nowhere to go so he just hid out in odd places and did some odd-jobs in the summer. It started to get cold where h fled and it was much warmer in town.

She led him to the salon she always went to she gushed about how this salon beats any other salon. She talked about how she herself could use a trim herself but it was obviously more important for Spinner to get a haircut. He hesitated seconds before walking the door causing the brunette to question it. He cowered as he stepped back away from the front window space, "Darc, I can't go in there."

"And why the hell not?" Darcy asked wonderingly a bit skeptical of his sudden change in mood and demeanor, like a fearful child with a guilt complex, "Look if you don't want to cut your luscious locks -"

"My ex-mother in law owns that salon."

"And?" Darcy asked skeptically, not at all convinced of his bogus reasonings she chuckled a bit before asking, "Does she hate you?"

Spinner stiffed up exclaiming in protest, "NO!" He was defensive and simultaneously guarding looks from passers-by on the street, observantly side-eye dancing with him. He didn't want to feed them. He quieted down, it's likely the shop next door who left their door open no matter the temperature, some dinky pizza joint, and heard a grown man protesting a haircut. Oh the dramatics Darcy thought to herself as Spinner added. "I'll cut the dramatics."

Darcy smiled at that odd happening that they were on the same wavelength, "So uh what is the problem?"

"I just . . I haven't seen her since . ." Spinner trailed off longingly peering through the window on from the corner perspective of the store front looking inside observantly. She was sitting at her chair cleaning up after the last client, as they walked through the door passing by Darcy and Spinner.

"It's the best salon in town, Christine would never steer you wrong." Darcy defended proudly, "I wouldn't let anyone else touch my hair, scouts honor."

"I know, she does great work." Spinner thought aloud with honesty in his voice.

"She's not going to chop up your head because you and your ex aren't together anymore, you'll see. Come on, Spinner or should I call you shaggy?"

Spinner laughed but took action on his own manhood refused to live down the nickname and he walked into the salon first as Darcy trailed behind. She was rather pleased with herself. The bells rang out that were connected to the door as Christine reacted by turning around from her front desk, "Spinner! It's been so long." She was happy and relieved to see him and that he was alright. It had been almost six months since she had seen him last. She knew that he had been missing or at least gone away. She didn't pry or bother asking knowing it was still an ice thin type of scenario and she was mindful and about.

"Christine." He said frightfully with his defenses up sky-high. Christine was soft, caring and kind she was smiling, she was just relieved that Spinner wasn't dead or looking strung out. Although he wasn't far from home, he strayed around from place to place traveled a bit but had no home to speak of. She naturally in her mothering way was just unwavering kind despite how her daughter's ill-fated romance went with him. Emma and her mom haven't talked in the past few days so she wasn't updated. It wasn't really a place she wanted to be in but she knew her daughter did have issues during the divorce. She listened to her daughter's reasoning but she couldn't exactly blame him given to what he went through during his last serious relationship before his sudden marriage to Emma.

"I'm here for a haircut." He said ardently and sure of it. She chuckled sweetly at his serious demeanor. He got a slew of looks from this as most of the people thought he wasn't right in the head. Darcy wasn't at all embarrassed, she actually found it a bit cute and relieving that moment where she sees he had fears too and sometimes big boys do cry.

"I could take you, why don't you have a seat as the washing bowl?"

Darcy took a seat by the window seats with a magazine as Christine and Spinner went to the back. He hesitated at first but eventually went ahead. He sat down and removed his baseball cap laying back as Spike ran her hands through his locks covering it with shampoo underneath of his head. She wasn't going to say anything at first, but the silence was beginning to be getting too awkward. She started to speak and then he said, "Oh no, you first."

"No you." Spike said letting the hot water drip onto his head filling the sink with hot water that suds with the shampoo that was on his head popping bubbles against his scalp as she massaged the shampoo into his hair. She sighed, "I don't want to pry, it's not my business but I will say sternly," was she ever stern but still that same old kindness, behavior like a female Mr. Simpson, "Emma was worried about you."

Spinner sighed, he knew this but at first his reasoning were purely selfish hoping for an outcome that he'd hope she'd follow him, search for him but he really didn't want to be found. Her concern was understandable and he really had no good of an excuse. His marriage failed and he wanted to stay there but she didn't want to or didn't believe that anything could be salvaged. He didn't see that he rushed in too soon, instead of loving her instantaneously he grew more and more intense feelings for her over time where she became more and more disenchanted in their once decent relationship. When it was new it was sweeping and romantic.

He had a good relationship with Spike and Snake, they approved of them, helped pay for their beach wedding and did a lot for them in the beginning when Emma moved out of her house and to his apartment and they didn't know how to do anything, they had a couch, just a couch because Spinner only had a twin. The couch bed however had a king. For awhile they grew in discomfort and The Dot was making them a lot of money they were finally able to move into a home. Spike and Snake got them in touch with their Realtor friend, Sydney. Spinner remembered her from when she was dating Craig's step-dad, Joey who also moved away and she helped them find some colleagues she had met at conferences where they wanted to go in suburb close to LA in a good neighborhood and money is pretty good. Joey wanted to stay close to Craig during his recovery and get out of a dead-end town so he could make more money doing what he did best. It was good for him. He soon realized not everyone was looking for a used car but he does get lots of customers. Spinner had no idea that Craig or Manny were in town. Perhaps it was for the best considering the obvious that he and Craig weren't exactly the best of friends never would it be like it used to be, not since the school shooting.

"She was?" Spinner said hopeful as he resumed back to his silent stature, his neck sort of in pain from the black porcelain sink where his head lay. She saw him wincing from the heaviness of his hair.

"You have a lot of hair." Spike said putting a towel by his neck, "How is this?"

"Perfect." He expressed throwing up a thumbs up. As he laid his head back down on the sink not even worried about the strange curve any longer as he had a cushion.

"So how you know Darcy?"

"We went to school together, dated for a while and uh -" It was that moment he realized he wasn't sure what to call them together. Were they boy-friend and girl-friend, were they just friends, friends with benefits.

"I guess you found your way back to her?" Spike asked looking on as Darcy looked at Spinner longingly from the chairs up front.

"Yeah." He said closing his eyes.

"That's good, nobody should ever spend the holidays alone, take it from me." She said wringing out his curls all conditioned, shampoo and ready for cutting. She wrapped it in a spare towel and nudged him to move to the chair. Darcy looked up again from her magazine as she put a cape on him and got out her comb.

"So what do you want me to do?" Spike said wondering if that was too broad of an inquiry, she added, "How short do you want to go?" All the while she was adjusting the chair because he even seated was a tall guy and she was all but five foot even.

He turned around, "Just cut it short. Little hair up top, the sides shorter. You know what I mean?"

Spike's eyes widened, and she nodded with affirmation, "I can do that."

"Sweet." He said shrugging, "I'm not good with descriptions."

"Understandable, I mean it's not like you went to school for it, head down and whatever you do, stay still." Spike said as she started fumbling through his wavy and curly locks, tamed by the water, "It's a wonder how curly your hair gets as it grows longer."

"When I was little my mom used to grow it super long."

"Then it gets hard to manage." She said with him in unison, "She loved the way it looked. I was in kid pageants and I was the only kid with hair below the neck. It was early 1990s, what do you expect?" She chucked as she cut off the first bit with ease. She was fast with the scissors, she was a professional. She knew where to cut, he need not ask questions and he was happy with that. There's nothing like going to a barber who wants to socialize but hasn't an idea what he's doing, at least with Christine she's been cutting her own hair, she went to school for it, she's practically grown up in a salon because her mother worked at one.

"I don't know how people with curls do it. Especially girls, if you end up cutting too short they look like little orphan Annie."

He laughed, staying still as opposed to his compulsions, "

"Did Em . . Em ever tell you about her perm gone bad."

"Only about a thousand times."

"She was so mad at me. I was all flustered so I couldn't help her and we tried everything. I just didn't want her hair to fall out you know? She never wanted another after that."

"She said she looked like she had a fro."

Spike laughed, pointing to a photo from her wedding tucked into her mirror, "You never saw pictures?"

Spinner squinted his eyes it wasn't a large photo. It was Emma, Manny, Spike and Snake in the photograph. From what Emma told him she was her mother's maid of honor. Makes sense, since you only have one daughter.

"You guys had a beautiful day."

"I know." She smiled, "It didn't start out that way. As far as weather went."

"And how about everything else?"

It didn't even look like there'd be a wedding with all the fighting between Emma, my friends, my husband everyone just had their own agendas but it all worked out. I actually got married in a tee shirt and jeans. With a cake with mistaken origins."

Spinner looked at her quizzing, "I technically don't remember my wedding."

"It depends on what wedding actually counted."

"Well . . technically the one by the shore."

"Exactly, the one in Niagara doesn't matter."

Technically neither of them do because the wedding is void. Spike when she finished ran her fingers through his hair looking to him, "What do you think? Should I blow it out?"

Spinner hesitated before Darcy walked over and saw it was finished, "I love it. Get it blow dryed it's cold out, I'd call you icicle head."

Spike conceded as she took out the hair dryer and started it. Darcy put her hand gingerly on Spinner's shoulder beaming with excitement. "I'll go pay up front." As Darcy left to go pay, Spinner admired his new 'do getting dried.

. . .

Sean excused himself from Emma's place to stop by, take a much-needed shower and get together with Jay. Of course, he didn't want to make it seem or sound like he's feeling sorry for him by any stretch of the imagination, he just wants to let him know he's there for him. Besides, Emma and Manny had plenty of catching up to do and Manny needed Emma, more than likely alone.

Alex was lying in her sweatpants on the pulled out couch bed, watching Jay play video games when Sean walked in. In the hours that passed, Alex and had gotten Jay into a better mood and the house was tidy once again. Earlier that day, Jay's outburst consisting of him giving Manny the boot also put the apartment in disarray. Jay with Alex's help got things back to normal. He looked away from the screen, paused and ran up to his friend. "I take it you heard."

Sean nodded as he squeezed him back, before pulling away with a smile, "Sorry I wasn't here all day I - "

"Don't really need to know do I?" Jay asked, answering the inquiry for him. The last thing Jay wanted to hear was about how Sean's love life was going smoothly, "Answer me this, though - did you give her the ring?"

Sean returned the question with a positive nod before he sat down between Alex and Jay. He kicked off his shoes as Alex shut the lap top and sat cross-legged on the couch allowing for Sean to have some space. With Sean spending so much time at Emma's it appeared strange that he was there this time. Since Sean moved in he had barely managed a full night at Jay's. Now that he was romantically involved with Emma it just seemed like he was up to better plans but he didn't want to be that sort of asshole and wanted to spend time with one of his good friends. Now with Alex living there, it's like having a guys night and she's just one of the guys.

"Did you bone her?" Alex asked with her eyes blinking waiting for an right response.

"Lex, really?" Sean squinted his eyes disappointingly as Alex got up off the couch.

"What?" Jay asked quizzing.

"We're all interested."

Sean knew all eyes were on him, he made a face closing his eyes sealing his ultimate fate, "I don't kiss and tell."

"Beer for either of you while I'm up?" Alex asked changing the subject, wearing a pair of cotton shorts that simply made her legs look as if they were going for miles.

Jay caught a glance but inside knew there wasn't anything in the cards for them two. For a girl he had platonic friendship with, he was sure attracted to her. Jay hadn't gone a very long time between If he could have a night with her no strings and commitment free he would agree to it. If he was able to cop a feel, especially after all the time he's been withheld from his romantic nature. She'd never let him live that shit down though. That's the brand of brotherly love they had. The same brand of friendship if not more intense that he has with Sean except crammed with romantic history, memories and love in the truest of forms. It wasn't always that way. Sean made a face at Jay for checking out Alex. Finally both guys agreed they'd like a beer and she disappeared down the hall into the kitchen.