I know it seems to be dragging a bit, but I don't just want to jump into the action and what not, ya know? I want it to be good. And White Sand is a real shampoo we use at my salon and it really does suck, it doesn't wash out very well despite how much you wash it out.
All the lyrics in the beginning of the stories are Christian Kane lyrics btw, I own nothing except the plot and the original characters.
I'll make sure
I make the best of what's yet to come.
Laugh a little bit more while I'm still young.
Yeah, yeah
Put a smile back in style.
I'll make sure
I make my daddy proud enough.
Go all in and get lucky in love.
Yeah, yeah
Oh, that's how I'm living now.
When Annabella Devereaux received a phone call that morning from her Aunt Sophie she never expected anything out of the ordinary. She had always done her Aunt's hair since she understood how picky Sophie was when it came to the dark locks and never turned her down; she was her only Aunt after all. So when the older woman had called her the day before and asked to be squeezed in to Annabella's schedule she wholeheartedly accepted. But she never expected her Aunt to show up with the rugged man standing before her in a pair of well worn work boots and with his hair pulled up into a half ponytail. He was attractive to say the least, if the staring of all the ladies in the shop didn't make that obviously clear, but there was something about him that she couldn't put a finger on. Why was he here? And how did her Aunt Sophie know him?
"Ready, sweetie?" Sophie spoke, interrupting the silent staring contest.
"Hmm? Oh, right. Of course!" Annabella squeaked, breaking eye contact with the hitter.
As she turned to lead her Aunt to her station she stopped mid step and turned back to face Eliot.
"You can sit over there if you like," She started, motioning towards the lounge area opposite the reception area. "If you'd like coffee, tea, or something to snack on please help yourself. There's also some magazines in that bookshelf."
Eliot nodded his head before the two women walked towards the empty hairdressing station, chatting animatedly. He sat down in the lounge and picked up a cooking magazine, one eye trained on the two women the whole time.
"So what would you like today Auntie? Just a blowout?" Annabella questioned as they neared her chair.
"I believe so sweetie, maybe a trim as well." Sophie answered, inspecting the ends of her hair.
Instead of seating the grifter in her chair Annabella lead her to the back of the salon towards the shampooing area and motioned for her to sit in the shampoo chair. As Sophie lied back and the young girl in charge of shampooing began to wet her hair, Annabella turned to the girl.
"Make sure you don't use the White Sand shampoo and conditioner, okay? A lot of guests have been saying it's not washing out as well."
When the girl nodded, Annabella returned to her station and started setting up for her Aunt's service, her eyes darting towards the man in the lounge every few minutes. He was in a red flannel shirt and faded blue jeans that looked like they've seen their fair share of better days. He was flipping through the magazine casually, occasionally pausing to read an article before moving on.
Once Sophie was finished getting her hair washed and was placed in Annabella's chair, she trained her dark eyes on her niece.
"So Bella, any new lovers in your life?" Sophie questioned the younger woman, a sly smile on her face.
Laughing lightly Annabella shook her head as she began to quickly cut away the dead ends of her Aunts hair.
"No, Auntie. Not since Stefan, you know that." She answered as she moved on to the next section of hair.
Sophie made a noncommittal noise and spared a quick glance at Eliot, who was still flipping through his magazine.
"I told you that boy was bad news. You need someone who'll treat you right sweetie, not be a total and complete arse." She scolded, giving her niece the 'I-told-you-so' look.
"I know Auntie, I know." Annabella sighed as she finished up the cut.
Her Aunt had given her this speech multiple times before and even though she knew Sophie was right, she couldn't stand to talk about what had transpired between her and the aforementioned Stefan. He was a mistake she made in her past and she was living with the consequences even now, three years later.
"I just want the best for you Bella." Sophie whispered before the blow dryer started.
The thing about Annabella was that she was quick at what she did; quick but extremely talented. She had taken countless classes in the last few years and was licensed in six different states as well as three different countries in Europe; all thanks to Sophie. She made quick work of the damp hair, blowing it out and spraying it with a bit of hairspray.
"It looks wonderful Bella!" Sophie gushed before she shot out of the seat and hugged her niece.
Annabella laughed as her Aunt spun her around before the older woman suddenly stopped and stared at the younger woman in the eye.
"You have to come to dinner tomorrow night. I won't take no for an answer." Sophie stated.
"Tomorrow night." Annabella clarified before they started towards Eliot, the hitter finally finished with his magazine.
The three of them walked out into the Spring sunshine and Annabella walked with them towards Eliot's truck, Sophie rambling on about how excited she was for the next night. Once they reached the truck Sophie turned and gave Annabella a big hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you so much Bella. I'll see you tomorrow."
When Sophie stepped away Annabella turned towards Eliot, who seemed to be focusing on something else behind her. Annabella assumed it was on one of the women who just walked past them, chatting away as they walked down the street.
"It was nice to meet you Eliot." She spoke softly, holding her hand out for a handshake.
"It was nice to meet you too." He responded, grasping her hand and raising it to his lips before placing a gentle kiss on the back of it.
As the grifter and hitter pulled away from the curb Annabella stood and waved before walking back towards Athena, never noticing someone slinking away down the alley just behind her.