Chapter 3

A/N: Once again Mille Grazie to Unbridleddotmind for the kindly loan of her hairdresser character Jenelle.

"Sorry honey I'm so late but one of my operators called in sick at the last minute and I was doing my best customer service by trying to fit most of his clients in on my calendar. I'mma speed things up a bit so I can get you out of here as close to 6 as possible. First the shampoo then we'll do the threading. You up for the mani-pedi at the same time you're at the bowl for a deep conditioning?"

Joss barely gets to nod yes before Janelle plunges on.

"Ok. Then the Brazilian while you're getting your facial. I will get you outta' my chair by no later than 6:15, I promise." Jenelle holds up her left hand in the Boy Scout oath.

Joss groans a little inside. Now she's going to be running late and she still needs to get home and change then meet John at the gala. Traffic will be unbearable and it will take her another 20 mins to find a parking place. She's going to be really late and John is going to be kinda pissed.

"So girl you getting the works today, there must be something really special going down tonight. Got a little sumpin', sumpin' going on with the reason for that new pep in your step, that swing in your thing and that new glide in your stride?! When you gonna' show me a picture of that man of yours huh? He must be something the way he's got you glowing and coming in here 3 to 5 times a week all sweated out."

Jenelle waggles her professionally shaped eyebrows at Joss with a wide leer on her face. Joss can't help but laugh. In the years she's known Jenelle she's gone from being just a hairdresser to a good friend; a very nosey one but still a friend. She laughs again because she has to remind herself that Jenelle is also a direct line back to her mother. Anything Jenelle knows within an hour of her appointment's end so does Joss' mom.

"I already told you girl it's complicated. And no it's nothing special tonight. We'll just be working." Joss sighs.

"Working….riiiiiigggggght. That's why you're getting that Brazilian? Because you're gonn'a be just working?"

Jenelle dances around the chair and out of Joss' reach and starts singing "Let my body do the work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work."

Scoffing Joss laughs at Jenelle and tells her to stop teasing but her real reply is quieter, regretful.

"I wish… I'm getting all of this stuff done because I need me a little pick-me-up. I miss him girl. You don't know the half of it. He's gone so much, but his work is important. I just would like to spend some quality time with him, away from work."

"Oh I'm sorry honey." Jenelle can see the deep sadness in Joss' eyes. "Well maybe another time. You just let me know and the works is on me the next time ok."

"No Jenelle. I can't let you do that!"

"That's right you can't let me. I will be doing it though." Playfully Jenelle tells her, "You ain't the only strong willed, independent, can't tell me what to do, woman around. And besides, we stubborn….I mean independent women gotta' look out for each other, you know."

Joss sees the gentle and caring smile on Jenelle's face and with a small head bob yes, gratefully acknowledges the gift her friend wants to bestow on her.

"Alright girl and thanks. I just don't think that's happening anytime soon. He's busier than ever and so am I, what with my bar review next week, Quinn's trial and my testifying."

Janelle interrupts Joss and spits out, "That nasty dog, I hope he gets shanked and dies in prison. It's what he deserves and since he's a cop he probably will."

"Yeah well, the jury will decide what happens to Quinn."

With disappointment in her voice Joss continues lamenting to Janelle. "Unfortunately, there are a million other things that always seem to get in the way of us spending any real quality time together."

"Well just lay back and relax Joss. You're in my expert hands today and by the time you leave here you will feel like a new woman."

Jenelle lowers Joss down to the bowel and begins the hair wash. Because the scalp message she's getting from Jenelle just feels sooooooo good Joss starts feeling sleepy and thinks that maybe a little nap will do her some good. Not sleeping well most nights because John is not in their bed is beginning to catch up with her and the two glasses of white wine that comes with the salon doesn't hurt any either. The excellent work Janelle is doing on her head soon has Joss drifting off to the sounds of the blow dryers, tinkling bell at the door as people enter and exit the shop and the slowly fading buzz buzz of conversation from the front of the shop. Finch had sent so many gowns for her to try… Alexander Wang, Balenciaga, Paolo Nieddu, Dior, Renato Balesar, Caroline Herrera, Herve Leroux and on and on and on. Her last thoughts as she drifted off are of which one of the beautiful gowns she's going to slip into for tonight's job.

John had seen Joss safely to Jenelle's shop many times before Joss even gave him the address. Now that he's gotten the address legally from her, Joss lets him drop her off outside off the building sometimes and even more rarely pick her up. He finally finds a parking space a little down the street from Jenelle's shop. His long legs stride up the street and soon stop in front of the shop. He looks at the name on the door and wonders why Joss feels the need to come here. She's beautiful when she walks in and just as beautiful when she exits. He sees no need to tamper with perfection and smiles at that thought. He's getting mushy in his older years and smirks at that thought too.

It's now 5:10pm and he hope's he's not too late to give some input into Joss' hair do for this evening. The gala starts at seven so he's already changed into his tux. Across his arm in a garment bag is draped one of the gowns that Joss has been raving about during their too few phone conversations for the last day and a half. If things follow their usual path Joss will not be done with her appointment when she expects to which is at 5:30pm. John has come to the shop with a garment bag in hand because he knows Joss is going to be late and this way she can change at the shop and they can go straight to the gala. He regrets that he didn't hire a limo because he knows the parking is going to be horrendous. They're going to be late and miss the cocktail meet and greet, but should get there in just enough time to be seated with the rest of the guest for the dinner portion of the gala.

What he really wanted to bring was the Ducati. When he can get Joss on the bike he loves the feel of her behind him, squeezing him tight, holding on for dear life when they take off a little too fast for her liking. Of course that's most of the time because he just loves how she makes him feel when she's at his back on the bike. But being on the back of a bike in an expensive evening gown might not set quite the tone he was going for this evening. Reaching for the door handle to Janelle's shop, John smiles and files that vision away for perhaps another time.

As John steps into the shop he hears the little bell tinkle signifying that someone has entered or left the premises. As usual he takes note of all the entrances and exits, whether they're blocked or easily accessible, which ones can be reached the fastest depending on where you are in the room. Where and what in the room offers the best cover and if need be that they have a room full of easily convertible, flammable bomb like chemicals right at hand. He also notes no Joss.

He sighs because all of this is done in a second or two. He knows he can never really turn his training off. Today though, John's not worried about someone attacking them here at Janelle's. What has John on high alert is that he's come into a place that Joss has kept very privet, as her own, without an invitation to him to enter it. Joss doesn't have her hand cuffs any longer but sometimes still carries her Nano that Shaw gave her as a get well gift when Joss was discharged from the hospital after Simmons almost killed her. His nerves tell him today might be the day that Joss carries out one of her old threats and shoots him with it.

He's always picked her up out on the street so John had figured out that she was not ready to have everyone in her life, well this part of her life, meet him just yet. But he wanted this night, this date to go so well that when the thought occurred to him, he just went with it and got the dress, shoes, jewels, handbag and wedding rings to bring them to the shop to save time. With everything in hand she could change when her hair was done. It seemed like such a good idea….at the time.

What was he thinking to just turn up in her privet space? John can't remember the last time he was this nervous about a date. His logic was being compromised by his nerves and when he walked into the shop and every one stopped whatever they were doing to turn almost as one to stare at him, he knew he had made a mistake. He could see the headlines now…'ex cop finally shots and captures the man in the suit.'

Joss had tried many times to warn him about her boundaries but he thought she truly knew he had none where she and Taylor were concerned. As John stood at the door like a dear caught in headlights, the cacophony of sound from the front of the shop and Jenelle's, Joss' and other women's laughter drifting from the back mixed. He became a bit more alert because Joss' voice was getting louder as they were coming from the back of the shop. The curtains parted and Jenelle breezed through them followed by some woman who was shuffling along behind her. She was shuffling due to foam things in between her toes. A huge mostly wet and sagging afro was dripping water on a towel around her neck and her face was covered in some type of green face mask. John took all of this in as he continued to watch the woman try to maneuver with her arms stuck out in front of her waving her hands, walking and looking for all the world like a zombie.

As Jenelle whirled around and spotted John standing in front of the door she stops in her tracks and in sotto voce exclaims, "OMG!". Doing a quick side step to avoid smashing into Jenelle's back, Joss comes through the curtain. As she moves in front of Jenelle to give her a hard time about the abrupt stops she hears Jenelle's breathless "OMG" then sees the look on her face. What registers next with Joss is the pin drop silence in the shop. Her adrenaline has started to pump, her body is readying to deal with whatever the threat is as she slowly turns to see what's silenced the usually uproariously noisy shop.

There, in front of the door in all his drop dead gorgeousness, stands John looking like a bazillion bucks in a pleated white shirt and white tux jacket, black cumber bund, bow tie, black tuxedo pants and shoes with such a high gloss shine she can see Bonnie Bradly's face, whose chin has hit the ground, reflecting in them. Joss was as dumbstruck as everyone else and swallowed a couple of times before she got her voice back. She opens her mouth to call him but what comes out is a soft surprised squeak of a question.

" John. What are you doing here?"