Fresh Cut Romance (2 page)

Chapter Two – Jessie

"One kiss breaches the distance between friendship and love
.
"
~Anonymous~

J
ulian insisted I ride with him. His silver green Porsche SUV was a lot nicer than my older model Ford. I'd mistakenly thought they only made sports cars. Obviously not.

I gazed out the window. It was a clear sunny day and I could barely make out the coastal mountains to the east
—not unusual for Southern California. We were headed north up 101 when he told me he knew someone named Jessie who was a beautician and she was going to give me the works—whatever that meant?

"Jessie's a girl?" I asked.

His gaze shifted to me momentarily. "Jessica is more like a lady. She's thirty-six and my oldest sister. She has a beauty salon, spa and boutique in North Hollywood."

"Oldest sister. How many sisters do you have?

He rattled off, "Three, Jessica, Janet and Judy."

I narrowed my eyes. "Wow, your family seems to have a 'J' thing.

He snuck in a glance and chuckled. "You could say that. My mother and father are Juliet and John."

I giggled. "Tell me how old are Janet and Judy?"

Someone cut Julian off. He swerved, then honked his horn.

The driver waved as if to say he was sorry. "Crazy friggen
California driver.

"Sorry about the language. All my sisters are thirty-six, seven years older than me."

My confusion must have been obvious, because he continued, "They're identical triplets, each born thirty minutes apart. Jessie was first."

I imputed, "And by the way you named them, Judy was last."

His gaze shifted again and he flashed an effervescent smile. "Give that girl a kewpie doll."

"That makes you five years older than me."

He waggled his brows. "
Correcto mundo
, assuming you're twenty-four."

I smiled. "What do they look like?"

Julian turned into an alley, drove about a half block and pulled into a single row of parking spaces behind a two-story building. He turned to me and grinned mischievously. "They look like Jessie, whom you'll meet in about thirty seconds. Wait there."

He jumped out of the SUV and rushed around to my side. As he had done at the museum, he opened the door for me. Grasping my hand, he helped me out. "Shall we?"

Hand in hand, we went in the back entrance. I'd assumed she'd be fixing someone's hair or something, but Julian took me directly into a small, rather disorderly, office near the rear entrance.

A spunky, somewhat overly made-up woman with bright red hair sat at a cluttered desk. She looked up, and her face lit up when she recognized Julian. "Baby brother, what a pleasant surprise." She rose, came around the desk and hugged him. Then she turned to me. "And who have we here?"

"Jessie, this is my friend, Laurel Adams. Laurel, this is Jessica Ryan, my sister."

I offered my hand, but Jessie would have none of that. She pulled me into a hearty embrace. She broke away. "Nice to meet you, Laurel."

I smiled broadly. "The pleasure is all mine, Jessica."

She winked. "Jessie please."

Turning to Julian, she continued. "Now, what brings you here, Ju?"

He hitched his head in my direction. "I'm taking
Laurel out on the town tonight and I want you to work your magic on her."

Jessie tucked her chin back and frowned in disbelief. "Magic? She's lovely. Doesn't look like any magic is needed. Just a comb-out and a little makeup."

Julian nodded. "I know, just do what you think is best. She's going to need something from the boutique, too."

She rubbed her palms together. "Ooh, I know just the outfit. Laurel dear, let's get you started and I'll put together an ensemble for your approval. If you don't like it, we'll find something else; it won't hurt my feelings in the slightest. Is that all right?" 

I was overwhelmed and getting a little concerned, because money was in short supply. I nodded, but my worry must have shown on my face, because…

She waved a hand. "And don't worry about cost. Julian and I will take care of it."

She looked me up and down. "Pretty figure. I'd say size six dress, seven shoes. Is that about right?

A little more relaxed, I smiled. "Perfect."

She turned to her brother. "Now, Julian. Where are you taking this lovely lady?"

"I thought I'd start with dinner then a play or dancing."

Jessie raised a solo eyebrow. "You do have reservations?"

Julian raised his head and closed his eyes. Opening them he said, "Christ, no. I can't take
Laurel to just any old place."

"It's okay little brother. Let me get
Laurel started, while you call Janet and see what she can do."

Jessie took my hand and led me out of her office and down the hall.

"What does Janet do?" I asked.

She snickered. "It's not what she does. It's who she's married to."

We entered a large room, obviously the beauty parlor. "Laurel, this is Sarah," whispering so the other beauticians wouldn't hear, she continued, "She's my best hairdresser and maybe the best in Hollywood."

Sarah was thirty-ish, average height, nice figure and pretty with platinum hair and friendly blue eyes. She grabbed a handful of my hair and let it run through her fingers. "Hi Laurel, love your hair. It'll be a pleasure to work on you."

"Thank you, Sarah."

"Okay. I'll leave you two for now. I'll be back in an hour to see how you're coming along."

"Thanks for everything, Jessie."

"Thanks aren't necessary. I'd do anything for Julian."

I noticed Sarah flinch, then recovering, she said, "All right dear, we'll start with a shampoo."

While soaping and scrubbing my hair, Sarah asked. "Are you seeing Julian?"

I opened an eye and gazed at her. Her brow was furrowed and her smile seemed tense, forced through a tight jaw.

"No, we're just friends. Ow, that water's too hot."

I saw her hand move back behind my head, and then the water cooled down. "I'm Sorry. You were saying."

"He thinks I need some fun so he's taking me out."

Her eyes seemed thoughtful. "I went out with him. I'm a few years older than him so I knew there wasn't a future."

"Really? How long ago?"

"Hmmm. Roughly a year and a half ago, I guess. He's a player you know? Breaks women's hearts. I knew what I was getting into. Mainly did it for the sex. But he still got under my skin."

I was nonplussed. "Really. You went out with him to have sex?"

"Sure. Fun too, but mainly sex. He's a great looking guy. I'm sure you've noticed?

"Okay, let's get some curlers in your hair and get you under the dryer." She wrapped a towel around my head and helped me up.

Back at her station, after blow-drying my hair, she put it in curlers. She acted quiet, seemingly deep in thought. When she finished she led me to a bank of dryers.

My mind spun. Sarah's words in my mind eclipsed the hairdryer's loud drone.
Mainly did it for the sex. He's a player you know? He's a great looking guy.
He certainly is a great looking guy. Charming too.
He's a player you know? Sure, fun too, but mainly sex. Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex!

We're in the museum, Julian takes me in his arms. He's kissing me. This is bad! No it's good! I should stop him, pull away! But I don't want to! I want to kiss him back, but I don't know how. I don't know what to do. They don't teach you how to kiss an angel, an angel, an angel.

I woke up unsteadily, from a hand shaking my arm. "Oh! What?"

Looking around I saw Sarah half laughing at me. "You fell asleep. C'mon, sweetheart. Time to make you beautiful."

My face flushed.

Sarah took me to her station and set me down. "How do you want it," she asked, "any ideas?"

I gazed at Sarah's image reflected in the mirror. "No, what does your experience tell you?"

Her hand grasped her chin. "Hmmm. Let me think. Who's your favorite actress?

"I like Nicole Kidman."

Sarah looked at the ceiling and shook her head. "No, someone young, preferably with dark hair, like you."

"Then how about Sarah Jessica Parker?"

Sarah shook her head. "No, you don't look like her and she's older than Nicole Kidman.
I think you look like Kate Beckensale, but you have such a pretty face I don't want your hair to distract from it. How about if I fix your hair up with a ribbon and curls cascading over the ribbon?"

"You're the boss and I don't have that pretty a face."

"Oh, yeah? Wait 'til I finish."

She turned me around and wouldn't let me see what she was doing. While Sarah did my hair, the manicurist, Lucille, came over and performed a quick manicure and pedicure.

After Lucille left, Sarah applied makeup. After about ten minutes, she came around in front of me, stood back and took my picture. Just then, Jessie came by. "Sarah, fantastic job. My God, Julian can sure pick 'em. She's exquisite.

Sarah stiffened slightly at Jessie's comment, but acted normal. Swinging my chair around, she said, "Ta-da."

I didn't recognize myself. I didn't know if I was beautiful, but I couldn't take my eyes off the mirror.

As I looked at my reflection, Sarah, beamed, put her cheek next to mine and looking at our reflection, said, "What did I tell you? Beautiful!"

"Oh Sarah, It's…it's absolutely gorgeous. I don't know how to thank you."

"Don't worry about it. I get paid to do gorgeous." She turned slightly and pecked my cheek. "But thanks for saying so."

"I hope you're not going to be mad at me for going out with him. Are you?"

Jessie was right there so she whispered, "Nah. He never was that interested in me, just sex. I'm pretty much over him and you've got a good shot with him. Good luck."

Sarah's hand rested on my opposite shoulder. I reached up and grasped it, and just like that, we were friends.

"Let me give you a little advice. Don't go to bed with him too quickly. I think that's what I did wrong," she whispered.

I was beyond shocked. As attractive as I found Julian, sex was out of the question. "Don't worry Sarah. I have no intention of sleeping with him," I whispered back, probably a little too loudly. I hitched my head and blinked my eyes in a so there gesture.

Sarah laughed. "You're a cutie, here's my card. Call me, let's do lunch sometime."

I took the card and kissed her cheek. "You're nice. Julian should take a second look at you. Even if you are older."

She laughed again, embraced me and whispered, "If Julian is going though all this trouble, he only has eyes for you."

Jessie took my hand. "C'mon Laurel, have I got the finishing touches for you." She led me back to the spa and boutique.

When we got there, Jessie showed me what she'd selected. She had great taste. I wouldn't change a thing.

Just then, Julian rushed in all excited. "Guess what?" He came to an abrupt stop and said, "Wow! You look great. He stepped into me and hugged me like at the museum but without the kiss. He pulled away his hands still on my forearms. "I like your hair up." He looked at Jessie, then me. "Janet came through. She got us reservations at Capo for eight o'clock."

"Wow! That's great." I didn't know what or where Capo was, but Jessie seemed to approve.

I looked at my watch. It was three-thirty. Except for putting on the gown and heels, I was ready, but our reservation was for eight—four and a half hours away. I looked at Julian and he seemed to read my mind. "I could take you back to the museum for an hour or so and if you don't mind me knowing where you live, I could follow you and you could get ready. We could leave from there."