Fortuity (Transcend 3)

As I secure the cape around her, the door chimes. Walk-ins are rare, but occasionally someone shows up desperate to be seen. The answer today will be no. My feet are screaming. I crane my neck to see the counter.

Oh my god!

No more neck craning. If I had a shell like a turtle, I’d draw the stupid thing into it. The young girl in my chair and her mom waiting a few feet away both eye me with suspicion. It could be the frightening grimace on my face.

“Give me a few seconds. I’ll be right back.” I turn, coming into full view.

“Gracelyn?” Morgan narrows her eyes and cocks her head.

Nate? He’s an expressionless statue open to uncomfortable interpretation.

Surprise?

Shock?

Anger?

Disappointment?

“Hey! I’m a little surprised to see you here.”

“The feeling’s mutual.” Nate’s mad. That’s definitely a mad tone of voice.

The phone rings, but it can only save me for a minute or so. I hold up my finger to them and answer it. “Lice Out, how can I help you? I can fit you in tomorrow at eleven. What’s the name? And the best phone number? Okay … see you then. Bye.” I hang up the phone.

“We thought you cut hair.”

I smile at Morgan. “Yeah, well … I never exactly said that, but I can see how one might have inferred that.”

I hate the look Nate’s giving me. My heart is drowning in wreckage like the Titanic because they are leaving in two days. I was going to tell him the truth … just when they were a couple thousand miles northeast of here.

“Morgan has lice,” Nate says in a stiff tone.

She scratches her head.

I cringe.

“We weren’t sure where she got it, but I think it’s pretty clear now.”

My eyes widen. “Uh … not from me.” I point to the cover on my head. “I cover my head and wear this white smock. And as you may have noticed…” I give him a tight smile “…I strip down outside and put my clothes in a bag before I go inside. And once inside, they go directly into the wash. I had lice when I was twelve. Newsflash … I don’t have them anymore. So keep looking for your culprit because it’s not me. However …” I return my attention to Morgan and smile. “I’ll get you fixed up, but you’ll have to wait an hour or more. I’m just getting started with someone else.”

“That’s fine.” She holds up a book. “I brought something to do.”

I nod, keeping my Morgan smile, but it falls from my face when I slide my gaze to Nate. If I didn’t have someone waiting for me, I’d take the time to explain … although it should be pretty self-explanatory.

“Okay. See that yellow chair …” I point to my right. “Go have a seat so I can check you. If you don’t have lice, there’s no need for you to wait around.”

“She has lice.” Nate frowns.

With a tight smile, I narrow my eyes at him. “Well, it’s protocol that I take a look first before you sign the papers and before I start treating her. And this is my area of expertise, so you should just let me do my thing.” Yep, I’m a lice technician, not exactly life goals here, but I do a lot to help people. And as with any unappealing job that’s necessary—someone has to do it. Why not me?

He sighs. “Do your thing.”

The words on my tongue want to be set free, but I have work to do, so I nod and head over to check Morgan. “You definitely have them. Sorry, sweetie. Just hang out and read your book. Okay?”

She nods, opening her book.

I get the forms for Nate to read and sign. “Just set them on the counter when you’re done. I’ll have to check you too.”

“I don’t have them,” he grumbles.

“Well, I’ll let you know if that’s true.” I curl my lips into a flat line before returning to my first client.

Nate sits in a chair that gives him a straight view of me. Lovely. So for the next ninety minutes, I feel him glaring at me, and with each quick glance I make in his direction, he confirms those feelings. I never see him blink. He has laser focus on me. What must be going through his mind? I highly doubt it’s sentimental emotions over how much he’s going to miss me.

Our love story will end from a bad case of lice. I can’t wait to hear Brandon’s thoughts on that.

After I give the young girl and her mom instructions for home and the car and they exit, I thoroughly wipe everything down, wash my hands, and don new gloves. I explain the steps: the air treatment, the inch-by-inch combing through her hair with a lice comb and dimethicone oil.

While I do my thing under the watchful gaze of the guy who seemed to love me pre-lice, Morgan talks nonstop about all the things she’s excited to do when they return to Madison. At times I get tears in my eyes, but I don’t let Nate see them. I’m not just going to miss him. I’m going to miss this chatty, smart girl who’s filled with so much life and curiosity. Truth? We really have become friends.