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Her appointment was at two with a woman named Rachel. Most
of the stations were already filled and Katie was unsure where to
go. It was her first time here and she was uncomfortable. None of
the stylists looked older than thirty and most had wild hair with
red and blue tints. A moment later, she was approached by a girl
in her mid-twenties, tanned and pierced with a tattoo on her neck.
“Are you my two o’clock? Color and trim?” she asked.
Katie nodded.
“I’m Rachel. Follow me.”
Rachel glanced over her shoulder. “It’s cold out there, huh?”
Rachel said. “I almost died on my way to the door. They make us
park on the far side of the lot. I hate that, but what can I do,
right?”
“It is cold,” Katie agreed.
Rachel led her to a station near the corner. The chair was purple
vinyl and the floor was black tile. A place for younger people,
Katie thought. Singles who wanted to stand out. Not married
women with blond hair. Katie fidgeted as Rachel put a smock over
her. She wiggled her toes, trying to warm her feet.
“Are you new in the area?” Rachel asked.
“I live in Dorchester,” she said.
“That’s kind of out of the way. Did someone give you a referral?”
Katie had passed by the salon two weeks earlier, when Kevin had
taken her shopping, but she didn’t say that. Instead, she simply
shook her head.
“I guess I’m lucky I answered the phone then.” Rachel smiled.
“What sort of color do you want?”