Bride by Design 2: Manchala on the Mind by Alicia Roberts Page B

No, I like my hair dark, and I don’t plan on dying it."
     
    "Hmm. Well, the coloring does suit your skin tone, but a few highlights and lowlights would really make your skin glow, and it would look ab-so-lutely gorgeous!"
     
    "I'm not about to dye my hair."
     
    Colin interjected snidely, "Lisa, the expert has spoken."
     
    I narrowed my eyes and held myself back from stomping my foot. "I'm not about to dye it."
     
    "Why not?" Jared was serious and his concern seemed genuine.
     
    I blushed, wishing I didn't have to expose my financial situation in front of Jared, wishing I could pretend to be one of his typical rich clients. But Jared was my only hope - if I could convince him, he wouldn't let Colin completely change the way I looked.
     
    "I can't afford to keep up the dye job," I admitted softly , "And I can't afford the special shampoos you need to make your hair stay nice after dying it."
     
    Jared nodded. "Hmm, ok. If you can't maintain it then there's no point doing it, it'll just ruin your hair."
     
    I saw the look of annoyance on Colin's face and he said brusquely, "It's just for a week. She needs to stay in good shape for a week, and then she can do whatever."
     
    "I'm not ruining my hair for you, Colin."
     
    Jared nodded sympathetically. "We can't do this, it'll just ruin her beautiful hair if she doesn't maintain the dye job."
     
    Colin's eyes were flashing and I could tell he felt impotent in his total lack of feminine hair knowledge. "Well, what can we do to her hair then?"
     
    Jared turned to me. "I can give you a gorgeous haircut. Your hair's a bit flat now, that's why it looks so dull and thin. I'll give you layers, that'll add volume. And I'll use a brightening treatment to make your hair look more lustrous and beautiful. What do you think, gorgeous?"
     
    I smiled at him in the mirror. He was so sweet, and his passion about hair was adorable.
     
    I nodded happily. "Ok."
     
    Colin exhaled, but I could tell he wasn't entirely happy. "How long will this take?"
     
    "An hour or two. Why don't I make you coffee, you can read some magazines while you wait?"
     
    "Yes to the coffee, no the rags ."
     
    Colin went and sat on the couch, pulling out his phone and calling someone.
     
    I let Jared drag me over to the hair washing station, where he washed my hair with something and gave me a relaxing scalp massage. "Don't let a man get to you," he said. "Just enjoy the time and your great new hair."
     
    I nodded, wondering just how much Jared knew about my relationship with Colin. Probably not much, I decided, but he never once asked me what was going on. Instead, he straightened my hair and cut it, all while talking about the latest movies and movie gossip.
     
    Alice, the blonde assistant, helped him to straighten and cut my hair, and at the end of it, they did something with rollers and hairdryers and I started at myself amazed. I had soft, shiny hair that framed my face , and it had volume without being too puffy. It was amazing - wh at had they done to my old hair?
     
    Jared and Alice both laughed at my expression, and Jared told me to use rollers on the top part of my hair when it was drying, and to blow dry it if I could. I nodded dutifully and they led me out to show Colin.
     
    He was in the middle of a phone call and hung up abruptly and stood up.
     
    "You look gorgeous," he said, staring at me with obvious wonder.
     
    " And y ou look surprised," I teased, wondering if I had really looked that bad before.
     
    Colin smiled and we both thanked Jared and Alice and walked out. I felt surprising pleased and happy at how things had turned out. Since my parents died, I've never had a chance to pamper myself, and my time with Jared had been lovely.
     
    As we sat in the limo, Colin was smiling at me, looking pleased. I knew he wanted to say something but was holding himself back.
     
    I tried not to touch my hair or flip it around like I wanted to. I smiled at him, enjoying his obvious admiration.