Without You (gxg)

Part 35- Present Day

"Noelle is back."
That was the first thing I said when I walked through the door to my apartment. Olivia was sitting on the couch looking at her phone. I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to have Olivia as a roommate. Her and Josh were very serious- and I felt like they might want to live together soon.
"Sorry, what?" Olivia looked at me. In the past year i had dyed her hair a silver blonde and cut it to her shoulders and it looked absolutely amazing on her.
I collapsed onto the couch. "Noelle showed up at the salon today. Wants her hair to be done by me. Apparently she got a job in Philly and just moved a week ago."
"Are you fucking serious." Olivia stared at me.
"Unfortunately yes."
"Unfortunately? What do you mean unfortunately? Noelle is back. Isn't that a good thing?"
"Are you forgetting that she's married? This is like a tease. I can see her but I can't get too close. I can do her hair next week but I can't see her at all after that. Also, I moved on from her. What the fuck is this." I rambled.
"Yeah, clearly you've moved on." Olivia said sarcastically, "But you agreed to do her hair?"
"Of course. I don't want to lose out on a client."
"You don't want to lose out on seeing her."
"You're right." I sighed, "Let's just see how this goes."
I could barely think about anything else the whole week. It occupied my mind. Even with my medication, I was having trouble sleeping.
And then Friday rolled around. And I hated that I tried to make myself look extra good in the morning that day.
She's married. You moved on. She's just a client.
I could barely even concentrate on the other appointments I had that morning, but I somehow pulled through. And when I saw Noelle walk in at 1:55, my heart skipped a beat.
I was finishing blow drying a woman's hair who I dyed pink for breast cancer awareness for her daughter.
"You are all finished. Thank you so much for letting me do your hair. Let's go up to the front." I said.
"I absolutely love it, dear. My daughter will too." The sweet lady, Francine, said to me.
I saw Noelle watching me as I walked up to the register, and once again we locked eyes.
I took payment from Francine, and she thanked me once again. "I'm referring everyone I know to you."
"Thank you so much. That makes me really happy." I smiled at her. Then I took a deep breath, and walked up to Noelle.
"Hey. Are you ready to come back?"
"More than ready." Noelle got up, "That woman's hair looked really good, by the way."
"Thank you. Her daughter got diagnosed with breast cancer and she wanted to dye her hair in honor of her." I said, "Let's go back to my chair."
It felt absolutely surreal having Noelle sit in my chair. I wrapped the black cape around her and even just touching her in the slightest sent electricity through my body.
I ran my hands through her hair, trying to be casual about it.
I used to grab this hair when she would go down on-
I snapped out of the dirty thought in my mind.
Get it together, Harley.
"So, are you still wanting to go brunette? That nice chestnut shade we talked about?"
"You still think that would look good?"
"I definitely do. It'll be really rich and pretty. Did you want me to cut any length off?"
"Maybe just a trim. Do you think I need one?" Noelle was looking at me in the mirror as I stood behind her.
"Everyone could use a trim. When was the last time you got a haircut?"
"I have no idea. Over a year ago I'm going to guess. You can trim some of it off."
"Okay." I nodded, "Let's do this. The price is going to be 100 with the cut and all over color. Is that okay with you, before I start?"
"Of course." Noelle nodded.
I almost broke down when I went in the back to go mix up her color. It felt so fucking weird- being strangers now with the person I loved the most at one point. We talked in small bits as I put the dye in her hair. I was trying to concentrate on my hands not being shaky. The conversation was light. She asked me about what I liked doing best with hair. And I asked her about her new job. She got a job at a firm as a mechanical engineer. And I felt beyond happy for her. But I could tell we both wanted to dig deeper. Truly find out about the past years of each others lives. She made no mention of Elena. And I kept trying to see if she had a ring on. I didn't see one.
It was all getting to be a lot for me as I washed her hair. I wanted to ask her about her marriage so badly. Because it was still such a sore spot for me. But I didn't want to seem unprofessional at work. Or cross a line.
But as I was trimming her hair, I crossed it. I couldn't help myself.
Noelle was asking me if I lived far. I told her that I loved about a half hour away with Olivia. Then I asked her where she moved to.
"Two towns away from you. I didn't want to be right in the city, so I'm right outside of it." she said.
"And Elena came with you?" I asked. It kind of just slipped out. But I had to know.
Noelle got quiet for a moment. She had a look in her eyes that I couldn't quite read. "No." was all she said.
"Oh. Your wife didn't come with you?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"I'm not married." Noelle said, and I could sense anger in her voice.
"Gotcha." was all I said. What else could I say? But she wasn't married. Okay. That still didn't ease my mind at all. Because she still was married to Elena at one point.
I blow dried her hair. And as it got more and more dry, I realized her going brunette was the right choice. The rich, dark color made her eyes pop and her skin tone glow. She looked...amazing.
"This is your color." I said to her, as I ran product through her hair, "Never go back to blonde again."
"I love it." she said, "I'm really glad I did this."
"I'd be happy to do your touch ups." I said.
"It gives me an excuse to see you." Noelle said.
I paused for a moment as I waited for my flatiron that I was going to run over her hair to get hot.
"You want to keep seeing me?" I asked her.
Noelle sighed, "Yes, Harley. I want to keep seeing you. That's why I came to your salon in the first place. Because I wanted to see you."
"Okay." I nodded. I was in shock. Still not believing this was happening.
I ran the flatiron lightly over her hair and then I sprayed it lightly with hairspray. "Try to not wash it for a few days. The color will stay better."
"I don't plan on it. I love it. You're extremely talented." Noelle said.
"Thank you...that means a lot. Let me take you up to the front." I said, and took the cape off Noelle.
Noelle paid- and gave me a tip that was...much more than generous.
"Did you mean to give this much?" I asked her.
"Yes." she nodded, "And I'd like to do more. Harley...can I take you out to dinner?"
What? Where was this coming from?
The next thing I said definitely was rude. But it came from a place of bitterness about her getting married. And I knew it was petty. But I couldn't help myself.
"If you're trying to rebound with me from your wife, I'm not going to let that happen." I said.
Noelle's eyes looked hurt by that statement. And then they turned angry.
"For your information- my wife was a rebound from you. So don't say things when you have no damn idea what you're talking about." Noelle said, "I'll see you around. Sorry."
Then she left. Walked right out the door. And I knew I couldn't let her go. So I went out from behind the desk and opened the door. She was walking toward a very nice BMW.
Was that hers?
"Noelle! Wait!" I called out. She paused, and then turned around and walked back to me.
"What?" she asked me.
"Tomorrow night. Are you free for dinner?" I asked her.
What are you doing, Harley.
She paused for a moment like she was thinking about it.
"Let's just make it easy. Meet me at Walt's Cafe at 8?"
My stomach lurched. That's where we had our first date.
"I'm always down for pancakes for dinner." I said.
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." Noelle said. And then she walked off.
But I was seeing her tomorrow. And that's not something I expected I would be saying again.