TW
Daniel requested a more private area of the shop, muttering some probable half-baked but brilliantly executed excuse to the woman at the front desk. It's a well-lit, clean shop downtown next to a dispensary Daniel said he had been before. Even so, being out in public with Daniel like this, my silence and obedience is paramount if I am truly to see my father later.
Honestly, I would swallow nails and keep it quiet if it meant could visit my dad.
A man who looks to be a bit younger than Daniel comes out, lavender dyed hair and an electric blue apron. His magnetizing presence and overall joyful demeanor calms my nerves. He flashes his pearly whites and motions for us to follow him back to what must be a more private area of the studio, as Daniel had requested.
Our fingers intertwine as we follow him back. Daniel gives my hands a slight squeeze; a warning to behave which I am more than already aware of. We both know just how much he is sacrificing by being out in public with me, even if it is just in Oregon. My life, as well as his, rides on this going well.
"Well welcome in! Whose hair are we working on today?" He asks once we step inside the small room, no bigger than the basement Daniel had me locked in days before. He eyes flit between Daniel and me, patiently awaiting an answer.
Daniel kisses my temple with a smile and nudges me forward, "hers."
"Wonderful! Go on and sit your little tush down. I'm Echo, by the way." He flashes that same magnetic smile as I sit. He takes a black cape hanging from the wall and drapes it across me, connecting it at the back of my neck and gently pulling my hair out to rest behind me as I sit up straight.
"I'm Ben," Daniel greets him back as he takes a seat in an empty chair a few feet beside me. Close enough but out of the way so Echo can work. "And this is my beautiful bride, Rose."
The name makes me want to vomit as images of white roses flood my mind. Only, they're being held by the corpses of the girls who came before me, their white petals marred with blood.
But the need to see my father is greater than the need to uncheck all over Echo's meticulously organized setup.
Compartmentalize.
"Bride? How exciting! When's the wedding?" Echo gasps, excitement oozing from his pores as he gets the last of his tools lined up.
"We haven't decided on a date yet." Ben grins, obviously happy with Echo's elated response. I also can't help but smile like a fool at the prospect of a wedding.
"Well congrats! I love weddings. On top of running this place I do hair and makeup for weddings and parties."
"That's amazing!" I smile, feeling comfortable enough to engage in conversation with Echo. I crave this connection with someone else, even if I'm pretending to be somebody else.
"Thanks! So tell me what we're doing with your hair." He looks at me through the mirror as he stands behind me, observing my long, chestnut hair I'll have to kiss goodbye for a while.
"Something completely different, but not crazy." I shrug. Daniel had tried coming up with different hairstyles for me on our way here, but I couldn't commit to any of them. It all seemed wrong and disgusting. The point of coming here was to start changing my identity so that we can be together.
"Okay, completely different length? Color?" He inquires, fluffing my hair.
"Both, please." I request. Daniel had told me before it would have to be both. "Whatever you think would look good. I trust your vision."
YOU ARE READING
Pure Obsession {WIP}
Mystery / ThrillerAmara has her whole life ahead of her. A smart and resourceful girl with opportunities she could only ever dream about will be just that: dreams. Lured by beauty and trapped by a man she should have been smart enough to see coming, she must perse...
