"You see, you can always tell what they're thinking by looking in their eyes through the mirror. Look!"
Celena pointed into the mirror, making me look into my own eyes. She had me seated in the styling chair in leu of a client, she said that I should be able to sit in their shoes.
At a first glance, I thought this was extremely silly. We're just styling them, there's nothing more to this than that.
Celena grabbed a hold of my hair and gently ran her fingers through it. I smiled feeling the soothing rhythm she created.
"See? You read it in their eyes. The eyes!!"
I looked up at her and laughed.
"I get it!"
She smiled down at me.
"I promise. This will be your passion. I can tell you're made for it. Going to make you want to go to school for it when you get back home."
I smirked. She was still trying to push it on me, but I knew this wasn't real.
"I already see that look in your eye." She laughed. "You'll see. You're going to hear that bell that makes everything clear."
I looked away and down at my hands. I felt Celena's fingers scratch against my scalp, feeling out the texture of my hair.
"Maybe I'll let you diffuse Austin's curls. You've got curls, you gotta know how to do them."
I nodded. She nonchalantly just offered that to me.
"Wow, really?" I was shocked she would even propose me to do her client.
While running her hands through my hair, she nodded gently.
"Oh yeah, I got to see what I'm working with here. Gotta see what you're able to do." She removed her hands from my hair and walked over to her travel case on the couch on the other side of the room.
"Okay, that's the only lesson I have before Austin comes in for us."
I stood up and walked over to the couch, taking a seat. She was going through her bag, grabbing onto her hair tools. I watched intently. Watching her style Austin was like watching art being made. She was so confident, every stroke, comb, stitch, or snip she made was pure gold, she really was a master of her craft.
"Baby, can you grab onto my stitch box for me? I know Austin's going to break a seam on me today, I feel it in my soul."
Swiftly, I reached into her bag and searched for her stitch box, grabbing it after a couple attempts in different pockets, I brought it over to her and set it down on the vanity counter.
"He's been getting a little chubby lately, but still insists we get him the same size pants.. next time I'm gonna order a size up" She winked at me. "Our secret." I giggled, she really was a character, but she knew so much about Austin, I was almost jealous.
"What's Austin doing tonight?" I spoke up. Even though I knew Austin's schedule by heart already. Tonight he had a small meet and greet with some VIP'ers and then he's performing his last show in London.
Celena smiled at me.
"He's got a meet and greet before his show tonight, his last one before we pack up and move onto Amsterdam" She looked up at me swiftly and leaned over to me.
"We have the CRAZIEST parties in Amsterdam" I widened my eyes.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'm not entirely sure why, but it always just turns out that way. Since like 2016!"
"Oh wow. I can't wait!" I wondered what the craziest parties meant for them.
Celena splayed all her items across the vanity and sat down in the styling chair.
"Speaking of parties, I couldn't help but notice Smitty all over you at the club the other night." She smirked over to me, leaning against the back of the chair. I gulped, not really wanting to remember that night too well, looking down at the cuts all over my wrists bringing me back to that hectic time.
"No, no. He definitely tried, but I just don't want to get involved with something like that on tour." I tried to make it sound more like a professional conflict than a 'I'm dating his friend' kind of thing.
She scrunched her face.
"No fun! He's so cute, It woulda been awesome."
I half smirked over at her and shook my head.
"Totally cute, just not what I'm looking to do here."
A knock at the door saved me from this conversation.
"Come in!" Celena yelled over.
Austin stepped in and smiled wide at both of us.
"Hey, Ladies. I'm ready to look pretty!"
I laughed along with Celena. She hopped up out of the stylist chair and turned it over so that Austin could sit down. After he did so, she turned it around to face the mirror.
"What're we doing tonight, honey." Celena asked Austin while looking at him through the mirror. I stood on the side, watching her interact with him, I could see Austin glance at me, shooting me over a small smile. He looked at himself in the mirror.
"Just something simple, I don't need anything crazy tonight." Celena nodded.
"Perfect! It's fine if I let babydoll do your curls then, right? I want to just see how much skill she's got."
He nodded, glancing back over to me.
"If she's cool with that, it's totally fine"
Celena shot up and smiled at me.
"Okay, so just a wash and set, my diffuser is already attached to the blow dryer and it's where the rest of my tools are. I just need to pick up Austin's outfit from the hotel lobby, they said it just got delivered. I'll be back in about 15-20 minutes okay?" I nodded. She looked over at Austin. "That's cool with you, right, Aust?" He nodded back at her and waved her off.
"Totally fine, Celly, I'm sure Mel won't kill me." I laughed quietly.
"I'll try!" I blushed. Celena grabbed her jacket and left quickly, closing the door behind her, leaving me and Austin alone. I looked at him through the mirror, he smiled sweetly at me.
"Come here, baby, give me a kiss." He said gently. I walked over to him and held onto his shoulders, leaning over the back of him to plant a soft kiss on his lips. He threw his head back to return the kiss, closing his eyes and savoring the moment.
"Sometimes it feels like lifetimes when I leave your room in the morning."
I smiled and wrapped my arms around him. The silence was soothing, I felt I was properly taking in his love. But of course one slow moment had to come crashing and burning.
"Dre's been noticing me leaving my room at night.."
I widened my eyes and pushed up and off of him.
"What!?"
Austin turned around in the chair, leaning forward to calm me down.
"No shh, baby, relax. He just thinks I've been going galavanting in the public. Not that I've been in your room all night." He said it even tempered, it calmed me down. I nodded, placing my hand over my chest. I looked up at him and saw him shaking his head, with an unbelievable smirk on his face.
"What?" I shot at him, wondering what was so funny.
"You know." He turned back around in his chair, facing the mirror again.
I walked back over to him leaning on the back of his chair, staring at him through the mirror.
"I don't want to make you upset." He sighed, leaning his head back to lay against me, closing his eyes. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his chest, bringing a hand to stroke the coarse, curly hairs of his beard. I pursed my lips, thinking, I knew he was going to start again with wanting to go public.
Maybe we did need to talk about it. But, not right now, I needed to do his hair before Celena got back.
I unwrapped my arms from him and patted his shoulder.
"Come on, let me wash your hair." I dropped the conversation instantly. Austin looked up at me and grabbed my hand, stopping me in my tracks and whipping me around to face him.
"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to start anything, baby."
I smiled at him and placed my hand on his cheek.
"No, baby, we should talk about it. I haven't been fair to your feelings, but right now I just want to get you ready for your meet and greet."
He nodded at me and stood up, coming with me to the bowl and sitting down, leaning his head back. I wrapped a towel around his neck and turned the water on, feeling the temperature on my fingers before beginning to wet Austin's hair.
"Is that good?"
With his eyes closed, he gave me a sincere smile.
"It's perfect."
