Logan was absent at breakfast; Sophia relayed that he had left early for work. This had taken Adam by surprise; he knew they were rich, but he had no idea what they did that made them rich. During the week he'd been with them, neither Logan nor Aurora talked about work.
Upon hearing that her husband had left for work, Aurora included a trip to his office in her plans for the day. She was taking Adam along with her to the decorator's office, the salon, and tea with a friend. After checking Aurora's readings, Sophia approved their itinerary for the day and advised that they rest between appointments.
Again, Aurora hired a driver. This time it wasn't Michael, but a stone-faced man by the name of Fred. Adam was disappointed; Fred didn't have the same flow and grace as Michael and also drove noticeably slower.
Their first stop was the salon. Aurora said that his 'mane' needed trimming. They arrived at a grey building with huge, tinted glass panes. Inside, they were greeted by a receptionist who confirmed their appointment.
"Is Jaromir in?"
"No, he had an emergency call out. Cindy will be with you today."
Aurora exhaled sharply and hung her head in defeat. "...Thank you."
Adam watched his mother curiously; he wondered what kind of person Cindy was to make her lose her calm. They walked around the receptionist's area to the work floor of the salon. There were five stylists, four of whom had customers.
The unoccupied stylist, a woman in her early twenties, was swinging left to right in one of the chairs as she scrolled through her phone. Despite the extravagance of the salon and the professional looks of her colleagues, she was dressed casually. With her brown ankle boots, black fitted jeans, a white t-shirt under a red plaid shirt, and a beanie hiding most of her black and gold hair.
She didn't fit in with the rest of the salon, which made him feel more uncomfortable than Logan and Aurora's home.
"Hello Cindy."
The woman looked up and smiled. "Hi, Mrs. J. What can I do for you today?"
"Actually, my son, Adam. We'd like a trim."
In an instant, Cindy had jumped out of the chair and was next to Adam. Her hands roamed through his hair, tousling and pulling.
"Such beautiful. Natural curls." She exclaimed. combing his hair with her fingers. "The things we can do with your hair."
"Cindy. Cindy. Trim." Aurora put her hands together, pleading with the younger woman. "Just a trim. Nothing more than an inch, yeah?"
Adam giggled at his mother's desperation.
Cindy walked to her station. "I've got you, Mrs. J."
"I hope you can still laugh after she's finished with you." Aurora whispered as she nudged him towards Cindy, who directed him to a chair near a sink.
"Mom, it's fine; she's cool." Adam said, climbing into the chair.
Cindy playfully slapped his shoulder, "Thanks."
Adam had hopped confidently into the chair, expecting only that his hair would be cut and he'd be on his way. Instead, Cindy tilted the chair, bringing his neck to the cool porcelain of the sink. Adam went rigid as he locked his eyes on Cindy's.
"Relax, I'm just giving you a wash." She said, turning on the water.
Cindy washed Adam's hair, gently massaging his scalp as she rubbed the shampoo in. He was surprised; he was sure she'd be rougher with him. But her hands were light everywhere she touched. But Adam still couldn't relax; he kept watch, waiting. When Cindy began drying his hair, the realisation that nothing would happen eased his tension.
"All right, come over here so we can get your cut."
"Cindy," Aurora called out anxiously from the side. "Trim. We're trimming."
The young woman nodded excitedly as she reached for the comb and scissors. Adam watched closely in the mirror as Cindy worked. She combed and snipped with practised ease, her head bobbing to music playing only for her. She worked swiftly, turning the chair as she made her way across his head. He couldn't understand Aurora's concern.
"Ah."
Adam went stiff. Cindy wore an expression of panic, which quickly turned to a wide comical grin as she met his stare in the mirror.
"Cindy? We're still trimming, right?"
Cindy stood silent, smiling awkwardly as she focused on Adam's hair.
"Cindy?"
The young woman's expression quickly changed back to her confident smile as she played in Adam's hair.
"You know Mrs. J..." Cindy began.
Aurora brought her clasped hands to her lips in silent prayer, her eyes unblinking as she waited for the other woman's words.
"I think it's best we let the little man decide what to do with his hair."
Aurora closed her eyes, counted to ten, and took a deep breath. "Sweetheart, is there a haircut you'd like?" She asked cautiously, her voice breaking at the end.
Adam looked at the two women in the mirror. Cindy had clearly made some mistake in his hair that she couldn't fix. He looked his hair over; it had been a while since he got his hair cut, not just trimmed.
"A fade," he decided.
"I've got just the thing for you." Cindy said excitedly, reaching for her machines.
Aurora nodded and quietly retreated to the seating area while Cindy resumed her work. The machines buzzed away as she cut his hair. Adam watched in amazement as his fade came into being. Cindy worked flawlessly to the end of his cut, then gave him a rinse and styled his hair.
Just as Cindy finished combing his hair, a man dressed as casually as Cindy in a white t-shirt, jacket, and jeans entered. The man had his hair tied up in a messy half-bun. The moment he saw Aurora, he approached her.
"I tried to come back as quickly as I could. Looks like she handled it well; I guess I was worried for nothing."
"We wanted it trimmed," Aurora said, exhausted.
Adam watched the man closely from the corner of his eye. He assumed this must be the 'Jaromir' Aurora had asked about earlier.
Cindy finally released him now that she was done. Aurora stood up when he jumped from the chair, and Adam rushed over to his mother, hugging her. She grasped at the air around his head. "I loved your curls."
"It'll grow back, mom. Besides, it's really hot out. Now I can feel the breeze." Adam fanned his head, showing his enjoyment of the cut.
"I'll make it up to you," Jaromir apologised.
"No," Aurora said, shaking her head. "Adam seems to enjoy it. It's fine."
"Told you I could do it." Cindy boasted as she walked over to them, handing Aurora the bill.
Jaromir grabbed Cindy by the ear. "Where do you get to be this bold?"
"Sorry, Mrs. J." She apologised, saying, "It really was an accident earlier."
"It's alright. I've accepted that you're perfect at everything but trimming."
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