Songbird (Songbird, #1) Read Online Free Page A

needs some style and some highlights.”
    He quickly turned and pushed through the swinging doors into the tiny back room.
    I smiled a little uncertainly at Kelli; she had taken up the seat next to me, and laughed at my reaction.
    “Don’t worry, he’ll do a great job. He’s a visionary when it comes to hair,” she said, reading my expression.
    For the next two hours I was primped and fussed over to within an inch of my life. Jason decided that I needed highlights a couple of shades lighter than my natural colour, and proceeded to attach pieces of kitchen foil to my head. I then had to sit there for about half an hour while the colour took. But rather than leaving us to do something else, he ran into the shopping mall and came back with three steaming cups of coffee, and a delicious assortment of muffins and cupcakes. We sat together and gossiped while one of his staff gave me a hand massage and manicure.
    Jason really was a fantastic guy, and made me feel like an old friend. I skimmed over the details of my recent break-up and move into Kelli’s apartment, and he promised to keep an eye and an ear out for any potential places that may come up for rent. I then had the colour washed out and a conditioning treatment massaged into my hair and scalp. It was heavenly!
    Then, it was time to cut.
    “So, what do you think you might like?” Jason asked, while quizzically examining my face shape, jawline and neck. “I think you need to keep some length, do you agree?”
    “Absolutely.” I did like my long hair.
    “Okay, so then I’ll layer and shape around your face to give it some life.”
    I nodded. It sounded good, and not too drastic. As he started cutting and some of the length and weight was cut from the hair, a subtle curl began to appear.
    He shrilled with delight, “Look at this hair! Did you even know you had this natural wave going through it?”
    I hadn’t realised. It had always been one length, and so thick that any sign of a wave was weighed down. After seeing the curls and body of the hair take shape on their own, Jason decided to blow-dry it so it looked natural. Not the natural that I was used to, which was just straight and boring, but bouncy and full of life.
    “Well, what do you think? Now you really are a vixen!” he teased and gave me a playful wink.
    Staring back at my reflection, I was in awe. Call me vain if you like, but God it looked good! “You are a miracle worker, Jason,” I said in disbelief. “It looks amazing!”
    “It’s easy with hair like yours. You should be doing shampoo commercials.” And he imitated the hair flick over the shoulder as he twirled.
    We all laughed and I took another glance at myself in the mirror. Wow, at this rate, I wouldn’t recognise myself by Monday.
    “You must go out tonight to celebrate,” Jason said, clapping his hands together excitedly. “Do you do karaoke? There’s a great little bar just opened called Songbirds that’s not far from here. They make the best margaritas. We should all go!”
    Kelli and I looked at each other, shrugged, and with a grin, replied in unison, “We’re in!”

W E GOT ready back at the apartment with the stereo pumping out Beyoncé at her sassy best.
    I had one of my new outfits on. Kelli had helped me decide on a pair of low-riding skinny pants that zipped at the ankle. They made my legs look impossibly long, which was the effect I had wanted when I bought them. The pants were black, so to add some colour, Kelli suggested a shimmery bright blue halter-top, and high wedge sandals. I then double checked with her that what I was wearing was appropriate.
    She nodded and rolled her eyes. “Honestly, you could wear a potato sack. Trust your instincts, you look gorgeous.”
    Taking my turn at the bathroom mirror, I painstakingly applied some make-up that I’d bought during our shopping trip. It had been a while since I’d worn any, so I decided on just some light mineral powder to even out my skin tone, a