Got my highlights from JJ, my guy down the street, on Sunday. While I'm under the heat, he usually schedules in a short haircut. I couldn't hear in the fishbowl, but I observed, the guy got up urgently at one point and ran out of the shop. I looked over at JJ what happened? LOST HIS WALLET, JJ yelled over the air blasts to my head. I put bleach on my head every two months. This has gotta be something people in the future think is stupid. Anyway, JJ checked my foils, led me to the wash bowl. I love getting my hair washed in the wash bowl. I used to dread it, it hurt my neck. But JJ puts a soft towel down. He also designed the place, with dreamsicle walls and a blue fountain and puffy seafoam clouds. Partial list of things JJ has told me about over the past four years, when I first went blonde: leaving Armenia, wishing his kids weren't always on their phones but having nothing else for them to do, how he met his wife, his uncle who might haunt him, how our current president is a liar, how nice the new taco stand is, Easter traditions, preferring travel by boat.
Last appointment, two gals tentatively poked in. Does anyone here do curly hair? a gal asked. I said, Well JJ is great! He went to get something. This place makes me feel like a mermaid, I told the gals. One made an appointment. JJ came back smiling. Thank you, sweetheart, he said, because I don't have an instagram. It was the day of the Super Bowl and we talked about how we must not care since we were both there. He said, But what I should really do is say how important you are as a client, that I missed the Super Bowl for you. I laughed. As I was leaving with my new 'do all puffed up from the blowdryer, the next guy walked in. A beefcake. I turned around and said, loudly, Thank you so much for making time to see me, JJ! I know you really wanted to watch the game! The new client said, Oh wow thanks man! JJ winked at me, I winked back.
As JJ scrubbed my head Sunday he said, Oh I hope he finds his wallet. I agreed. Then the guy walked back in, holding said wallet high. We cheered. JJ said we'd been praying for him, er, hoping for him, he amended. JJ is very careful. He's a small business owner after all. Anyway, I hadn't realized, the very middle of the client's hair had already been buzzed. He was running around town looking like literal Bozo searching for the wallet. We all had a good chuckle. As I settled in for my blow dry, I noticed the guy staring at his reflection. Might be your next look! I joked. He said, It's just...my dad is bald down the middle. I look so much like him right now.
