“When do you leave for Hawaii?”

Michelle has shampooed me and is now combing my hair straight in preparation to start cutting. I look up at her from beneath wet hair. “How do you know I’m going to Hawaii?”

“You’re not getting the Brazilian for yourself.”

“Maybe it’s not for Hawaii.”

“Anne says it’s Hawaii.”

Oh. Great. “When was Anne here?”

“Yesterday.”

I sigh as Michelle begins lifting layers and trimming the ends. “She needs to mind her own business. She’s become obsessed with me going to Hawaii.”

“She’s just worried about you.”

I listen to the snip, snip of Michelle’s scissors. “Why is she worried? What is she worried I’m going to do? Run away to Hawaii and never come back? Abandon my kids, sell my house, behave irresponsibly?”

“She doesn’t want you taken advantage of.”

I grab the arms of my chair and squeeze. For Pete’s sake! I’m the one going there. I’m the one chasing him. I’m the one who’s older and wiser. Why is it him taking advantage of me? Why can’t I be taking advantage of him? “Maybe I want a relationship like this. Maybe I want danger. Trouble. Change.”

Michelle holds a long strand of wet hair between her fingers. “You want me to cut your hair off?”

“No!” I glare at her. “I just want a chance to do my own thing.”

Michelle finishes the cut and then blow-dries my hair straight, going over it with a flat iron to make sure it’s glossy smooth. As she peels off my cape, she pats my shoulder. “Your aesthetician is waiting to give you your Brazilian. Go do your own thing.”

I go to the aesthetician, and there’s not a lot I can say about the Brazilian other than, Holy Mother of God.

Valera contentedly rips the hair off my privates in efficient strips, and with each brutal yank the pain gets worse until I’m close to screaming. Girls wear it bare here. Great, Kai. Get a local girl.

Valera tells me to turn over onto my stomach.

“My stomach?” I squeak.

“You’ve got to take it all off.”

“All off where?”

“Everywhere.”

And then I understand. “I don’t have hair there.”

She gives the pot of hot wax a stir. “Oh, yes, you do.”

Slowly I turn onto my stomach and look helplessly, desperately, at the door. As Valera goes for the butt cheeks with her hot wax, I think I could just possibly kill Kai.

Chapter Thirteen

Thirteen

The eyebrows (and other things) are waxed. The hair looks great. I’ve gone for another Mystic spray-on tan. My bags are packed. I leave day after tomorrow.