Just another wonderful freakin' day, Sara thought as she hung up the phone. Apparently everyone in the world had to have a haircut today. She sighed as her bleary eyes registered the time on the clock....3:30 already. She was supposed to leave at five today, but it didn't seem like she'd be done by then. Well, it was more money in her pocket, she supposed. She needed every bit of it since moving into her own place recently.
At 19, she couldn't stand the thought of living with her mother any longer. Unfortunately, the cost of living wasn't going down. Since she had finished cosmetology school six months ago, she'd been working her tail off to afford her 2 bedroom apartment in the city. All she had was a couch, a bed and a dining table with 2 chairs, but freedom was priceless and beautiful. Working helped to ease the lonely nights as well.
She regarded her reflection as she snipped through her last client's hair. She wasn't a small girl, but she loved her curves; her full hips and breasts gave her character and personality. She had let her hair grown down to her back, it hung in long, dark layers. A former boyfriend had wanted her to dye it platinum blonde, but she had refused. Ah, that former boyfriend. It was funny she should think of him now.
She had stumbled across Shane online when she was only 13 years old. What started as a chance meeting in a chat room soon turned into a deep friendship. She'd spend hours online talking to him, then, later, hours on the phone in her bedroom as well. He was disturbed, somewhat psychotic, but honest and deep. He had pursued her with abandon, not letting her get away. He had said the first " I love you'. But he had said many things.
That first "I love you" turned into hundreds, and they had fiery, fierce arguments as well as passionate moments. She could still hear his moans in her ear as they had their own version of sex, as he told her how much he loved and needed her. Never had she been so swept away.
Pretty damn good for a guy when all she knew about him was his voice and what he had told her. But as she got older, she had grown tired of the long distance affair. She had begged him to come down and meet her, or to let her come meet him. But he seemed to be so reluctant to do that. She didn't know why. There was something mysterious about him that he had never told her, that she had always wanted to know but could never quite figure it out. He had only sent her one picture of him the whole time she had known him, and had almost passed out when she saw it.
Shane looked every bit as good as his sexy, husky voice sounded. Long, dark hair that brushed his equally dark, deep, piercing eyes. Sara had printed a copy of his picture and kept it beside her bed for years. She'd often look at the picture and imagine him laying there beside her, imagine him touching her.
Years of waiting finally wore her down. She grew tired of begging him to meet her. She wondered if this person was real or if she had been made a fool of. She could still remember the dark night about a year ago when she finally ended the relationship. At first, he was angry, but then his voice had went flat and emotionless. Sara had begged Shane to fight for her, to fight for her relationship, to make plans to be together, anything. He simply told her, "Whatever you want."
She hated him for making her fall in love with him. Oh, she hated him. Yet she missed him still. Sometimes, in her dreams, she imagined the two of them together. Lonely nights, she'd lay in bed and could still hear his voice whispering in his ear. She remembered a conversation they had not long after they had "made love". Well, they had phone sex, but to them, it had been so much more than that.
"I promise that I'll always love you. I'll never forget about you. No matter how many miles are between us, I swear to you that I'll always be thinking of you. We're going to be together. I'm going to marry you, and we'll live forever in a world of surreal bliss." He had whispered the words softly in her ear as she lay in bed with her eyes closed, her breathing going down from the moment of passion. The words had brought tears to her eyes, and she felt she could imagine the two of them together, always and forever.
Yeah, right, she thought bitterly, as her mind came back to the present moment. She glanced in the mirror and was surprised to see a tear in her eye.
"All done, Mrs. Richards," she told the elderly lady in her chair. Mrs. Richards looked up at her quizzically, and Sara leaned forward and repeated the statement, just a little louder. Mrs. Richards nodded, and took her time, gathering her purse to leave the shop. Finally, Sara thought, I can finally get out of here. She was pleased to see it was only five thirty. Not bad for a Sunday. Sara grabbed a broom and began to sweep. A couple minutes later, she heard the bell on the door ring as Mrs. Richards left.
Sara had just finished cleaning up the back of the shop when she heard the bell ring again. Crap, forgot to lock it, she thought.
"We're closed!" she called out as she hurried to the front of the store.
She was surprised to see a young man standing in the lobby. His messy, dark hair was evidence that he wasn't the type of client this salon usually serviced.
"We're closed," she repeated, stepping towards him cautiously. "Can I help you?"
"Sara Evans?," he asked softly, in a low, deep voice.
