Cresswell: The Lunar Chronicles

Chapter Forty Three

Cress struggled not to fall asleep as her scalp and neck was massaged. The warm oils smelled amazing. It had already been ten minutes, and they were easily the fastest ten minutes of her life.

In the chair beside her, Carswell looked like he had given up trying not to fall asleep. His eyes were closed.

Cress noticed that his stylist hadn't stopped smiling since they walked in and she had been the lucky one assigned to him. Of course she had recommended every service that involved touching, particularly the neck and shoulder massages. Cress had just worked up the courage to inform the girl that it was highly unprofessional to flirt so overtly with paying customers, especially ones who had a girlfriend standing right there, but didn't get to say any of her practiced speech as Carswell smoothly slid an arm around her and asked for "anything that falls under the 'couples' service."

The stylist had then cast half a glare at Cress, who glared right back.

"Is that to hot?" her stylist—Alyssa—asked as she turned the water on and carefully touched it against her scalp.

"No, it's perfect."

Another head massage followed as her hair was washed and conditioned.

"Hey are you falling asleep over there?"

Cress, her eyes closed, grinned. "No. Not quite. You?"

"Nope."

Five minutes later and Cress's hair was being wrapped in a fancy black towel. She stood up, her body so relaxed she could have easily taken a nap.

"What are you looking at?" Carswell demanded as a towel was wrapped around his head.

"You look funny."

"You mispronounced fabulous." Carswell called as she was led around the corner.

Cress giggled to herself. Alyssa directed her to a station and she took a seat, removing the towel from her head and combing through her wet hair. Carswell joined her a few minutes later, seated in the station right next to her. 

"How much do you want taken off?" Alyssa asked, combing Cress's wet hair until it hung straight and smooth.

Cress touched a finger to her collar bone. "About here?"

Alyssa nodded. "It looks like you'll have enough to donate, are you interested?"

"Oh yeah, of course!" Cress grinned.

Alyssa nodded, tying Cress's hair in a pony and pulling it down. Cress couldn't see, but she heard the scissors cutting through her hair and a moment later five pounds had been lifted from her head and Alyssa was a holding up a long, thick ponytail.

"Carswell." Cress held it up.

Carswell glanced over. "Aces you have a lot of hair."

"And now I don't."

Alyssa laughed, carefully setting her pony tail inside a protective bag before trimming Cress's ends and lightly layering the bottom so it would hang wavier.

When Carswell was finished, he stood up and pecked her on the cheek. "I'm just going to go sit on the sofa; do you want anything? There's some scones and coffee over there."

"Ooh, I'll take a scone. Thanks."

Carswell nodded, disappearing around the maze of hair stations.

Cress had just turned back to flipping through her magazine when a faint gasp caught her attention. She looked up, just in time to see two girls huddled together on the sofa duck behind their port screens and giggle.

Cress felt her face grow warm and she tried to ignore them and tell herself they were probably just talking with each other about something funny and chanced to glance her way. She had just convinced herself of that when she glanced back at them from the corner of her eye and found them watching her again!

Fortunately, Alyssa moved to her other side and blocked them. Once Cress's hair was cut, she started drying it and then used a fancy looking curling iron to give her hair some waves.

As Cress was standing up and brushing her sweater off of any stray hairs, the two girls who had been staring at her stood up.

Cress involuntarily tensed, though she pretended not to notice them.

"Um, excuse me?" one of them asked as they walked over.

Both of them were at least four inches taller than she was. Cress nervously smiled.

"Are you Cress? Crescent Moon?"

Cress lightly frowned. "Yeah."

"Can we take a picture with you?"

"What?"

"If it's okay," the other girl was quick to add.

"Yeah. Yeah of course." Cress nodded, a smile creeping onto her face.

"Here." Alyssa reached for the girl's port as they each stood on either side of her.

It was a little awkward, but Cress put her arms around them as they did the same.

"Thank you so much!" they both said over and over, taking the port and backing away.

Cress shrugged one shoulder, still grinning as they turned and sank back down at the sofa. She followed Alyssa towards the front, where Carswell was waiting with two scones in his hands.

"What are you grinning about?" he asked, handing her one of the scones as he swiped his wrist beneath the scanner the receptionist held out.

"Two girls just asked to take their picture with me."

"No way."

"Yes! And they didn't even ask about you."

"You've got fans—see, I told you." Carswell laughed as he slung an arm around her shoulders and took a bite of his scone. 

Cress giggled. "I have fans." Taking a bite of the scone, she added, "and these scones are amazing."