Cartel Chronicles

Chapter 19

Javier wasn't nervous for his first day at his new job; he was most concerned about Andres being able to keep his hands to himself. The other stylists were welcoming which was more annoying than reassuring to him. All the others were booked for the day; he would have to wait for a walk in appointment. He wondered if Adrianna would be working today, yesterday had been her day off and Sergio was still sick so he saw neither one of them.

She was different than Karina, and all the others for that matter. Karina was sex appeal on two legs, but that was all that she was to him just that, a sex object, that's all that he wanted her for, there was nothing about her that intrigued him. Especially after their last encounter, he was unsure what he ever saw in her. However he knew if he saw her again he would abuse her body sexually, it had been a long time...

"Javier!" Andres called to him. Javier leapt out of his chair and followed his bosses' voice to the front of the salon. "This is Julia, she wants a trim and a style," he explained in reference to the middle aged petite women. Her hair was straggly and piled on her head in a knotted bun. Her eyes were large at the sight of Javier and she looked uneasy.

"I'm Javier," he offered holding out her hand. She looked at Andres for support and he nodded. "Pleasure to meet you, follow me this way." Julia looked at Andres again, he quickly translated into what Javier guessed was French.

"Spoiler alert, I don't speak French or any other language," Javier admitted, his boss squeezed his shoulder, and he wondered if the disgust on his face was visible.

"Don't worry, I can teach you," he ventured. Javier shook his head in response.

"No, I'll just stick to what I know," he mumbled.

"Don't worry, I can translate. She just wants the dead ends taken off and her hair curled, she has a dinner reservation with her husband tonight," Andres informed him. The middle aged woman didn't relax until he was massaging the conditioner into her scalp. He was grateful that they didn't speak the same language, that way he wouldn't feel obligated to make stuffy small talk. He was able to focus on her hair, but unfortunately his mind began to wander.

He thought back to her tiny hands gripping him holding on tightly, resting against him, never before had he ever held so close in a non-sexual way before. The concept was foreign to him and caught him by surprise; he didn't know how to react or what to think he still didn't. She was flawless in comparison to Karina; everything about her was stunning, he couldn't keep his eyes off her, the longer he looked at her more attractive he found her.

He felt his fingers scorching; he carelessly had rested his right finger tips on the wand of the curling iron. He jerked his hand away refusing to flinch despite the throbbing sensation in his hand. The lady was now relaxed, no longer apprehensive to enabling Javier the power to style her hair. Andres wandered over to him and nodded his head in approval.

"You're good with your hands," he complimented. Javier didn't know how to react so he didn't and focused his energy back to her hair. He was nearly finished when his boss returned. "I have another client lined up after her, someone requested you actually." Javier looked up for the first time interested in what he had to say. There was only one person that it could be.

"I'll be done in the next five minutes," Javier mumbled trying to brush it off like it was nothing. It was nothing he reminded himself, but it didn't feel like nothing, at least it seemed like it was something at how quickly he worked to finish up the ladies hair. He held up a mirror to show her the final product. She primped in front of the mirror touching the end of her strands gingerly as if they were made of glass. Her eyes glowed as her face melted into an approving smile.

She rattled off some words which he had no idea what she was saying, but based on the tone of her voice it was all good. He nodded his head politely trying to expedite the process, but she continued talking as if he knew precisely what she was saying. Even if he did know what she was saying he wouldn't care anyways, words meant nothing to him, people lied all the time or embellished how they really felt to coddle other people's feelings. She reached inside of her designer handbag and stuffed several bills into his hand. She smiled again and rattled off some phrases. He couldn't believe how animated she was over a simple haircut; all he could do is watch awestruck as she headed to the front of the salon, but not before seeking out Andres for further excited chatter.

Javier's boss was shuffling papers at the reception desk, when she interrupted him. The ladies volume increased to almost a shrill tone and she continued to talk, but with much more speed. Javier remembered that he was still had money wrinkled up in his clenched fist and straightened it out. The tip was nowhere even close to a fraction of the money he used to make, but it was one of his better tips that he had ever received when cutting hair. The owner glanced up and nodded his head in approval, but Javier avoided the discomfort by ignoring his gaze. Instead he redirected his attention to straightening up his work station. It was pristine like always, even when he was a kid he maintained professionalism and took his job seriously whether it was cutting people's hair or their fingers. He pushed that thought back in the depths of his being, that was the old him, those days were behind him, at least he hoped so.