The next morning Jason and Elizabeth were awakened by a gentle knocking at the bedroom door, Jason knowing in certainty that it was his father and not his mother who would have been less than kind in her efforts. "Jason, it's 9:30 and Jacob called looking for you." Adolphus said through the door.
Jason reached over to the nightstand, grabbing at his phone which had several notifications from the Master Beta, all of which he seemingly slept through. He sighed as he sat up on the side of the bed and began to go through them, responding only to the question regarding whether or not he was going to be a no show again today at the pack house. Elizabeth stirred behind him and began to rise herself as she yawned and stretched out her arms, looking over to him as he shook his head in annoyance. Finding it super inconvenient to be in the Alpha position at the moment.
"Everything alright?" she asked with sleep still lacing her tone.
"Yeah, I just have to go to a meeting." he said as he stood up and stretched himself out. "I should get going, I have to go home and get changed before I go to the pack house."
"You're not staying for breakfast?" she asked back with a little deflation in her voice at his abrupt departure.
"No time." he said with shortness in his words and a brevity in his tone, shaking his head as he put on his shoes. He seemed to be a little more normal this morning, still a muted form of his usual character, but his mood appeared to be more even and natural. "Ill setup your appointment on the drive. I have to go." he said depositing a kiss on top of her head before immediately leaving the house and getting into his car, speeding away from the home to start his day.
An hour and a half had passed, and Elizabeth spent her time with Catherine and Adolphus in the kitchen, while the older man read through his paper and Catherine and her idly chatted about the day. Jason's mother was more than happy to take her to get hair done, making a comment about how they would have to find other ways to run up his credit card bill so he could begin to make an amends. She was also a little shocked when Elizabeth said he suggested utilizing an off territory stylist, knowing her son and it not being indicative of his character to willingly allow his mate to cross the border without him.
At 11:00am she received her first text from him.
Made the apt for 12. Couldn't get earlier.
K. What's the address? Did you make it to the pack house?
Elizabeth waited for him to respond, as she idly sipped on her coffee. A half an hour passed before she took note of the time and became concerned she would miss the appointment due to not knowing where it was. She texted him again to prod an answer.
Hello?
Sorry, in a meeting. Yes, I'm here. Address is: 1413 Summit Ave, Rapid Falls Mo
"Catherine, he sent me the address, will we make it in enough time?" she asked, handing his mother the phone who quickly reviewed the brief exchange before looking at the address and rolling her eyes with the shake of her head.
"Yes, I'd venture to say we'll be perfectly on time." she said now understanding Jason's comfortability with using an off territory stylist.
"Is it close by?" Elizabeth questioned back, not understanding her reaction.
"I would say so, since were already here." she said with a flippant hand wave, only accentuated by Adolphus laughing behind his paper.
"Dear, you didn't really think he'd let you take her off pack grounds, did you?" his smirk showing he thought her reaction humorously cute.
"What is it with you men? I mean, really. Us women, are more than capable of facing the horrors of the ever so dangerous hair salon." she said with a roll of her eyes as she began to walk around the kitchen, putting things back in order as they should be within the room.
"At least he has a sense of humor about it. I was beginning to wonder what took him so long to respond. It makes sense now." his father said still with a smile and another shake of his head.
While Elizabeth did not appreciate his deceptive measures taken, he also never told her explicitly that she would be going anywhere. The exchange between his mother and father indicated that this was a natural and normal behavior and not something he was doing to control her, which relaxed her enough to only hold minor irritation that matched that of his mothers.
"So you think he purposely didn't respond?" she asked towards his father.
"Absolutely. He probably didn't want you to bite his head off, and waited till the last minute to tell you when you'd be more likely to be distracted." he chuckled again, knowing exactly the thought process Jason had.
"Hmmm..." she said looking down at her phone and not giving him the peace of her expected distraction before she rapidly tapped her fingers at the keyboard.
When were you going to tell me it was at the house?
He immediately responded in suite almost as soon as she sent it.
I just did.
Why bother giving me an address?
You asked for it.
You know that's not what I meant.
I have to go. In a meeting. Enjoy the apt.
You're so irritating.
;)
Aren't you in an meeting? Stop texting back, its annoying.
Talk to you later.
Doubtful.
She found herself annoyed with the recent exchange, but only due to his snarky responses and avoidance in acknowledging why she would find the situation irritating. She in fact became quickly distracted when a knock took place at the door around 11:50am signaling the stylist was early. Adolphus put his paper down and went to answer the door and in walked an entourage of three people who were filling into the house following the man who walked in rather flamboyantly who appeared to be the stylist.
Elizabeth stood up leaving the phone on the counter top to follow the direction Adolphus was giving them, leading them all into the living room. Two of them draped a a cloth along the floor to catch any dispelled hair, as a third began to remove bottles of champagne and assorted fruits from the bags brought as the stylists eyes keenly took in Elizabeth's face and then the immense length of her hair.
"Morning!" he chirped after he had assessed her appearance, his voice high pitched and enthusiastic accompanied by an excited feminine hand wave. "I'm Todd, and I'm here to make you fabulous." he very clearly was very comfortable exhibiting his obvious femininity, Adolphus adverting his eyes in a slightly uncomfortable manner, not judging but not being used to a man being so... extra. "So what were you thinking, beautiful? I'm so excited to chop this off!" he said as he reached out and began to grab at her long lengths, pulling some of the locks towards him and feeling its texture within his fingers.
"I was thinking about cutting a lot of it off. It's pretty heavy and hard to do anything other than a pony tail." she said, as a smile formed on her face due to the man's bubbly personality and his excited blue eyes behind thick black framed glasses he most likely wore for cosmetic purposes.
"Hmm.. Well, while I think you would look absolutely adorable with a Marilyn Monroe-esque platinum blonde bob.. Mr. Stone advised very rudely, I'm absolutely devastated to have to inform you, that there is a certain length he would like you to hold." he said with a handwave of irritation as his muse was being stifled with the set parameters. "But we can pop some color in and some layers, and make it work to appease the caveman." Todd said in exaggerated fashion as he flicked back his head to remove some of the unruly bleach blonde hair otherwise carefully styled from his vision. His comment about Jason showing he truly did not know who he was talking about and causing Elizabeth to laugh at his almost accurate description as it was fitting for his temperament.
"What colors were you thinking?" Elizabeth asked as it wasn't something that was on her mind but she was holding interest in the idea, her eyes traveling to the men who were now setting up a travel chair and table pulling out the stylists supplies, and then to the one who approached her with a glass of champagne with a strawberry garnish after he had already provided one to Jason's mother.
"Hmm.. I see a vision." he said as he stared off at the distance and spread his arms open to emphasize the magnitude of just how impressive and breathtaking it was in his head. "Picture it with me," he said waving his hand in her direction indicating she was supposed to look in the distance with him, her awkwardly looking in response into the nothingness while sipping at the champagne. "Platinum Blonde highlights." he said his voice lowering to accentuate the immaculate design. "Honey brown tones littered throughout the vast landscape of your hair." his voice sounding far off and dreamy, "And just the hint of a coppery red thinly concealed in its depths, elusive and teasing to the eye." His hands now firmly displaying the nothingness in the room as if he had just presented to her his divinely inspired masterpiece.
Elizabeth was unsure of how to respond to his grandiose nature, and she just gave a small smile and a nod. "Yeah, sure that sounds great." Adolphus meanwhile shook his head and walked out of the room to grab a glass of scotch while wondering what he personally did to Jason to have him invite this person into his home, his mate snickering behind the glass of champagne enjoying his skulking off.
"Some snips here, some cuts there, a few glasses of champagne and then you'll be ready to dance the night away. Or maybe just get pleasantly day drunk enough to take a nap. Who cares." he said with a flippant handwave and an overzealous shrug with his lower lip pushing out. "Nobody's judging." he said with a giggle. "Lets get started."
Over the next few hours, Elizabeth and Catherine listened to the man delve very deep into his personal life. He complained about his boyfriend, told some very revealing secrets about his close friends and asked for their opinion on disagreements he had with others showing he was catty by nature. He had the gift of gab and the women found him entirely too entertaining, especially when they had several glasses of champagne under their belts and enjoyed the fruit accompanying it. The champagne definitely hit their heads and the two women were giggling relentlessly with his exuberant nature, Adolphus had permanently retired to his study in crablike hiding, not being able to tolerate for too long the relentless henhouse cackling in the living room.
When he was wrapping up his work by curling and teasing her hair into beach like waves, complaining about his best friend Nicki whom he shared a volatile relationship with, Elizabeth was eager to see what he had done as Catherine was giving a more than impressed smile. He had given her long side swept bangs, and lots of layers which brought a much needed volume to her hair. The color was perfectly laid throughout her natural tone and gave it a beautiful depth.
"A vision." Todd clasped his hands together. "Magnifico!" he said patting himself on the back with his own words. "Mr. Stone, will be more than happy with this, and we kept his requested length." he said prodding at the ends of her hair, fussing just a bit further with it.
Elizabeth felt as if a huge weight had been removed from her, with her shorter hair. She took a look at it and she beamed, at her reflection in the mirror who was being held by one of the men as the other two began to rapidly clean up the supplies. "I love it! Thank you!"
"Well if you love it so much, have him call me in six weeks so he can book me for another entire day!" he said with sass and a snap of his fingers in a lighthearted jest.
"Absolutely!" she said as she poured another glass of champagne her mood very much in elation. "Can't wait."
"Me either, sister." he said with a head swivel before he began to help the other men clear up the room.
"You look beautiful. Not that you didn't before, but I think its a good look for you." Catherine said as she handed Elizabeth her phone. "Jason texted you a little bit ago, I grabbed your phone for you while he was finishing your hair.
She read his text which he had sent about half an hour ago. How does your hair look? . She contemplated her response. Choosing to wait till then men left the home, Todd giving another energetic wave at his departure, and then waiting another twenty minutes as she talked with Catherine about the absurdity of the tornado that was the male stylist.
Finally, deciding to respond with mischief in her eyes quickly noticed by Catherine as she received another text from him.
Hello? Are you done yet?
"Why do you look like that Elizabeth?" the older woman arched an eyebrow as Elizabeth was grinning at her phone.
Yes. I'm finished.
How does it look?
"I don't know what you mean." she said looking back at Jason's mother the twinkle still evident in her eyes as she typed out another response.
It looks good. A little shorter than we discussed, but I'm really happy with it.
How short?
Elizabeth?
Hello?
Catherine emitted a laugh and she registered Jason's panic through his rapid fire texts she was being shown with Elizabeth's guiding hand. "Oh you're bad. He's going to be so mad."
Elizabeth shrugged as she took another sip of her champagne. "He wanted to play games earlier, it's only fair he gets a taste of it."
Not too much...
How short?
Send me a picture.
No. I don't want you to get mad.
Almost as soon as she sent her last text, Jason popped up on the caller ID, and she swiftly ignored the call with a smirk. He called again, and she once again ignored the call.
"I like champagne Elizabeth." Catherine said with a proud smug smile.
"Watch this." Elizabeth smirked down her phone.
It's a bob, but he kept length in the front so it hangs a couple of inches below my chin. It looks really nice. Your mother loves it.
"He's definitely pissed now." Catherine said smirking at the phone as Jason called back to back five times in a row and she ignored each and every one of them. "Serves him right." she said with a nod.