Chapter 12

Jai hurries to correct him. “What? No, my friend did this last night. We were slow, I didn’t have any clients—”

“I thought you said you were the most popular guy here,” Duane points out.

“I own the place,” Jai says. “Some nights are busier than others, okay? When the weather’s like this, people don’t exactly rush out to get their hair done. It’s too cold, for one, and why pay to get it styled when the wind is just going to mess it up when you walk out the door? Last night we had some downtime, and I needed a haircut, so I told Kiki she could do something fun if she wanted.”

Duane turns again and looks Jai over with a critical eye. “So…blue hair with red tips is what you guys call fun around here?”

Jai decides not to rise to the challenge he hears in Duane’s voice. The color hadn’t been his idea, after all. Instead, he suggests, “You ever color your hair? That blond would take it really well. On me the blue came out dark but it’d look much more natural on you.”