THREAD TWENTY-SIX: COUSIN’S GRIEF

“HOW is the procedure going?” Barbara asked the owner of the salon when she returned.

“We’re almost finished. Is that for him?” he asked, looking at the numerous paper bags she was carrying.

Barbara handed him the paper bags. “Make sure it’s worth what I paid you, okay?”

“I’m sure you’ll be amazed when you see Clayton’s major transformation,” he said excitedly.

She just shook her head and read the magazines in the waiting room to distract herself.

After a minute, the owner emerged, accompanied by an unfamiliar muscular young man. But she wasn’t paying attention. She looked behind the unfamiliar man.

When she didn’t see Clayton, she raised one of her brows. “Where has he gone? I thought you were almost done?”

“What you’re looking for, Miss Barbara, is right in front of you,” the owner said, causing her to look back at the unfamiliar man in front of her.

She didn’t believe he was concealing a lovely face. She didn’t even know who he was in a first glance. The man in jologs and lo