Chapter 9 9

The salon smelled of eucalyptus and money.

The receptionist was a woman who looked like a model.

She was typing on a Mac.

She looked up as Duke approached.

Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second when she saw his clothes, but then she saw the way he walked.

Shoulders back. Head up.

"I need Andy," Duke said.

He didn't ask. He stated.

"Andy is our lead stylist," she said politely. "He's usually booked weeks in adv-"

Duke placed the titanium card on the marble counter.

Clink.

The sound was heavy. Definitive.

The receptionist looked at the card. It was alien to her, but clearly exclusive.

She swallowed.

"Let me check his schedule," she said quickly.

Two minutes later, a man walked out from the back.

He was Asian, dressed in clothes that were so fashionable they looked uncomfortable.

He had platinum blonde hair and glasses with no rims.

He looked at Duke.

He tilted his head.

"You're a disaster," Andy said.

Duke smiled. "That's why I'm here."

Andy walked around him.

"Good bone structure," he muttered. "Jawline is there, hiding under that roadkill beard. Eyes are intense. We can work with this."

He pointed to a chair.

"Sit. Don't talk. Let me work."

Duke sat.

Andy spun the chair around.

He draped a black cape over Duke.

"We're going to burn the old you," Andy said, picking up a pair of scissors. "And build something dangerous."

The scissors snipped.

Huge chunks of hair fell to the floor.

Duke watched in the mirror.

His face began to emerge.

The messy fringe was gone.

The sides were faded tight.

Andy applied hot foam to his face.

He used a straight razor.

The blade felt cold against Duke's skin.

He scraped away the scruff, leaving a sharp, deliberate stubble.

Duke's phone vibrated in his lap under the cape.

Transaction: Uber Black - $125.00

Status: Pending Reimbursement.

Duke stared at the notification.

He had spent money.

And he would get it back.

It felt like cheating. Like using a cheat code in a video game that broke the economy.

He felt a rush of dopamine so strong it made his toes curl.

"Manicure," Duke said. "And a facial."

Andy snapped his fingers.

Two assistants appeared.

For the next two hours, Duke was scrubbed, massaged, and polished.

When Andy finally spun the chair back to the mirror, Duke didn't recognize the man staring back.

The man in the mirror was sharp.

His hair was slicked back, textured, modern.

His skin glowed.

His eyes looked brighter, framed by groomed brows.

He looked like a CEO. Or a movie star.

"Damn," Andy said, wiping his hands on a towel. "If I wasn't married, I'd ask for your number."

Duke touched his face.

It was smooth.

He stood up.

He looked taller.

He felt lighter.

He walked to the counter.

"Total?"

"$1,200," the receptionist said.

Duke handed her the card.

Transaction: L'Artiste - $1,200.00

Status: Pending Reimbursement.

He walked out of the salon.

The cool night air hit his fresh skin.

He took a deep breath.

He felt electric.