TWENTY SIX

An hour later they were under the dryer. Some sort of treatment on the both of them to protect it from the beatings they both put their hair through with daily washes and drying and hairspray. Ruby hadn't let Jamie see in the mirror since she'd told her to go with a surprise. It was amusing to watch her best friend fidget. Pride wouldn't let her beg to see the end product, but she'd been staring at the clumps of hair hitting her lap and bouncing her foot more and more.


She had a feeling Jamie would be happy with the results. It was Joan Jett meets sexy siren with a side of something just a little bit softer. It made her look younger, less hard around the edges. Ruby simply was a miracle worker.

Just as she was dozing off again under the warm stream of air, the dome came up and she blinked at the bright fluorescent lights. Steph stretched and slid her fingers into her hair. When she'd said cornsilk Ruby had taken her at her word.

Their new favorite stylist led her over to the magic chair and settled her in. More blow drying and the monotonous brushing of her hair followed by a flat iron had her so relaxed she could have easily slid into a puddle on the floor. "You could make a million dollars by just doing this."

Ruby laughed. "It's like foreplay if you do it right."

"Damn straight." She looked over her shoulder with a lazy smirk. "You're killing Jamie you know."

"I know, but it's so fun when they see it for the first time. I think she'll really like it. Just like I think I nailed yours." She turned her around to the mirror and Steph just gasped. Her usual honey brown hair was now framed with super light blonde around her face. It was even longer now that it was straight and fell over her shoulder like silk. Her bangs were mostly blonde and the entire underside of her hair was a rich brown. For that rockstar element, there was a swatch of purple peeking from the blonde. "Oh, Ruby."

Ruby pulled out the little hank of purple. "Here, hold onto these." She dropped a ribbon with little charms dangling off of it in the palm of her hand. "I'm going to braid some of these into it. You've got the sexy slick and then this playful little bit of fun that just seems to suit you."

It really did. She dug under the underside and tied an intricate knot at the roots and all those pretty music notes flowed down an intricate back braid ending in a gem studded trio of crossees and a G-clef. She jumped out of her chair and hugged her. "Every time I'm out this way I'm coming to see you."

"Wow." Ruby sniffed and hugged her tight. "I'm just so stoked that I could take care of you guys." She looked down at her toes and then back up. "Do you think I could have a picture for my wall? To show off your design and of course that you were in my shop?"

"Sure, sure." Steph looped an arm around her waist as Ruby led her to the back. She mugged for the polaroid and then signed it.

"Want me to do your makeup too?"

Steph looked at the hard edge of black liner and wild magenta and purple swirls and hesitated.

"Oh no, not everyone can go with this." Ruby waved to her own face. "Just trust me."

The flat heel of Jamie's boot practically pounded out a setlist's worth of a beat by the time Ruby had her face done. "Don't look. Let this one be a surprise."

Steph growled. "Man, how am I supposed to wait?"

"Like I did, goddammit. Get me out of this hood!"

Steph and Ruby laughed at Jamie's impatient growl. "Help me cover her eyes," Ruby asked as they both went over to the dryer. "Okay, Jamie. I've still got to do one more thing before you can look."

"Are you freakin' kidding me?"

Steph slapped a hand over her eyes as soon as the dryer dome lifted. "C'mon, be a sport."

"I've never been, nor will I ever be...a fucking sport."

That was damn true. Jamie tried to siddle away, feigned left and then right, but Steph managed to keep her hand over her eyes. "The surprise is worth it." Jamie's normally rich brown hair was a few shades darker. More of a molten dark chocolate that showcased her sun-kissed complexion with a feathering style of bangs and layers that flowed into ends tipped in cobalt blue. It was pure metal-chick and so Jamie that Ruby had to be a mind reader. She caught the back of Jamie's hair in the mirror and grinned. It was razor cut so that it fell into a layered point just below her shoulder blades, the ends in the same dipped blue.

They definitely needed to go shopping now. They both looked totally different.

And totally kickass.

"Don't look at your face!" Ruby cried and Steph slammed her eyes shut.

"I was too busy looking at Jamie's hair."

"Jamie wants to look at Jamie's hair!"

She pushed her into the chair. "Be patient."

"Like that's my strong point," Jamie groused.

Steph hopped back onto the other chair and turned her chair so she wasn't tempted to look in the mirror. Ruby gave Jamie the same treatment, but since her hair was nearly pin straight to start with, it only took a few swipes of the flat iron to smooth out the last of the kinks.

"Damn, wait until you see."

Jamie sent her a sideways glance and her eyebrows rose. "Damn, Lolly. Look at you all slick and polished. Richie's going to be afraid to muss you up."

"He better not be." She fluffed her bangs. "You think it looks okay?"

"You're a fucking babe. And those lips? Do we get to take home that lipstick? Because every guy is going to want her lips around their cock with lips looking like that."

"I already have a bag for each of you," Ruby answered.

"Gee thanks, Jamie."

Jamie shrugged. "I only speak the truth. You already have hot lips, now they're just pure sex. You're going to kill my brother."

"Brother?" Ruby's eyes widened as she tugged Jamie's head just a touch too hard in excitement and looked at Steph.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, sorry." Ruby eased up on Jamie's hair with the flat iron. "You're hooking up with Richie Sambora? Unless Jamie has another brother? I don't think so though, right? Just the two of you?"

Jamie nodded. "Priest quiet on this one Ruby. No one knows they are circling each other like hungry wolves."

Steph flushed. "I wish I could deny it, but God I just want to take a bite out of him." Her body hummed at the thought of killing him tonight. She needed something to wear after the show that would make him sit up and take notice. They had a night free so that they could get into Vancouver and through customs. They'd be on the flight together this time.

And she planned on dragging him into the dark back and showing him just what she could do to him and this time she wasn't letting him run away or make an excuse.

Ruby lined Jamie's eyes with dark blue then slashed on a little mascara. "Okay you two." She turned them both around at the same time and clapped when they both gasped.

Ruby had done something with her eyes. A smokey liner and mascara and something shimmery on her lids that made her eyes pop. China blue and glowing, but it was her mouth that drew attention. Slick, dark red with this sheen to it that did indeed beg for sex. "Holy crap, Ruby!" Steph slid off her chair and pushed at her hair, but no matter what she did it slithered over her shoulder and the almost white blonde of it framed her face and breasts making her look fresh and different and...older. Not so baby faced. It made her cheekbones look higher and classier.

Her smile spread slow and wide. She was going to kill him.

Jamie was still staring at herself in the mirror. The cobalt blue fluttered around her shoulders and arrowed down her slim back drawing the eye down to her amazing butt and legs.

"Damn, Ruby. You know your job, girlfriend!" Jamie whipped around and took a look at the back of herself. "Holy shit!" Then she looked at Steph. "Holy shit!"

"I know!" Steph couldn't help the bubbling laugh and spun the hairdresser into a tight, jumping hug. "You made us look totally kick ass!"

Ruby held up one long finger then clomped to the back of her shop, back with two cameras. One real one with film, and her Polaroid again. "Okay, just a few more pictures. God, you guys looks so amazing. I'm amazing!"

Jamie threw her arm around Jamie and hauled her in until they were cheek to cheek. The flash and whirl of the instant camera had her blinking, but it was nothing against the slim, pink camera's flash. She should be used to it by now with backstage, but it never ceased to put dots in her vision.

They paid her and gave a generous tip, then waved their way out of the salon and they headed to the food court.

"I need fuel."

"Yeah, me too," she answered and she let Jamie drag her into the lunch rush. It was mid-week so the rush wasn't too bad, but the people that were there made up the housewife and senior set and they weren't subtle about the stares.

"So, are they staring because we're hot, or because we're freaks?"

Steph laughed. "A little bit of both, I think." She spotted Todd in the middle of the food court with a slack jawed face. "That one just thinks we're hot."

"Well then, let's kill him."

They both threw a swing in their step and Steph could feel eyes turning their way. Feminine power was very much like a drug and she stored it up to use later. Heads turned, women sneered, and Todd dropped a bag full of tapes on the floor before he dropped to pick everything up. If that did say how hot they were, nothing did. She bent to pick up one of the tapes, seeing the smoky heart and scrawl of their band's name. She grinned up at him and handed him the tape. "Good taste."

"Can you sign it for me?"

She laughed and reached into her bag. She always had a Sharpie at hand. It just made everything easier with their new found fan base. She paiently waited for him to fumble the wrapping open and take out the sleeve. Steph scrawled her name on the inside over her picture and handed over the marker for Jamie to do the same. She patted his cheek. "Ready for some lunch, Todd?"

He bobbed his head, his eyes glassy. She wasn't sure if he was more impressed with them as artists or just that they were famous. She wasn't even sure if there was a difference anymore. She tucked a twenty into his hand. "Why don't you go get us a couple of salads and add grilled chicken to them and whatever you want. A couple of Pepsi's too."

"Salad?" Jamie asked and dumped herself into a chair, her long legs crossed insolently and a cigarette already at her lips.

"We need something that isn't fast food or room service."

"Speak for yourself."

Steph plucked the cigarette out of her hand and took a long drag before blowing it out into the cavernous ceiling. The quick shot of nicotine went to her head immediately in a nice little buzz before dissipating. "So, what's going on with you?"

Jamie shoved her sunglasses on and crossed her arms. "What do you mean?"

"Doesn't take a psychologist to see you just shut down on me, girl. What's going on?"

Jamie pinched the bridge of her nose and shoved her sunglasses higher on her nose. "Just tired, babes. I need this week off for the holiday."

She'd known Jamie for what felt like forever. Something was off with her. Beyond the drinking and the partying, that she understood and could party with the best of them. In fact her brain felt two sizes too big for her skull with what they'd put down the night before. Not that she'd let on about it to Jamie. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

"Yeah, what else would it be?"

But before she could interrogate her any more Todd came back with their lunch. They spent the next twently minutes torturing Todd with questions before they dragged him into the heart of the shopping center. Eight stores that catered to women's clothing lined that half of the mall.

"Come to mama," Steph whispered.

Todd dutifully followed them around like a puppy. Held coats and clothes that they'd set aside to buy. By the third store his puppy dog smile had dimmed to a glazed look that she understood. Many a boyfriend had the same look when they made the mistake of going out shopping with them.

At the fourth shop Steph stopped at the entrance and sighed. Racks and racks of clothes that suited the party circuit and seemed to be made for the stage were as far as the eye could see.

"Oh, man," she heard Jamie sigh.

She snapped hangers aside and grabbed jeans, belts, skirts, shirts, and bras until her arms were overflowing, then stopped before a mannequin at the center of the store and absently shoved everything at Todd. She climbed onto the dais and found her size, walking immediately to the dressing room and stripping off her clothes.

Five minutes later she arranged the shirt until it lay just right. She jumped at a heavy thunk on her dressing room door. She turned around and laughed. "Where did you find those?"

"C'mon, you know it was made for that outfit."

She grasped the black leather boots and tugged them on. They had some sort of stretchy material so that they gripped her calves and up to her knees and over hovering an inch over her knees. The heel was stilletto thin and at least four inches. She opened the door and Jamie swore.

"Oh yeah," Steph smiled at her reflection. "He's a dead man."