How To Marry Your Husband by Anne Brooke Read Free Book Online Page B

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films and has always longed to be that elegant herself. Sadly, neither elegance nor the ability to dance has ever come her way. You have to live in the real world in the end – though meeting and falling in love with Kieran has been in itself more than magical, oh yes.
    Speaking of the real world however, she’s been sitting for ages with the perming solution in her hair while Bernie ‘nipped downstairs for a cup of tea’. Surely she should be back by now? Then again, Olivia doesn’t have a clue when it come to how long perms – however soft – take to set and she’s absolutely sure the hairdresser will have everything under control. Nevertheless, the back of her scalp is starting to feel odd – not a burning sensation exactly, but more of a constant itch. Maybe that is supposed to happen? She tries to move her head very gently without disturbing Bernie’s handiwork to see if the itch goes away, but it doesn’t make any difference.
    She’ll give it five more minutes – what harm can that do? – and then she will try calling out to see if Bernie is within answering range. Though she must be – the house isn’t large. Maybe she’s gone into the garden.
    Olivia is just about to get out of the chair as carefully as she can for fear of disturbing the hair art when Berni skips back into the lounge.
    “So sorry,” she says. “I was just chatting to another client to fix up a hairdo time for her on Saturday and we got talking. I almost forgot you were here!”
    Charming, Olivia thinks. Always good to be invisible.
    “Bernie, could you just check my hair, please? I’m getting itchy at the back so didn’t know if the lotion should be taken off now?”
    “Yes, of course!” Bernie sings out as she trots behind Olivia. “There won’t be a problem as this stuff’s really good. Very gentle. But it’s about time to take it off anyway, so let’s see what we’ve got.”
    What they have in the end looks very nice indeed. At least, once the whole thing has been brushed out and styled. She loves the way the soft curls frame her face and make her look less sharp-edged than she usually does. She’s probably been getting overly-angsty about the feel of the lotion. It’s no doubt the effect of all that wedding planning she and Kieran are doing. There’s a heck of a lot to think about.
    Back at home, Olivia leaves her hair unwashed for a couple of days to give everything a chance to sort itself out and then settles down on the third evening to see if Bernie’s creation lasts quite so well at the hands of a novice.
    Her shampoo and conditioner are the ones she always uses but, halfway through, something is wrong and her hair isn’t doing what it’s supposed to. Not in any shape or form.
    “Kieran? Kieran? ”
    A couple of moments later, Olivia hears her fiance’s footsteps thundering through the kitchen and lobby to reach her.
    “What’s wrong?” his startled eyes give her the once over where she leans over the sink with the shower head. “Have you hurt yourself?”
    “Nooo,” Olivia wails. “I’m fine. But my hair feels really odd. Can you see anything?”
    She dabs at her head with the towel, feeling a slight and very worrying crackle under her fingers, and then swings round so her back is towards him. She feels him move closer and presumably give her hair a careful examination. He shuffles his feet once or twice.
    “Um, well, I’m not sure what I’m looking for. Your hair looks fine to me, but then again I’m a bloke so I don’t know anything about this stuff. What do you think is odd about it?”
    Olivia shakes her head. “It feels dry, brittle. I’m worried about the perm lotion. Do you think Bernie left it in too long?”
    “Honestly, I’ve no idea, but you and your hair always look lovely. Why don’t you dry it off and see how you go?”
    Olivia nods. It’s as good a suggestion as any. Back in the bedroom she sets the hairdryer onto the lowest heat possible