Chapter 1
Ari
"Ari, sweetheart, can you grab some foils for me from the back room?"
"You've got it, Cass! Anyone else need something while I'm in the back?" Ari called to the rest of the salon, rising from her seat.
"A cheeseburger would kill, babe!"
"You got one of those fancy coffee machines back there?"
"Some clean towels, please. Thanks, Ari!"
"I'll take a coffee, too!"
She couldn't help giggling as she made her way to the supply shelves. The clientele at Killer Cut Salon was a trip, and so were the people working there. The past three months were the most enjoyable months of her entire life, and finding this town and this job had been the catalyst.
Becoming a beautician had been a dream of hers for as long as she could remember. Watching pop idols and movies stars walk the red carpet, TMZ interviews, MTV (music videos or the crazy shows they'd insert to keep the channel alive)--she didn't care about the people. It was the hairstyles and the make-up designs she craved.
She would dig through the recycling bin outside the local bookstore every Tuesday to find another hit. Tuesday was when the new magazines were delivered and they threw away last month's, albeit, without the cover. Allure, Shape, Bazaar, Elle, In Style, Vogue, even a Women's Health when there were slim pickings. It didn't matter that they kept the covers, the insides were worth more than gold to her. She'd grab them all, head to the corner of the library, and begin to drink in her drug of choice. Her escape into what could one day be.
Ari actually took on choosing magazines for patrons of the salon to browse soon after her arrival. She was pleased to see as she exited the supply room how many women were currently enjoying one of her selections. It was a small satisfaction, but no less sweet to her.
After handing Cassidy her foils and Estelle her towels, Ari returned to the manicurist station to await her next appointment.
"Babe, I believe I ordered a cheeseburger," Naomi drawled in her sassy southern accent as she checked her work on Mrs. McMahon's new color and trim.
Ari rolled her eyes and shot back, "The griddle's acting up, Nay-Nay. You'll have to run to Moonshine during your break. Or maybe you could actually eat the salad you brought in so you could 'lose the goosh' you claim is stuck to you."
Naomi and Mrs. McMahon both laughed as she finished applying a foil to her hair. Naomi was practically a model living amongst mere mortals, constantly claiming that she needed to lose at least seven more pounds to be happy with her weight.
"Ari-girl, you're on a break right now. How 'bout you run to Moonshine for me and I'll buy you a lunch to boot."
Ari perked up. "No joke?"
"Nah, babe," Naomi reassured her as she finished foiling Mrs. McMahon's strands. "You fly, I buy. I swear, I don't think I've seen you take a real, honest to God lunch break since you started. You nibble like a damn chipmunk on those veggies. I need you to eat a burger in front of me. Make me feel better 'bout doin' it myself."
Ari snorted, but stood up quickly and grabbed her purse. It was true, her next appointment wasn't due for another hour and a half, so it wasn't as if she didn't have the time.
"Deal," she agreed, walking over to accept a couple twenties and Naomi's order. Within five minutes, she was waltzing down the street where four blocks away sat Moonshine High, the local bar/restaurant that was a bit of a legend. Supposedly, it originally hid a real life illegal moonshine operation during the prohibition. When the law was righted, they came out and started a bar as a "fuck you" to the government and eventually developed into a restaurant.
Ari wasn't much of a beer drinker and knew even less about moonshine, but their burgers were to die for.
She paused at the second street corner and waited for the lights to change. Flashing her nails in front of her face, she considered changing their color after her next appointment. She probably changed them three times a week, but she couldn't help herself. The number of styles and polishes available these days was staggering.
After refusing for years to look into Pinterest purely out of spite for the kinds of girls she knew practically lived on it, a friend convinced her to give it a quick peek. It dropped like a damn bomb into her world and she was disappointed at how much she had missed! That was when she had discovered the insane new techniques being used for nail design. She spent a week researching marbling patterns alone.
Suddenly, beautician wasn't enough and the new goal was cosmetologist. By that point, the same friend had lent her money to begin nail tech classes. Her enthusiasm did her no harm, and after passing with flying colors and earning her certification, she ventured as far away from the West Coast as she could manage. Which meant the East Coast. Ari spent years bouncing from state to state, taking make-up and hair stylist courses when she had the time and money. Early this year, however, she saw an online job listing for a small town salon.
They needed a nail tech immediately and were willing to pay for further education as long as the applicant agreed to stay on for a full year. Honestly, Ari was baffled as to why the position had been posted for so long. Once she search the town's location, though, it became pretty obvious. It was in a rather remote area close to Virginia's Shenandoah mountain, roughly two hours from Washington D.C. and its suburbs. Not many people would invest in a house somewhere in between, which meant the only option was moving to Canary Ridge itself.
Well, it might have been a deterrent for other possible applicants, but it was a godsent to Ari. Remote, surrounded by nature, and a well paying job that she loved? With benefits? She had practically squealed at the thought. Take me now! My body and soul are ready!
Within a week of her online interview and a very friendly phone call, she had packed her meager belongings into her hatchback and driven almost twelve hours to reach her rental house on Summer View Circle. She had imagined this town as small, quaint, and beautiful due to its proximity to the mountains. Ari hadn't realized her rental would look like a damn HGTV dream cottage nestled against forest of mature and budding trees, backlit by a deep orange setting sun.
The more she looked around town in the following week, the more she sent up little prayers of thanks that she had stumbled upon this opportunity. And her exploration of town wouldn't have been complete without a trip to Moonshine High. Her new friends from the salon had treated her to a night out after completing her first work week. Ari had been hooked ever since. Each step she took increased her excitement for the simple pleasure of a well made meal as she neared the bar's entrance. Devil burger, I'm coming for you.
