Caitlyn walked into Magnifique, noting with approval that every seat had a butt in it. She had used her inheritance to buy it as soon as she got out of college, and it was one of the most popular hair salons in St. Paul. It was her sweetheart, her baby. She’d been away too long.

And she figured the quickest way to get back to normal was to, well, be normal. Which meant getting back to Mag’s day-to-day running, pronto.

“Jenny,” she said, and the receptionist waved, turned her head to the left, and tapped her headset, which was so small, Caitlyn never knew if she was on the phone or not.

“…uh-huh…yes, we’ve got you down for next Saturday at two o’clock…uh-huh…yep, highlights, lowlights, and a cut…well, we’ll see you then.” She punched a button on her console and smiled up at Caitlyn. “Hey, chief. What’s up?”

“We’re overbooked again, that’s what’s up. Bad, bad Jenny.”

“Oh, come on. You’re the one always complaining when there isn’t ‘a butt in every seat.’”

Caitlyn was momentarily startled when the chip in her head reported Jenny’s blood pressure and pulse, but she rallied quickly when it pointed out that Jenny was mildly stressed. “We are not Northwest, Jenny. Stop double-booking.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She knew the younger woman was appropriately cowed, so she didn’t push. “And the highlights look great.”

Jenny smiled. “I’m a walking ad for this place, and you know it.”

“I do know it.” Jenny really was. Small, skinny, with shoulder-length blond hair (and red highlights now) and greenish blue eyes, Jenny was ridiculously pretty, one of those women who always looked effortlessly “done.” Which, of course, was not why Caitlyn had given her the job, but it certainly didn’t hurt. “Where’s the mail?”

Jenny reached beneath her desk and withdrew a box, which was overflowing. Caitlyn eyed it with distaste. “Paperless office, my big white butt.”

“Chief, if we could just go one workday without talking about your butt…”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“And here comes your ten o’clock.”

Caitlyn turned in time to nearly get knocked off her feet by the exuberance of her client’s greeting. “Caitlyn! Thank God you’re here! I was worried you were still out!”

“Hi, Karen.”

“Not that I have a problem with any of your girls, but you really get me! And I’ve got a signing tonight! And as you can see, the situation is dire!”

“It’s not that bad,” she replied, inspecting the other woman’s roots. Karen was, unfortunately, both a close talker and incapable of communicating in a normal speaking voice. The combination meant Caitlyn usually bent back a good six inches when Karen was chatting, and eventually clawed for the Advil. “We’ll neaten up these ends for you, and that’ll make a big difference.”

“Great! Let’s do it!”

“Okay.” Caitlyn waited while Karen hung up her coat, then walked her over to the chair. Caitlyn’s throne/home-away-from-home was in the perfect location—she could do heads while keeping an eye on the others, observe Jenny’s phone manner, and know when the mail showed up. Also, the drawers were wide and deep, and stored many things.

“Let’s get started. What do you think about covering the gray and maybe lightening up this brown with some goldish highlights?”

“I think that sounds great! But anything will be a vast improvement!”

“Oh, cut that out. You’re too hard on yourself.” Karen was an attractive, plump thirty-five, but she disliked looking her age. “Tonight’s the signing?”

“Yes! I’m a nervous wreck!”

Yikes. Karen’s volume rose in direct proportion to her emotional state. She did PR, and most of her clients were local writers. “It’ll go great. You’ve planned the heck out of it.”

“That’s true!”

“I’m just gonna get a couple of Advil.” Caitlyn rummaged in the top drawer, then paused. She hadn’t been sick a single day since the government cheerfully infected her with nanobytes. Not a cold, not a headache.

Karen would be the definitive test. If she didn’t have a skull buster after doing Karen’s head, she would never have one.

Find out once and for all, Caitlyn thought. Am I a true freak, or is there a chance that things could ever get back to normal?

“So where have you been?! We’ve all wondered!”

“Visiting friends around the country. On second thought, I’ll pass on the Advil. So,” Caitlyn prompted, picking up a comb, “tell me about tonight. In vast, lengthy detail.”