Chapter 23
“Papi!” Mac cried. “Where’s your hair?”
“It’s all gone,” Kira added, disappointed.
“It’s not the end of the world, guys,” Paul chuckled. “It’s the reinvention of the Londonator!”
“Get it back,” Kira frowned.
“I can’t exactly glue it all back on my head, baby girl.”
“Get it back,” Kira repeated. “Don’t like it.”
“Great, shot down by a three year old. My own child at that.”
“By the way,” Mariah spoke up. “Brian called. He says he’s going to ‘fucking kill you’ and already has a spot chosen to hide the body.”
“Lovely,” Paul said. “Now my best friend has a contract on my life over a haircut after he said I looked like a cancer kid. Even my own mami isn’t happy. ‘You had such gorgeous hair mijo!’ Oquela. Anyone else want to take a shot?”
“I think it’s rather nice,” Mariah nodded. “Gives you a more mature, cleaner, more serious appearance.”
“Yeah, Papi,” Mac agreed. “You are kind of cute, now that I looked at it better.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Mac grinned.
“She’s right about that,” Mariah chuckled.
“Ah, the seal of approval at last. Thank you, lovely Mimi and my sweet little Mackenzie. And it’s still summer and it makes my neck hot as hell. Plus it always fun getting dragged across the ring by your hair, especially when it comes off in their hands and it looks all brutal.”
Mac made a face. “Eww.”
“So what did Montana think?” Mariah asked.
“After I scared the hell out of her? She kind of liked it. She’s still on my ass to get new attire, though. Thing is, Mimi, I knew they'd want to keep me kind of the same, not change my style, outside of taking away the knee pads. Like how you notice Bri's doing more ground work now? They want me to stay a high flyer, so I'm hoping they'll at least give me a different look. I like the shorts, they're comfortable, some say ‘ridiculous‘, but I like wrestling in them. Now if they'd give them a new design, it'd be cool.”
“Hmm,” Mariah pondered. “That makes sense.”
“And Mon’s probably going to shit herself when she sees I am now a two-tattooed man. I figured since I'd fucked up my entire promise to Dani, I'd get it redone, so I doubled up.”
“Oh, Paul, the ankle ones? That’s sweet, honey. I’m sure she’d be happy to hear that.”
“Well, she about opened a vein about the haircut until I told her the remains went to Locks of Love. Then I became her hero.”
Mariah beamed. “You donated it to Locks of Love?”
Paul nodded, grinning. “All eight inches of it.”
“Such a stroke of generosity. Of course, I can’t say I’m surprised. You always were a big hearted soul for as long as I’ve known you.”
“What’s Locks of Love?” Mac asked.
“Well, sweetheart,” Paul began, “it’s a place that makes hair for kids who lose their own from being really sick for a long time.”
“And they’ll use your hair?”
“Mine and a lot of other people’s, baby.”
“Wow. See, Sissy? It’s not so bad. Some little kid that’s sick will have Papi’s old hair. It isn’t gone after all.”
It took awhile for Kira to digest it, but she only nodded.
“And don’t worry, baby girl,” Paul added. “What I have here will grow back.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Okay,” Kira said. “Then I won’t be mad no more. But ‘Tana really like it?”
“Of course she does.”
“If she does and you gave the rest for some sick kids to use,” Mac smiled, “then we will be happy with it too!”
“Phew,” Paul said. “For awhile there, I thought you two would join Spanky in the murder plot. Then again, he’ll just have to deal. I have been a little more comfortable today.”
“And you could be taken a little more seriously now too,” Mariah replied.
“Yeah, I was just thinking that, Mimi. That and I’m getting a little old for the long hair deal. Sure, the chicks are into that shit, but since being with Montana, to be honest, she and these two little angels here are the only opinions that matter. And of course, I don’t think everyone’s into looking at all the fur of one hairy Mexican, contrary to popular belief.”
“Well, as long as you don’t go too insane,” Mariah smiled, “reinventing yourself could be a good thing in the long run.”
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