Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

“I saw this ad on Facebook ’bout a new cream that treats cellulite. I’m thinkin’ ’bout orderin’ some.”

“Hmph. You know all that mess is nothin’ but a scam.”

“My son is a starter on the football team. I swear he’s doubling my laundry.”

“The marching band rehearses three times a week after school. I gotta take snacks over for them next Wednesday.”

I lifted another section of hair from the client at my station and swiped the mahogany color on it. The salon buzzed with gossip this late afternoon. September was in full swing, and the women had shifted to fall mode. Classes, teachers, football games, and an upcoming community-wide Halloween party that the Dragon Runners sponsored. That event was a long time away as far as I was concerned, but I got the impression that it was a big deal.

Tambre came over to my station. “How are you, Agatha? Is your husband coming in for your birthday?”

The woman in my chair nodded her foiled head. “Yeah, he got his leave approved. It’s hard sometimes, and the boys and I miss him, but if all goes well with this promotion, he’ll get an assignment stateside, and we’ll move to where he’s stationed. Fingers crossed that it’ll be soon.”

“I hope he stays safe out there.” Tambre touched a wrapped foil to check it. “Loving a military man ain’t easy, but you got yourself a good one. Opal here is one of the best colorists I’ve ever seen. She’ll get you ready for the reunion.”

I preened a little at the compliment. It meant a lot that Tambre trusted me with the people here in the shop. This was the second time Agatha had been in my chair and the first time I’d colored for her. “Always glad to help. Where are your boys?” I asked.

She smiled as she held still for the next section to be painted. “Chad is in the first grade, and Tori is in preschool at my church until one. This is my only free time for shopping, haircuts, personal doctor appointments, and all that happy stuff.” She laughed out loud, making the foils rattle. “I swear, I live my life by Google Calendar.”

I laughed with her. I figured us to be around the same age, roughly twenty-six, but she seemed far older. Probably because she had two kids, a husband, and a house. We chatted about kids, daycare, nighttime routines, and other parenting tips as I worked.

I thought about it as I set the timer. Many of the women here had children and spouses, and I heard hours of their complaints.

“He never listens to me.”

“Spends all his free time in the garage or in front of the TV.”

“We never go anywhere or do anything.”

Perhaps being single wasn’t a terrible thing. Did it bother me? I paused at the thought as I entered the break room to get my water bottle from the fridge. I had the beginnings of a great career in a skill that would never grow old. I had my daughter to raise. I had friendships developing in this small town. Yes, I admitted, I did get lonely from time to time, but for the most part, I was good with my own company. Did I need a man in my life? Not really.

Did I want a man in my life?

That question I couldn’t answer.

The timer buzzed a short time later, and I smiled at Agatha’s grinning face. The foils came off easily, and I piled them into a shiny mountain on the working tray. A quick shampoo and conditioning later, she perched in my chair and grinned widely as I picked up my comb and tools.

“Oh my, that color came out really nice. I love it!” She beamed as she tilted her head from side to side. “Do you have any recommendations for a new look that fits me?”

I regarded her reflection in the giant mirror at my station and pondered for a moment. “Since you like shorter styles, I’d do a reverse bob with a long side sweep. It draws the eye upward and slims the face.”

Agatha laughed and tapped her rounded chin. “I need all the help I can get. Let’s do it.”

I smiled back. “You bet.”

The comb gently glided through Agatha’s freshly colored strands before she spoke again. “I’m so glad you moved here. Such a blessing. My older brother is single. His name is Robert, but we call him Bobby. Brother Bobby, to be exact. He’s the new preacher over to the big church on First Street. I’ll introduce you to him sometime soon. What church did you grow up in?”

I hesitated. Yeah, I was aware of religion, Jesus, and all that stuff, but I’d never really gotten into that scene. “I didn’t grow up in a church.”

I should have lied. Agatha grabbed onto that statement like a starving man to a sandwich.

“Well, that settles it. I’m bringing Bobby to see you next week. He’ll probably invite you to his church, and you can watch him preach. When he’s up in the pulpit, he needs a proper haircut ’stead of them whack jobs he gets from the barbershop.”

My stomach danced with trepidation. The last thing I wanted right now was to meet men. Any man. I just got my life on track and wasn’t planning to get off it. Didn’t I just decide I was okay with being single?

“I’m not sure I’m ready to start dating.”

“Are you divorced?”

An unexpected rush of emotion joined the chorus line kicking in my gut. This wasn’t the first time someone made assumptions about my past. I had no intention of explaining anything, and I kept most of my thoughts to myself. It was easier to let people guess the worst—and in truth, they weren’t that far off. “He died.”

I could barely get the words out.

Agatha thankfully let it go. “I’m so sorry for your loss. How long ago?”

“This past winter.”

“Oh, I’m so, so sorry. My deepest condolences.” She said it with such sincerity, I believed her.

Whether that meant she gave up on her brother and me or not was a crapshoot, but I needed to get my head under control. I smiled and faked my way into a good attitude. “Thank you. Now, let’s get this party started.”

I picked up my scissors and started shaping.

The salon kept buzzing all day. Appointments, walk-ins, the latest gossip—it all flowed around me as I worked. These women were involved in so much, and every one of them had stories to tell about life, love, and family. Many times, I considered myself an outsider looking in, but it was nice to be somewhat included in this extended group.

Molly came by with bags of zucchini. “Here, y’all. Grab as much as you want, ’cause I’ll have more tomorrow. Cutter done lost his mind plantin’ that much. We got all sorts of squash coming out our ears. Anyone want tomatoes or cucumbers for picklin’? Them vines is still producing like crazy.”

A few women poked through the bags. Another one said something about pumpkins and cushaw abundance to come. I had no idea what a cushaw was, but apparently it was a popular item here.

Molly looked around and frowned. “Where’s Kimmie?”

Tambre came from the back with a concerned expression on her face. “I’m not sure. She was supposed to be here a half hour ago and hasn’t called.”

I swept up my station and kept my head down, hoping they wouldn’t ask me directly about my roommate. She was going out more and more during the week, staying out late and coming home in the wee hours of the morning. It bothered me, as I had firsthand knowledge of the path she was on and what the end of it held, but I didn’t have the power to stop her.

Kimmie’s timing radar must have been on. She ran into the salon, out of breath and disheveled. “Sorry, sorry, sorry, I got caught in a tangle on the highway. Damn construction zone!”

Molly laughed. “No worries, girl. Let’s get started, ’cause I got a time limit.”

Tambre’s smile of relief didn’t quite reach her eyes.