by J. R. Ripley
Caitie looked confused. ‘Of course. That’s what this is all about.’
‘Scalping people?’ I hissed, rising from the salon chair before she could take what was left.
‘Yeah. Why are you getting so excited? It’s the Charity Cut Extreme Event. I cut off all your hair for ten bucks.’ She folded the gown and tossed it atop a nylon gym bag on the grass. ‘The money and the hair goes to charity.’ She scooped my hair off the edge of the basin and placed it carefully in a big Ziploc bag, which she added to a pile in an open cardboard box.
‘I look like a bald circus clown.’
She fingered what little length of hair I had across my forehead. ‘I don’t know,’ she said, scrunching her lips, ‘I don’t think it looks so bad.’
‘It. Looks. Hideous,’ I said through gritted teeth.
Caitie shrugged. ‘Guess you can’t please everyone.’ She held out her hand. ‘That’ll be ten dollars, please.’
I grabbed my purse and yanked out two fives that I’d taken from the cashbox. ‘I don’t know why I’m paying you. You should be paying me for what you’ve done.’
Caitie looked down her considerable nose at me. ‘This money and that hair go to cancer patients.’
My heart stopped once again. If this kept happening I could be in serious trouble. ‘Oh,’ I said, my voice soft. ‘I didn’t know.’ I handed her another twenty.
‘Why didn’t you warn me?’ I cried, ducking back to my tent where Keith and Aubrey were busy tearing everything down.
‘Excuse me, ma’am?’ Aubrey smirked. ‘But do I know you?’
I snarled. ‘Aubrey.’ I shook my fist at her.
‘Sorry,’ she giggled. ‘I truly, truly thought you knew. I mean, everybody knows. It’s like a Table Rock tradition.’
I huffed. ‘It’s a catastrophe.’
‘You look fine,’ Laura assured me, having come to pick up her things. She hoisted the empty deep fryer. ‘I’ll take this to my car.’ She took three steps then stopped. ‘After we’re finished here, what do you all say we hit Hanging Louie’s for dinner?’
Aubrey looked at Keith, who nodded. She took his hand. ‘Sounds good to us.’
‘Me, too,’ I said grudgingly. I spotted some smart-alec kid taking a picture of me on his phone, snicker and nudge his girlfriend who snickered too. He’d no doubt be posting it online for the world to see. I was doomed.
Maybe I’d stop and purchase a new hat on the way to the restaurant. And a new pair of giant sunglasses. Go in disguise.
‘Wonderful,’ deadpanned Laura. ‘You know, they have a couple of pool tables in back. Suddenly I’m in the mood for a game.’ She looked at me and winked, then took off running.
I narrowed my eyes and gave her a couple of seconds’ head start. Laura might be fast but I knew I was going to be faster. She was lugging that deep fryer, after all.
