Hair Calamities and Hot Cash.

by Gail Pallotta

  “A light blue sports sedan, the snazziest vehicle I’d ever seen. My dad bought it for me from a neighbor.”

  Philip seemed to have led a cushy life on a level I knew little about. “What do you do in New York in your spare time?” I scooped up more spinach dip.

  “Nothing as tranquil as this. I have to go to Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island to kick back. How about you?”

  Since Jordan died other than an occasional dinner out with friends, I’d worked, read, or watched something boring on television. Philip’s question forced me to think of the way things had been for Jordan and me. We took walks, went to plays in nearby Misty Gorge, and went out to nice restaurants. What was I thinking, telling myself I needed a change of scenery? I needed Jordan. This date was a bad idea. I wanted to go home. Tears rushed to my eyes. I blinked them back. “I uh...’’

  “I bet you read magazines about hairstyles.”

  Philip’s caring tone soothed my frayed nerves. I laid my napkin beside my plate. “Yes, that’s fun for me.” If only he hadn’t made me think of Jordan. My customers had told me I should go out, and I knew they meant the best for me, but there was no one for me but Jordan. I glanced at Philip. Maybe my clients were right. He wasn’t proposing. It was only a distraction for one evening and the company was great. I took a deep breath and relaxed in my seat.

  Jeffrey returned and played several Bach church cantatas. Then he stood and pulled a small notepad out of his tuxedo jacket pocket. “While you enjoy a delicious dessert, please call out the titles of songs you like. We’ll end with a sing-along.”

  His fingers flew across the pad as guests fired names while a waiter carrying a silver tray deposited a chocolate mousse by each place setting.

  “These are great selections. Thanks for your enthusiasm.” Jeffrey flipped up the tails on his jacket, sat down, and pulled up the piano bench. Happy melodies filled the room as his fingers lightly tapped the keys making the tunes dance with his signature style. The audience’s voices grew louder and more enthusiastic with each song until finally he stopped, stood, and took a bow.

  Philip and I rose from our seats and joined the wide-eyed men and women giving him a standing ovation. No wonder. By the time his performance ended, it had sent me soaring high above my hum-drum everyday life, and I was glad I’d agreed to go on this date.

  When the clapping finally ceased, Philip guided me out amid a mix of fruity perfume and woodsy aftershave wafting from grand ladies and gentlemen. We slid into the old vehicle. He glanced at the key then me before he started the engine. But he drove down the mountain into a sleepy town with no hitches. Only the lampposts lining the streets lit the way for the old car, humming along on the level roads. I pinched myself to make sure this night wasn’t a dream as the pebbles in my drive crunched under the vehicle’s tires.

  Philip parked, let me out of the passenger’s seat, and put his arm around my waist.

  Warmth tingled over my skin as he escorted me to the door. His gaze searched my face as he pulled me close. He brushed his lips against mine, and Jordan popped in my head. I turned away, but Philip reached for me and kissed my cheeks. Then his lips found their way to mine. Ecstasy I hadn’t known since Jordan died and never thought I’d know again pulsed through my veins. He let go and brushed back my hair. “What about tomorrow?”

  How much heartache would a sudden separation from the bliss I’d just experienced cause? The deeper Philip burrowed into my soul the more it would hurt when he left, but I yearned for the joy he brought. “Would you like to go to church?”

  Philip let go and stared at me with wide, surprised eyes, but in a moment he said, “Yes.”

  I put my hand on the doorknob. “It starts at eleven o’clock. If you pick me up, we’d better allow extra time for that thing to get up the hill.”

  Philip chuckled. “I’ll see you at ten-thirty.”

  Jordan always told me I was a dreamer and shouldn’t get suckered by things too good to be true. How much could a person get suckered in a worship service?

  5

  Philip whistled a happy tune as he entered his room. The swirling-designed burgundy curtains with motel-thick backing blocked the lights from the parking lot. He switched on the lamp then slung his suit jacket over the office chair in front of the desk.

  Images of Eve filled his brain. She’d been so gracious about everything, bringing him coffee in the midst of all that wreckage. The kindness he’d seen in her eyes told him beauty lived inside her. And at the concert. Oh yeah, she was the hottest woman there. Spending time with her was as good as a day on Narragansett Bay. He lived for those times of peace when he escaped the hustle of the job. Who would’ve thought he’d ram his car into Eve’s Clips and find tranquility in such an unlikely place?

  The dark screen on his laptop reminded him to catch up with work. Thankful for the reception at the motel for his cell phone and computer, he plopped down. How many e-mails could he have on Saturday night? Touching the ON button he waited. Fifty. Didn’t these people ever take a break? He clicked the first one.

  Dear Philip,

  My portfolio has been performing poorly. Please call me. I’d like to discuss other options with you and compare them to new possibilities I’ve gotten from another company.

  Best,

  Valerie Klingman

  Philip’s muscles tensed. But Valerie Klingman wouldn’t spoil the remains of this perfect evening.

  An “Inside Triville” pamphlet lying beside his computer caught his eye. He snatched it, ambled to the bed and propped on a pillow. Ah-ha, a picture of the diner. Yeah. The one where Eve and he went. He revisited the coziness of the place and the evening. Eve’s personality sparkled like a diamond, the real thing. He’d been dating cubic zirconias. His eyes grew heavy, and the paper fell from his hands. He took off his shirt and pants, crawled under the comforter, and fell asleep.

  ~*~

  Philip slapped at the buzzing alarm clock until it shut up. He sat on the side of the bed and rubbed his head as visions of coffee flashed in his mind. Ahh, a fancy coffee maker. He meandered over and popped in a hazelnut packet. The machine whirred as it worked its magic, and a sweet aroma filled the room.

  A complimentary newspaper lay on the floor in front of the door. Sipping his drink, he wandered to the few thin pages and picked them up. Not much happening. No wonder he’d slept better here.

  Not only that, it was beyond all reason, but he’d been more content amid the crisis in Eve’s Clips than he was on most work days in New York. Until he’d visited here the thing he most wanted from life was rest at Narraganset Bay. Odd, but now that wouldn’t be enough. These magnificent hills turned his nerves to calm the same way the peaceful body of water in Rhode Island did, but he’d found a sense of security here he hadn’t known since Dad died, and he didn’t know why.

  After a while would Triville bore him? The residents moved at such a slow pace or perched on their porches and watched the clouds float by. Yet, his soul longed for something they possessed. If only he understood what. Even if he didn’t, he’d never tire of seeing Eve. He dropped down into the chair.

  A large color photo of a woman weaving a basket announced the Western Hills Festival. He’d never been to a mountain gala, and Monday was Eve’s day off, not that she could work in the wreckage he’d left in her shop. Guilt pricked his skin. Then he remembered church.

  He slung the paper to the floor, tugged on a pair of gray pants and a blue dress shirt, and walked outdoors into bright sunshine streaming through the pine trees. No telling how long it would take to crank the old vehicle. The manager meandered by and patted Philip on the shoulder. “Hope you slept well last night.”

  People here certainly were friendly. “Yes, fine. Thank you.” Philip got in the car, turned the key, and held his breath.

  The engine started right up and he exhaled. She hummed on the level road and he arrived at Eve’s without a hitch. He whistled a happy tune as he trekked to the door. She answered, and he couldn’t kee
p his gaze from wandering from her dark sparkling eyes to her stunning black top and skirt complimenting her curvy body. “I-uh-uh like your outfit.” Geez, I’m tongue-tied. He’d never live that down if his friends in New York could hear him. Had the thin air affected him?

  “You look rather handsome yourself.”

  He couldn’t have stopped his lips from spreading into a wide grin if he’d wanted to. He held out his arm and escorted Eve to the passenger’s side. He scooted into his seat and rubbed his hands together. Aggravating car. He stiffened his jaw. “OK, where to?”

  “It’s on top of a hill.” Eve mumbled the words.

  Philip laughed to conceal his nervousness as he started the car. It would make a fool of him yet. He wouldn’t care if it didn’t do it in front of Eve. “It’s all right. We’ll manage.”

  He backed out, and they rode along past the renovated stores and shops lining Main Street.

  “There. Turn right at the post office.” Eve pointed to a red brick building.

  Philip clenched his teeth and headed up a steep hill lined with sycamore trees and wild pink azaleas. The car slowed then jerked. Eve’s gorgeous looks and the car embarrassing him tied his brain in knots. Did she think he wasn’t man enough to handle the old car? Lloyd had probably loaned the vehicle to every guy in Triville, and more than likely they all knew how to maneuver it up steep grades.

  “Floor it.” Eve gave him a pointed look as though she understood.

  He might as well have been on Mars driving a space ship. “Good idea.” He mashed the pedal. The car almost cut out, but rumbled to the pebble lot in front of a white, wood-frame church. His chest filled with pride for the accomplishment as he cut the engine. He zipped around upstate New York effortlessly in his luxury sedan. Why was this more fun?

  He patted the steering wheel, slid out, and opened Eve’s door. She flashed a big smile as though she appreciated his effort to get them here, his manners, or both.

  They followed a walkway of large flat stones to the entrance, where he grabbed hold of a black, wrought iron handle on a plank door and pulled it open.

  Eve’s high heels clicked on the hardwood floor as she sauntered to a pew with a burgundy cushion. Bonnie Sue sat two rows in front of them amid four people Philip had never seen. She turned around, grinned, and mouthed, “Hi, handsome.”

  Hoping Eve hadn’t noticed Bonnie Sue’s greeting, Philip gave Bonnie Sue a half-nod and plunked down by Eve.

  Someone tapped Philip on the shoulder.

  Lloyd was all dressed up in a navy pin-striped suit. “Good to see ya’, Philip.”

  “Thanks.”

  Lloyd directed his gaze toward Eve. “How’s it going in the shop?”

  “They’re making progress.” Eve sounded less than hopeful.

  Philip wished he could undo the wreck. He’d still want to meet Eve, but there had to be a better way.

  Lloyd sat in front of them.

  The regal sounds of the opening hymn rang out from a ten-person choir. They marched down the middle aisle and took their seats behind the minister by the time the song ended.

  The lanky preacher rose from his chair at the front of the pulpit and stepped to the lectern. “Good morning.”

  The congregation answered, “Good morning.”

  The minister opened the Bible. “In Matthew twenty-two, verses thirty-seven through forty a Pharisee asked Jesus to tell him the greatest commandment in the law. “Jesus replied:—‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself...” The pastor closed the Good Book. “‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Were you a blessing to anyone this past week? You don’t have to answer out loud or even raise your hand.”

  Philip looked at Eve’s small, smooth hand lying in her lap. He reached over and squeezed it. She was different from the women he’d dated in New York, the opposite of the Valerie Klingmans in his life who wouldn’t go out of their way to aid a stranger. Once Valerie learned he had only a small amount of time to spend with her, she begrudged his work, called him a player, and broke up with him. That was hurtful and insulting.

  It wasn’t an issue with Eve. She wasn’t trying to tie him down or take advantage of his position in life. He smiled to himself. Did people here understand position?

  “God wants us to offer our fellow man and woman friendship. Perhaps our neighbor’s not the most likeable person in town. But what is his burden? Even if we don’t know, we treat him or her as God says.”

  The residents of Triville lived by this man’s words. Acceptance of others in this busy world was rare. Many, like his boss, tolerated people for business reasons. He knew for a fact George didn’t care for the company’s web designer, but that IT guy was so talented. George took him, the secretaries, and the stockbrokers out to eat occasionally, and they all made small talk over steak at one of the fancy restaurants. Libby March, the receptionist, irritated Richard Ford, another stockbroker at the company, because she couldn’t keep his clients straight when she buzzed in his calls, but at the last dinner he sat beside her and talked to her as though she was his best friend.

  Genuine, sincere people attended this church. They cared. He might never have seen the difference if he hadn’t crashed his car into Eve’s Clips.

  Bulletins rustled and brought Philip’s thoughts to the moment. He and Eve stood with the congregation and the minister gave them a blessing. The choir sang a parting hymn. Then the parishioners filed into the aisles. He and Eve followed them to the rock stoop and Reverend Binder.

  Reverend Binder shook Philip’s hand as Eve said, “This is Philip Wells. He’s here to...”

  “Welcome, Mr. Wells. Mr. Jacobsen’s sister was in the diner on Friday, when I was having my morning coffee. I overheard her mention to Bonnie Sue that you were here from New York to see Corley. Bonnie Sue told her you had crashed into Eve’s shop.”

  Philip’s lips parted, but he snapped them shut.

  Reverend Binder’s eyes twinkled as though he was amused he’d shocked Philip. “It takes a while to learn our ways, but we grow on people.”

  Had Philip grown on Eve? “I’m catching on, and the diner’s a great place to do it.” He turned his gaze toward Eve. “Let’s go there for lunch.”

  Eve’s lips curled into a smile.

  “An excellent idea. Make up for the accident.” Approval rang in Reverend Binder’s tone.

  Philip went toward the parking lot, the pebbles crunching underneath his shoes.

  Eve looked over her shoulder. “Philip wants to see Bonnie Sue.” She spoke toward the preacher as though her words were meant for him. Yet they were too far away for the minister to hear.

  Maybe Eve had noticed his and Bonnie Sue’s exchange when they entered the church. He gritted his teeth. No one would come between him and Eve. “I do not want to see Bonnie Sue.”

  Eve chuckled as Philip opened the passenger door and helped her in.

  He took the wheel at the driver’s seat, started the engine, and backed out. Was Eve making fun of Bonnie Sue? That was hardly called for, and out of character for Eve. “Are you laughing at Bonnie Sue?”

  “I suppose in a way everybody does, but she amuses others because she flirts with everyone. I imagine anyone she hasn’t hit on either feels left out or undesirable.”

  Ahh. Apparently Bonnie Sue had created her own reputation. At the same time, those who knew her appeared to accept her. The people of Triville had gotten the same hold on Philip as they had on each other. He didn’t understand how, but it mattered not. He was only passing through town. “I wouldn’t want to be in either category.” He patted the wheel. “We’re coasting down the mountainside.”

  The car sailed to the bottom of the hill and through town, but chugged, and sputtered on the way to the diner. The vehicle complained, but kept going. Would it hold up as long as he needed it to? More importantly, how did the people of Triville�
�s ways pertain to Eve? Would she ignore Bonnie Sue and continue to go out with him?

  6

  The smell of French fries tickled my nostrils as I entered Bob’s Diner with Philip.

  Delores Witt, a junior in high school with aspirations of becoming a nurse waved from behind the cash register. “Come on in. How ya’ll doin’?” Delores’s sweet voice barely carried over the people chattering at the counter.

  “Hi. Fine, thank you.” I returned her gesture, and we scooted into the second booth.

  Bonnie Sue hurried over tying the sash on her apron. She stood next to Philip and batted those long eyelashes. “I just made it here from church. You’re my first customer, handsome.”

  “As long as there’s a chili cheeseburger waiting for me.” Philip’s words pointed to his interest in lunch, not Bonnie Sue.

  She directed her gaze toward me, but without the flirty eyes. Philip hadn’t fallen into her trap, and he didn’t even know the words “biggest flirt” appeared under her name in the high school yearbook. What a smart man. “Sounds good. I’ll have one too.”

  I tried to smile at her, but I think I smirked. What was wrong with me? Getting jealous over a man I hardly knew. From high school until the day Jordan died, I loved only him. I wanted him to hold me when I was sad and laugh with me when I was happy. He’d never do that again. A sinking sensation hit me in the gut.

  I glanced at Philip. He leaned across the table and stared at me. I couldn’t deny he stirred something inside me. Did happiness knock on the door of my heart for the first time in years? Did I dare let it in knowing it was only for a short time? Either way, I had to stop resenting Bonnie Sue. Who could blame her?

  Philip rested his chin on his fist. “What are you up to this afternoon?”

  “I’ll probably take a nap then prepare something simple for dinner.” Maybe he’d want to come over. “Would you like to join me?”

  His blue eyes lit up. “Sure, what time?”

  “About six o’clock.” My parents had instilled hospitality in me, but I’m sure they had counted on me to temper it with common sense. If my heart broke when Philip left Triville, I had no one to blame but myself.