The Curl Up and Dye

by Sharon Sala

  Vera frowned. “Well, for the love of God, Vesta. I was bragging on Sister’s hair, not begging for a slap-down.”

  Vesta sighed. “You’re right, Vera. Sorry, Sister.”

  Ruby was used to their banter and mostly ignored it.

  At that point Mabel Jean came in sporting a new manicure. In an attempt to do some PR of her own, she’d painted a tiny Christmas icon on each of her fingernails and was wearing little red bell earrings that actually jingled when she moved.

  “Now that’s cute,” Ruby said, pointing to the fingernails.

  Mabel Jean beamed and tossed her head, which made the earrings jingle.

  “Oh my God,” Vera cried. “If I had to hear that jingle in my ears all day, I’d be crazy by quitting time.”

  “Ever since the doctor took you off the hormones, you’ve been crazy by quitting time anyway,” Vesta said.

  Vera giggled. “It’s true. I don’t know whether to claw my eyes out or get new batteries for my vibrator.”

  Ruby rolled her eyes. “TMI, TMI… Seriously, too much information.”

  They all burst into laughter and the day began.

  Chapter 13

  LilyAnn’s Friday hair appointment with Ruby coincided with Rachel Goodhope’s appointment with Vesta. They walked in within moments of each other, then squared off and turned their backs as they hung up their coats, refusing to acknowledge the other one’s presence.

  Rachel felt uneasy and guilty. She’d fostered the ill will that was between her and LilyAnn by her behavior. All she could do was behave better and hope she eventually lived it down. She gave LilyAnn a quick glance and then sighed. The woman wouldn’t even look at her.

  Ruby noticed the tension between them and, without knowing the reason for it, remembered ignoring Patty June’s antagonism toward Bobbette Paulson and the chaos that had ensued. She decided the wiser thing to do was to separate the two women ASAP.

  “Hi, LilyAnn. I’m ready for you. Come on back,” Ruby called out, and waved her to the shampoo station.

  Vesta moved to the second chair and waved at Rachel.

  “Rachel Goodhope! Come on down.”

  Everyone in the shop laughed at the Price Is Right shout-out.

  Rachel smiled. “Do I have to guess the right price to win my hairdo?”

  Vesta laughed as she put a cape around Rachel’s neck. “We haven’t changed prices here in over five years, so you get a pass.”

  The comment set off a conversation about favorite daytime television shows, which LilyAnn immediately tuned out. She hadn’t watched daytime television in so long she had no idea of the programming. She also didn’t want anything to do with a conversation involving Rachel Goodhope and began counting ceiling tiles instead.

  Rachel, on the other hand, saw daytime television on a daily basis because it was always playing in the background of her kitchen.

  As Vesta began to wash Rachel’s hair, Rachel closed her eyes and, the minute she did, flashed on the expression on T. J. Lachlan’s face while he was raping her. It was so startling that she gasped, making Vesta think she’d hurt her.

  “Oh honey, I’m sorry. Did I pull?”

  Rachel’s fingers curled tightly on the arms of the chair as she made herself smile.

  “No, no, it’s fine.”

  “I’ll be more careful,” Vesta said.

  Ruby didn’t know what was going on, but the tension between these two women was palpable. It wasn’t as if they’d ever been best friends, but they’d never behaved like this before. They hadn’t spoken or looked at each other since they sat down. And knowing Rachel’s propensity for flirting, Ruby couldn’t help but wonder what might have sparked this.

  As soon as the women went to their hairstylists’ respective stations, the energy lightened, which confirmed Ruby’s suspicions even more. She glanced at the shuttered expression in LilyAnn’s eyes.

  “Hey, honey, have you heard from your mama and Eddie since they left?”

  Lily winced as Ruby’s comb caught on a tangle. “Yes. She called just the other night.”

  Ruby smiled. “I would have liked to be a fly on the wall at your house Thanksgiving Day. I’ll bet Grace and Carol had some tall tales to tell about their good old days.”

  Lily thought about the day and tried not to cry.

  “It was something all right,” she muttered.

  Ruby frowned and asked a different but related question, trying to work her way around to what she really wanted to know, which was whether Mike managed to make LilyAnn jealous.

  “How is Mike feeling these days?”

  “The doctor released him to drive, which I’m sure you know because he’s driving all over town now.”

  “That’s good,” Ruby said, and combed out some more tangles. “What are you guys doing for Christmas?”

  “I have no idea what he’s doing. He’s not talking to me.”

  Ruby frowned. What in the world? I suggested he make LilyAnn jealous, not get mad at her and clam up.

  “That’s too bad. What happened?”

  LilyAnn shrugged. “It’s complicated.”

  Ruby had snooped enough. If she wanted to know more, she would have to ask Mike.

  “Do you want to do anything different with your hairstyle?” Ruby asked.

  LilyAnn looked at her face and frowned. “Just dry it. After that, I could care less.”

  Ruby was worried. She didn’t want to see LilyAnn slip back into her old rut.

  “You really don’t care?” Ruby asked.

  Lily blinked back tears and tried not to cry. “I don’t care if you shave it all off.”

  “Oh honey, what’s wrong?” Ruby whispered.

  “I messed up,” she said.

  “I’m sorry. Did your dream guy turn you down?”

  Tears rolled down Lily’s face. “I can’t get rid of one I didn’t want, and I can’t get the one I ignored half my life to even talk to me anymore.”

  “This calls for drastic measures,” Ruby said. “How attached are you to this hair hanging halfway down your back?”

  “Not at all… at least not anymore.”

  “No need to go bald, but I think we need to bring you into the present with your hairstyle. Do you trust me?”

  “Surprise me,” Lily said, and closed her eyes.

  Ruby grinned. She had wanted to do this for years. She put the blow-dryer down and picked up her scissors.

  It didn’t take long for everyone in the shop to realize an event was in progress. LilyAnn Bronte had always had long blond hair. Who would she be without it?

  Even Rachel became mesmerized by the lengths piling up on the floor beneath Ruby’s feet, and couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted this drastic change. Maybe it was part of the diet-makeover process LilyAnn was on. If it was, she should be pleased when she saw herself again.

  Lily could feel the weight coming off her head, but she was too numb to care. When Ruby finally quit cutting, LilyAnn smelled styling gel and then Ruby shoved her fingers through LilyAnn’s hair and worked it in. When she finally turned on the blow-dryer, she finished the styling in half the time it normally took.

  Ruby was giggling with delight.

  The Conklin twins kept saying “How pretty, how pretty” over and over, and Mabel Jean was agreeing.

  “Now you can look,” Ruby said, as she turned the chair back to the mirror.

  Lily opened her eyes and was so shocked by the transformation that, for a second, she didn’t recognize her own face.

  “Oh my Lord!” she whispered, fingering the side sweep of bangs and the shoulder-length hair Ruby had layered. “I look… I look…”

  “Beautiful,” Ruby said, as she gave Lily’s shoulders a quick squeeze. “You need to hurry or you’ll be late getting back to work.”

  “It’ll be okay,” Lily said and then impulsively pulled out her phone. “Take my picture. I want to send it to Mama.”

  “I’ll do it,” Vesta said, as she put the phone on camera function
and aimed and clicked. “Oooh, look at yourself, honey! The LilyAnn from your past is gone.”

  “It’s about damn time,” Lily muttered. “What do I owe you?” she asked and, when Ruby told her, began writing out the check.

  “Thank you so much,” she said, as she got up, then turned around and gave Ruby a quick hug. “You are a good friend, Sister. Thank you for everything.”

  She sent the picture to her mother’s phone, then put on her coat, slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder, and took off out the door.

  Rachel stifled the tinge of jealousy as she watched her go. She had too much penance to pay to start that crap again.

  ***

  T. J. had just walked out of Richards’ Realty and was about to get in his truck when he saw a woman walking toward him down the street. The thought went through his mind that he’d never seen her before, and then all of a sudden he realized who it was. He was so stunned by the transformation that she was all the way past him before he realized he’d missed his chance to harass her.

  Lily was so caught up in thinking about how she was going to make amends with Mike that she didn’t see Lachlan. But when she walked past the fitness center, she paused to wave through the window at Stewart. She saw the confusion, then recognition in his eyes and laughed.

  When she got back to the pharmacy, she headed toward the door marked Employees Only to go put up her things. As she began to enter, Mr. Phillips actually called out for her to stop.

  “It’s just me, Mr. Phillips,” Lily said.

  He was still staring in disbelief as she went in to stow her things.

  Mitchell gave her a big thumbs-up when he saw her, and every patron she checked out for the rest of the day had to comment. By the time she was ready to go home, she knew her new haircut was a hit.

  Mike drove into his driveway at almost the same time Lily pulled into hers. She knew he was there, but he’d rebuffed her so many times that she didn’t want to be hurt again. She got out of the car and went inside without breaking stride.

  Mike saw the woman get out and for a few moments didn’t recognize her. Then when he did, he was so shocked he could do nothing but stare. The LilyAnn he’d known all his life—the one he’d fallen in love with—had disappeared, leaving another woman in her place.

  Within moments of her disappearance, he heard T. J. Lachlan’s pickup coming down the street. Heartsick, he didn’t want to see how she greeted him—if she hugged him, if they kissed—and went into his house.

  He heard Lachlan rack his pipes as he shut the door, and in spite of his determination not to look, he did it anyway.

  Lachlan was sitting in his truck with the engine idling. Mike heard him rev it again, which made the pipes rattle, but still no LilyAnn. As the minutes passed, Lachlan didn’t move. He just kept gunning the engine. Mike was about to go run his ass out of the neighborhood for being a noise nuisance when he saw a police cruiser turn the corner and come down the street.

  As the cop came closer, Lachlan put the truck in gear and drove away, with the cop car following right behind him. His eyes narrowed as he looked over at LilyAnn’s house.

  What the hell was that all about? Had she called the police, or was it another neighbor who had done that?

  He didn’t want to care, but he’d spent too many years worrying about her to quit cold turkey. Just because he didn’t love her anymore didn’t mean he wanted her in trouble.

  ***

  LilyAnn waited at the window, peering through a crack in the curtains while her anxiety grew. She had called the police the moment she’d heard him, and when she finally saw the cruiser, she breathed a sigh of relief. Lachlan drove off with Lonnie Pittman following him.

  She had no idea how Lachlan would view what she’d done, but she needed backup, and Mike was no longer available. Frustrated and just the least bit worried, she went to her room to change.

  As she stripped off her clothes, she paused at the mirror to look at her body in a subjective manner and, as she stared, slowly came to a new decision.

  She was done with diets. She wasn’t as small as she used to be, but she no longer strived to get that look back. She didn’t want to look like a girl again, but rather like the woman she had become. And if that meant she had rounder hips and more meat on her bones, then so be it. She felt good. She liked how she looked, and that was all that mattered.

  She went into the bathroom, then stopped again, this time to look at her hairstyle, marveling at the change it had made in her appearance. She kept running her fingers through the strands and fluffing the layers, delighted with the feel.

  She took a quick shower, then put on a pair of old sweats and a matching shirt, and was brushing her hair when her doorbell rang. She ran to answer, still in her bare feet, and saw the cop car parked in her driveway. When she opened the door, she grinned at the shock on Lonnie Pittman’s face.

  “It’s still me,” she said.

  Lonnie blinked. “My goodness, LilyAnn, you look great!” Then the moment he said it, he flushed. “I apologize. I did not mean to get personal. I came to ask you a couple of questions about T. J. Lachlan.”

  She nodded. “Come in. Have a seat.”

  “Thank you. I just have a couple of questions. You called the police about Lachlan, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is this the first time he harassed you?”

  “No. He’s been doing it since Thanksgiving Day.”

  Lonnie frowned as he began to make notes. “Why didn’t you report it sooner?”

  “And say what, Lonnie? He hasn’t done anything to me. He just turns up everywhere I go. It’s gone beyond coincidence, leaving me to believe he’s stalking me. And frankly, he’s a little scary.”

  “Do you want to press charges?”

  “For what? He hasn’t come on my property or touched me in any way.”

  Lonnie frowned. “I understand. Still, don’t hesitate to call again if you feel uneasy.”

  “I won’t,” she said.

  “Okay then. Have a nice night,” he said.

  She shut and locked the door behind him, then went back to get her house shoes. Moments later she was on her way to the kitchen to make herself some supper.

  As she began digging food out of the refrigerator and heating up a skillet to scramble some eggs, she could almost hear her mama’s voice, telling her to fix whatever was wrong between her and Mike.

  Being the dutiful daughter that she was, she turned around and headed for the phone.

  ***

  Mike had kicked back on the sofa, nursing a beer and watching TV. He’d ordered a pizza and was waiting for it to be delivered when his phone rang. He answered without checking caller ID.

  “Hello?”

  “Mike, it’s me, LilyAnn.”

  He closed his eyes. “What do you want?”

  Lily winced. “I was about to make myself some supper and wondered if you wanted to come over and—”

  “No.”

  She took a deep breath and tried again. “What about eating dinner with me Christmas day? I’ll be—”

  “No. Call your boyfriend and invite him. I’m busy.”

  He hung up before he weakened, then felt like a heel. It was behavior unbecoming of a Southern gentleman.

  Across the drive, LilyAnn blinked away tears and then hung up the phone and began to make her own meal. She ate her scrambled eggs without tasting them, put a little jelly on what was left of her toast, and called it supper.

  As soon as the kitchen was clean, she called Ruby Dye. Ruby had been in charge of organizing workers for the Salvation Army Christmas dinner for the past few years, and LilyAnn wasn’t about to spend the day alone feeling sorry for herself.

  Ruby answered on the third ring.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Sister, it’s me, LilyAnn.”

  Ruby curled her feet up beneath her as she settled in for a chat.

  “Well, hi, honey! Are you still happy with your haircut or did you call to gr
ipe at me?”

  LilyAnn smiled. “No, I’m not mad, and yes, I love it. The reason I’m calling is about the Salvation Army dinner. Are you still in charge of organizing servers?”

  “I sure am. Are you volunteering?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I suddenly find myself alone on Christmas Day, and you know how the song goes, I better not pout and I better not cry, or Santa won’t leave me a present.”

  Ruby laughed. “That’s the attitude, and this is wonderful. I always need servers.”

  “So what do I do?”

  “Show up at the community center about nine o’clock Christmas morning. We start by decorating tables and go from there.”

  “I’ll be there, and thank you for letting me in at this late date.”

  “On the contrary, it’s I who should be thanking you. So I’ll see you Tuesday morning, okay?”

  “Oh, wait! What do I wear?” Lily asked.

  “Something festive, and be as quirky as you want. Lots of the servers wear little headbands with reindeer antlers, or Santa hats… anything like that.”

  “Will do,” LilyAnn said. “And thanks again.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Lily smiled as she disconnected, already thinking about the day. This was what her grandma would have referred to as putting on her big-girl panties. So, tomorrow being Sunday, and only two days before Christmas, she was going shopping in Savannah. Her clothes no longer fit right, and she wanted something fun to wear at the dinner.

  By the time she went to bed, she’d set her disappointment aside. As long as there was a tomorrow, there was still hope to make things right.

  ***

  Mike stood in the dark, watching out his bedroom window until he saw the light go out in hers, and then went to bed, but he couldn’t sleep. He kept thinking about LilyAnn all alone on Christmas Day. No tree, no presents, no family. Then he rolled over angrily and punched his pillow.

  When he woke up the next morning, it was almost 9:00 a.m. When he went out to get the paper, he noticed her car was gone and assumed she’d gone to church.