by Debby Mayne
“I got all the information on Tim Puckett,” she says before I even have a chance to say hello. “He’s a college graduate, and his uncle hired him as soon as he graduated. He managed to triple sales in his territory in the first two years he took over, and that’s when his uncle saw that he had the perfect person to pass his business to when it came time to retire.”
Dang, Mama’s good. She should have been a private investigator. But I still don’t know what she’s getting at.
“Now before you go gettin’ all huffy on me about pryin’, I want you to know all I had to do was ask Sheila down at the Cut ’n Curl if she knew anything about Tim. And what she didn’t tell me, Chester filled in. That man knows more gossip than the rest of the stylists combined.”
“Did they tell you when Tim and Priscilla are planning to get married?”
“Are they—?” Mama clears her throat. “Was that sarcasm? ’Cause I don’t think Priscilla’s interested in Tim as a potential suitor. You, on the other hand—”
“Please stop doing this. I’m not getting together with Tim. First of all, when I see him, he’s always with Priscilla. And secondly, I doubt he gives me a second thought when he leaves Piney Point.”
“That’s your fault, Trudy. You have to do somethin’ to make yourself stand out, especially for a man like Tim.”
She’s obviously ignoring the first reason—that he comes to Piney Point to be with Priscilla. “So what are you suggesting I do, Mama?”
“You really wanna know?” She doesn’t give me a chance to answer. “Here’s how you get Tim Puckett’s attention.”
I sit there and listen to her talk about my hair, my conversation, and my behind. She has a plan for everything but what really matters.
“But Mama, what if I do all that, and he still isn’t interested?”
“Oh, he will be, but don’t worry about a thing. If you do what I tell you to, men’ll be all lined up at the reunion wantin’ to be with you.”
There’s not a single man who’ll be at the reunion that I want to be with, but that’s a whole ’nother subject. “I’ll try on the Spanx you sent,” I say to get her mind off Tim. “But now I gotta go. I have a bunch of stuff I have to get done so I can take off a couple days for the reunion.”
“I’ll see what else I can find out about Tim.”
“Okay, Mama. Do what you feel like you gotta do. I love you.”
I’m exhausted after I hang up. One of these days, I’m afraid I’ll wind up telling her what I’m really thinking, and then I’ll wind up with a mess I won’t be able to clean up. As much as I love Mama, she needs to know when to let up.
14
Priscilla
I swanee, that woman’s got somethin’ up her sleeve.” Sheila shakes her head and sighs. “Trudy’s mama sets her mind to somethin’, and she don’t let up.”
I can’t help but laugh. Nothing has changed in Piney Point. “At least you didn’t have to grow up with her being your mother.”
“I reckon you’re right. Amazin’ how Trudy’s managed to pull herself away long enough to actually have her own life. After Michael up and left her for Bimbo Number One, I was afraid she might fall apart.”
Talking about clients and their daughters has never felt right, so I change the topic. “Are we heavily booked for the reunion yet?”
“If you’re askin’ if we got openings, we still have a few, but it looks like you’ll have more folks at this one than the last one.”
“I’ll take as many appointments as we can cram into that week.”
“Good ’cause it looks like you’ll be in high demand.” Sheila grins at me. “When you goin’ back up to New York?”
“I have to fly up for a quick airing the week before the reunion.”
“Don’t forget to let me know when you find out the time. I like to make sure everyone gets to see you when you’re on.”
I give her a hug. “You’re awesome, Sheila. I really appreciate all your support.”
“Hey, how about me?” Chester joins us. “I’m supportive too.”
Sheila rolls her eyes. “She never said you wasn’t.”
“Y’all are all wonderful.” I glance at my watch and back toward the door. “I need to get going so I can stop off and see my mother and make it back to Jackson before Mandy leaves for the day.”
All the way to my parents’ house—correction, Mother’s house—I fidget with buttons on the dashboard console. First it’s too hot, then too cold. After I get the air conditioner set just right, I press the volume button on the radio. I know why I’m so uncomfortable, but that doesn’t make it any better.
Ever since Dad moved out of the house he’s shared with Mother most of their married life, the place doesn’t seem like home. I’d always assumed that house would be a safe haven for me. Mother told me that the day after their divorce was final, she had a shopping spree in a furniture store, and the next day she spent the rest of her decorating budget shopping for linens. The place doesn’t even hold a hint of Dad anymore.
As soon as I turn the corner toward Mother’s house, I blink. It’s been painted yellow. I feel a lurching sensation in my chest. Dad always said he could never live in a yellow house. This is like the final nail in the coffin of my stability.
Mother is waiting for me in the kitchen. I can tell she’s eager for me to leave by the way she jumps up, offers me coffee, and sets it down, while she constantly glances at her handbag that’s perched on the counter by the door.
“Have you seen Dad?” I ask.
She makes a face and shakes her head. “Now why would you ask such a question? You know we both still teach at the college.”
“I tried calling him last week, but he never answers his house or cell phone.”
Mother picks up a napkin and starts fidgeting with it. “I’m sure he’s plenty busy, between teaching and his very active social life.”
I can tell I’ve hit on a touchy topic, so I shift to her. “So how are the Classy Lassies?”
An expression of annoyance flickers across her face, but she quickly recovers. “They’re talking about breaking away from the Red Hats and having their own organization.”
“What would be the point of that?”
“You’re asking a lot of questions, Priscilla. Is that why you’re here . . . to grill me?”
“No, of course not. I just wanted to stop by and see you since I’m in town.”
“Did you decide when you’ll be here for the reunion?”
“Yes, in about a week.” I take one more sip of coffee before carrying it to the sink and dumping the rest. I rinse the cup and stick it in the dishwasher. “I guess I need to go so I can talk to Mandy.”
“How’s Tim?”
“He’s doing just fine, I guess.”
“I can’t believe you’re still stringing him along. Most men wouldn’t put up with that.”
I open my mouth to argue but realize she’s just spoiling for a fight, so I nod. “Okay, fine.”
She purses her lips and shakes her head. “I’m serious, Priscilla.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine. You need to concentrate on yourself now.”
We have a short stare-down, but when my stomach begins to roil, I take a step back. “See you soon.”
Mother stands at the door until I get in the car. As soon as I turn the ignition, I realize we never hugged. Intense sadness washes over me.
I plug my iPod into the stereo and crank up the volume to drown out my gloomy thoughts. No point in crying or even worrying about something I can’t control. There’s a crash on the interstate, so it takes me a tad longer to get to Jackson than usual, but I still make it before quitting time. Still, my nerves are on edge.
Mandy is hovering over her new assistant as I enter the reception area of our office building. She glances up and smiles. “Hey, Priscilla. I’d like you to meet Blair.”
A softly pretty young woman with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes looks up at me and offers a s
hy smile. “Hi, Ms. Slater.”
I extend my hand. “Please call me Priscilla. We’re rather informal around here.”
She looks at my hand and turns to Mandy, who nods and whispers, “Shake her hand.”
Blair wipes her hand on the side of her pants and places it in mine. I can tell she’s inexperienced, but there’s no doubt Mandy will give her a crash course in business etiquette. She’s trained more assistants in five years than I’d like. I’ve had talks with her, but she’s adamant about things running her way, and she reminds me that it took me several tries before I found her. My controlling nature wants to take over, but I hold back. Mandy is always in the office, and I’m not, and since I haven’t had to worry about things going well in years, I’ve decided to let her do things her way.
I sidestep around Blair and look at Mandy. “Where’s Beth Fay?”
“She has some business back in Raleigh, so I told her to go back home until you need her.”
“Oh.” I look down at Blair who is now fidgeting with small items on her desk. “So how do you like working here, Blair?”
“I like it so far.”
“So are you from Jackson?”
“No, ma’am. I moved here from Alabama two years ago.”
Mandy watches me with an odd expression as I chat with Blair, so I face her head-on. “Do you need something?” I ask.
“Um . . . yeah. Can I see you in my office?”
Blair’s eyes pop open wide. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, you’re fine,” Mandy says as she brushes past me and leads the way. “But I’m not so sure Priscilla is.”
That’s an odd comment. I follow her into her office, and she closes the door right behind me.
“What’s up?” I ask.
Mandy plants her hands on her hips and gives me the same look Mother used to have when I did something she didn’t like. “That’s what I want to know. You’re nervous as a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs.”
“You wanted to talk to me about being nervous?”
“Yeah. I’m worried about you, Priscilla. Ever since you had your picture plastered all over the magazines, you’ve acted weird.”
“It was only one magazine . . . and how would you know how I’ve been acting?”
“Every time we talk, I sense something different about you. You used to be so warm, and now you talk to me like I’m a stranger.”
“I do?”
She nods. “I reckon it’s normal for people to behave that way when they get famous, but don’t lose who you are.”
At this very moment, I’m not sure who I am or who I’m talking to. It feels surreal being lectured to by the assistant I wasn’t even certain about keeping the first six months of her employment. But then a lot of things have been different lately, so maybe she’s right.
“Sorry, Mandy. I suppose things have been a bit off-kilter for me since TVNS added more Big Hair shows. I’ll try to be nicer.”
“Oh, I’m not sayin’ you’re not nice. In fact, I think you might be nicer than usual. It’s just that that warmth I used to see in you has cooled off, and it’s like you have a shield around you.”
Oh wow. Now I realize I’m actually leaning away from her, something I’ve never done before. Once I get to know someone, my personal space shrinks. I totally see what she’s saying. So I do what I think will make up for my distant behavior and reach out for a hug. She smiles and hugs me back.
“That’s much better.” Mandy rocks back and leans against the edge of her desk. “So what do you think about Blair?”
“She seems really nice. Do you think she’s the one?”
Mandy laughs. “You make this sound like a marriage.”
“Well, it sort of is. Working in the same office with someone eight hours a day, five days a week makes you practically related.”
“I get that. And yes, I think she just might be the one. She actually listens to me, and she does what I tell her to.”
I tip my head toward her. “You do realize a good working relationship involves more than her taking orders from you.”
“I am the boss . . . at least I am when you’re not here.”
“Yes, but that shouldn’t make you a dictator.” I’ve been itching to say those words to her for years, but every time I planned to have this talk with her, something else more critical happened, and the moments were lost.
Mandy frowns and chews on her bottom lip. I allow silence to fall between us as she ponders my comment. Finally, she smiles and nods. “Now that I think about it, I remember you asking my opinion and actually taking it sometimes.”
“How did that make you feel?” I relax as I realize the tables have turned, and the conversation is about Mandy’s behavior rather than mine.
“Like you trusted me and valued what I had to say.”
“Do you like Blair?”
“Yes.” She sighs. “Very much. We have a lot in common, and she wants to do a good job. I’ve never once caught her doing her nails or having long personal conversations on the phone.”
I have to stifle a laugh. She just described what I caught her doing many times when she first started.
“Priscilla?”
I lift my eyebrows. “Yes?”
“Why did you put up with me? I was horrible in the beginning, but you never gave up. I remember wondering several times why you didn’t give me the axe.”
I don’t tell Mandy that I sometimes wondered the same thing. “Don’t forget to listen to Blair’s ideas. The people you surround yourself with can make you look like a genius.”
The message slowly sinks in, and she gives me one of her widest smiles. “Thanks, Priscilla. You’re the best!”
“And so are you. Now let’s go back out there so Blair doesn’t think we’re leaving her out of the fun.”
Blair appears nervous as she glances up at us. I smile and tell her how happy I am that she’s with the company, and she instantly relaxes. Mandy takes the cue and expounds on some of the things Blair has done well.
“She’s super organized, and I never have to remind her to be polite to people when they call.” Mandy looks at me before turning back to Blair. “As soon as you get more comfortable with the job, I’d like to have regular brainstorming sessions to get your input about some of the office procedures.”
“Great idea,” I say to back her up. “It’s always good to keep improving. How are you with technology, Blair?”
She self-consciously shrugs. “I sort of know my way around the techie-world.”
Mandy chuckles. “Don’t get all shy about your knowledge, Blair. You got some mad techie skills.” She looks up at me. “Did I tell you she has her certificate in computer application?”
“That’ll come in handy around here.” I move toward the door. “Since y’all have everything under control here, I feel really good about taking some time off for my twentieth reunion.”
Mandy turns to Blair to explain. “She says she’s taking time off, but this is when she goes back to her hometown and does hair. It’s sort of a ritual.”
“I don’t know about that. All I know is that I enjoy doing the very thing that gave me my big break.”
“It was nice meeting you, Ms. Sla—I mean Priscilla. I hope to get to know you better.”
“Trust me, you will.” Mandy glances back and forth between Blair and me and gives me a wink. “Priscilla still keeps a small office here, and she actually uses it once in a while, when she’s not traveling.”
Before I leave, Beth Fay calls and asks when I’ll need her to travel again. “I’m pet sitting for my neighbor this week, but I can get someone else if you need me right away.”
“Don’t worry about it now. I’ll call you on Saturday, and we can go over our itinerary.”
On the way to my Jackson townhouse, I think about Mandy’s last comment. She’s right about the once-in-a-while thing. Ever since I got my coveted gig at TVNS, I travel more than I stay put, and it’s starting to take its toll on me. I tho
ught having condos in strategic locations between Mississippi and New York would give me a feeling of being home wherever I was, but that hasn’t been the case.
15
Celeste
What’s wrong, Celeste?” The look on Jimmy’s face almost matches the way I feel. Almost.
I slowly sit up in bed and bury my face in my hands. “I wish I knew. I haven’t felt good in a while. I was dizzy last week, and ever’ mornin’ this week, I been feelin’ like I took a roller coaster ride that wouldn’t stop.”
“Maybe you got a bug.” He throws the covers off and sits up on his side of the bed. “There’s somethin’ goin’ around.”
“The problem is I ain’t been around.”
“Want me to get you some coffee and bring it to you?”
I shudder. Normally I love coffee first thing in the mornin’, but the very thought of havin’ to smell it makes me want to wretch. “No.”
“Okay, just askin’. I gotta go get me some so I can wake up. Holler if you need me.”
As soon as Jimmy leaves the bedroom, I flop back down on my pillow. All sorts of things run through my head. If this had just started, I wouldn’t think much about it, but for two weeks? What if I have some dreaded disease? What if I have cancer? I reflect on some of my former patients who had various kinds of cancer, and I remember some of them bein’ sick—either from the chemo or the disease.
An overwhelmin’ sadness washes over me. Life has just started gettin’ good for me and Jimmy, Lord. Why does this have to happen now?
Jimmy reappears in the doorway lookin’ at me like he don’t know if he should get closer or keep his distance. “Maybe you should see the doctor.”
“I hate goin’ to the doctor. You know that.”
“Yeah I do, and I’m the same way, but maybe she can help.”
“If I don’t feel better by tomorrow, I’ll call her office and see when she can fit me in.”
“I done called her office.” He walks toward me, pulls his hand out from behind his back, and hands me a piece of paper with his scribblin’ on it. “The receptionist was in early, and she said the doctor can see you this afternoon.”
I groan. “I don’t wanna go nowhere. I just wanna stay home and sleep.”
