as she walked me back over to her station, putting the card in front of
me on the table as I sat down again. What for?”
“It’s a sign
of wisdom.” She picked up a comb and started working it through my hair. “And
it isn’t the end of the world, you know.”
“Look who’s
talking!” Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. “What are you, twenty?”
“Thirty.” She
smiled and tipped me a wink. “And this isn’t my natural color.”
“Oh my god,
I’m old.” I frowned into the mirror, too focused on my own face to notice her
hair color. “Where did these lines come from?”
Jen turned
my chair away from my reflection, leaning in so I couldn’t look anywhere but
her bright blue eyes. “You won’t turn into a crone overnight, I promise.”
“But it’s
the beginning of the end,” I protested. Since I didn’t have a mirror to point
to, I showed her direct proof. “Look at my hands! Old, I tell you! I’m old!”
She pressed
her lips together, arms akimbo, and then smiled, a slow, sweet smile. “I have
an idea. Let’s do a whole beauty regimen. Hair, nails, skin, everything.”
I blinked in
surprise. “Weren’t you getting ready to close?”
“So? I’m the
only one here and Brad’s in Chicago at some bodybuilding conference for the
weekend.”
I looked at
her, contemplative. “Funny, Tom’s away on business this week. He won’t be back
until tomorrow night.”
Jen smiled. “So
it’s just us girls.”
“Guess so.” I
glanced back at the mirror, seeing her looking at me. “No one to get all
prettied up for.”
“Do it for
you.” She ran a hand through my wet hair, her fingers grazing my scalp lightly,
giving me shivers.
I shrugged
and then grinned. “Why not?”
We spent two
hours dying, washing, drying, brushing and coiffing. We also spent that time
talking, like we usually did, about everything from my job in graphic design to
hers. She was also going to school part-time to get her degree in nursing.
We also
talked about our boyfriends, both of us unhappy but unwilling to make a big
change either. Tom had cheated on me—twice—and Jen had let me cry on her
shoulder in both instances. But I’d still gone back to him. And Jen’s
boyfriend, Brad…well, I didn’t tell her so, but I wasn’t sure the man didn’t
swing the other way. He was too pretty for his own good. She complained about
him going out to bars a lot. It just made me suspicious.
When my hair
was done and my facial and make-up complete, the last thing we did was my
nails, sitting across the little table from each other, heads bent and focused.
Jen sat back
and studied her work, giving a satisfied nod. “Pretty.”
“We should
do you too.”
She looked
up and smiled. “I’ve got a better idea.”
“Hmm?”
Jen leaned
forward, so close I could smell the cappuccino on her breath. “Let’s make it a
real girl’s night. Want to come back to my place? I’ve got a bottle of White Zinfandel
we can share.”
The offer
was innocent enough, but the look on her face gave me a funny feeling in the
pit of my stomach. I had a feeling that wasn’t all we were going to share, and
I turned out to be right. We polished off the entire bottle of wine sitting on
Jen’s bed, going through some of her old photo albums. I’d expressed an
interest and had overruled her reluctance, pulling them off the shelves.
“Damn, girl,
look at you in that bikini.” She was gorgeous—slender, lean and tanned.
She scoffed,
sipping her wine. “I was just a baby then.”
“I bet you
still rock a bikini, no problem.” I flipped the page, finding more pictures of
a girl on spring break, bright eyes and bare midriffs. “I wish I could say the
same!”
“Are you
kidding me? Mandy, you’re gorgeous.”
“Meh. I’m
old.” I rolled my eyes, flipping another page. “Tom better marry me soon or I’m
gonna die old and alone with just my vibrator for company.”
Jen laughed,
stretching out on the bed beside me on her belly,
me on the table as I sat down again. What for?”
“It’s a sign
of wisdom.” She picked up a comb and started working it through my hair. “And
it isn’t the end of the world, you know.”
“Look who’s
talking!” Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. “What are you, twenty?”
“Thirty.” She
smiled and tipped me a wink. “And this isn’t my natural color.”
“Oh my god,
I’m old.” I frowned into the mirror, too focused on my own face to notice her
hair color. “Where did these lines come from?”
Jen turned
my chair away from my reflection, leaning in so I couldn’t look anywhere but
her bright blue eyes. “You won’t turn into a crone overnight, I promise.”
“But it’s
the beginning of the end,” I protested. Since I didn’t have a mirror to point
to, I showed her direct proof. “Look at my hands! Old, I tell you! I’m old!”
She pressed
her lips together, arms akimbo, and then smiled, a slow, sweet smile. “I have
an idea. Let’s do a whole beauty regimen. Hair, nails, skin, everything.”
I blinked in
surprise. “Weren’t you getting ready to close?”
“So? I’m the
only one here and Brad’s in Chicago at some bodybuilding conference for the
weekend.”
I looked at
her, contemplative. “Funny, Tom’s away on business this week. He won’t be back
until tomorrow night.”
Jen smiled. “So
it’s just us girls.”
“Guess so.” I
glanced back at the mirror, seeing her looking at me. “No one to get all
prettied up for.”
“Do it for
you.” She ran a hand through my wet hair, her fingers grazing my scalp lightly,
giving me shivers.
I shrugged
and then grinned. “Why not?”
We spent two
hours dying, washing, drying, brushing and coiffing. We also spent that time
talking, like we usually did, about everything from my job in graphic design to
hers. She was also going to school part-time to get her degree in nursing.
We also
talked about our boyfriends, both of us unhappy but unwilling to make a big
change either. Tom had cheated on me—twice—and Jen had let me cry on her
shoulder in both instances. But I’d still gone back to him. And Jen’s
boyfriend, Brad…well, I didn’t tell her so, but I wasn’t sure the man didn’t
swing the other way. He was too pretty for his own good. She complained about
him going out to bars a lot. It just made me suspicious.
When my hair
was done and my facial and make-up complete, the last thing we did was my
nails, sitting across the little table from each other, heads bent and focused.
Jen sat back
and studied her work, giving a satisfied nod. “Pretty.”
“We should
do you too.”
She looked
up and smiled. “I’ve got a better idea.”
“Hmm?”
Jen leaned
forward, so close I could smell the cappuccino on her breath. “Let’s make it a
real girl’s night. Want to come back to my place? I’ve got a bottle of White Zinfandel
we can share.”
The offer
was innocent enough, but the look on her face gave me a funny feeling in the
pit of my stomach. I had a feeling that wasn’t all we were going to share, and
I turned out to be right. We polished off the entire bottle of wine sitting on
Jen’s bed, going through some of her old photo albums. I’d expressed an
interest and had overruled her reluctance, pulling them off the shelves.
“Damn, girl,
look at you in that bikini.” She was gorgeous—slender, lean and tanned.
She scoffed,
sipping her wine. “I was just a baby then.”
“I bet you
still rock a bikini, no problem.” I flipped the page, finding more pictures of
a girl on spring break, bright eyes and bare midriffs. “I wish I could say the
same!”
“Are you
kidding me? Mandy, you’re gorgeous.”
“Meh. I’m
old.” I rolled my eyes, flipping another page. “Tom better marry me soon or I’m
gonna die old and alone with just my vibrator for company.”
Jen laughed,
stretching out on the bed beside me on her belly,
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