Page 49 of Weatherman

The universe had no answers for me. My heart sped up, and my belly churned with anxiety. Two thoughts came to the forefront of my mind. One was escape, and the other was talking to Weatherman as soon as possible.

“Thank you for that. Speaking of my daughter, I need to get back to her and let Deandra get home.”

“I’ll walk you to your car.”

I really wished he didn’t insist on that, but I was stuck. At least I got him to drive separately again.

When we reached my vehicle, he leaned down to kiss me again, but the sudden roar of a powerful engine and a flash of headlights startled us both. I spotted Table in his giant extended truck with his kids waving from the windows.

“We’re in the hooligan club!”

A small muscle twitched in Robert’s jaw, and then it was gone again. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

I nodded, hoping the relief didn’t show on my face. “You bet. And thanks again for the movie.”

CHAPTER 23

As I combedout another section of a new client’s hair, Tambre came up to me with her mouth in a thin line. “I’m trying hard not to involve you, but I need to know if Kimmie is coming in. Her shift started two hours ago, and I had to call in Deandra to take her appointments. I can’t keep giving her passes.”

My stomach bubbled with pressure. There was a weird vibe in the air, and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that caused it. My worry over Weatherman and Robert was bad enough, and adding in Kimmie’s problems made me want to go hide somewhere. It didn’t matter, as I still had a child to prioritize and a career I needed to nurture. I picked up the length of blonde and point-snipped the ends. “I don’t know where she is. She didn’t come home last night.”

I hated saying that. I didn’t want to throw my friend under the bus, but it was true. She didn’t come home last night. Again. She’d stumbled in once last week about 4:00 a.m., so drunk that I wondered how she got home without wrecking her car. She’d spent hours in our one bathroom, vomiting and stinking up the apartment. The extra-heavy makeup didn’t hide the acne outbreak, and her hair needed some serious treatment. Imentioned her condition, and she went off about how lame I was and how I used to be fun.

If that’s what fun looks like, no thank you.

Tambre inhaled through her nose as if reaching for patience. “Okay, then. I’ll ask Dee to stay for the day. I can’t have my business affected this way. You’re here, and you do your job very well, but I’m going to have to let Kimmie go. I hope you’ll stay.”

Kimmie and I didn’t have a long history, but we did move from Minnesota to North Carolina together. We had plans and dreams of outrunning our pasts, but it had caught up with her, and now she had to pay the price for that. I hated watching her spiral downward, knowing there was nothing I could do about it. This feeling of helplessness wasn’t new to me, but as much as I wanted to help my friend, I had a daughter to think about. I couldn’t give up a job that I liked a lot and paid me well. The last time rent was due, I paid it all myself, as Kimmie said she had no money. The claim was lack of clients, but that was a lie. There were lots of women who wanted their nails done, and when tourists were thick on the ground, many of them came in for vacation specials. They also tipped the most.

“I’m not planning on going anywhere.” Saying the words out loud made me feel like I was backstabbing my roommate; however, I had my own life to live and my own responsibilities. If Kimmie wanted help and asked for it, I would give it to her, but if I had to make a choice between her and my child? There was only one answer I had for that question.

“Good to know, ’cause you got a fully booked day and another one tomorrow.” Tambre smiled. “You’ve earned quite the reputation. People are starting to call and specifically ask for you.”

I was stunned and a bit intimidated. Flattery wasn’t something I had experienced very often, and the talents I used tobe known for weren’t ones I wanted to pursue again. “Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

“I can’t ask for more. I’ll let you get back to it.” Tambre left me to go greet a couple of women who’d just walked in.

“She’s right, you know,” my client, Eden, chimed in while she examined her fresh cut. “You’re really good at what you do. Word of mouth goes a long way in this town. Courtney told me how great your work is, and I have to say, she was right.”

I fluffed her hair forward to check the fall and make sure the length was even. “All done. I just do hair and dab a little color. It’s not that special.”

She let out a little chuckle. “Girlfriend, not everyone can do what you do. Don’t ever cut yourself short.”

I didn’t know what to say as I finished up. “I appreciate that.”

“Oh, I’m sure. Even Burna Jones recommends you, and you know if she says anything nice about someone….”

The bell tinkled, and the subject of our discussion walked in.

“Speak of the devil and she appears,” Eden muttered.

Tambre met my eyes and pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. I did the same.

“My granddaughter said she has an appointment,” the sour woman announced.

Tambre cleared her throat. “Yes, she does, but it’s not for another half hour.”

She harrumphed. “She’s got some dance she’s going to and decided she wanted her hair done. I told her she’d have to pay for it herself, out of her babysittin’ money, but I was going to supervise. Lord knows what she’d do to herself otherwise. Get some crazy dye job to make her look like a peacock. Foolishness. I don’t see what the fuss is over. I trim up the ends at home and it don’t cost nothin’, but she’s got her mind made up that she wants a fancy style for this dang dance.”

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