Page 68 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
She feels a hand on her shoulder. Trudy’s.
‘Pet, it’s a good idea to breathe every now and again.’ Trudy pats her then puffs on her cigarette. ‘Of course, I’m not the person who can best advise on that,’ she goes on, ‘but I was worried you were going to faint.’
Josie catches her eye in the mirror and feels those tears again.
‘Everything all right, Darlene?’ Trudy asks the glowering client.
‘Hm,’ comes the response.
Darlene. That’s right. That’s her name.
‘Do you want to keep going?’ Trudy says softly in Josie’s ear.
Josie nods. She’s not going to ruin her job over this.
‘Good. We all have bad days.’ Another pat. ‘Just come and see me when you’re done.’
Trudy turns away before Josie can figure out if she’s angry at her for being careless with the scissors.
‘Sorry about that, Darlene,’ Josie says meekly. ‘It won’t happen again. Just a trim, wasn’t it?’
‘Yes.’ Darlene looks sceptical but she relaxes once Josie gets to work.
When she’s finished the cut and Darlene has left, Josie goes to where Trudy is laughing along with Babs, one of her regulars.
‘I’ll just be a mo, Babs,’ Trudy says, then she nods toward the back room.
Josie follows her there.
‘What’s going on, pet? You’re jumpy,’ Trudy says kindly.
‘Sorry. Sorry. I’m really sorry.’
‘I didn’t ask for an apology.’ Trudy sighs. ‘I just want to know what’s wrong.’
So Josie told her about Brett – because Trudy knows the bare minimum – and about Miriam and about her parents’ likely reaction, the words almost hurling themselves out of her mouth, relieved to be freed from the prison of her whirring brain.
‘I see,’ Trudy says when she’s finished. ‘You didn’t go on dates in high school?’
Josie shakes her head.
‘Pretty girl like you – really?’
She shakes it again and Trudy shrugs.
‘Then your parents should count themselves lucky you weren’t raced off in Year 10 or something. The day was always going to come when you met someone. And you like him, this Brett?’
For the first time that day, Josie smiles. ‘Yes. He’s really kind.’
‘The sort of bloke you’d like to introduce to your parents?’
‘Well – yes.’
‘The kind who will be polite when he’s in their home?’
Josie nods vigorously.
‘Right,’ Trudy says. ‘Maybe you’re worrying about nothing, then.’
