Page 5 of Homebody
What did that say about her? She didn’t even want to consider that.
What had she been thinking?
That answer she knew. The check Susan had just written out and handed to her like it was nothing would pay Tessa’s rent for the next two months.
How bad could he be? Right? Dating a stranger for money. What could possibly go wrong?
She swallowed hard and considered where around here might sell pepper spray. Just in case Dean turned out to be a pervert or something.
“Not ideal, but that gives us a little bit of time,” Red said, her hair still in foils as she stood off to the side so Ruby could tend to Tessa’s apparently hopeless hair.
“Not a lot. Barely enough.” Ruby shook her head. “It’s not just that it needs a good cut and blow dry. I could do that quick enough between appointments. But I want to add highlights to brighten up the brown a bit. It’s just so… dull and lifeless.”
Tessa tried not to be insulted as she watched in the mirror’s reflection the conversation happening around her about the apparently dull lifelessness of her hair.
Ruby turned to fully face Susan. “What time exactly?”
“His plane is supposed to land at three. Ted and I are planning to leave right after I’m done here to drive to Albany to pick him up at the airport.”
“Okay. So with the drive back from Albany, that gives us a little extra time,” Ruby nodded, lifting pieces of Tessa’s hair and letting them fall again.
“That’s right.” Red nodded. “It’s over an hour and a half drive back from Albany, depending on traffic, soifhe lands on time, they won’t hit town until at least four-thirty. Maybe later. Especially if Dean checked a bag and has to wait for it at the luggage claim.”
“I can tell Ted to drive extra slowly,” Susan suggested.
Tessa was so focused on the discussion, not to mention the tools of the trade that Ruby now used to attack her hair from behind, the sudden and loudBINGof a cell phone had her jumping in the chair.
As pieces of her hair went flying, Tessa realized it wasn’t her phone. Hers was set on vibrate and stashed in her purse in theback room. The question of whom it belonged to was answered when Susan reached beneath the cape and pulled out her cell.
“Oh, it’s Dean texting me.” She glanced up with a smile. “His flight’s been delayed.”
“How long?” Ruby asked.
“Three whole hours,” Susan answered in a voice an octave higher than normal with excitement.
“Hallelujah!” Red clapped her hands together. “That’ll give us time for hair, nails, make-up andwardrobe!”
Normally, a three-hour delay was not good news. It was Tessa’s nightmare scenario. What she worried about whenever she had to fly. But here and now it was apparently cause for celebration for the three others.
These women, this entire situation, got more surreal by the moment.
“It’ll be late enough that we can pick him up then drive directly to the Muddy River Inn for dinner,” Susan began.
“Where the new and improved Tessa, looking amazing in the clothes I choose for her, will happen to be sitting at the bar,” Red added.
“Or maybe eating alone at a table so you can invite her to join you,” Ruby suggested.
“Exactly! I’m going to call him now and tell him we’ll be going out to dinner tonight to celebrate his homecoming. It won’t make him suspicious because I won’t be home to cook since we’ll be on the road.” Susan turned her attention to making the call on the cell in her hand.
Things seemed to be moving at the speed of light as this whole batty plan began to feel really real. Unfortunately, Tessa was going to have to put a damper on their excitement.
Tessa raised one hand. “Excuse me.”
Making eye-contact with Tessa in the mirror, Ruby lifted a brow. “Yes, Tessa.”
“What do you mean bywardrobe?” she asked.
“We need to lay out at least a week’s worth of outfits to go with your new look. Day time. Nighttime. Date looks. Casual. Dressy.” Red’s list was long and frightening.
