Page 27 of Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Book
“Who does?” Yvette asked.
“The mayor,” Wanda replied.
The room may have gone quiet, but their thoughts couldn’t have screamed any louder.
“You know, it’s a funny thing,” Val said, savoring every syllable as shewhipped the black salon cape off Beverly with a flourish. “I think this town might be in the market for a new one of those.”
Beverly looked in the mirror and saw them all grinning back at her. “No, no, no.” She slid out of her chair, adjusted her pearls, and straightened her pink oxford shirt. “I got more than enough on my plate right now. If I let Lula Dean take my seat on the school board, the only things left to read in this town will be the Bible,Green Eggs and Ham,andOur Confederate Heroes.”
“You think Lula’s going to letGreen Eggs and Hamstay on the shelves? It’s got a dog driving a train,” Yvette said. “We can’t let dogs drive trains. That’s goddamned dangerous!”
“Betcha the mayor could do something to stop her,” Wanda said. “You want me to look into it?”
“This town has never had a woman mayor,” Beverly argued. “That office has been passed down from one good old boy to another for the last two centuries. Hell, Skeeter’s uncle was mayor for thirty-five years!”
“Mmm-hmmm. You’ll be the first woman mayor.” Wanda was already acting like it was a done deal. Once she got an idea lodged in her head, there wasn’t anything short of brain surgery that could get it back out again.
“The timing sure seems to be right,” Yvette offered, “considering the last mayor turned out to be a rapist and all. I think some ladies round here might be ready for a bit of a change.”
“Think of everything you could do for this town,” Val said.
“Bet your daughter would be proud to know her mama was a force for good.”
Damn, Beverly thought. Of course it was Wanda who had to bring out the big guns.
Beverly walked up to the mirror and freshened her lipstick. She wished she were just a little bit taller—and that she’d chosen an outfit that lent her a little more gravitas. She looked like a forty-four-year-old formerstay-at-home mom, which on most days was exactly what she was. She’d never dreamed of holding any office higher than school board—and she wasn’t sure she was qualified. Though a lack of qualifications certainly hadn’t stopped Skeeter or any of the men who’d held the office before him. But her friends were right. An opportunity had presented itself—a chance to bring real change to Troy. Maybe she’d fail. But she had to give it a try.
“If you don’t run, you can bet your butt Lula will,” Wanda said.
“Fine.” Beverly turned around. “I’ll do it.”
“Great. Then let’s make it official.” Val headed straight for the door.
Beverly rushed after her. “What?Now?”
“You just got your hair and nails done. You look gorgeous, and there are three television crews right outside waiting to ambush the slimeball who just resigned as mayor. And you think there could be a better time to announce your candidacy?”
Val threw open the front door of the salon and stood on the threshold. With two fingers in her mouth, she whistled at the crowd across the street. “Y’all come on over and meet our next mayor!” she shouted.
No one took her up on the offer.
“She’s gonna battle the book banners!”
A few people turned around, but none of them bothered to head across the street.
“And she’s gonna pull down that damn statue!”
Suddenly they were all looking. But they still weren’t moving.
“Did I mention the statue is her great-great-great-great-granddaddy!”
All at once they were rushing toward the salon. Reporters, camerapeople, and assorted hangers-on.
“Well?” one shouted. “Where is she?”
“Whois she?” asked another.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Val called out to the growing crowd. “I give you Troy’s next mayor, Beverly Wainwright Underwood!”
