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“Great thank you, I’ll be there in a minute,” I say as I set up my section for my first client of the day.
“Bella your client is here.”
“Yes, thank you, I’ll be there in just a moment,” I say louder as she mustn’t have heard me the first time.
“Bella, there’s another client here for you?” I walk into the reception area and I have 3 clients waiting for me.
How did this happen? We have an all singing, all dancing, electronic booking system. There shouldn’t ever be a mix up, especially with 3 clients. I do not let it phase me though. I apologise to the clients, check my schedule for the day and squeeze them into my already jam-packed day. Unfortunately, today of all days Rachel our manager is in and I feel like she is watching me like a hawk.
The next day goes from bad to worse. I’m doing one of my regular clients, a very particular lady, in her fifties who obviously has a lot of money. She knows how she wants her hair and it must be perfect. Definitely not one of my favourite clients but she is a good tipper and comes in every week with me for one thing or another. I’ve done her highlights and the assistant has shampooed her. She’s now waiting for me to apply her toner. I give the client record card to the assistant and ask her to mix the toner for me as I am still finishing off my other client. I’m rushed of my feet and running behind again. For some reason my appointment times have been reduced and I just can’t keep up today.
I get to Mrs. Particular and she’s not impressed as she’s been waiting three and a half minutes with wet hair. I apologise and apply her toner, listening to her drone on about the new yacht her husband has just bought. I’ve applied the sides and I am halfway through applying the back when Mrs. Particular lets out an ear-splitting scream.
“My hair - it’s turning PINK!”
I look into the mirror in front of her and sure enough her hair is turning a lovely shade of candy floss pink.
“I’m terribly sorry, that shouldn’t be happening. Please come back over to the back wash.”
After carefully removing the pink from her hair and applying the correct toner, I am now running over an hour behind. Clients start to complain and I can feel my anxiety beginning to rise. The day finally ends. I am cleaning up my station when Rebecca the manager calls me into her office.
“Bella, can you come in here please?” she says and instantly I have a bad feeling about this.
“Come in, close the door behind you and take a seat please.” I sit down facing Rebecca. “Right, I will cut to the chase Bella. I have had numerous complaints about you this last week from clients and staff. Your head obviously isn’t in your work anymore. I took a chance on you Bella and until these last weeks you have been just what the salon needed. Foster & Thomas have already boosted your career and will continue to do so as long as you get your head back into your work. I am assuming your personal life has changed and this is what is distracting you. I suggest Bella, that you have good think about what is important too- is it your career which could be made or ended here? Or a boyfriend who will probably drop you like he has with all his previous others?”
“Rebecca I….”
“No Bella, I do not want to hear any excuses. The decision is yours. I’m not in now until next week- hopefully I will see you then.”
Rebecca stands, picks up her bag and leaves the room leaving me absolutely gobsmacked. Did she just tell me to break up with Damien or I will lose my job? What the hell. After the week I have had I can’t stop the tears which pour from my eyes and the sob of my chest as I catch my breath. How the heck does she even know about Damien? Something doesn’t feel right. I need to get out of here. I get my things from the staff room just as Mike walks in.
“Hey Bella, is everything ok?” he asks.
“Fine, Mike thanks. I just need to get home.” I rush out not making eye contact with anyone. Rebecca said she had complaints from members of staff too. I can’t think who I have upset.
I get to my room and climb into bed fully clothed. I text Damien and say I’m not feeling well and I can’t see him tonight. He keeps ringing but I decline. I can’t speak to him right now. I don’t want to speak to anyone, I just want to sleep. I have had such a stressful week and I am mentally and physically drained. I soon fall into a deep sleep.
I start to wake up with the feeling that someone is watching me. I lie really still, listening for any sound. I don’t hear anything- maybe I am imagining it. I try and go back to sleep but the sense of being watched is overwhelming. It’s funny how a human’s senses work. We don’t always trust them but we should. My dad always told me to trust my instincts. He said humans’ instincts have been developed over millions of years. Animals are born and follow their instincts to survive and we as humans should do the same.
I open my eyes and scan the room without moving. It’s dark, but I can make out the room and furniture. I got into bed in such a hurry last night I didn’t shut the curtains so there’s light coming in from outside. I look out into the window and I see the reflection of the room. Something catches my eye. It’s the shape of a figure- a large human probably male figure. They aren’t moving they’re just standing there. Watching me. My heart starts to beat hard and fast. I try to control my breathing so not to make any noise.
What the hell do I do? My phone’s at the side of me on the bedside table. I could grab that but it will be no use if this guy wants to hurt me. My bedside light is a metal sculpture. I never liked it but now I couldn’t happier that it was beside my bed. It would definitely do some damage and give me some form of chance, I hope. I lie there for another minute and build up my courage. It would be pointless screaming; these walls are pretty much sound proof. I’ll get up, hit them with it, run to the door and go to Katie’s room or bang on as many doors in the hallway as I can. Ok I’m ready. I sit up grab the lamp and jump on my feet beside the bed, ripping the plug out of the wall as I do.
“Bella! It’s me! It’s me Damien, it’s ok calm down.” But I don’t hear him. He is coming closer to me. My adrenaline has taken over, I throw the lamp in his direction. It takes some force from me as it is so heavy. Damien, however, catches it as if it weighs nothing and sets it down on the bed. “Bella, it’s me, Damien.”
I feel a wave of relief as the familiar voice finally registers. He pulls me into him and wraps his arms around me. I’m shaking as my body calms down from the shock. “I’m so sorry my Bella I had to see you. I didn’t mean to scare you. I had to make sure you were ok. You weren’t answering my calls.”
“My God Damien, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” I say breathlessly.
“That was not my intention Bella, please forgive me.” He picks me up and puts me on the bed. He then gets the bedside lamp, plugs it back in and switches it on. There he stands in his fitted blue jeans and skin-tight T-shirt. My eyes roam his body and I’m instantly warmed from the inside. His dark eyes however are full of concern.
“What’s the matter Bella, you must tell me? I know there is something going on?” I don’t want to tell Damien about what Rebecca has said, not yet anyway. I need to work this out on my own. I know what Damien’s reaction would be.
“I’ve had a terrible week at work- everything has just got on top of me. I just needed to some time to register it all.” Damien sighs and kisses the top of my head. I sense he doesn’t quite believe me but he doesn’t question me any further.
“You work too hard Bella, you need some time off. Come away with me? I need to go to New York tomorrow for a couple of days, I have some business that needs to be face to face. It won’t take long and then we can spend the rest of the day together. I could extend the trip and we could have the week together. What do you think?”
As much as a break sounds amazing and New York is a city I have always wanted to go to, I just can’t go anywhere now. I need to sort out this mess with work and the show is about a week away. I feel like I still have so much to do.
