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“If she can make it on short notice, she can have the slot.”
Sarah turned her back and returned to talking on the phone to Miss Adelia. A moment later, she nodded and gave Pepper a thumbs-up to confirm. Pepper returned to sweeping up the tiny bits of hair from the floor that her last haircut left behind. She had just intended to tidy up a little bit, but knowing that Adelia Chamberlain was coming into the shop sent her on a rare cleaning bender. She would be here in a half hour. Pepper’s station wasn’t exactly messy, but it could use some tidying up.
She wiped down her chair and tabletop, putting away combs and clips, and stowing her curling iron and hair dryer in their slots. She restocked her foils in case Adelia wanted highlights and set up a new cart with color-mixing bowls and brushes to have ready. Last, she hung a clean cape on the hook beside her station and put out a fresh stack of towels.
Once she was finished, she stowed the broom and grabbed her purse to run out for food. She didn’t notice Sarah watching her until she was about to leave. Sarah’s client was sitting under the hair dryer, so Pepper’s boss was standing by the front counter. Her arms were crossed over her chest, an amused grin on her face.
“What?” Pepper asked.
“I’ve never seen your station that tidy before.”
Pepper shrugged. “So?”
“So, I thought you didn’t care about the Chamberlains.”
“I don’t,” she argued. And she didn’t. Not really.
“But you’re doing your damnedest to impress one of them,” she noted.
Pepper sighed and shook her head. “There’s a difference between trying to impress someone and trying not to give them any more ammunition to fire at you. Half that family thinks I’m trash. I don’t want to have a messy work space that just reinforces that in her mind. Besides,” she added, “if she likes my work, maybe she’ll come back. I could use the money.”
Sarah nodded. “Okay,” she said, but there was a gleam of humor in her eyes. “You’d better hurry if you’re going to be back in time.”
“See you in a bit.” Pepper stepped out onto the street and headed straight for the Piggly Wiggly. There, she got a sandwich at the deli, a bag of Golden Flake chips, and a bottle of diet Sundrop. On the way back, she eyed the window display of Petal Pushers, Miss Francine’s shop. She couldn’t remember the last time she went in there.
She stuck her head inside and noticed the large, refrigerated case of grab-and-go bouquets. Why not? She snatched up a nice bundle of gerbera daisies in hot pink, red, orange, and yellow. They would look nice and cheerful on the counter in the salon.
“Nice choice,” Miss Francine said as she rung up the purchase. “Some bright flowers are always nice on a gloomy winter day.”
“Exactly,” Pepper agreed, handing over some money and slipping out of the store before Miss Francine could draw her into a long conversation.
Back at the salon, Sarah was busy with her client, so Pepper was able to slip into the back room to eat and find a vase for her flowers. By the time Miss Adelia strolled into the salon, Pepper had eaten, brushed her teeth, washed her hands, and proudly displayed the neon-hued bouquet on the front counter by the register and product display.
“It’s good to see you, Miss Adelia,” Pepper said as she greeted the older woman. The Chamberlains were Rosewood royalty, and Adelia Chamberlain was the family matriarch. She was a proud, poised woman who looked only a fraction of her age and not because she’d had work done. She had wrinkles, but not many, likely from avoiding the sun and using expensive creams for her skin. Her hair was a soft white and shoulder length, gathered at the nape of her neck in fat curls.
There wasn’t the slightest indication of frailty in her, even though Pepper’s best guess was that she was probably in her late seventies or early eighties. Her blue eyes were bright, surveying Pepper behind the square glasses that rode low on her sharp, aristocratic nose.
“Thank you for fitting me in today. My stylist had to cancel for a medical emergency and I wanted to get my hair done before the auction.”
Pepper smiled and held her arm out to guide Adelia back to her station. “I had a last-minute cancellation, so I guess it’s fate.” She helped the older woman stow her things and settle into the rotating chair. “What would you like to have done today?”
“My color is natural,” she began, “so my stylist normally does a clarifying shampoo and a glaze to maintain the color. That, and a trim, should do nicely.”
Pepper nodded. That was exactly what she was thinking. Miss Adelia had thick, beautiful white hair. White hair had the tendency to yellow from exposure to pollutants and buildup from hair products. “We’ve gotten in a wonderful platinum glaze that I think will be perfect. Does your stylist give you violet shampoo to use between visits?”
Adelia shook her head, watching Pepper’s reflection in the mirror as she ran her fingers through her hair. “No. What does that do?”
“It helps maintain the color by counteracting any yellow tones. Your color is beautiful, like pearls, but with the shampoo, you might be able to go a little longer between appointments. I’ll give you a sample to try and see if you like it.”
Adelia nodded. “Thank you.”
Pepper took the cape off the hook and swung it around her client’s body, snapping it closed at the back of her neck. “Okay, let’s take you back to do that clarifying shampoo, then I’ll apply the glaze.”
She tried to be as upbeat and friendly as she could be, but Pepper was a ball of nerves as she worked on the arguably most powerful and influential woman in town. Maybe even the county. It didn’t help that Miss Adelia wasn’t particularly chatty.
Unlike Vera or Dotty, who prattled on the entire time, Adelia seemed comfortable in silence. Or perhaps, she was just lost in her thoughts. She seemed to be in a constant state of almost judging Pepper, somehow, appraising every move she made. It made Pepper double-think everything she did and it was just a silly shampoo job.
Once they returned to the chair, Pepper mixed up the platinum glaze to apply to Adelia’s hair. “You know, you’re not my first client to mention the auction today. It seems like everyone is getting spiffed up for it. Hopefully it will get a good turnout. Are you planning on bidding on someone special, Miss Adelia?”
