“So what are your plans for today?” Ula asked as she poured more coffee.
“I’m not sure. Stone said I can have the car for the whole day. I thought I might check on my house.” Which would take all of two hours, including driving time both directions. The day stretched out endlessly. She didn’t want to get back too early and have him think her life was so incredibly pitiful that she couldn’t fill a few hours away from the house.
Ula took the seat opposite. Cathy had been joining the housekeeper for breakfast every morning for nearly a week. The older woman wasn’t overly friendly, but she was loosening up a little. If nothing else, Cathy was fascinated by her always perfect grooming.
“I have a suggestion,” Ula said. “If you wouldn’t think I was butting in.”
“Butt away,” Cathy told her. “The only thing I’ve come up with is a movie, but I’m not too excited about going alone.”
“Well, I know a salon on the west side. They do great work with hair. I thought you might like to get a cut and style. It would be fun.”
Cathy knew the housekeeper meant well. In her gruff way, Ula had befriended her. Still, the implied criticism hurt. Cathy knew she wasn’t much to look at. Her mousy brown hair hung down to the middle of her back. The best thing she could say about it was the center part was straight and her hair was clean.
She pushed the small serving of fruit around on her plate and tried to figure out how to respond to the housekeeper’s suggestion.
“I’m sorry,” Ula said. “I didn’t mean—” She pressed her lips together. “It’s just that you’ve done so well on your diet and with your exercises. You’re a lovely girl but you don’t do anything to accentuate the positive. I can’t figure out if you don’t think you’re worth it, or you just don’t know what to do.”
Cathy raised her head and stared at her. “I’m not lovely.”
Ula snorted. “Oh, please. You have perfect skin and big green eyes.”
“They’re not green.” Cathy wished they were. “They’re sort of a muddy moss color.”
“With the right hair and clothes, the green would stand out,” Ula told her. “Your smile lights up the room, you’re smart and funny. Why don’t you give yourself more credit? Sit up straight. Enter the room as if you have the right to be there. Don’t be afraid.”
Her comments made Cathy straighten in her chair, but she wasn’t so sure about the rest of it. Ula’s assessment of her was startling. Did the older woman really think she had potential?
She fingered a strand of hair. “What kind of cut?”
Ula poured them each another cup of coffee. “Something layered. Your hair is fine, and layering will give it more volume. I can call the owner of the salon right now and see if he can squeeze you in.”
* * *
Two hours later, Cathy found herself covered by a purple vinyl cape and staring at herself in a wide mirror. Ernest, the well-dressed middle-aged man who owned the salon, tsked as he stood behind her.
“The seventies were over years ago,” he said. “Long straight hair disappeared with the decade. A cut.” His tone was sure. “Some color, maybe a little red with a touch of honey to warm up your features.”
His own hair was receding, but what was left had been grown out and pulled back into a ponytail. Earrings glittered from both ears.
He pressed his hands to her shoulders and leaned forward. “Ula told me about the fire and your surgery. You poor dear. We’re going to fix you right up. Would you like a latte while you’re waiting?”
“Um, sure.”
“I’ll take care of everything.” He smiled at her in the mirror. “Just trust me, honey.” He turned away. “Selena, a latte for Cathy, please, then we’re going to work some magic.”
Four hours later, Cathy found herself back in the same chair, staring at herself in the same mirror. While calling it magic was a stretch, Ernest had definitely made a difference.
“You like?” he asked with a wink.
Her hair hung in soft layers to her shoulders. The cut had freed up a wave she hadn’t known had been there. Honey red highlights brought out the green in her eyes and made her skin glow. Selena or Marta or one of the women—they were all dressed in black, incredibly beautiful and impossible to tell apart—had applied makeup. Not a lot, just enough to emphasize her cheekbones and her mouth. She was a vastly improved image of her former self.
Cathy smiled back at him. “I like it very much.”
“Good. Then you’ll need to make an appointment for six weeks from now. Trim every six weeks, color every twelve. It takes time to be beautiful, but it’s worth it.”
Cathy followed him to the front of the salon. Once there, she made an appointment for the trim and didn’t even wince when they announced the total for her credit card. She’d never done anything like this before in her life. She’d never thought she was worth it.
As she turned to leave, she caught her reflection in the mirror by the entrance and had to smile. She was standing straighter. Not so much because Ula had suggested it, but because she felt better about herself. She knew she’d lost a few pounds, too. Not much, but enough that her clothes were loose. She’d always worn them baggy, hoping the excess fabric would disguise her bulges. Now her old jeans were practically falling off. A new pair would be another nice treat. Nothing expensive. Maybe they could stop at her favorite discount store on their way back to Stone’s house.
