I turned to Cole annoyed. “See what you started.”
He just smiled at me. All the girls tried to rush over and see, but luckily the flight attendant told them they had to remain in their seats. I could hear everyone whispering and buzzing about the news.
Peyton started then. “So when’s the date? What kind of dress you going to get? Who are the bridesmaids, besides me of course…” and she went on and on.
“Peyton…PEYTON!” She stopped. “Relax okay. I’m not going to worry about any of that stuff right now, there’s no rush. Just let me enjoy it and get used to it.”
She sat back in her seat and tried really hard to keep quiet.
“Still have some of those pills?” I asked Cole.
“You know we could avoid all this and come back to Vegas.”
“Sounds tempting, but I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I don’t care what we do, just as long as I know it’s you standing beside me.”
“Awe, that’s so sweet you’re giving me a toothache.”
“Oh how I adore your loving personality,” Cole mocked and gave me an exaggerated smile.
I put his arm around me and lay on his chest. “And don’t forget about my big boobs and nice butt.”
“And those too,” Cole laughed.
Once our flight landed and we departed the plane all the girls rushed over with question after question. How did he do it? Did I cry? Scream? Faint?
Jesus Christ.
I looked to Cole for some help, but he stood with the guys trying not to laugh. Even though I knew he knew I was uncomfortable with this whole thing, he seemed to find it amusing. I pleaded with my eyes for him to help me and he took out his phone.
Okay, really, if he keeps this up I’m gonna…my phone rang. I excused myself from the girls to answer it.
It was a blocked call. I picked up.
“I thought you could use some assistance.”
It was Cole.
“It’s about time. I don’t know how much longer I can deal with this. I might soon change my mind,” I warned him.
Cole hung up the phone and walked over to us. “Excuse me ladies, but you if don’t mind I like to steal away my beautiful bride-to-be so we can go home and celebrate.”
All the girls gushed with awe.
I wanted to throw up.
I said goodbye to everyone and quickly rushed out of there.
Cole spoke up once we were away. “You’re welcome.”
“Please, you’re just lucky you came over when you did or you’d be celebrating on your own and be the only person to get engaged and unengaged in one day.”
“Do you really hate all this wedding stuff?” Cole stopped and faced me.
“I don’t hate it, I’m just not…that girl.”
Cole’s face dropped. “Tatum, do you even want to marry me?”
I made him look in my eyes. “Of course I do, 100% no doubt in my mind. It’s just so overwhelming.”
He understood. He wrapped his arm around my waist and we left the airport and went home.
I was so happy to get home and see Nala and Leo. They both jumped at me as soon as I walked in the door.
I didn’t even bother unpacking. I just threw my stuff on the floor and crashed on the bed. I was jet lagged and exhausted from all the excitement that went on when everyone found out I was engaged.
Not knowing if I could handle it tomorrow at work I thought about not wearing my ring, but then I’d have to explain to Cole why and he’d just think it was because I didn’t want people to know because I really didn’t want to marry him.
Ugh! My head hurt. Best to not think about it anymore and just go to bed.
And that’s what I did. I’ll figure everything out in the morning.
While getting ready for work, I contemplated, on whether or not I should wear the ring. Knowing Peyton she probably told everyone already so there would be no way to hide it regardless.
I slipped on my ring, kissed Cole Goodbye, and headed to work ready to face the pit of snakes, but when I got there, nothing. Their attention was on something else.
“What’s going on?” I asked Jenna.
“Oh it’s great. Kayla turned some lady’s hair blue,” Jenna said trying not to laugh.
“What!?! Why is she even here, I thought she didn’t work Mondays anymore?”
“You know Kayla, she said she came in for a client and decided to stay to make some extra money.”
“Yeah and steal all the walk-ins for herself.”
“Yeah, but look where it got her,” she gestured for me to peek my head around the corner and take a look. I told her after I put my stuff away I would meet her outback so she could tell me the whole story.
I walked past the shampoo bowls on my way to meet Jenna and I saw Kayla’s client. My jaw dropped and I almost stopped dead in my tracks until Kayla saw me and glared at me. I kept walking trying not to say anything. This lady’s hair was blue, like the sky, and her ends were white as a ghost.
“What the hell did she do?” I asked as soon as I stepped out back.
“You saw it?” Peyton asked. No surprise she was already out back.
“Well this lady came in and wanted a retouch. Her ends were white and she had four inches of re-growth.”
“What color were her roots?” I asked.
“Black, she said she was buying bleach at one of the local beauty supply stores and doing it herself,” Jenna explained.
“Gees, when will people learn.”
“Oh, it gets better. She also said every time she did her roots she would pull the bleach all the way through to the ends to refresh them.” Jenna used air quotes on refresh.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. That would explain the white ends. I’m surprised she even has hair left. This woman has to be nuts or just really stupid,” I said.
“I think she’s both.”
“How did it end up blue?” Peyton asked while I was thinking the same thing.
“Kayla didn’t lift it high enough and she tried to tone it, but because the lady’s hair was so damaged to begin with, it sucked up all the color and pulled the base.” I started laughing. It really wasn’t all that funny, but because it was Kayla, it was.
“I wouldn’t even have touched that lady’s hair with bleach. I would have suggested trying to take it a shade darker and tone it down.”
“She actually did try that, but the lady refused, she said she didn’t want to change the color, she wanted it like it was.”
“Now look where it got her. She might have to change it now if Kayla can’t figure out how to get that blue out.”
“That’s easy,” Jenna said.
“You know, I know, and Peyton knows how to fix it, but Kayla doesn’t and I sure as hell am not going to tell her. She should know though and that proves she doesn’t know shit like she think she does.”
“Agreed,” Jenna and Peyton said. We stayed outside coming up with different scenarios on how this would turn out. Peeking in every now and then to see if Kayla figured it out yet. She didn’t.
Teresa came out back and lit up a cigarette. “Since when do you smoke?” I asked her.
“Since Kayla turned this lady’s hair blue.” I laughed and Teresa shot me a dirty look. “It’s not funny Tatum. This lady is threatening to sue and Kayla keeps arguing with her.”
“Uh, shouldn’t you be in there to help prevent all that?” Peyton said warily not wanting to get on Teresa’s bad side.
“She’s under the dryer,” Teresa snapped.
“Teresa is her hair still blue?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“You can’t put her under the dryer it’s just going to set it in more.”
“I don’t know! Then you go fix it!” she yelled.
“It’s not my client.”
“It is now, go in there and fix it. Go!” she snapped. I stood up and went inside before she really bit my head off. The last thing I wanted to do was help Kayla, but if someone di
dn’t make this lady happy it could trash the reputation of the whole salon.
I didn’t see Kayla anywhere and her client wasn’t hard to spot. “Hi, I’m Tatum, I’m going to wash you out for Kayla and throw a special toner on it,” I said to the lady with blue hair. She nodded and followed me to the shampoo bowl. She didn’t seem angry or upset or like the typical person who would be threatening to sue.
“May I ask why I am having a toner put on for the third time? Is there something wrong?” the client asked.
Crap.
I was guessing she hadn’t looked in the mirror yet and realized her hair was blue. Then why was Teresa saying she was threatening to sue?
“Oh this is a special toner. The first one didn’t take as well, so we just want to run this one through, no worries.” I smiled at her trying to reassure her everything was fine despite the fact her hair was blue.
I went in the back to mix some bleach with ten volume, knowing hopefully this should do the trick.
I opened the back door to talk to Teresa. “Hey, did that lady actually say she was going to sue? Beause from what I understand she hasn’t even seen her hair.”
“Wait what?” Teresa said looking confused.
“She asked if everything was okay, like she had no idea her hair is blue.”
Teresa’s eyes widened, “Son of a bitch!” She covered her mouth with her knuckles and started pacing.
“Was Kayla the one who said she was going to sue?” Teresa stopped and looked down too embarrassed to comment. “I’m not trying to undermine you, but why would you believe anything Kayla says and why didn’t you talk to the client first?”
“Cause Kayla pulled me in the back room right away screaming and yelling saying that this lady was threatening to sue and I said I was going to talk to her. But she said not to, that it would make it worse and she wouldn’t talk to anyone.” I have never seen Teresa let anyone control her in the way Kayla did. Normally she wouldn’t stand for anyone’s bullshit—especially Kayla’s. Something had to be wrong, but I didn’t have time to find out.
I finished mixing and went back to the shampoo bowl to apply the bleach. Right as I started to apply it, Kayla came around the corner and started flipping out. “What the hell are you doing?” She screamed. “That’s my client.”
“Teresa asked me to help out, while you started on your next client.” Which was a lie, but I was trying not to freak out the client. I stared at Kayla hoping she’d get the hint and let it go, but of course not. Kayla was too stupid.
“Back away, you don’t know what you’re doing.” She shoved me out of the way.
Still trying to act professional, I didn’t say anything and backed up.
“Um, what’s going on?” the client asked sounding scared.
“Oh, this idiot turned your hair blue.”
“What!” both the client and I exclaimed.
“My hair is blue?”
“Ma’am I can assure you I did not turn your hair blue. I’m sorry for all this inconvenience and will be happy to fix everything and you will not be charged,” I said trying to calm down the client.
Kayla glared at me. “I think you did enough, why don’t you leave this to someone who knows what they’re doing,” Kayla said. I laughed and walked away not being able to take anymore.
I went straight out back to Teresa. “Alright look, either you need to get your ass in there and start acting like the fucking manager or I need to find someone who can do your job for you.”
“Who you think you’re talking to? I’m your superior,” Teresa growled at me.
“Then fucking act like it and do something. Kayla just threw a fit in front of the client and told her I turned her hair blue and shoved me out of the way making it seem like I was the one who didn’t know what I was doing.”
Teresa didn’t say anything. She marched right back into the salon and straight to Kayla as I followed. We overheard Kayla tell the client that it was the client’s fault and she must be on some kind of medication that caused this reaction.
Teresa stepped in right away. “Hi, I’m Teresa, the salon manager. I just wanted to let you know you have nothing to worry about,” she turned to me. “Tatum is one of our best stylists. She is going to make sure everything is fixed properly and you will not be charged at all.” She smiled warmly at the client. The client not sure what to say at this point just nodded her head. Teresa turned on Kayla, “Kayla, can I speak with you for a moment?” Kayla threw the brush she was holding into the sink and stomped off toward the backroom.
I stayed with the client as they left. “I am so sorry for all that. I promise you, you are in good hands.” I tried my best to make her feel better, despite what Kayla may have told her. I finished applying the bleach and waited a few minutes for it to lift out the blue.
We could hear Teresa and Kayla screaming at each other. I excused myself from the client and kindly warned them the whole salon could hear them. They took their screaming match outside.
I rinsed out the clients hair and just like I thought, it took out the blue. I put a massive deep conditioning treatment on her, stuck her under the dryer, and then went out back.
“This is all your fault!” Kayla pointed at me.
“I wasn’t the one who turned her hair blue,” I spat back.
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Apparently not and don’t ever speak to me that way in front of a client again,” I said.
“I’ll speak to you however I want.”
“That’s enough!” Teresa yelled.
“Kayla, this is your fault, if you didn’t know what you were doing you shouldn’t even have taken the client in the first place.” Kayla tried to say something, but Teresa cut her off. “And the way you handled that client was extremely unprofessional. Telling her Tatum turned her hair blue when it was you, telling her it was because of her medicine clearly when it was you, and, throwing a tantrum and talking down other stylists in front of a client. It’s unacceptable.”
“Whatever, please like you know what professionalism is, and I’m charging her. No way am I going to let her walk out of here for free after doing all that work.”
“All that work wouldn’t have had to be done if you knew what you were doing in the first place,” I said.
Kayla turned to me getting ready to say something until Teresa spoke, “You’re fired.”
Everyone turned to Teresa, eyes wide with surprise.
“What?” Kayla growled.
“You heard me, you’re fired!” Teresa repeated with more authority behind it this time.
Kayla’s mouth opened wide and she started screaming a stream of profanities at Teresa. I looked at Peyton and Jenna and tried hard not to laugh. Some of the other stylists came out to see what was going on and to complain about the language saying they had clients who could hear everything. I was glad I had my lady under the dryer. She wouldn’t be able to hear under there. The other stylists started yelling at Kayla for her mouth and it turned into an all-out war.
I pulled Teresa aside, “You might want to get security. Obviously she’s not going to go quietly.”
“Gee, you think?” Teresa rolled her eyes at me. “Alright everyone shut up!” she yelled and everyone did. “Kayla, you have ten minutes to pack up your shit and get out before I call security on your ass and I don’t want to hear another word from anybody!”
Everyone stared in astonishment, wondering if what they heard was true or their ears were playing tricks on them. Kayla, fired? They watched as Kayla stomped into the salon and started packing up all her shit.
“You’ll be hearing from my lawyer!” Kayla yelled over her shoulder as she left.
“Good luck with that,” Teresa said.
As soon as the door closed behind her everyone in the salon started to cheer. “I think we need to bust out some champagne and celebrate!” Jenna shouted and we all laughed.
Teresa fell into a chair relieved. “Champagne sounds good to me,” she said. Jenna
said after her shift she’d go to the liquor store and pick some up and come back and we’d all celebrate.
I finished up with Kayla’s client and despite the debacle she left satisfied. After all the stylists finished for the day Jenna started to poor champagne for everyone and we made a toast.
“Ding dong the witch is dead,” I said and everyone cheered.
“We have something else to celebrate too,” Peyton interrupted. “Tatum’s engaged.”
Crap.
Everyone gasped and gawked at me in shock.
“Yeah right,” Jenna said thinking Peyton was joking.
“It’s true, show them the ring Tatum.”
With no way of avoiding it I held out my hand. They all swarmed me at once. “I think we should go out and celebrate,” Jenna suggested and all the stylists agreed.
I called Cole to tell him I’d be home late and we continued the party over at Tino’s Bar and Restaurant. Everyone was in high spirits celebrating the demise of Kayla and my engagement. They kept buying me shots and drinks all night. I drank until I couldn’t drink anymore. I had to call Cole to come pick me up because I was too drunk to drive.
“Who’s that?” Jenna asked.
I turned to look and it was Cole. “Excuse me ladies, I’ve got this one.”
I stood up slowly so I wouldn’t fall and headed over to Cole. “Hi, what’s your name?” I teased. “Wanna come over and have a drink with us?” All the girls watched with surprise. I heard them whispering about how cute they thought he was and how they couldn’t believe I was hitting on him.
“I’m sorry, but I’m looking for my girlfriend. Maybe you’ve seen her?” Cole said playing along.
“What does she look like?” I asked.
“She’s tall and has beautiful long blond hair, green eyes, and a nice rack and a great butt,” he smiled. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him.
“She doesn’t waste time does she,” Jenna said.
I pulled away laughing and brought Cole over to introduce him. “Guys, this is my fiancé, Cole.”
The Hairdresser Diaries Page 23