The Hairdresser Diaries

by Jessica Miller

  The next day Alex didn’t show up for work. I sucked up my pride and asked Bambi if she talked to her. “Poor girl, I told her to not drink that last martini. She’s probably just home sleeping it off,” Bambi said laughing.

  I didn’t find it very funny. Especially since I knew Alex doesn’t drink martinis, she’s a beer girl.

  I called her to see what was going on. All I got was her voicemail and I asked her to call me as soon as she got my message. Teresa was pissed that she didn’t show up for work and I told her it was probably some misunderstanding and I would go find out what happened on my break if we didn’t hear from her.

  It was almost three o’clock and I still hadn’t heard from Alex. I started to get worried and asked Peyton if she could take my next client so I could go check on her.

  “I’m sure she’s fine. You heard what Barbie said. She’s probably sleeping it off,” Peyton said.

  “Yeah, but Alex doesn’t drink that much or just not show up for work. And it’s Bambi not Barbie,” I said trying to be serious.

  “Whatever, you say slut I say whore,” Peyton said. I rolled my eyes laughing and headed over to Alex’s place.

  When I got there I saw her car in the driveway and all the curtains were closed. I knocked on the door, but she didn’t answer. I tried the door and it was open. I walked in.

  “Alex?” I called, but got no answer. I looked around. There were empty beer bottles, liquor bottles, a half-eaten pizza and trash everywhere. There was an ashtray full of cigarette butts and when I looked closer, at least one looked like a joint.

  Alex doesn’t even smoke. What the hell happened here last night? I walked down the hall to her bedroom. “Alex?” I called again and slowly pushed open her bedroom door. She was lying on her bed, face down, probably still wearing the same clothes from last night.

  I walked over and gently shook her. “Alex.”

  She groaned and pulled a pillow over her head. At least she was alive. I took the pillow away. “Alex, get up.”

  “Go away,” she moaned.

  “It’s three o’clock in the afternoon and your still in bed.

  It’s time for you to get up.”

  Just then I heard a noise come from her bathroom. I turned towards the door and a man appeared in the doorway. He was wearing only boxers.

  “Who are you?” I asked the half-naked strange man.

  “Alright, a threesome,” he smiled making his way over to the bed.

  I jumped back a little. “Hold it right there!”

  “Come on baby, let’s have some fun,” he gestured for me to join him on the bed. I had to take a moment to stop the bile that was rising in the back of my throat.

  “First off, I’m not your baby. Second, come any closer and you will lose something you value most,” I threatened.

  Alex lifted her head to see what was going on and her face was surprised. She quickly sat up and put her hand to her head realizing getting up fast was not such a good idea.

  “Hey you,” the creepy guy said to Alex tapping her leg.

  Alex looked mortified. “Who are you and what are you doing in my house?” she asked him.

  “You don’t even know this guy?”

  “Of course she does, you can’t tell me you forgot last night. I had to practically beg you to stop molesting me,” he purred.

  Alex took one look at him and ran for the bathroom, hand over mouth. I don’t blame her, if I woke up and found out I slept with someone like that, I’d get sick too.

  He lay back on the bed with his arms behind his head, scoping me out. I almost got sick myself. I couldn’t even tell you how old he was or if the smell in the room was him or a result of last night’s party. He had man boobs and a beer belly, with scraggly long blue hair that looked like he hadn’t washed in a week. He also had some kind of substance stuck in the hair on his chest, but I refused to get close enough to investigate.

  “Look, party’s over, so it’s time you leave,” I told him holding my breath as the stench grew stronger.

  “Oh I think it’s just begun,” he said getting off the bed and walking towards me.

  “Back off! I’m warning you!” I quickly scanned the room for something I could hit him with, but was coming up short. I already learned by now I can throw a punch, but with this guy I was afraid I might catch something if I touched him.

  He got closer. I panicked, covered my face, and squealed. When I opened my eyes Tyler was standing in front of me and the creepy half-naked guy was on the ground.

  “Tyler? What are you doing here?” I looked at him totally confused. He didn’t answer. Instead he picked up the creepy guy by the back of the neck and threw him out of the house. I followed Tyler into the living room.

  “Hello, aren’t you going to answer me?” I asked him.

  “Look at this place,” he growled and started cleaning stuff up. Seeing I wasn’t going to get an answer from him anytime soon, I went to the bathroom to check on Alex. She was sitting on the floor with her back against the bathtub and her head on her knees.

  “Is he gone?” she mumbled.

  “He’s gone, Tyler threw him out.”

  “Tyler’s here?” she said all panicky. “What is he doing here?”

  “I was wondering the same thing,” I said to myself. I helped her off the floor and back into her bedroom.

  “So are you going to tell me what happened?” I asked looking around thinking maybe I don’t want to know.

  “Can you please stop shouting?” She put her hands on her head cringing. “I don’t remember anything.”

  I sighed and got up from the bed. I had to get back to work, but I was afraid to leave her. “I’ll stay with her,” Tyler said from the doorway. I looked at him and seeing the concern on his face didn’t take a genius to know something was going on between them.

  I didn’t have time to argue with him so I told him thanks and went back to work. Later I found out from Peyton that Tyler and Alex were seeing each other behind my back and she said they didn’t want to tell me because it was nothing serious. I was more mad that they thought they had to hide it from me.

  Alex showed up for work on time the next day with a warning from Teresa saying, if she did that again, don’t bother coming into work. She apologized profusely and promised it would never happen again.

  “Don’t sweat it kid, next time we’ll just make sure it’s on a day you don’t work so early,” Bambi said and Alex laughed. I glared at her and she just smiled and walked away.

  “Alex, I don’t think it’s such a great idea you hang out with Bambi anymore,” I said concerned.

  “Why?” she said snippy.

  “Look at what happened.”

  “Please Tatum; you act like you never woke up with a stranger in your bed. Where do you think I learned it from.”

  Okay that hurt. I admit I was no angel, but I know I was never this bad.

  “You’re just jealous because you weren’t there. It’s not my fault your life is boring. Don’t get mad at me because I can still have fun.”

  “Whoa, my life is far from boring and I only wish I had been there to stop you from making a fool of yourself.”

  “Mind your own business and tell your loser brother to stop calling me, I’m done with him.” She stormed out of the back room leaving me stunned.

  Peyton walked in and asked, “Are you okay? And what’s up with Alex?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

  “Maybe you should let her cool off a bit,” Peyton warned and I stopped. I knew Alex wasn’t going to tell me what was going on, no worries; I had other ways of finding out.

  When I walked to the front of the salon Alex was in Bambi’s chair and she was putting blue extensions in her hair. That right there told me I had to figure a way to stop this and quick.

  When I got home I had a message from Tyler asking me to please have Alex call him. That was something I had to deal with later. First thing is I was going to have to talk to Cole
about his time at the ‘club’. I knew it wouldn’t be easy for either of us, but I knew this would be the only way to maybe find out just what all Bambi was getting Alex into.

  I pulled Cole over to the couch and sat him down. Right away he said, “What’s wrong?” He knew I had something I needed to talk about and that it wasn’t good.

  “I need you to tell me about what went on when you went to the club.”

  “Tatum I…” I put up my hand.

  “You don’t have to tell me what you did. I just need to know what kind of stuff went on there.”

  “What’s the sudden interest?”

  “Well…Alex has been hanging out with Bambi lately and I’m just concerned.”

  “Concerned or upset that she’s hanging out with her instead of you?”

  “I’m not jealous. God.”

  “I didn’t say you were.”

  “Alex hasn’t been herself lately and I’m worried. I just don’t want her to get hurt or something bad happen to her.”

  Cole took my hand. “I understand, but do you really think me telling you what goes on there is going to help?”

  “I don’t know…maybe…if I knew what she was getting into I could warn her and maybe stop her.”

  “Did you tell her how you felt?”

  “Yes.” I looked down at my hands.

  “And what did she say?”

  “To mind my own business.”

  “Then I think maybe you should for now. Alex is an adult and can take care of herself. It’s not your responsibility.”

  “I know… I’m just worried.”

  “I know you are,” he said pulling me against his chest.

  “You just don’t want to tell me what goes on there.”

  He chuckled. “Trust me, it’s better you don’t know.”

  “Why don’t you just hang out with Alex and find out for yourself what really is going on.”

  “I guess I could.”

  I put the Alex situation aside until tomorrow.

  When I got to work Alex and Bambi were planning their next get together and I figured now was as good time as any to wiggle my way into their plans. “What are you guys up to this weekend?” I asked.

  Alex looked at Bambi. “You can tell her,” Bambi said.

  “We’re going to this underground club this weekend in Philly.”

  “Sounds like fun, mind if I tag along?”

  Alex smiled excitedly and Bambi watched me cautiously. “I don’t think it would really be your kind of scene,” Bambi said. Now I definitely was going to make sure I went along.

  “Please, Tatum’s not picky, she can have fun anywhere. The more the merrier,” Alex said.

  “Great, I’ll get Peyton to come too.” I could tell Bambi was trying to come up with an excuse for us not to go. “The more the merrier, right?” I directed at Bambi.

  “Right,” she said, lips pulled tight.

  Now the next step was convincing Peyton to go.

  “Hells no,” Peyton said.

  “Come on, I don’t want to go either, but we need to make sure Alex isn’t getting mixed up with a bad crowd…please,” I pleaded with her.

  “Fine, but you owe me big time.”

  “Thank you.” I hugged her, but she didn’t hug me back.

  When I told Cole that I was going out of town this weekend he was not thrilled. “It was your idea remember?” I kindly reminded him.

  “Yes, but I meant hang out somewhere around here, close enough so I know your safe.”

  “I’ll be fine, besides, Peyton will be with me and she can throw a punch better than I can.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” I reassured him over and over that he didn’t have to worry.

  Having no idea what to expect I didn’t know what to wear and I knew Cole would be inspecting me before I left the house. So I just went with jeans and a cute halter top. I kissed Cole goodbye, promising him I would call if anything went wrong.

  When I picked up Peyton she wasn’t dressed much different than I was. “I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” she whined when she got in the car. I didn’t comment. Better not to make her angrier.

  When we got to Alex’s she asked us if we wanted to drive with her and Bambi. I told her no, knowing it would be safer if we drove separate. In case we needed to leave.

  It only took about an hour and a half to get to the club and I started to get nervous once we got there. There was no sign anywhere or anything that looked remotely like a club. There was just a building that looked like a warehouse with a big metal door on the side and a giant, burly, bodyguard standing next to it.

  As soon as we reached the door my stomach started twisting in knots. “Hi Johnny,” Bambi said to the scary bouncer guy while touching his chest. He opened the door for her blushing, letting her and Alex pass. He put up his hand to stop Peyton and I. Bambi turned around, “They’re with me.” He looked at her like she was joking, but she nodded her head and he let us through.

  I grabbed Peyton’s hand as we walked down the dark, metal steps. The only light in the stairwell came from the blinking red bulb above the door at the bottom that didn’t even have a handle or knob. As we got to the door I was wondering how we were going to get in, but Bambi knocked on the door and another scary bouncer opened it from the other side and when he did, the bass from the music was thumping so loud it was vibrating in my chest. I was trying to figure out how in the hell he even heard her knock when I saw the video camera in the corner and the monitor on the other side of the door. Bambi whispered something to the bouncer and he waved us in.

  Inside the music was so deafening, it was almost impossible to hear anyone talk. I took a look around. Upstairs there was a round metal track that went around the entire top with a bar on either side. Four sets of metal steps led the way down to bottom where it was a giant open pit of people dancing like crazy. The ceiling was lined with different colored lights that flashed everywhere.

  We walked down the steps and to one of the bars downstairs. Alex and Bambi ordered something that came in a glowing martini glass. Afraid of not knowing what was in them I stuck with water and Peyton did the same.

  Bambi pulled Alex onto the dance floor while Peyton and I stood back and observed. I took a look around at what some of the people were wearing and came to the conclusion I was overdressed. All the girls, including Bambi and Alex, were wearing something short, tight, and revealing. The guys varied, some were dressed in suits, some leather, and others just in jeans and a t-shirt. I found it hard to believe Alex would want to come to a place like this.

  I searched for her on the dance floor and she waved for us to join them. I waved it off. Some guy in a suit came up to Bambi and she introduced him to Alex. I didn’t like the look of this guy; he looked like a real sleaze ball. I was about to go up and find out what was going on when some kid jumped in front of me trying to dance with me. I said, “No thank you,” putting my hands up, but I guess he didn’t hear me. He was jumping up and down shaking his arms and his head like he was convulsing.

  I looked at Peyton and she yelled, “Scram!”pushing him aside.

  I looked back out onto the dance floor and didn’t see Alex or Bambi. “Hey where’d they go?” I asked Peyton.

  “They were there a minute ago.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her out on to the dance floor to search for Alex.

  I saw her go into a side door with that sleaze ball and Bambi. I rushed over, dragging Peyton with me, and reached for the door.

  One of the bouncers stopped me. “You can’t go in there,” he said.

  “My friends in there.”

  “Sorry, private room.” He stood in front of the door with his arms crossed.

  Great, I thought.

  Someone else walked over and he let them in and I was able to get a peek inside. There were couches and mirrors, beads dangling from the ceiling, a private and fully stocked bar. Girls were walking around in their bras and underwear, some grinding on guys sitt
ing down. I saw Alex on one of the couches next to the sleaze ball and Bambi dancing provocatively in front of him.

  “We really need to get Alex out of there,” I said to Peyton.

  “How?”

  “Excuse me,” I said to the bouncer tapping him on the shoulder. “Can you give someone a message?” He just stared at me. “Can you tell my friend in there I just need to talk to her real quick?” I smiled flirtatiously at him. He didn’t budge or even look at me.

  I looked at Peyton and shrugged my shoulders. She walked right up to him and whispered in his ear. He blushed and signaled for one of the other bouncers to stand by the door while he went in.

  “What did you say to him?”

  “I just used the old Peyton charm,” she smiled dusting off her shoulders.

  I rolled my eyes. The door opened and the bouncer came out with Alex. “Hey guys, what’s up?”

  “We’re going home,” I said pulling her by her arm.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she said jerking back.

  “Alex, you can’t be serious.”

  “Bambi was right, she said you wouldn’t understand and you’d think this place was horrible.”

  “Alex I…” It was too late. She stormed off and went back into the private room.

  “Come on,” Peyton said trying to pull me away. “You tried. You can’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to. Like I said, she’s going to have to learn this one on her own.”

  I wasn’t ready to leave her, but Peyton told me if we didn’t leave now, Alex would be the least of my worries. Peyton had about all she could take of this place and so did I. So we left, leaving Alex behind. I called Cole before we left and told him I’d be home early and would explain everything later.

  Cole was sleeping on the couch. I tried not to wake him, but he woke up as soon as I closed the front door. “You’re home. How’d it go?” he asked sleepily.

  I walked over, lay down on the couch next to him, and put my head on his chest closing my eyes.

  “That bad huh?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “We don’t have to,” he said as he played with my hair. “Let’s go to bed.”