Leslie's Curl & Dye

by DL White

  “When that baby came, and it didn’t look like the shift supervisor, who was real dark skinned, but instead looked like the security officer, who was real light?” Her devilish chuckle rattled around in her throat until she could hold it in no longer. “Well, first of all, the supervisor was done with her, because she’d cheated on him, even though he was cheating on his wife—”

  “Who worked for the owner in the front office, right?” Another customer offered. “My mama was good friends with her.”

  “Unh huh, that’s the one,” Sylvia confirmed. “Her husband was sleeping with this gal who didn’t have the sense God gave a chicken.”

  “So she must have been hoping like hell the baby wasn’t the light skin dude’s.”

  “Like hell! But girl, when that baby came, there was no doubt. Baby just as bright as anything, and got his eyes too? Shift supervisor was out of a marriage, a girlfriend, a baby and a job, when the mill owner got wind of everything. So, the security officer wasn’t interested in being with this gal, seeing as how she was dumb as a stump, but he ended up taking care of the baby. The scandal caused a huge uproar in the mill. He ended up moving all of them somewhere near Valdosta.”

  The shop tittered in laughter and town gossip as usual. I tipped my head to catch Tamera’s eye, but her gaze was focused on activity outside. A few moments later, I figured out what caught her attention.

  KC swept through the salon door, his hands full of bags, followed by Erik with more bags. They dropped them on the front desk, filling the salon with the scent of what could only be containers from Helen’s Kitchen. I opened my mouth to scold KC since he wasn’t supposed to be on his knee, but he limped across the room to my chair and dipped his head to drop his lips onto mine.

  “I know you want to yell at me, but I had to move around a little. I wanted to talk to Helen about the menu for the election night dinner. And… I have news.”

  “What kind of news?”

  “According to Arletha, the news station is doing an informal poll and your boy is leading. Just over half of Potter Lake residents say they’re voting Mayor Adams out.”

  I forgot that I wanted to yell at him and rose up onto my toes, throwing my arms around his neck. “That’s great, baby! You’re doing it!”

  “We’re doing it, Les,” he said, cupping my face in his hands and kissing me again. “We are doing it. So…” He pulled back, leaving an arm around me. “Erik and I figured you and Tamera wouldn’t take a lunch break and you’d have a spot full of hungry people…”

  A cheer sounded throughout the salon. KC nodded and Erik started emptying the bags. “I got a little bit of everything. Helen is probably mad at me.”

  “Probably not, if you bought her out of lunch.”

  I finished bumping Sylvia’s ends and fluffed her now silky, shiny hair around her face, then turned her toward the mirror so she could take a look and make corrections like normal. Today, she took a quick glance, tossed a few bills at me, muttered at me to keep the change and headed toward the desk to pick up something for lunch. The line of people in black capes, hair half done, picking out pieces of fried chicken wings, squares of cornbread and dishes of macaroni and cheese and green beans made me smile.

  “Hey, you.” I nudged KC, who was watching the scene with bright eyes, too. I could tell from his smile that he loved doing this kind of thing. I tapped the back of my chair. “Get off that knee. Let’s not undo all of your good progress. You want me to grab you something to eat?”

  KC had just settled into the chair when the front door flew open, so hard that it banged against the brick wall behind it. My mother burst into the shop, eyes wild and wide, loudly panting. My mind went right to Grandy, especially since Gina ran in behind her.

  “Mama! What’s wrong? Is it Grandy?”

  But she bypassed me, headed straight for KC. “You!” She pointed at him, getting so close that the tip of her nail poked into his chest. KC tried to stand, but she was too close, bent over him, in his face.

  KC reared back, probably terrified of my mother. “What I do, Ms. Lee?”

  “It’s what you got to do. You got to do something!”

  “About what? What’s going on?”

  “Mama... come here.” I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back, then directed her toward an empty chair. “What has you so upset? Is it Grandy?”

  She used a handkerchief she’d pulled from her purse to dab sweat from her forehead. “Everybody over at Primrose is walking around with worried looks and sad eyes. I asked what was going on, and the nurses told me I had to speak to the director. So, I go on up to Edward’s office and ask what everybody’s wringing their hands and looking so upset about.”

  She stopped to breathe, then wiped more sweat from her brow. “Edward says that that Mayor Adams has been hinting at selling the land that the home is on. You know he owns that piece of property, there.”

  I folded my arms across my chest, my mouth already set in a frown. “Yeah, that’s how he built that facility so cheap; he already owned the land.”

  “Well, he’s been talking about how the center owes him more money on the lease and if they don’t pay, he’s going to sell it. Whoever buys it, there’s no guarantee they’ll leave the place open. He’s liable to sell it to a company that intends to tear it down and build a big box store or something stupid like that.”

  She sighed, dropping a hand to her lap. Her shoulders sagged with stress and her voice cracked with the tears she was holding at bay. “He says they can’t pay more on the lease, that they’re strapped as it is, with what they get from the state and the private beds, like what we pay for. And if that home closes, everybody there got to find a place to go, including Grandy. I can’t care for her at the house and I don’t know about moving her to Healy…”

  “That’s why we came to find you, KC,” said Gina. “Your sister said you’d probably be headed over here. I know you’re not the Mayor yet, but…”

  “I’ll vote for you,” Mama said suddenly, jumping up from her seat. “I’ll tell everybody from here to Healy and back to vote for you if you’ll help us. Please, Kade. This is my… this is my mother— ” She finally broke down, her cheeks damp with tears. I couldn't remember the last time I saw my mother cry. The sight broke my heart and after a few moments, I was tearing up too.

  KC had managed to stand. He lifted both hands, showing his palms, then placed them both around Mama’s shoulders. The feeling of those big, warm hands on her seemed to calm her almost instantly. “I’m not going to use this as a lure to get votes, Ms. Lee. I want to see what I can do because it’s the right thing. Let’s get that straight, okay?” Mama bobbed her head in agreement. “Now… let’s find out the real deal. It’s not like he can sell the land and close the facility tomorrow—”

  “Oh, Mayor Adams says he has a couple of bids in already. That’s why he’s demanding payment, or he’s gon’ accept one of them, and then there’s no telling—”

  “Okay… okay.” KC squeezed her shoulders, then brought her in for a brief hug. “I’m going to see what I can find out. I’m not promising anything, but if Grandy has to move I’ll do whatever I can to make her comfortable. You have my word on that. Alright?”

  KC turned to me. “I’m going over there to talk to the Director. I need to get to the bottom of this demand for more money. Doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I’m going with you.” I turned off my irons and grabbed my purse from a drawer in my cubby.

  “Les, it’s the middle of your workday—”

  “It’s my grandmother, KC. I want to know what’s going on as much as you do, plus we’ll need to talk strategy for dealing with this so close to the election. Besides, you’ve never met her. You should know who you’re working for.” I grabbed my purse and walked out of the shop, determined to go over to Primrose myself if I had to.

  I heard the salon door open behind me, then, “Leslie! Wait for me, please.”

  I turned around to see KC slowly limping
and trying to catch up. “This is why you shouldn’t be on your knee. Where’s your cane?”

  He nodded toward the Escalade. “In the truck, actually. I needed both hands.”

  “You’d better grab it if you’re coming with me.” I turned and headed toward my car, pointing at it with the remote to unlock the door. On the passenger side, I opened the door and slid the seat all the way back so KC would have room, then walked around and got in on the driver’s side. Impatient, I watched KC slowly maneuver himself into my car, and as soon as he’d shut himself inside, I put the car in gear and shot out of my parking space.

  “Okay, Les…Leslie!” KC reached for the seat belt and snapped himself in. “Don’t get pissed, but calm down! It’s not like he’s selling the land right this second, okay?”

  KC laid a hand on my thigh and squeezed. I dropped a hand from the steering wheel and laid it on top of his. He was right… I was a little out of control. My shoulders lowered from around my ears. I dropped my speed and tried to relax.

  “I guess we don’t need to screech into the parking lot of Primrose Gardens like Bo and Luke Duke driving the General Lee.”

  “Nah, probably not. And I can’t climb out of this window anyway.”

  He tapped the pane of glass with his thumb. It made me laugh, which I guess was his goal. “So… what is the Mayor’s end game, here? We’re so close to the election. Why would he do this now? Is he trying to throw it? Is he playing to some… committee or group?”

  I struggled for words to even try to explain his actions. It didn’t make much sense at all to alienate those in town who had relatives at Primrose. The moment they heard about this rumor, the support for him would drop further than it already had. At the moment, it looked like KC could win by a landslide— something I never would have predicted.

  “Maybe he knows he’s losing and he’s trying to suck as much money as he can out of these deals before he leaves office? Or… maybe he’s cocky enough to really think he can do whatever he wants with no consequence.”

  “I want to find out what’s going on, and then to hell with my clean campaign. I have to call this guy out.”

  I made a slight turn onto the road that led to Primrose, catching a glimpse at KC while I did so. “I’d hate to see you sink to his level. He’s digging his own hole. All you have to do is throw the dirt on top.”

  “I hear you. But the people that are going to vote for him need to know what kind of man they’re dealing with. Even if he loses, he’s still threatening to shut down the home. Maybe I could call Arletha and talk to her about doing a story on tonight’s broadcast.”

  I pulled into a space up front at Primrose. The facility was still relatively new and in beautiful condition, with walking paths and a garden, right on Potter Lake. The three story building featured a patio outside every room, a great room for activities and programs and a caring, dedicated staff.

  As soon as I stepped out of the car, the director, Edward, came out of the front door. Casually dressed in a polo shirt and a pair of jeans, he politely waited to approach us until KC had climbed out of the car.

  “Edward Mabry,” he said, offering his hand to KC.

  “Kade Cavanaugh. I guess you heard we were coming.”

  “Yes. Mrs. Baker was here earlier and left very upset. She said that you might stop by, once you heard about what’s going on here. Come on inside.”

  KC and I followed him through the double doors into the facility. The foyer was grand, with high ceilings and shiny, glossy floors and windows everywhere. We hung a right toward the Director’s office. He offered us the two chairs in front of his desk.

  Edward, a Healy transplant, had taken the job as Director after a lot of arm twisting. It seemed to be as stressful as he feared it would be, but after the first year, he came to love the work and the residents. Still, the near nonstop work for median pay, keeping up with code, complying with regulations and making Primrose an enjoyable place to live was a juggling act.

  “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with us. Ms. Lee said there was an issue with the lease and since the Mayor owns the land, he’s threatening to sell if he doesn’t get what he wants.”

  Edward grimaced, fist clenched like he wanted to pound something — likely Mayor Adams in the face. “The lease is up for extension at the end of the year. We’ve been working with the Mayor for a few months on concessions and provisions. He promised that after the first three years, certain improvements would be made. Now he says he never agreed to that.”

  “But… isn’t that in the lease?” I asked. “How can he say he never agreed to it, if he signed it?”

  “We weren’t specific when we drew up the documents. We said we would identify those issues that needed to be addressed at the time of renewal. The new lease calls for a five percent increase in rent. Primrose can’t afford that. And Mayor Adams disagrees that the parking lot needs to be repaved, that he needs to put a streetlight out on the corner, that the land over on the banks of the lake has degraded and needs attention. If nothing, the city needs to build a fence— I can’t have a resident fall into the lake. I requested a compromise; let’s keep the lease rate where it is, even lower it a bit and we’ll make these repairs ourselves.”

  Edward frowned, shaking his head. “No dice on the lower rent and he has no plans to address the safety issues. And if we continue to make these demands...” he paused using air quotes around the word demands. “He’ll sell the land to the highest bidding developer, and he’s already got a few to choose from.”

  “Could he be bluffing? Seems awfully convenient to suddenly have multiple bids on a property.”

  “Every once in a while, he brings someone through here, under the guise of showing us off. I wouldn’t put it past him, to be honest. I’ve heard about the money he promised to the new business owners over at the strip mall. How he’s basically swindled everyone. This seems par for the course.”

  I shuddered. What evil, ugly little man.

  Edward poked his bottom lip out and tipped his head. “I have until the end of the month to agree to the new lease terms, or the Mayor will assume we plan to move the facility. Which, of course, we can’t do. We can’t afford the increase, but we could make it work if we didn’t also have to make improvements he says he won’t make. That would be a significant investment.”

  KC sat back in his seat, his lips rolled inward, eyes glazed over. “Unbelievable,” he whispered, his head beginning to wag.

  “I regret that some of my staff heard me arguing with the Mayor when he was here. It’s affected the atmosphere. Everyone thinks we’re closing and they're being fired. And people like Mrs. Baker, who depend on us are going to start panicking.”

  Edward reached up to nervously scratch at his temple, then clasped his hands together as he leaned forward onto the desk. “I’d planned to vote for you. Not trying to bribe you or anything but no matter what, I want this guy out of office. If there’s anything you can do to assist, I’d sure appreciate it. I’m sort of a loss. This is my first job in this capacity, you know, and I… I guess I need a little help.”

  KC pushed himself up from the chair and grabbed his cane with one hand. The other he extended to Edward. “Hang tight, man. Let me see what I can work out. Do you have a business card?”

  As soon as we left Edward’s office, a stream of quiet profanities rolled off of KC’s tongue. Enraged, he paced as best he could with a cane and a bum knee.

  “Babe. Baby…” I stepped in front of him and pressed my palms to his chest. “Kade. Relax. Breathe.”

  “That motherfucker is going down. You hear me, Les? How did he get elected? How did he stay elected? I’m just—” His jaw clenched so hard I thought he was going to break a tooth.

  “I know, KC. I know. That’s why, when you said you wanted to run, despite all of our issues, I was willing to work with you. He hasn’t always been this bad, but it’s been progressively worse lately. And now? He just really thinks he can do what he wants to do.”
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  “Well, he’s wrong. What he can’t do is fuck over this town anymore.”

  I smiled, then grabbed his face and kissed him. I felt him sink against me as soon as my lips touched his. His free arm slid around my waist and pulled me close.

  “You know what?” I mumbled against his lips.

  “Mmm….” He growled. His hand slipped from my waist to the curve of my behind.

  “If we were at home we’d be nekkid and horizontal, because you are sexy as fuck right now. But we’re not, and I want you to meet my Grandy, so I need you to curb your filthy, nasty mouth… until later. Can you do that?”

  I felt him smile against my cheek, then take a nip at my ear before he inhaled a deep breath and blew it out. “I guess I can put on my post game interview face. But his ass better hope I don’t catch him in a dark alley.”

  “That’s my NBA type.” I chuckled, sneaking another kiss from him before grabbing his hand and leading him to the wing where Grandy lived.

  “I’ve seen this place a couple of times, driving by. How many people are in here?”

  “About seventy five. There’s capacity for twice that, but they don’t have the resources to staff more than the main building and this one.” We strolled the sidewalk toward a pink stone building and entered a set of double doors that led to a quiet, carpeted, dormitory like floor.

  “Hey, Leslie girl!” One of the nurses paused throw her arm around me and give me a squeeze. “Grandy just got in from a few minutes outside but I’ll sure she wouldn’t mind going back out.”

  “I’m not staying long. I wanted to introduce her to KC. Have you met him? He’s running for—”

  “Mayor, yeah.” She smiled, nice and big, switching the thick stack of folders from one arm to the other. “I was at the Kit Kat last month when you stopped in and talked with everybody. That was nice of you.”

  KC nodded humbly. “Great to see you again.”

  “If I wasn’t voting for you before, I sure am, now. I can’t believe what that egomaniac is trying to pull. Nobody wants to move these residents and none of us can afford to lose our jobs. Are you going to help Mr. Mabry stop him?”