Hey guys thanks for the comments!!! Keep commenting plz, it means a lot to me.
Disclaimer: don't own anything!!!
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Aiiieeeeeee!"
"Mother of pearl!"
"Oh, suuuuugggaaarrr!!!!"
In the waiting room, the two ladies on deck for manicures looked at each other, then at me.
"Bikini wax" I explained
"Oh" said one, and went back to her magazine. The other just sat there, ears perked like a hunting hound, waiting for the next shriek. It wasn't long before Mrs. Johns, enduring her monthly appointment, delivered.
"H-E-double-hockey-sticks" Mrs. Johns was the wife of one of the local ministers, and loved God almost as much as having a smooth, hairless body. In the year I'd worked at Ambiance Salon, I'd heard more cussing from the back room where Judy worked her wax strips than all the other rooms combined.
Not that Ambiance Salon was a bad place. It was just that you couldn't please everyone, especially women, when it came to their looks.
Now, the phone rang as Mrs. Johns emerged from the waxing room. At first I'd been startled by how bad people looked right afterward: like war victims, or people who were in a fire. She was walking stiffly as she came up to my desk.
"Ambiance salon" I said into the phone "Alice speaking"
"Alice, hello, this is Chloe Williams" the woman on the other end said in a rushed voice "oh, you just have to fit me in for manicure today. Paul's got some big client and we're going to La Push and this week I restripped the coffee table and my hands are just-"
"One second please" I said, im my clipped, oh-so-professional voice, and hit the hold button. Above me, Mrs. Johns grimaced as she pulled out her walled, sliding a silver credit card across to me "that's seventy-eight, ma'am"
She nodded, and I swiped the card, handing it back to her. Her face was so red, the area around her eyebrows were practically raw. Ouch. She signed the slip, and then glanced at herself in the mirror behind me, making a face.
"Oh, goodness" she said "I guess I can't go to the post office looking like this"
"Nonsense!" Julie, the waxer, said as she breezed in, just to make sure Mrs. Johns' tip was big enough and made it into her envelope "no one will even notice. I'll see you next month, Okay?"
Mrs. Johns waggled her fingers, then walked out the door, still moving stiffly. Once she hit the curb Julie grabbed her envelope, leafed through the bills there, and made an hmmph kind of noise before flopping in a chair and crossing her legs to await her next appointment.
"Moving on" I said, hitting the button on line one. I could her Mrs. Williams panting before I even started talking "let's see, I could squeeze you in at three-thirty, but you have to be here right on the dot, because Lauren's got a firm four o'clock"
"Three-thirty?" Mrs. Williams said "well, you see, earlier would be better, because I have this-"
"Three-thirty" I repeated, tapping the desk "take it or leave it"
There was a pause, some anxious breathing, and then she said "I'll be there"
"Okay. We'll see you then"
As I hung up the phone, penciling her in, Julie looked at me and said "Alicegirl, you are such a hard-ass" I shrugged.
In the next hour I got the two women waiting for their manicures, ordered lunch for Lily, did the receipts from the day before, and between two eyebrow waxings and an underarm job I heard every gory detail about Julie's most recent disastrous blind date. But by two o'clock, things had slowed down a bit and I was just sitting there at the desk, drinking a sprite and staring out at the parking lot.
As I was staring out, I saw a beat-up white van pull into the parking lot, taking a space by Dogs gone Wild. The front and side doors of the van opened and three guys got out, all about my age, all in dress shirts and ties and jeans. They huddle for a second, discussing something, then split up, each heading into a different store. A short guy with brown curly hair came towards us, tucking in his shirt as he got closer.
"Oh boy" I said "here come the Mormons(no offense if you're Mormon)" I took a sip of my Sprite, readying myself as the door chime clanged and he came in.
"Hello" he said, walking right up
"Hello" I said "can I help you?"
"I was wondering if perhaps your were hiring?"
I looked at him. No men worked at Ambiance Salon. We had one male stylist, Eric, but he'd jumped to our biggest competition, Sunset Boulevard Salon.
"Nope" I said "we're not"
"You're sure?"
"Positive"
He didn't seem convinced, but he was still smiling "I wonder" he said, all charming "if perhaps I could fill out an application in case an opening became available?"
"Sure" I said, pulling open the bottom drawer of the desk, where we kept the pad of applications. I ripped one off, handed it to him, along with one of my pens.
"Thanks so much" he said, taking a seat in the corner by the window. I watched from where I was as he wrote his name across the top in neat block letters, then wrinkled his brow, contemplating the questions.
"Alice" Lily called out, walking into the waiting area "did we ever get that shipment from bumble bumble?"
"Not yet" I told her. Now, she glanced over at the guy in the corner.
"Why are you here?" she asked him
He looked up, hardly startled "applying for a job" he told her
She looked him up and down "is that a clip-on tie?"
"Yes, ma'am" he said, nodding at her "it sure is"
Lily looked at me, then back at him, then burst into laughter "oh, Lord, look at this boy. And you want to work for me?"
"Yes, ma'am, I sure do" he was so polite I could see him gaining points, quickly. Lily was big on respect.
"Can you give a manicure?"
He considered this "no. But I'm a fast learner"
"Can you bikini wax?"
"Nope"
"Cut hair?"
"No, I sure can't"
She cocked her head to the side, smiling at her "Honey" she finally said "you're useless"
He nodded "my mother always said that" he told her "but I'm in this band and we all have to get jobs today, so I'm trying anything"
Lily laughed again. "You're in a band?"
"Yes, ma'am. We just came down from Texas, for the summer. And we all have to get jobs, so we came here and split up"
So they're not Mormons, I thought. They're musicians. Even worse.
"What do you play?" Lily asked
"Drums"
"Like Ringo?"
"Exactly" he grinned, then added, in a lower voice "you know they always but curly haired guys in the back. Otherwise all the ladies would be on me"
Lily exploded in laughter, so loudly that Julie and on of the manicurists, Lauren, poked their heads around the corner.
"What in the world?" Lauren asked
"Good God, is that a clip-on tie?" Julie said
"Look" Lily said, catching her breath "we've got nothing for you hear. But you come down to the coffee place with me and I'll get you a job. That girl owes me a favor"
"Really?"
She nodded "but come on. I don't have all day"
He leapt up, the pen he was holding clattering to the floor. He bent down to get it, then brought the application back to me. "Thanks anyway" he said
"No problem"
"Let's go, Ringo!" Lily yelled from the door
He jumped, grinning, then leaned a little closer and said to me "you know, he's still talking about you"
"Who is?"
"Jasper"
Of course. Just my luck. He's not just in a band, he's in that band "why?" I said "he doesn't even know me"
"Doesn't matter" he said, shrugging "you're officially a challenge. He'll never give up now."
I just sat there, shaking my head. Ridiculous.
He didn't seem to notice, instead just patted his hand on the desk, before walking over to Lily.
Once they'd left, Julie looked at me "you know him?" she asked
"No" I said, grabbing the phone as it rang again. Small world, small town. "I don't"
In the week since James and I had split, I'd hardly thought about him or Jasper the musician or anything else other than my mother's wedding. It was a distraction I needed, not that I'd ever admit it aloud.
James had called a bunch, at first, but after a while he just stopped, knowing I'd never get back to him. Angela pointed out that I'd gotten what I wanted, really: my freedom. Just no exactly the way I wanted it.
Luckily, I had Jessica to deal with too. She'd spent the last week completely in denial; sure Mike would change his mind.
And now, the wedding was here. I got off work early, at five, and drove home to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. As I walked up to the front door, I realized the house was just as I'd left it. In chaos.
"But there's just no way they'll get here in time!" my mother was shrieking as I walked in and dropped my keys on the table "they're suppose to be here in an hour or we wont be able to make the dinner!"
"Mom" I called out "Calm down"
"I understand that" she said "but this is my wedding!"
I glanced into the living room, which was empty except for Rosalie, already dressed for the dinner, sitting on the couch watching TV about some car show. She glanced up at me, smiling,
"What's going on?" I said
"The limo service is having some problems" she fluffed her hair "it seems one of their cars was in an accident and the other is stuck in traffic"
"That's just not acceptable!" my mother yelled
"Where's Emmett?"
She looked up at the ceiling "in his room" she said, then turning her attention back to the TV.
"I understand that" my mother said, her voice now wavering close to tears "but what you're not hearing is that I have a hundred people that are going to be waiting for me at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel and I will not be there!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa" I said, coming up behind her and gently closing my hand over the phone "Mom. Let me talk to them"
"It's just ludicrous!" she sputtered, but she let me take it "it's-"
"Mom" I said quietly "go finish getting dressed. I'll handle this. Okay?"
She just stood there for a second, blinking. She already had on her dress and was carrying her shoes in her hand. No makeup, no jewelry.
"Well, okay" she said "I'll be upstairs"
"Right" I watched as she walked out of the room, brushing her fingers through her hair. When she was gone, I put the phone to my ear "is this Larry?"
"No" the voice said "this is Kyle"
"Is Larry there?"
"Hold on" there was a muffled noise, someone's hand covering the receiver. Then
"Hello, Larry speaking"
"Larry, this is Alice Cullen"
"Hey, Alice! Look, this thing with the cars is just messed up, okay?"
"My mother is approaching meltdown, Larry"
"I know, I know. But look, this is what Kyle was trying to tell her. What we'll do is…"
Five minutes later, I went up the stairs and knocked on my mother's door. When I came in, she was sitting in front of her vanity. She looked no different except that she had changed her dressed.
"All fixed" I told her "a car will be here at six. It's a town car, not a limo, but we're set for tomorrow and that's what really matters. Okay?"
She sighed, placing one hand over her chest "wonderful. Thank you"
I sat down on her bed, kicking off my shoes, and glanced at the clock. It was five-fifteen. I could be ready in thirty minutes flat, including drying my hair, so I lay back and closed my eyes.
"Alice, honey" she said suddenly, and I jerked up, realizing I'd almost fallen asleep "can you come do my clasp?"
I stood up and walked over to where she was sitting, taking the necklace she handed me "you look beautiful" I told her. It was true. Tonight, she was wearing a long white dress with a drop neckline, and the medium-sized diamond ring Carlisle gave her.
"Thank you, sweetheart" she said as I did the clasp.
Now, she turned around took my hands in hers "oh, Alice" she said, smiling" can you believe this? We're going to be so happy"
I nodded
"I mean" she said, turning around "it's not like this it my first time going down the aisle"
"Nope" I agreed, smoothing her hair down where it was poking out.
"But it just feels real this time. Permanent. Don't you think?"
She was still smiling at me in the mirror. Sometimes I thought if she could read my mind it would kill her. Or both of us.
"Different" she said, convincing herself "it's different this time"
"Sure, Mom" I said, putting my hands on her shoulders. They felt small to me, somehow, from where I stood "sure it is"
On my way down to my room, Emmett jumped out at me.
"Alice! Help me!" he said, holding his tie in one hand.
I grabbed the tie from his hands and started tying it. I smiled "You look great" I said, patting the tie down.
"Thanks" he said, smiling, then pulling me into a hug.
"Em, I need to get ready" I said
"Oh, right" he said, quickly letting go of me.
I laughed then headed to my room to get ready.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Crappy ending, I know.
I think the wedding is next…yeah it is. Pretty sure. Anyways! Plz comment and tell me what you think, plz? :D
AND my mom and dad are going on some stupid work thing for a couple days, and their leaving me and my sibling with a babysitter or their friend, whatever, anyways i wont be able to upload cuz of that. but i promise i will try to work on it and get it up like Wednesday or Thursday!