The day couldn't have gotten any worse if it tried. And by the time the last customer walked through the door, Tiffany was ready for today to be over. She slammed through the door to the dispensary, startling the new girl.
"Sorry." Tiffany barely acknowledged that she'd about given the girl a heart attack.
The new girl scampered, and Tiff rolled her eyes. She grabbed the color card out of the pocket of her smock, and her eyes quickly scanned the lines. Something triggered in the back of her mind... and her hand slapped down on the counter. They were out of the color she needed, so she had to make it up.
To her dismay, she felt tears of frustration burn the back of her eyes. She angrily dashed them away, and tried to focus on measuring. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. She only had another hour and a half to get through, then she could escape. Tiffany was off the next day, and she planned on going home and getting as drunk as possible. Then she planned to forget today ever happened.
To say she woke up on the wrong side of the bed was an understatement of a lifetime. She stubbed her toe as she swung her legs off the bed... that right there should have been her clue to pull the covers over her head and hide all day. Then her mom called to tell her that her car insurance had gotten canceled, she had three customers call and say that they wanted to switch to a different girl, and her boyfriend of a year sent her a text message that he was breaking up with her.
Inwardly, Tiff knew that dwelling on the bad would only bring more bad. But when a day like today happened, she was hard pressed to keep on the sunny side. She got her clients color washed out and had just started cutting when the door dinged. An extreme feeling of hatred swelled up within her for the person who was going to make her have to work late.
She raised her glowering eyes to the door, but it was one of her regular guys, Brandon.
"Tiff, I know you leave soon, but if you could cut my hair I will pledge my undying affection for you." Brandon's face was deadly serious, though he was joking.
"Brandon, I have an undying urge to jab you in the eye with my shears."
To Tiff's horror and amusement- she wasn't aware they could co-exist- Brandon hit his knees on the floor a few feet away from her station.
"Tiffany, you light up my life, and your eyes are the shade of the sultan's sapphires, your hair is the color of... of melted caramel, and it glistens in the sunlight, and if you cut my hair I will kiss your feet!" Brandon clutched his hands to his chest dramatically.
Tiffany's customer was laughing so hard she started to cough. As Tiffany offered her a drink of water, the other girls laughed and teased Brandon about his pledge. She tried to stay mad, she tried to stay irritated, but in the face of his good cheer, she couldn't hold on to the days' anger any more than she could hang on to a slippery bar of soap.
"All right, lover boy. But I get to sit down and drink a half a can of pop first."
"Anything you say. Shall I rub your shoulders while you do so?"
"Yes, you may." She made it sound like a gift for him.
Suddenly, the atmosphere of the shop lifted, and Tiff felt better than she had for a week. Hmm. Maybe they oughta bottle Brandon and sell it. They could make a fortune.
She caught herself casting glances out of the corner of her eyes, watching him interact. He had all the girls smiling, some blushing, and everyone was at ease with him. His effusive nature was wonderful. He had a talent for drawing people out. Finally, as she watched from the corner of her eye, she watched as he lowered his head to the back of the cushion and closed his eyes. Even in repose a smile graced his lips.
Tiffany continued blow drying her client, and watched as Brandon kicked out his long, muscular legs. He played football in high school she knew, but that was years ago. However, he kept in shape for the most part. He was soft around the edges, but underneath... he was rock solid. She figured that out one day when she tripped on her floor mat and went flying into him. Tiffany wasn't a small girl, but he didn't budge. And she was pretty sure he blacked her eye with his bicep.
It was about five minutes before the shop closed, but she told the other girls to go on home when they finished up. Tiff's client paid and left, and she took time to count the drawer real fast. She was the manager on duty, and she wanted to make sure nothing was off. The last girl put away the broom and dustpan at exactly seven o'clock, and Tiffany breathed a sigh of relief.
"Rough day?" Brandon watched her from his seat on the couch.
"You have no idea." Tiffany gathered her hair from her nape and held it up, letting the draft from the door cool her.
"Take a break. I am at your mercy. Take your time, or cut it right this second so you can get out of here. Whatever you want to do, I'm good with it."
"I just need a few minutes."
Tiffany adjusted her clothing, and finally kicked off her heels and put on the pair of slippers she kept hidden in the back, for reasons such as this.
"Oh. Those sure are sexy."
"Aren't they?" Tiffany lifted one foot up for him to examine. The slipper had a leopard face, and it even had a tail.
"I wish I had a pair." Brandon rolled his eyes.
"I'll get ya some. Okay, I guess I am as ready as I'm going to get. Let's roll."
"Tell me about your day."
"I don't think I really want to talk about it." Tiffany got the clippers out and got started.
"It would probably be better if you did. But if you really don't want to.."
Tiffany assured him she had no desire to rehash it. She had been already, in her brain, all day. She didn't even know why her boyfriend had broken up with her, other than 'he needed space.' What the hell does that mean, anyway. Just a polite way of saying 'I don't like you'.
The steady hum of the clippers somehow soothed her, and she'd been cutting Brandon's hair for so long she didn't really have to think about it. She was just starting to get lost in her thoughts again, when Brandon spoke.
"He broke up with you, didn't he?"
"I told you I didn't want to talk about it." Tiff felt tears well again.
"Babe, you've got to get it out, or you're going to explode. Tell me."
In the face of his kindness, his sweetness, and his concern- that was worse than if someone would have been mean to her. Anger she could handle, but sympathy she could not. As the first two tears slipped free, she flipped off the clippers and set them down, then ran for the dispensary. She slammed the door behind her, and leaned down, resting her elbows on the counter and covered her face with her hands. Tiffany tried not to sob, but it was getting harder and harder. The lump that formed at the base of her throat was starting to keep her from breathing.
Just as she started to hyperventilate, the door swung open. Tiff turned, and her eyes found Brandon's across the room as she hiccupped. One corner of his mouth twitched into a sad smile, and he took off the cape as he headed for her. Tiff turned back away, knowing her make up was all over her face, and as embarrassed as hell for her outburst.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you."
"No, you shouldn't have. But it wasn't that."
"What was it then?" Brandon laid his strong hands on her shoulders.
"You were nice to me." Tiffany's voice came out little more than a whisper.
Brandon didn't answer, just stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders with his thumbs. Tiffany took slow, deep breaths, trying to regain control. She was appalled she was being such a baby. But, the whole day had just been a lot to handle. Plus, Christmas was coming so that was just more money... she shook herself mentally. She was not going to start into that too.
