Chapter 17
Miss Helena herself took on the role of mentoring Terry as the young woman began her service in the very exclusive salon.
She liked the girl; she was polite, warm, and friendly. She treated all with respect, from the very wealthy client that came once a month for pampering and care, to the client that had scraped and scrimped and saved just enough to splurge on a new hairstyle that they'd never be able to get anywhere else.
Each client of Terry's got a small 'Miss Helena's' bag with sample cosmetics, hair treatments and one of Terry's business cards. The other hair stylists were very choosy about whom they would give these bags to.
Terry always dressed in skirts and dresses, never in slacks or jeans, and always in four or five inch heels, never in tennis shoes or flip-flops. Miss Helena was a stickler for looking professional; she'd often sent a girl home to change into more appropriate clothing. Terry exceeded those expectations.
Miss Helena peered over Terry's shoulder as Terry worked on Mrs. Schaub. Mrs. Schaub was from one of the wealthiest of families, had been living in the exclusive South Side of Baylor Lake for all of her life, and was rarely civil with anyone; others were beneath her, in her humble opinion.
"There you go, Mrs. Schaub," Terry said, giving a final tousle to the old woman's hair. "Is that to your satisfaction or is there anything else I can do?"
"No, no, I suppose that will do," Mrs. Schaub sniffed, lip curled in a sneer.
"Ma'am, what else can I do?" Terry asked, resting a hand on the old woman's shoulder. "I really would like for you to be satisfied with my work."
"No, no, it's fine," the woman said and indicated the sheet that covered her.
Terry removed the sheet, making sure to not let any errant hairs fall onto Mrs. Schaub's dress or shoes.
"Do you um, do you do children's hair, Ms. Dayton?" Mrs. Schaub asked, getting to her feet. "It's almost time for my granddaughter to get her first hair-cut; I'd like to bring her in for you to cut it."
"Oh how wonderful!" Terry said. "I'd be delighted! Just make the appointment with Heather, all right?" "Merry Christmas."
Miss Helena backed away and listened as Mrs. Schaub made an appointment for the two year old grandchild.
"And please add a twenty five dollar tip for Ms. Dayton," Mrs. Schaub ordered Heather as the girl ran Mrs. Schaub's credit card.
"Excuse me?" Heather squeaked.
Miss Helena smirked; she'd never heard Mrs. Schaub ever give anyone a tip, believing that the girl should be thrilled with the opportunity to serve her.
Terry finished cleaning her station and looked; she had another twenty five minutes until her next appointment.
She wished she had not quit smoking three years ago; she had nothing to occupy her hands, her mind for the next twenty five minutes.
But she forced herself to walk around the salon, checking to see if anyone else needed any assistance.
Terry returned to her station and looked again at the clock. She now had twenty one minutes until her next appointment.
Miss Helena smiled at her and Terry returned the smile, even though she didn't really feel like smiling.
She missed Paula, missed just being with her.
It wasn't the sex; she had her two vibrators for that. She missed curling up with Paula on the couch while they watched TV, even though Paula had extremely boring taste in television. Paula liked old movies, or Fox Business or Fox News.
Terry missed dancing; Paula would put on some soft music, take Terry in her arms, and dance her around the living room; Paula leading.
She missed going to the Dead End just because Paula was going into Wings withdrawal.
She missed Paula laying her head on her chest and falling asleep like that.
Her apartment was a nice one; just off Highway 27 in Baylor Lake. The furniture had come from Acclaimed Furniture Outlet, a small store in Lafayette, Louisiana. She had carefully looked at each piece, ignoring the very aggressive salesman, asking herself 'is this something Paula would have in her apartment?'
Her car had come from 'The Church of The Used Car And Salvation;' it was a small, non-descript Kia. Just like the furniture salesman, the Reverend Smith had been counting on his profit to come from the financing. His face had actually flushed with anger when Terry wrote out a check for the full amount.
Paula had protested when Terry refused to keep the Escalade.
"But I bought that for you!" Paula sobbed.
"I'm sorry, Paula, but I can't keep it," Terry had said, fighting her own tears. "Every time I got into it; I'd think about you."
"But I want you to think about me," Paula sobbed, clinging onto Terry.
"Believe me; I will, each and every minute of each and every day," Terry whispered into Paula's ear, losing the fight against her tears.
Moving out of the condominium and into her own place had been a real eye opener for Terry; she had no idea where to go to get the electricity turned on. She had no idea how to switch her cell phone plan ; Paula wanted to continue to pay, but Terry refused.
Thankfully, she had Marlene and Charlene helping her. The twins had pulled a few 'midnight moves' when they were about to be evicted from one apartment, moving into another one to start their ninety day cycle all over again. They would put down the deposit and the first month's rent, then would not pay the second or third months rent and spend several weeks avoiding the landlord.
"Don't y'all ever get tired of that?" Terry asked; they were on their third apartment in the short time she'd known them.
Marlene simply shrugged.
Terry looked at the clock again and wondered what Paula was doing.
Terry smiled when Heather told her of the tip Mrs. Schaub had given her. Then she looked at the clock again. Seventeen minutes until her appointment.
She hoped Paula was happy with Sonny.
She hoped Sonny was making Paula happy. Paula needed to be hugged often, needed to be kissed often, needed to have her long strawberry blonde hair brushed often.
Paula was an extremely intelligent and extremely driven woman, but Paula needed light touches, soft words to validate her worth.
Terry hoped Sonny was validating Paula.
"Hope you don't mind; I'm a few minutes early," the young girl asked.
"Not at all," Terry smiled brightly.
She ignored the faded bargain brand jeans, the cheap flip-flops and the ill fitting top the young woman wore.
"Let's see; you've got good hair, would probably benefit from a hot oil treatment, nice color, a few highlights would really 'wake' that hair up," Terry said, running her hands over the girl's head.
She swiveled the girl around and looked into the girl's nervous eyes.
"But, why don't you tell me what you want; why are you here today?" Terry asked.
"I'm in that stupid Christmas play; I'm the Virgin Mary and my momma said I need to get my hair done," the girl admitted.
"The play at Baylor Lake High School?" Terry asked.
"Yeah, the one those ass holes are protesting," the girl admitted. "They're all 'this play is trying to force religious views down the throats of our children' and stupid shit like that; I mean, where do they think the name 'Christmas' comes from?"
"Don't have to tell me," Terry smiled. "I mean, I'm not super religious, but even I understand what Christmas is all about."
"And it's not like we're making people go see it," the girl continued.
Terry started heating the oil for the hot oil treatment.
"Um, hey, um, how much this going to cost?" the girl whispered, embarrassed.
"One forty," Terry said. "Um, when you made the appointment, they didn't tell you that?"
"Yeah, just making sure," the girl said. "But when you started talking about hot oil treatments and highlights and stuff..."
"Ma'am," Terry said, looking into the girl's eyes. "My clients receive the very best I can give them; it's what they are paying for."
Heather waved Terry away from the client.
"Terry," Heather whispered. "You know that hot oil treatment's thirty dollars extra.
"She's an eighteen year old girl ," Terry whispered back. "Believe me, she'll remember this day for the rest of her life; she'll tell all of her friends all about it, and every time she has a few extra bucks, she'll be in here. Take the hot oil out of my account."
"Just making sure," Heather said, resting a friendly hand on Terry's arm.
Terry flinched when Heather touched her. Paula used to touch her like that, resting a loving hand on her as she made a point. Or just touching her to be touching her.
"Ma'am?" Heather asked the girl. "Would you like a coffee? Water? Maybe a coke?"
"I um," the girl stammered.
"Ma'am, it's on the house," Heather assured the girl.
"Coffee, please," the girl said, trying to act grown-up.
"Sugar and cream?" Heather asked as Terry began to apply the oil to the girl's long brown hair.
"Yes ma'am," the girl said.
Heather smiled and added an extra teaspoon of sugar to the coffee.
"Perfect, the girl said after taking a sip of the too sweet beverage.
Heather did pull up Terry's account and began to charge the thirty dollar hot oil and the forty dollar blonde highlight treatment against Terry's pay schedule.
"No ma'am," Miss Helena said, hand on Heather's shoulder.
She leaned close to Heather.
"I heard what she said and she's right," Miss Helena said. "That girl's going to remember this day forever. Reverse the charges out."
"Yes ma'am, Miss Helena," Heather said.
"You're Miss Helena?" the girl asked, looking over her shoulder as Terry massaged the oil into her scalp.
"Yes ma'am," Miss Helena smiled at the girl.
"I just want you to know, you've got the best staff ever," the girl beamed.
"Well, thank you so much," Miss Helena said, fighting down her laughter.
Of course she had the best staff; Miss Helena would only hire the very best to work for her. And even as her newest employee, Terry Dayton was quickly becoming the top stylist in the shop. Her genuine soft and gentle nature however kept the other stylists from exploding in jealous rages, which they were prone to do with one another.
"Now, are you satisfied with this," Terry asked an hour and a half later swiveling the girl around to look at herself in the mirror. "Or is there anything else I can do?"
