On My Way To Mr. Right

Chapter 37

I had drifted off the moment the boys mentioned cars. I wasn’t interested nor was I going to subject myself to that torture. I jolt awake to James' gentle nudging on my arm.

“Come on, we’re here,” he calls.

I see B and Charles walking ahead of us. Glad to know I was the last person informed of our arrival.

Noticing my piqued expression, James shifted my view of them to his face, grabbing me by the cheeks.

“I’m sorry about that stupid joke earlier. I didn’t mean to make you feel insecure or small,” He apologized, which made me beam.

“It didn’t and it’s all right. What you said was true, anyway.”

“Well, yeah. But those girls were for the shows and competitions. I’ve never taken one with the intention of just dancing and having a lovely evening with them. Besides, you are nothing like the other girls.”

He sure had a way with those words.

“Are you sure we’re gonna have a lovely evening? I heard it’s going to rain.”

We walk hand in hand after B and Charles, entering a small salon called, Lovely’s Locks. This was where mom used to take me, B, and Ross when we were younger, since they allowed children inside. The owner, Lovely, was also the kindest and most down-to-earth person I ever knew.

“Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise?”

“Jodie, I can’t believe it’s been years,” I walked up to hug Jodie, the hairdresser, who has given me haircuts since I had hair. With how frequently mom used to go to this salon and I had my hair cut, I knew everyone in here by heart.

“Darling, since you’ve stopped coming with your mother, our talks have been so bleak,” She says, laughing.

“Well, leave it to mom to bore you to death with her nursing stories,”

“Isn’t that just true? So, I was talking to Beatrice here and she mentioned a winter formal taking place tomorrow night, was it?”

“Yes, that’s actually what we came for.”

“Aren’t you just in luck, my darlings?” Jodie coaxes us into different chairs, looking at us through the mirror. “Lovely is in town and I’m sure it would be a delight to have her former clients come in, looking so gorgeous and grown-up.”

At the same time, an older woman enters from the backdoor, with an apron and glasses on. Seeing us, she raises her glasses and takes a good look at me.

“I would be lying if I said you haven’t changed much,” She exclaims, taking me by the hand.

I instantly recognized it as the same woman who has held my head and my hair for a decade and a half now.

“Lovely! Oh, how I missed you, and your exciting stories.”

“I missed you too, dear. Being back in town and seeing you on the same day,” She places a hand over her mouth, tearing up. “Oh, how nostalgic.”

“Lovely, Lottie here brought her friends,” Jodie changed the subject to try and stop her sister from bursting into tears.

“Oh, did she?”

“Yes, these are my long-time friends, Beatrice, James, and Charles,” I introduced them and they squeaked out a small ‘hi.’

James, on the other hand, attention-seeking and people-pleasing as he was, takes Lovely’s hand and gives it a little kiss.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet in person the woman who has held Charlotte’s hair captive. For years, she looked cute. What with her bangs and all,” He jokes, pointing out the different strands of my hair. “Now, she just looks boring. Ugh,” He feigns vomiting and I roll my eyes at him.

“He’s a cretin, Lovely. Do forgive his intrusions,” I yanked James off to a distance from Lovely to avoid the further mockery of my appearance.

“You’re the charming Tucker boy, aren’t you?” She says, recognizing him.

“Why, yes ma’am, I am,” he nodded, attempting to curtsy poorly. “Do you know my father?”

“He was a sweet and charming man. Always made time to clean my shop of critters and bullies. Just as you are, I presume?”

“I can’t attest to that, for I fear chivalry is not powered by ego nor pride,” he jests in a Texan accent, laughing in earnest.

“He’s as sweet and charming as they get, Miss Lovely,” B answers, ignoring James’ quips.

“Well, anyway, we’d love to stay and chat, but my friend and I have to buy our gentlemen’s accessories for the dance tomorrow. And we’re trying to catch a movie. So, if anyone bothers to hurry up, it’s an effort greatly appreciated,” James quickly snatches Charles out of the room and I notice the time on the clock as well, and figure we should get started.

“That was a quick exit,” Jodie mutters at the two who had fled by then.

The door opens once again, with James rushing to me, placing a gentle kiss on my temple.

“Stay safe and text me,” he mumbles, running outside again.

I blushed as the three watchers stared at me like I had grown a second head.

“That was a sight,” Beatrice smirked. “Char, you might want to brush off that blush. Gives you too much red.”

“Oh, shut it.”

The four of us were left in the room. Instantly, Lovely and Jodie get to work by setting us up on the chairs. There were no other people in the room, and I assumed they weren’t supposed to work on clients during lunchtime. However, it was still thirty minutes before 12.

“I take it Tucker’s boy is more than just your friend, Charlotte?” Jodie instigates the conversation while pinning up most of B’s hair.

“Oh, Lottie, I never thought I’d see the day you had a boyfriend of your own,” Lovely cried, dramatically. “You were but a babe when your mother first brought you here.”

“I bet she was a handful, wasn’t she, Jodie?”

“She was, Beatrice. But it didn’t matter because Lovely here set up a crib here just for her to stay whenever her mom has an appointment.”

“She did?” I interject. I never knew I was that special.

“I did, but it wasn’t originally for you, sweetheart. I’m sorry to break your heart, but my son, Danielle, was supposed to use it before his father got up and left with him back home to Hawaii.”

“I’m sorry,” I sympathized. “But I didn’t know you had a son nor that you were from Hawaii?”

“She doesn’t talk much about it,” Jodie whispered.

“Yes, I don’t talk much about it. But I do have a son and he was the sweetest boy. Anyway, Hawaii was never really a home for us, Jodie, and me. Our parents split and our Ma took us here before we could even walk.”

I nodded, listening to Lovely’s tale.

Lovely was Jodie’s older sister. She was probably in her 50s. She had tanned skin, visibly of Hawaiian descent, I realized just now. I remember she used to keep her hair in an afro, showing off her curls. Today, it is kept in a low bun. Her expression also aged and depicted a sad countenance, though I don’t know why. She was usually very cheerful. I remember this place being so alive, radio music blasting, customers flowing in and out.

She had done my mother’s hair since I could remember. Then, when I got older and decided to keep my hair for longer, mom stopped taking me there. Especially since it was an hour's drive away from our house, considering the traffic in that area. I don’t even know how mom managed to find the best hairdresser suited for her halfway across town.

“I’m sure Danielle grew up a fine young man with your genetics, Lovely,” I said to console her.

“Oh, I don’t know, Lottie. I had long years of being wayward. That’s why Frank took my boy,” She sighs.

I can feel the air here weighs a hundred pounds heavier. Jodie gives her sister a look, probably encouraging her to keep it in.

“So, Miss Baxter, what do you want to do with your hair today?” Jodie changed the subject.

“Uhh, what do you have in mind? I was thinking of just a cut. Nothing too drastic. Something to compliment my dress for tomorrow,” B answers directly.

“Can you maybe describe your dress to me? It always helps to visualize.”

Beatrice explained to her in detail her looks for tomorrow. On the other hand, I focused on Lovely, who was prepping my desk. She had grown silent.

“How about you, dear? What do you want to get today?” She asks me.

“Maybe just a trim and curtain bangs? Do you think that would look good on me?” I asked for her opinion. I honestly wanted tomorrow night to be perfect.

It was out of the blue when James confessed to me, and even more surprising for him to ask me out. I never expected to have a date, much less a boyfriend, in the winter formal.

“Yes, I think that’s perfect, too. But I suggest you have your highlights corrected, as well. Not to be a bother, but the dirty blonde look does not cater to your features, Charlotte.”

“Yeah, I think that, too.”

She then starts working on my hair, and I watch her at work.

“Who is Charles taking anyway?” I asked B.

“Helen, I think her name was. She’s from the class they shared with Mr. Vinny, I think.”

“Oh, I thought the other man was your date, Beatrice,” Jodie interjects.

“No, he was just a friend. I would never in a million years date that guy, for the sole reason of our ego and brilliant minds, would conflict and we’d debate every little thing to our graves,” She answers, chuckling.

“Great minds think alike, but boy, do they not like losing,” I added, thinking about the countless banter and mockery Bea and Charles have shared over the years.

“Same goes for you, Little Miss Perfect.”

I laugh. I did not partake in their sparring as she suggested. Just a quip here and there. Besides, I can sleep peacefully even knowing that Charles doesn’t believe there are more bones in a child than a full-grown adult.

“I live with arguments well enough,” I snicker.

“Anyway, what’s your dress going to be like, Charlotte? I’ve yet to hear you describe it to us.” Lovely chimed in.

I look at B with a giddy expression. Excited was an underrated term for how I have been feeling like the winter formal nears.

“Uh, nothing too extravagant. It’s a white dress with diamond and pearl details. A little skin-tight, though.”

“You girls must look so glamorous.”

“We hope so,” we giggle.

“Are your dates going to match your dresses? I remember when I attended my Prom. Ma was so insistent that I matched my date, Aaron Dwyer. I ended up running late since Aaron ‘forgot’ to pick me up.”

“I think he was just scared of Ma, Jodie,” Lovely laughs sympathetically.

Jodie was Lovely’s younger sister. Younger by at least five years, I heard.

There was a time when Lovely disappeared from the salon. But during those times, Jodie managed the salon. In fact, the other reason I stopped being enthused about returning for a haircut was that Lovely wasn’t around anymore. I heard from mom that she was trying out a new business on the north coast, and wasn’t set to return for at least a year.

Although their age gap was not very wide, Jodie was the opposite of Lovely. Lovely was a reserved kind of woman. Meek and gentle. Jodie, on the other hand, was mischievous. It took a long time for her to actually accept a job at the salon. She remained a child, in a sense. She was like the fun aunt that I saw every other summer.

“Wait, isn’t Charles’ last name Dwyer?” Beatrice exclaimed.

I gasped in realization.

“I heard Aaron had a son named Charles,” Jodie replied.

“You dated Charles’ dad?”

“Briefly,” She says with a wink. “Very briefly.”

“Ma, put an end to it. Wasn’t helping her behavior,” Lovely interjects with a stern voice.

Obviously, Aaron Dwyer was not a friendly personality to the sisters.

Jodie didn't say a word after her sister cut the conversation short. It was idle gossip, but it was fascinating to know the generation that had come before us.

It didn’t take long for our haircuts to be finished. It wasn’t like we were doing anything drastic. But we had decided to take the extra mile and head for a hair spa, which they also offered. My head and B were wrapped in foil by this time and the Aka sisters decided to take their coveted lunch in the back. Well, they didn’t say they were going to lunch. Lovely said she was arranging some things before we arrived and tending to them since we had a good hour to still wait. Jodie also mentioned being in the process of packing up or something.

And so, B and I were left in the huge salon room.

“It’s surprisingly empty today,” B notices.

“Yeah, I thought so, too. The other hairdressers aren’t even here. I wonder what’s up,” I replied as I munched on the Kitkat bar I must have accidentally stashed in my uniform pockets.

“Wow, Lottie, your nails could really use some glam. Chocolate does not suit a white angelic dress,” B mocked as she stole a KitKat bar from me, to which I interjected.

“Seriously, though, I wish we could get our nails done. I would love to have long nails even just for a night. My nails always look like I constantly bite them or run them through gravel.” I said as I glanced at my nails. I had hideous nails, that much I knew. I was never the one to care for outer appearance. Hygiene, on the other hand, is a different subject. But I wanted to impress James.

“Well, maybe we can make something work, sweetheart.” Lovely enters the room again, chiming into our conversation.

“Oh, no thanks,” I smiled sheepishly.

“Why?”

Because I barely have enough to cover for my cut and spa.

“I just think it’s too much preparation for a school dance,” I laughed, a fake laugh.