Bad Hair Day 4 - Body Wave Read Online Free PDF

his guilt to me," she continued. "He won't be thrilled if he finds out what Stan proposed."

"What's that?" Nicole asked, leaning in her direction. "I get the distinct impression that you're about to plunge into hot water again. Wasn't it enough when Jolene drowned in that whirlpool last month?"

Marla gripped the curling rod tightly. "I owe it to Stan. He was there when I needed him."

"Girlfriend, he never lets you forget it. Now spill the beans. What does that louse want you to do?"

"Marla, another applicant is here," Giorgio announced. The handsome Italian stylist waved toward the front desk.

"Give me ten minutes," Marla sang out, hastening to finish Babs's coiffeur. She'd confide her plans to Nicole later, when they had a moment alone.

The salon was short several staff members, since Miloki had left to open her own place, taking along their shampoo assistant, manicurist, and another stylist. Marla still had to find a permanent staffer for the front desk, and now she had the added burden of interviewing for skilled professionals. Sighing, she put down her implements on the counter and accompanied Babs toward the front. Facing the plate-glass window was a seating arrangement with six chairs and a table that held a platter of bagels and cream cheese with chives.

Marla spotted a man hunched by the coffee machine and walked over to introduce herself. "Hi, I'm Marla Shore, salon owner. How can I help you?"

He straightened, and she took a step back after having a clear glimpse of him. The man was a better applicator of makeup than she. Even with the embellishments, his skin had a sickly gray pallor made worse by overly bleached hair with the consistency of straw. She resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose and instead plastered a polite smile on her face.

"I'm, like, applying for the job." He pointed to his scrawny chest encased in a stained T-shirt. "Call me Joe."

"Which job? We have three openings." She couldn't imagine him in any of the positions.

"For the stylist. That pays the most, don't it?" His watery blue eyes peered at her in a manner that made her uneasy.

"How long have you been doing hair?" she asked, skepticism creeping into her tone. She ignored his remark about money.

"Like three years, baby."

Marla bristled. "Are you licensed?"

He glanced away briefly. "Sure I am."

"Are you working somewhere else?"

"Yeah, but it's not cool. I need to find new digs."

"Are you flexible about hours? We need someone for Thursdays from one until seven since we're open late that day; Fridays from nine to five, and all day Saturday."

He shifted his feet. "Can't do Saturday. That's when I meet my buddies at Culver Beach."

She compressed her lips. "Well, I'm still interviewing other applicants. If you'll write down your name, phone number, and where you're currently employed, I'll get back to you by the end of the week."

As soon as he left, she felt as though fresh air swept through the salon. "What is it?" she asked Giorgio, who was doubled over.

"Culver Beach," the gay hairdresser said between fits of laughter. "That's where you bathe nude. It's down near Hallandale."

Marla rolled her eyes. "Just out of curiosity, I'll call that place where he works now. I have another phone call to make anyway." She had a few spare minutes before her next customer arrived.

Inside the storeroom, she lifted a telephone extension and dialed the phone number Joe the applicant had given her.

"Manny's Dry Cleaning," intoned a bored female voice.

Marla hung up, her curiosity satisfied. The man named Joe had lied to her. Scratch him from the list. She'd looked up Gary Waterford's home number in the phone book last night, so now she punched in the code and waited anxiously while listening to a ringing tone. No one answered. _Of course not, he's probably at work._ Didn't Leah say Gary owned an air-conditioning business in Dania? She pulled out the Yellow Pages. Several places were listed. She'd have to call each one