Color Me Bad: A Novella Read Online Free PDF

George.
    Willa Dean made the call and then peeled the foil off a Hershey Kiss and popped it in her mouth while she waited for someone to answer.
    “Pots and Posies, this is Myra. How can I help you?”
    “Myra, it’s me, Willa Dean. I think Harold might be cheating on me,” and then she choked on the chocolate and broke down in tears.
    •••
    Unaware of the seeds of discontent she had just sown, Patty June drove down the street to the beauty shop and parked. The moment she got out of the car, she began to relax. This was probably the only place in Blessings where she would not be judged.
    The bell jingled over the door as she walked inside.
    Ruby looked up, waved, and smiled.
    “Be right with you, honey! I’m just finishing up LilyAnn’s hair. Vesta and Vera brought cake today. It’s their birthday. Go on over to the table and cut yourself a piece, and don’t tell me you can’t eat cake before lunch ’cause I’ll know that’s a big, fat lie.”
    Patty smiled. She had tickets to Italy, a new outlook on life, and she was about to eat dessert in the middle of the morning. Talk about living in the fast lane.
    She set her purse down on the table and cut herself a big square of bakery cake, making sure to cut a pink sugar rose with it, then sat down to eat while watching Ruby finish up LilyAnn Bronte’s hair.
    As she eyed LilyAnn’s profile, Patty suddenly appreciated her own screwed-up life. At least she’d had fifteen years of being a wife. Poor LilyAnn’s boyfriend had died right out of high school before the couple had gotten past a promise ring.
    Patty June lifted the icing rose off the cake and popped it in her mouth, letting it melt slowly on her tongue as she thoughtfully eyed the tall blond. It was hard to imagine LilyAnn ever being the Peachy Keen Queen, although, as she remembered, LilyAnn had been a real looker in high school. Now the woman was overweight, never wore makeup, and her clothes were so oversized that they hung on her like sacks. She had such a pretty face. It was a shame she’d let the rest of herself go to pot.
    Patty June took another bite of cake as guilt washed over her. Of all people, she should be the last one to judge. Patty June’s man had not gone to war in Afghanistan straight out of high school and gotten himself killed. He just fucked a whore and got himself caught. Poor LilyAnn. Surely she had grieved herself into this condition. That was all.
    A few minutes later, LilyAnn left the shop. As soon as she was gone, Ruby waved Patty over and gave her a hug.
    “What was that for?” Patty asked.
    Ruby smiled. “Are you trying to tell me you didn’t need it?”
    Patty June sighed. “No. It was nice. In fact it was the nicest thing anyone’s done for me since I was here last. According to the people in town, I have gone from goody two-shoes to hell on wheels, just because I kicked my lying husband out of the house.”
    “Well, you did shave a path through his whore’s red head wide enough to park a car on,” Ruby added.
    They stared at each other and then burst out laughing.
    “Put your cake down and let’s get you shampooed,” Ruby said.
    “Okay, but I want you to do something different today,” Patty June said.
    Ruby stopped.
    Vesta and Vera came out of the break room, and Mabel Jean stopped folding towels.
    “Really?” Ruby said.
    Patty June nodded. “Sister, my hair has been the same mousy brown all my life. I want to do something different with it.”
    This set the women in the shop abuzz, offering one suggestion and then another. Finally, Ruby called a halt.
    “Girls, that’s all well and good, but Patty is the one who’s gonna be wearing it. What do you want, honey?”
    Patty June eyed the array of swatches in her lap and then looked up and grinned.
    “I don’t know. I don’t care. Just give me a color with edge. You know what I mean. I want you to color me bad.”

CHAPTER 3

    Thanks to the inquisitive nature of small-town America, the news that