Color Me Bad: A Novella Read Online Free PDF Page B

Patty June Clymer was coloring her hair spread through Blessings faster than butter on a hot biscuit.
    The postman was dropping off the mail at the front counter of The Curl Up and Dye when he saw Patty June sitting at Ruby Dye’s station. He paused just long enough to see the color squirting out of the bottle onto Patty June’s head and then he was gone. After that, he finished his route, delivering the morning’s mail with a little dose of gossip.
    The regular delivery boy for Pots and Posies was laid up at home with a broken arm, leaving Myra and George to take turns making their own floral deliveries. Myra was on a second trip to The Curl Up and Dye with orders for the Conklin twins’ birthday. Even though there were no men in their lives, their clients were obviously loyal because floral gifts kept coming.
    Myra came in with her arms full of vases and a smile on her face.
    “I’m back. It’s wonderful you girls have so many people who love you, but it’s also great for business.”
    Vesta and Vera were beaming.
    “This is so sweet,” Vera said.
    Vesta was touching up her client Rachel Goodhope’s roots. Rachel ran the Blessings bed and breakfast and liked to keep herself sharp for her public persona. She was probably one of the few people in Blessings who empathized with Patty June. She was on her second piece of cake and third husband and understood all too well how shit like that happened.
    “This cake is really good,” Rachel said.
    “Looks yummy,” Myra said, as she set the vases down by the others she’d delivered.
    Vesta pointed. “Get yourself a piece and take one back for George, too.”
    “Don’t mind if I do,” Myra said.
    She cut two pieces of cake and slid them onto one plate and was about to leave when she noticed Patty June sitting in Ruby’s chair. She started to speak and then saw what Ruby was doing and nearly dropped the cake. All of a sudden she was talking too fast and trying to get out of the shop to spread the news.
    “So, thanks for the cake, y’all. George is at the shop by himself so I better hustle.”
    Ruby kept working.
    Rachel kept eating cake.
    Patty June was already beyond worrying about public opinion and thinking about how many words she knew in the Italian language, all of which had to do with food. She didn’t think she was going to get far on marinara, linguine, and gelato. She needed to make a trip into Savannah and pick up an English-to-Italian dictionary.
    Ruby kept working and time kept passing until she finally stepped back and eyed Patty June’s hair.
    “Okay… that takes care of the color. You still up for that cut we talked about?”
    “Yes, and make it sassy.”
    Ruby laughed. “You’re the best, you know that?”
    Patty rolled her eyes. “I doubt Conrad would agree with that. Obviously Bobbette had something I don’t.”
    Vesta snorted. “Yeah, big, fat collagen lips. Smack, smack.”
    The women’s eyes widened from the image that brought to mind and then they snickered.
    Ruby picked up the scissors and swung the stylist chair away from the mirror so Patty couldn’t watch. She wanted her to get the full effect after she was done and not before.
    Patty closed her eyes, imagining the snip, snip of the scissors cutting the last of her ties with her old life. When she walked out of there today, the preacher’s wife would be gone.
    A short while later, Ruby grabbed the hair dryer and began styling the cut. Patty could tell it was significantly shorter and was suddenly anxious to see what Ruby had done.
    Finally, the dryer went off. Ruby squirted some product onto her hands and then rubbed them together before combing her fingers through Patty’s hair a few times.
    “I think that’s about it,” Ruby said, and spun the chair around. “Patty June Clymer, meet P. J. I think you two are gonna get along just fine.”
    Patty’s eyes widened as a big smile spread across her face. Her hair was as black as the funeral parlor’s hearse and almost as