“Hello.” The first woman increased the brightness of her smile. “Can I help you?”
Georgia wasn’t great at making pleasantries. Her job didn’t require much of that. Still, she made a valiant effort. “Hi, I’m Georgia. Would you mind giving me a little information? I’d really appreciate it.”
“We’d be happy to help out.” The older woman stuck out her free hand. “I’m Sue Nelson and this is my daughter-in-law, Mikki.”
“It’s nice to meet both of you.” Georgia leaned closer and dropped her honeyed voice to a whisper. “Tell me the truth, ladies. Who’s the best hair stylist in Myrtle’s?”
Both women glanced into the salon before taking a step closer to Georgia. They put their backs to the window and hunched their shoulders as though trying to hide what they were doing.
Ms. Nelson whispered back. “Well, now, don’t go telling anyone I said so.” She eyed Mikki who lifted her hand as though to swear she’d never squeal. “But if I had to make a choice, I’d say it’s Brenda. She knows how to use a pair of scissors and she can color hair pretty good, too.”
“And she goes to Dallas for a hair stylist training workshop once a year,” added Mikki. “That’s what a true professional does, if you ask me.”
“Wow. Is that right?” Georgia glanced over the women’s shoulders, then hunkered down, giving them the impression that she was conspiring with them. “But what about Myrtle? I mean, if she’s the owner, wouldn’t she be the best stylist?”
Ms. Nelson let out a scornful puff. “She’d tell you she is, but don’t you believe it. Myrtle talks way too much to concentrate on what she’s doing. No. You’d best ask for Brenda.”
Georgia gave her a wide smile. “That’s good to know. Okay, then, I guess I’d better get inside.” She swatted at her hair and made a disgusted face. “This mess isn’t going to fix itself.”
She left Ms. Nelson and Mikki deep in conversation as she entered the salon. All four women, along with three stylists, turned to stare at her.
A redheaded woman who had her hair teased so high that God could’ve patted her on the head started her way. “Hi, there. I’m Brenda. What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if I could get an appointment with Myrtle.”
“Oh? Myrtle, huh? Sure thing.” Brenda’s warm demeanor dimmed a little as her gaze swept behind Georgia to Mikki and Ms. Nelson. “Are you sure they didn’t recommend me?”
Georgia pretended ignorance. “Did who recommend you?”
“Never mind.” She spun around and headed back to her customer, calling out in a loud voice. “Myrtle, you have a client.”
If she’d seen the woman first before she’d stepped out from behind the curtain separating the front of the place from the rear, she would’ve known she was Myrtle. The middle-aged woman was as round as she was tall. The loud, brightly colored flowery dress she wore matched the overpowering wallpaper that filled the small room with pastel blossoms. Blue eye shadow was caked on her eyelids while red lipstick made her full, collagen-injected lips look like they were taking over her face.
“Hi. I’m Myrtle. How can I help you, honey?”
Georgia hoped she wouldn’t regret her next words. “I’d like a cut and style, please. If you have time.”
“I sure do.” Myrtle waved for her to follow. “Come on to the sink and we’ll get you washed up.”
Georgia took her time getting into the chair placed in front of the sink and wondered if she’d made a huge mistake. She’d almost decided to run for her life when Myrtle hogtied a couple of towels and a cape around her neck, then pushed her head under the water.
Ten minutes later and she had Georgia sitting in her chair. “Oh, honey, I’m sure glad you came in. You need some shaping up big-time. But don’t worry. I’ll have you done up in a hurry.”
“Great.” She hoped Myrtle didn’t hear the doubt in her voice. “So have you had your shop for long?”
Myrtle went to business, combing Georgia’s hair and making way too many cuts. If she didn’t end up bald, she’d thank her lucky stars.
“I took over the shop from my mamma. Her name was Myrtle, too.”
“That’s amazing.” She’d planned to take her time with her questions, but her anxiety over her hair grew with each snip. “I love small towns, but what do you do for fun around here?”
“Fun? Oh, we’ve got lots of things to do. There’s the movie theater and every once in a while, we hold a dance. Of course, the young folks like to take off for Dallas as much as they can, but most folks would rather spend their free time in front of the boob tube.”