Again the alarm woke me at 6.30. I was relieved to see no leakages this morning. Perhaps my period was slowing. I showered and again washed my hair. I put on my new burgundy bra and panty set then some nude pantyhose and a grey satin short sleeved shirt before putting my new skirt on. I matched that with the same heels I had worn on Monday.
Mum was in the kitchen in a blue silk dressing gown. She saw the skirt I was wearing and commented “Another new skirt” I knew she was concerned about how much I spent on clothes but I could hardly tell her it wasn’t me who had bought them.
Maybe I was a bit bitchy but my return comment was “How did you enjoy last night?” She blushed and said no more about my skirt. I was actually quite happy that my new parents apparently had a healthy sex life and immediately wished I could take that comment back.
As I made breakfast I asked her “How are the funeral arrangements going?”
“I think everything is in hand. Rod’s friend Zach will give the eulogy. You will need to start thinking about what clothes you will wear”
“I have a dress in mind”
“Show me when you get a chance, I want to make sure it is appropriate” She obviously didn’t trust my dress sense.
“Maybe tonight. I’m getting my hair done after work, but after that”
She seemed surprised that I was so agreeable “I’m getting my hair done tomorrow. Are you still using Amy?”
“Yeah. Where do you go nowadays?”
Madonna still” That meant nothing to me.
I finished breakfast then cleaned my teeth and put on make-up. I thought my teeth looked slightly yellow maybe I should ask at work how best to whiten them.
was too early to go to work so returned to my room and looked through a few more entries in Jenna’s journal. I was starting to think she/I was a nymphomaniac. In the 9 months after her 16th birthday, not counting the infamous Lance, she had gone through 9 boyfriends. She had completely erased Bianca from her life and any other females including her sisters were seen as rivals. She had unsuccessfully attempted to seduce Monique’s then boyfriend, someone called Tony. I looked at my phone. Hell I had better hurry I had lost track of the time.
I arrived at work just a couple of minutes late. I apologized to Linda and Maria saying I had got distracted. They were not upset. Maria asked where I had found the skirt. I told her the name of the online retailer I had bought it from.
Over lunch I was able to ask Amy about teeth whitening. She said that she could give me a treatment for cost price. One of the perks of the job. It was just a matter of waiting until she had a cancelled appointment. She said even 1 treatment would brighten my smile, but she usually advised 4 treatments might be needed.
It was Millicent who ended up having her 4 pm appointment cancel. She came down to the reception area and said to me “Amy said you were enquiring about teeth whitening. We certainly want our reception staff to have nice smiles, If you care to come now, I can give you a first treatment straight away”
I looked at Maria. She said “Go ahead. Everything is under control”
Within 2 minutes I was lying in Millicent’s dental chair wearing a bib and goggles. Maggie was with her. She said she would start by just looking over my teeth as she hadn’t seen me in the last year. As she looked in my mouth she commented on how I had always had such good teeth and that it was rare for anyone to get to my age and have only ever had one small filling. Her inspection revealed nothing to concern her.
She explained she would put a gel in my mouth then apply a cleaning agent to my teeth it would take about an hour. I would have to try and stay still. So for the next hour I lay in the chair staring up at the light. She put various gels and mouth guards in and out of my mouth. Also she had a sort of pen torch which shone a blue light onto my teeth. Twice I was allowed to have a drink and rinse. The rest of the time all I could do was lie there while Millicent and Maggie chatted about things. They asked me lots of questions including did I have a dress to wear to the funeral. All I could do most of the time was grunt in reply. I was finally allowed to rinse for a third time. Millicent said that was enough for the 1st treatment.
Finally able to get up I asked how many more treatments would I need and what I owed her. Her opinion was that my teeth had cleaned up very well and maybe only one more session was needed. She refused to charge me anything saying that she had some free samples and that my smile at the reception desk would be an advertisement for the practice.
I thanked her and explained I had to hurry to get to a hair appointment. I would see them both in the morning. It was 5.15 we were the last in the practice. Millicent told me and Maggie to go. She would lock up.
...........
I drove around to the hair salon. I had been here before as Rhonda so knew the procedure, although this time I was not planning to get a wax. Jenna had been a long standing client I gathered.
I was greeted by Amy. She said she was just finishing with another client and would be with me in 5 minutes. She mentioned that Sarah was expected later to get her hair done as well.
I leafed through a magazine showing multiple hair styles. I found a page where there were various hairstyles for blondes. I was still examining them when I realized Amy was at my shoulder.
“What look are you after Jenna?”
I pointed to a picture of a blonde girl with long curly locks. ”I would like to look like this”
“Oh Taylor Swift” I hadn’t noticed who it was I was too busy looking at the hairstyle. “We can do that. It will take a couple of hours. You would need a cold perm”
“What cost?”
“I could do it for $120. You’re lucky there is no need to colour your hair”
“And how long do you think it would last?”
“Until it grows out. 6 months unless you decide to change your style”
“Well I now have a job and I want to look nice at the funeral. So go ahead”
"Ok take a seat and I will be with you shortly" I sat down on the set she indicated while she gathered the materials she needed. First she covered me in a plastic cape. Similar to what a men’s barber would do. Then she started putting little bits of paper in my hair, sprayed the hair strand with who knows what and rolled it up, pinning the roller against my scalp. Unlike at a men’s barber I was not looking in a mirror. I could not clearly see what she was doing. She started at the back and worked her way forward. After about 15 minutes she was finished. I was able to turn and look in the mirror. The whole of my head was covered in curlers about 2 cm thick.
Next she put some towels over my shoulders and rubbed a cream on my skin around the edge of my face, including over my ears and neck. She pinned some cottonwool over where she had just applied the cream. She said it was to prevent any burning of my skin.
Amy was now wearing gloves. She squeezed a liquid of some kind over each roller. I asked her what it was. She replied it was waving lotion. She meticulously applied the liquid over every curler. She finished by covering everything with a shower cap, saying she would need to wait 20 minutes.
Angie who I remembered from my visit as Rhonda approached me and offered to give me a manicure and redo my polish. She was the apprentice and I remembered what a good job she had done for Rhonda. "Yes please Angie" She sat on chair in front of me and started working on my left hand.
While this was happening Sarah entered the salon. Amy greeted her and obviously told her I was here. Sarah looked across and gave me a wave. I smiled and waved back with my right hand. Amy bought her over to the chair beside me. 'Hello sister" I said
"Hi Jenna, I didn't expect to see you tonight, what are you getting?"
"A perm" She looked surprised "What are you here for?"
"Just a trim"
Amy was asking Sarah exactly what she wanted. I left them to it and watched what Angie was doing. She was now working on my right hand. She had stripped the old polish off completely.
Angie asked "Same colour?"
Sarah must have overheard she called out "Why don't you try a mauve shade"
"Ok, why not? Go ahead Angie"
"Toes as well?"
"Yes, but just go over the top if you like"
"Oh no. No shortcuts. It won't take long to strip them off. I can do them as Amy finishes your hair"
I looked at Sarah, she nodded "Ok" I said.
Angie went into back room and returned with what she needed. She started working on my left hand. Painting my nails firstly with a clear undercoat. I sat there and watched what she was doing. Meanwhile Amy had begun to cut Sarah's hair.
When Angie had finished the 1st coat. Amy paused cutting Sarah's hair and said she needed to rinse my solution off. She had me sit near a sink, took off the shower cap and had me lean backwards over the sink. She ran warm water over my hair with a hand held nozzle. Meanwhile I could feel Angie had removed my shoes and was working on my toes. This lasted for at least 5 minutes. I could feel Amy pressing a towel to my head.
Amy then started applying second lotion to each of the curlers. She said this was the neutralizer. She unrolled then rerolled each curler applying the liquid. When finished she said I had another 5 minute wait.
Angie now put a coat of mauve polish on each of my fingernails. She told me to keep them still and not touch anything. Amy had returned to cutting Sarah's hair.
After 5 minutes Sarah was finished and Amy returned to work on me. Sarah said she would hang around. She wanted to see how my hair turned out. Her own hairdo had not changed a lot but she looked neater.
Amy began to undo each of my curlers. When finished she massaged a bit more of the neutralizer into my hair. She said I had another 5 minute wait. During that wait Angie put a layer of mauve polish on each of my toenails. After the wait Amy drew me back over the sink and gave my hair another thorough rinse. She told me not to wash my hair until Sunday and when I did make sure to use a good conditioner.
She then started drying my hair. I had to sit under a silver dome. Amy said she needed my hair to dry without using heat. It was a slow process. Meanwhile Angie applied a second coat to my fingernails and then my toes.
Amy eventually returned and put a couple of different sprays on my hair and using her fingers teased the curls out. She finally said I was done. I went to touch the hair to feel it. Immediately Amy said "No don't touch.......Remember your nails" She bought over a mirror and held it so I could look at myself. It looked like I had an afro. Nothing like the picture of Taylor Swift. "The curls will settle out over the next couple of days. Remember not to wash until Sunday.
Angie wanted to put a coat of finish over my nails. As my hair was finished I went over to a bench and Angie had me hold my fingers under a UV lamp. She then applied a clear lacquer finish to both my fingers and toes. Another 2 minutes under the lamp and I was finished.
I gave Amy my Mastercard and she charged me $150. $30 dollars being for the nails. I asked when could I brush the hair. She suggested to tease out tangles with my fingers for the 1st couple of days. Avoid brushing. I thanked her and said goodbye.
Sarah walked out to the carpark with me. She said she was surprised I had decided on a perm. I commented that I had always loved curly hair and that if I was stuck as a girl I may as well go all the way. She said my new hair would need extra care and volunteered to explain hair care with me tomorrow night.
It was 8pm. I was hungry. I said goodnight to Sarah and drove home.