Lustly(7)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Once I had my hair in a towel, she took us over to her station and started brushing my hair. I noticed the rich woman with the dog being seated across from us. She was angry about her beautician making her wait.

Stacia leaned in close to me. “That is Ms. Cybil. She’s a regular.”

Since we were in a lower class part of town it baffled me that she was in this salon, instead of a fancy one in the heart of the city. “Is she always like that?”

“Pretty much. She’s been coming here for years.”

While she was drying my hair, preparing to do the foil color, I watched Ms. Cybil getting her color applied. We’d caught eyes a few times and I felt embarrassed about it. Once my color was in, I was taken to the dryers for the color to process. They seated me next to Ms. Cybil and she didn’t even acknowledge that I was there.

I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of the dryer hiding everything else going on in the salon. It was nice, having those few moments where it was just nothing but the loud sound of the machine.

Halfway through getting my hair done, I started to open up about my marriage, leaving out the details of still being in the relationship. I suppose I just needed to vent about it to anyone that would listen. As I spoke about my husband and the floozy neighbor, I noticed Ms. Cybil watching me, as if she were judging me for being cheated on.

Stacia talked about a friend of hers who had the same thing happen, and I felt an instant connection to her, as if talking to her had been the best conversation I’d had in a long time. When my hair was cut, and finally styled I liked what I saw in the mirror. If I’d had makeup on one wouldn’t be able to tell that I’d cried for half of the day already.

I went to pay and noticed Cybil getting a manicure. After chewing on my nails, I knew they needed attention. “You know what, I think I want my nails done and painted. Can you add that to my total?” What was my husband going to do about it? It wasn’t like he’d even notice anyway.

After they sat me next to Cybil, I was greeted by an older woman, probably in her fifties. She was having a conversation with Cybil, as if I wasn’t sitting in front of her. When she got a phone call, she left me sitting there, feeling very out of place. I could sense her eyes on me and turned to validate my assumptions.

The woman, who looked to be in her fifties was steady staring at me. “Your hair looks much better. I’m glad to see you took care of that hot mess you came in here with.”

I shrugged, not sure if it was a compliment or a cut down. “Thanks.”

“I heard you talking to Stacia.” She said nothing else. To be honest I was creeped out by her knowing my business, even if I’d falsified some of the details.

“Are you married, ma’am?”

The woman cackled. “Please, don’t call me ma’am. My name is Cybil,” she said in a very stern way.

“Well, are you married, Cybil?”

“Divorced, thank God. Marriage is a travesty that naive people make when they mistake lust for love.”

She was to the point and completely ridiculous. For sure I’d been in love when I married my husband. “I’d like to think that some people are capable of love.”

Cybil stood up and laughed. “It’s just a word, my dear. It’s a powerful word that only leads to despair.” Figuring she’d been burned too, I kept my mouth shut. The last thing I wanted to do was piss her off. After grabbing her bag with her dog, and paying, she walked back over towards me. “No man is worth the pain you’re putting yourself through. Don’t wither away because of someone who is beneath you.”

She was a feminist for sure, burned by someone who left her heartless. I pitied her, but admired her at the same time. “Thanks for the advice.”

The woman winked and walked outside, without saying anything else.

While letting my nails dry I thought about her words. Maybe in some weird way she had a point. I was in control of my life, with or without money. The only problem was without it, I had nothing to go on.

After I knew my nails were dry, I pulled out the emergency credit card my husband had given me, and passed it across the counter. The woman passed it back. “Ms. Cybil paid for you. She left this, too.”

It was a card with her name and a contact number. I found it odd that the woman who was so dry was leaving me a number to call her. “Wow. That was very generous of her.”

“She’s done it before. Sadly, the last two girls never came back in for their appointments. I guess she scared them away,” Stacia explained.

“I’ll be back, I promise. My hair looks great, and I feel better. Thank you so much.”

I made my next appointment and walked outside feeling like a million bucks. As I pulled my keys out of my purse and hit the unlock button, a Jaguar pulled up next to me. The tinted window rolled down mechanically.

“Did you get my card?” Ms. Cybil wore leather gloves and held onto the steering wheel as she spoke.

“Yes. I need to repay you for my hair. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I won’t take your money, even if you had it to give.” She was so frank and it pissed me off.

“Look, I get that you’re probably rich and money means nothing to you, but being a wife and mother is all I ever wanted to do.”

She looked in her mirror as if my words meant nothing. “Is it?” Then she faced me again. “Is it really all you ever wanted to be? Given the chance, would you not have wanted at least a chance at something else?”

“Lady, I don’t know you, obviously, and I sure as hell don’t owe you anything, especially an explanation as to why my life was fine before, and it will be fine now.”

“Your life is what you make it, darling. Trust me, I know.”

I wanted to drive away from this woman and never see her face again. “Thank you again for treating me.”

I started to put my vehicle in the drive position. “What if I can offer you a way out, per se, a way to make money of your own to help you through this tough time?”

“Are you looking for a maid?” Cleaning her toilets while she watched me wasn’t my idea of a good career choice. “I’m not a charity case. I’ve got a nice big house and a beautiful family.”

“I’ve been looking for someone for a different type of position for a while now.”

“What do you mean different? Gardener?” She obviously could afford a maid and a gardener based on her clothing and accessories.