Dye."
"Hi, I'm Hortense Crone.” The woman grinned, displaying a row of perfectly aligned teeth. “I was told Arnie Hartman came in here. Y'all can call me Jill; I use my middle name now,” she added, extending her hand.
Marla exchanged a firm handshake. This was Hortense? A bubble of laughter welled within her. Would Arnie be surprised to see what a looker his classmate had turned into!
"He's in the storeroom. I'll get him for you. Hey, Arnie,” she called, eagerly anticipating his reaction. “Someone here to see you."
All eyes in the salon turned in their direction as Arnie marched toward the front, gaze downcast like a condemned man.
"Congratulations, Arnie,” crooned Hortense. “You have a lovely fiancée."
Marla, entertained by Arnie's sudden, shocked glare as he raised his eyes, didn't catch on right away until she heard snickers from her staff.
"Don't tell me,” she said to Hortense. “Arnie told you we're engaged?"
"Oh, yes. I hope you won't get jealous if I give him a hug. It's been so long, hasn't it, darling?” she said, crushing Arnie in a tight embrace.
"Y-yes,” he stuttered, words obviously failing him.
Hortense stepped away, beaming at Marla. “We've so much news to share. Let's make a date and get together to schmooze."
"Of course,” Marla said, playing her part for all it was worth. Serves the man right, she thought wickedly, tucking a possessive arm through Arnie's.
"Friday night?"
"Can't,” Arnie mumbled. “Religious services."
Marla stared at him. Since when had he started celebrating the Sabbath?
"Saturday evening then. I'll meet you at the Spice Garden at seven-thirty, okay?” Hortense glanced between the two of them, her happy expression lacking any sense of guile.
Marla's heart went out to her. The woman seemed sincere in her desire to see Arnie for old times’ sake. What harm could one date do?
"He's already gotten a babysitter,” she said in a confidential tone to Hortense. “We were going out to dinner anyway, and it'll be a pleasure to get to know you better. Right, Arnie?” She poked him when he didn't answer. He'd been too busy studying Hortense's cleavage.
"Uh, sure. We'll be there.” Arnie turned to Marla as soon as Hortense left. Before he uttered a word, the receptionist gestured Marla over.
"Grace just canceled her appointment. She's running late and is terribly sorry. She rescheduled for tomorrow morning."
"Good,” Marla said, relieved that her work was finished. Now she could clean up and get ready for her duties with Brianna.
"Marla, is it true?” the girl asked. She was a temporary hire until Marla located a replacement. It wasn't easy finding a candidate who fulfilled Marla's stringent requirements for the position.
"What's that?” Marla asked, distracted by Arnie's hangdog expression.
"Are you Arnie's fiancée?” the girl persisted.
"Heck, no. It was a pretense to get Hortense off his back."
Arnie shook his head. “I don't want her off my back."
"Huh?"
"Did you see her? She's a knockout! Why the hell did I ever tell her I was engaged?"
"Shit, Arnie, make up your mind.” Disgusted, she ignored the grins of her staff and marched to her station.
Arnie trailed after her, watching while she cleaned her counter. “Maybe we could have a fight and break off,” he suggested. “Then I can tell Hortense I'm free again."
"She'll believe you're not reliable."
"So I'll get to know her first. I have an idea. Why don't we double date?"
"Ouch!” Marla felt a sharp jab of pain where she'd cut her finger on a pair of texturizing shears. “Get me a Band-Aid from that drawer, would you?” she requested, sucking on her fingertip.
Arnie complied. “Shall I kiss your hand first to make it better?” he teased, dimples appearing in his cheeks when he smiled.
"No, thanks.” She applied the Band-Aid and resumed cleaning her shelf. “So tell me about your idea.” Anything to get Arnie off her back.
"We'll invite another guy to go along with
"Hi, I'm Hortense Crone.” The woman grinned, displaying a row of perfectly aligned teeth. “I was told Arnie Hartman came in here. Y'all can call me Jill; I use my middle name now,” she added, extending her hand.
Marla exchanged a firm handshake. This was Hortense? A bubble of laughter welled within her. Would Arnie be surprised to see what a looker his classmate had turned into!
"He's in the storeroom. I'll get him for you. Hey, Arnie,” she called, eagerly anticipating his reaction. “Someone here to see you."
All eyes in the salon turned in their direction as Arnie marched toward the front, gaze downcast like a condemned man.
"Congratulations, Arnie,” crooned Hortense. “You have a lovely fiancée."
Marla, entertained by Arnie's sudden, shocked glare as he raised his eyes, didn't catch on right away until she heard snickers from her staff.
"Don't tell me,” she said to Hortense. “Arnie told you we're engaged?"
"Oh, yes. I hope you won't get jealous if I give him a hug. It's been so long, hasn't it, darling?” she said, crushing Arnie in a tight embrace.
"Y-yes,” he stuttered, words obviously failing him.
Hortense stepped away, beaming at Marla. “We've so much news to share. Let's make a date and get together to schmooze."
"Of course,” Marla said, playing her part for all it was worth. Serves the man right, she thought wickedly, tucking a possessive arm through Arnie's.
"Friday night?"
"Can't,” Arnie mumbled. “Religious services."
Marla stared at him. Since when had he started celebrating the Sabbath?
"Saturday evening then. I'll meet you at the Spice Garden at seven-thirty, okay?” Hortense glanced between the two of them, her happy expression lacking any sense of guile.
Marla's heart went out to her. The woman seemed sincere in her desire to see Arnie for old times’ sake. What harm could one date do?
"He's already gotten a babysitter,” she said in a confidential tone to Hortense. “We were going out to dinner anyway, and it'll be a pleasure to get to know you better. Right, Arnie?” She poked him when he didn't answer. He'd been too busy studying Hortense's cleavage.
"Uh, sure. We'll be there.” Arnie turned to Marla as soon as Hortense left. Before he uttered a word, the receptionist gestured Marla over.
"Grace just canceled her appointment. She's running late and is terribly sorry. She rescheduled for tomorrow morning."
"Good,” Marla said, relieved that her work was finished. Now she could clean up and get ready for her duties with Brianna.
"Marla, is it true?” the girl asked. She was a temporary hire until Marla located a replacement. It wasn't easy finding a candidate who fulfilled Marla's stringent requirements for the position.
"What's that?” Marla asked, distracted by Arnie's hangdog expression.
"Are you Arnie's fiancée?” the girl persisted.
"Heck, no. It was a pretense to get Hortense off his back."
Arnie shook his head. “I don't want her off my back."
"Huh?"
"Did you see her? She's a knockout! Why the hell did I ever tell her I was engaged?"
"Shit, Arnie, make up your mind.” Disgusted, she ignored the grins of her staff and marched to her station.
Arnie trailed after her, watching while she cleaned her counter. “Maybe we could have a fight and break off,” he suggested. “Then I can tell Hortense I'm free again."
"She'll believe you're not reliable."
"So I'll get to know her first. I have an idea. Why don't we double date?"
"Ouch!” Marla felt a sharp jab of pain where she'd cut her finger on a pair of texturizing shears. “Get me a Band-Aid from that drawer, would you?” she requested, sucking on her fingertip.
Arnie complied. “Shall I kiss your hand first to make it better?” he teased, dimples appearing in his cheeks when he smiled.
"No, thanks.” She applied the Band-Aid and resumed cleaning her shelf. “So tell me about your idea.” Anything to get Arnie off her back.
"We'll invite another guy to go along with
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