without killing themselves?”
“I hope so,” Vida replied. “I called ahead to let the hospital know they were coming.” She walked over to the planter, which was undamaged. “Fuzzy’s winter pansies are rather nice,” she remarked. “I wonder if I dare use this incident for ‘Scene’ next week? I don’t usually put staff members in the column, but this is rather exceptional.”
“It sure is,” Kip said, shaking his head. “You’d think Rick would be calmer. Heck, it’s the third time around for him.”
“Maybe’s he’s forgotten. There’s been a bit of a gap since the two boys were born.” My eyes strayed in the opposite direction down Front Street. “Are you both going to stick around the office?”
“Yes,” Vida replied. “I’m not going anywhere until I meet Maud Dodd for lunch. I must apologize for the cornucopia disaster, though I’ve only gotten two calls about it.”
“I’m not going anywhere, either,” Kip put in. “I’m trying to figure out a new program for …”
I held up a hand. “Don’t. I won’t understand whatever it is. I’m going to Stella’s to get my bangs trimmed. She just opened and shouldn’t be too busy yet.” I didn’t bother getting my jacket. The morning was cool, but I was wearing a long-sleeved sweater.
As my two staff members went back inside, I crossed Front Street at the corner of Fourth and headed for Stella’s Styling Salon two blocks away in the Clemans Building. Although one of the other stylists and the new girl she’d hired to do nails both had clients, Stella was free at the moment, waiting for her ten o’clock.
“Oh, God, Emma!” she cried. “You
are
Emma, aren’t you? I can’t see your eyes. Where’s your guide dog?”
“Okay, okay,” I snapped, accustomed to Stella’s not unwarranted criticism of what I did—or didn’t do—to my hair. “Just let me see my eyebrows again and I’ll be out of your hair. So to speak.”
“You will never be out of your own hair with that mop,” she declared, beckoning me to her station. “Sit. I’ll get you a smock. This won’t take long. I’m going to use a meat cleaver.”
Less than a minute later, Stella returned with the requisite blue smock. “So,” she said, surveying me in the mirror, “what’s new? Besides death by pool cue at the ICT?”
“Ginny just left to have her baby,” I replied. “She wasn’t due until Tuesday, but you know how that goes.”
“I sure do, with three of my own.” Stella cocked her head to one side. “Frankly, you need it all cut. You look like you put your head in a blender. I’ll do the bangs, but make an appointment before you leave.”
“Okay,” I said meekly. “By any chance, do you know of anyone who’s looking for some temporary office work? I have to replace Ginny for six weeks. She wants to come back soonerthan I think she should, but our maternity benefits aren’t exactly lavish.”
“Actually,” Stella said, beginning to snip away, “I do know someone who’s interested in a short-term job. She’s my ten o’clock.”
“Who?” I asked, blinking as cut hair fluttered onto my cheeks.
“Amanda Hanson,” Stella responded. “She plans to work for the post office again when the holiday rush starts, so the timing’s right. Shall I mention it to her?”
I hesitated. “Is she reliable?”
“As far as I know. She’s done some other part-time work and I don’t recall any complaints. You know I’d hear if there were any in this town. Shoot, you’d hear, too.”
I nodded. It was a mistake. Stella’s scissors slipped, cutting off an extra half-inch. “Sorry,” I apologized, reverting to meek Emma, Hair Care Dunce.
“Never mind,” Stella said. “I might as well even it up. Knowing you, it’ll be another three weeks before you get a real cut. Say, wasn’t Amanda at the tavern the other night?”
“Yes,” I said. “She and Walt were among the bystanders.”
Stella’s mirror image grinned. “Aha! My
“I hope so,” Vida replied. “I called ahead to let the hospital know they were coming.” She walked over to the planter, which was undamaged. “Fuzzy’s winter pansies are rather nice,” she remarked. “I wonder if I dare use this incident for ‘Scene’ next week? I don’t usually put staff members in the column, but this is rather exceptional.”
“It sure is,” Kip said, shaking his head. “You’d think Rick would be calmer. Heck, it’s the third time around for him.”
“Maybe’s he’s forgotten. There’s been a bit of a gap since the two boys were born.” My eyes strayed in the opposite direction down Front Street. “Are you both going to stick around the office?”
“Yes,” Vida replied. “I’m not going anywhere until I meet Maud Dodd for lunch. I must apologize for the cornucopia disaster, though I’ve only gotten two calls about it.”
“I’m not going anywhere, either,” Kip put in. “I’m trying to figure out a new program for …”
I held up a hand. “Don’t. I won’t understand whatever it is. I’m going to Stella’s to get my bangs trimmed. She just opened and shouldn’t be too busy yet.” I didn’t bother getting my jacket. The morning was cool, but I was wearing a long-sleeved sweater.
As my two staff members went back inside, I crossed Front Street at the corner of Fourth and headed for Stella’s Styling Salon two blocks away in the Clemans Building. Although one of the other stylists and the new girl she’d hired to do nails both had clients, Stella was free at the moment, waiting for her ten o’clock.
“Oh, God, Emma!” she cried. “You
are
Emma, aren’t you? I can’t see your eyes. Where’s your guide dog?”
“Okay, okay,” I snapped, accustomed to Stella’s not unwarranted criticism of what I did—or didn’t do—to my hair. “Just let me see my eyebrows again and I’ll be out of your hair. So to speak.”
“You will never be out of your own hair with that mop,” she declared, beckoning me to her station. “Sit. I’ll get you a smock. This won’t take long. I’m going to use a meat cleaver.”
Less than a minute later, Stella returned with the requisite blue smock. “So,” she said, surveying me in the mirror, “what’s new? Besides death by pool cue at the ICT?”
“Ginny just left to have her baby,” I replied. “She wasn’t due until Tuesday, but you know how that goes.”
“I sure do, with three of my own.” Stella cocked her head to one side. “Frankly, you need it all cut. You look like you put your head in a blender. I’ll do the bangs, but make an appointment before you leave.”
“Okay,” I said meekly. “By any chance, do you know of anyone who’s looking for some temporary office work? I have to replace Ginny for six weeks. She wants to come back soonerthan I think she should, but our maternity benefits aren’t exactly lavish.”
“Actually,” Stella said, beginning to snip away, “I do know someone who’s interested in a short-term job. She’s my ten o’clock.”
“Who?” I asked, blinking as cut hair fluttered onto my cheeks.
“Amanda Hanson,” Stella responded. “She plans to work for the post office again when the holiday rush starts, so the timing’s right. Shall I mention it to her?”
I hesitated. “Is she reliable?”
“As far as I know. She’s done some other part-time work and I don’t recall any complaints. You know I’d hear if there were any in this town. Shoot, you’d hear, too.”
I nodded. It was a mistake. Stella’s scissors slipped, cutting off an extra half-inch. “Sorry,” I apologized, reverting to meek Emma, Hair Care Dunce.
“Never mind,” Stella said. “I might as well even it up. Knowing you, it’ll be another three weeks before you get a real cut. Say, wasn’t Amanda at the tavern the other night?”
“Yes,” I said. “She and Walt were among the bystanders.”
Stella’s mirror image grinned. “Aha! My
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