CHAPTER 36
Maxie
“I want you to cut it off.” I stared at my reflection and sat up straighter. Ava Pearl stood behind me, one hand on her hip and a pair of shears in the other that she pointed at me. I’d never been to Pearly Things to have my hair done before but I was pushing my boundaries again. “And I want you to dye it like this.”
Ava’s eyes widened as she looked at the picture on my phone. “Honey, you okay?”
No, I wasn’t. I couldn’t get Arlo’s gravel-filled voice out of my head, demanding things from me, things I couldn’t give him. He’d left my room in pain and I felt like maybe I’d managed to push him a little bit farther away. It just didn’t feel like a win. It felt like nails scratching me from the inside out.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
Nellie sat in the chair next to me, her eyes just as wide as Ava’s. Ava had fit me in between her last client of the day and the Doll’s Club meeting that I was going to. Nellie had insisted on coming with me to make sure I didn’t chicken out of the meeting but I didn’t think she was having any more concerns after seeing the hairstyle I wanted.
“Maxie, this is a big change…” Nellie cleared her throat and leaned closer. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s just hair.” I clenched my hands in my lap under the rainbow cape Ava had clipped around my neck. “I’ve always wanted to do something different. And my long hair has always been a pain while working on the ranch. Mom just never would let me cut it. She said it wasn’t ladylike to have short hair.”
Nellie’s face darkened. “Let’s cut your fucking hair off then.”
Ava met my eyes in the mirror and grinned. “You’re going to be hot, Maxie. Are you ready to handle all the male attention coming your way?”
I snorted. “Again, it’s just hair.”
“She’s got plenty male attention anyway. Isn’t that right, big sis?”
I turned bright red but I smiled. I had nothing to be ashamed of.
“Something like that.”
Ava cheered and then swung my chair around.
“Alright, honey. Let’s do this.”
Nellie wiggled in her seat.
“I just have one thing to say before you go through with it… Jenny Hellstone was a bitch of the worst kind and you’re going to live the life she never wanted you to because she was a bitter old woman full of anger and jealousy. I hope she’s rolling over in her grave.”
“I want to get a tattoo!” I blurted the words out and then laughed. “I’m not done doing the things I always wanted to do. If I’m going to haunt her afterlife I want to do it right.”
“I know a guy!” Ava gripped my shoulders and squeezed. “I’m sure he’d do it tonight. If we moved the meeting there, he would probably even do a few piercings for free. He loves a rowdy bunch of women.”
My heart raced but it felt like I was soaring on Bob. I was excited. Nodding eagerly, I glanced back at my reflection and said goodbye to the old Maxie one last time.
“Let’s do it.”
The next time I saw myself I almost didn’t recognize the woman staring back. Mousy Maxie was dead. Instead, I looked…bold and happy. I looked like the woman who went to bed with three sexy men and had amazing orgasms. The long curls were gone. My new hair was short, just above my chin, and the curls were even bigger and bouncier without the extra weight. They spiraled around my face in the most beautiful dusty pink color.
“Wow.” I touched the curls and grinned when they felt like silk under my fingertips.
“Holy shit, Maxie.” Nellie stood up and stared at my reflection. “I mean… Holy shit. You look hot.”
“Look at those cheekbones. And I swear that shade of pink makes the color of your lips pop. And your eyes!” Ava pressed her hand to her heart. “You’re going to break some hearts.”
My eyes did pop without the thick curtain of hair hiding them. I turned my head from side to side and let out a small laugh. “Wow.”
“You broke her!” Nellie smiled and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Still want that tattoo?”
I stood up and looked down at my tank top and jeans.
“Yes, and I want to buy a dress on the way.”
“Lord have mercy on the men you cross paths with, honey.” Ava looked up as the bell over the door rang and Sugar Moore strode in with several other women, all ready for the meeting. “We’re taking a field trip, ladies! Maxie needs a dress and then we’re getting tattoos!”
Nellie paused. “ We’re getting tattoos?”
“What better way to honor our club?” Ava looked at my body and snapped her fingers. “I think I know who to call for that dress.”
She did. I saw a different side to Ava that night, a side who got stuff done and didn’t take more than a few minutes to do it. I was wearing a new-to-me white sundress which hugged my curves and stopped much higher than I normally would’ve been comfortable with in under twenty minutes. Half an hour after that, I was lying back on a plastic wrapped leather table with a man named Big John setting my thigh on fire as he tattooed a beautiful picture of Bob’s face on me.
Nellie stayed by my side, her phone held high as she video chatted with Vera. The noise in the makeshift tattoo parlor was at an all-time high as Sugar passed around several flasks and everyone got drunk. Big John, true to Ava’s word, really did seem to enjoy having a bunch of crazy drunk women hanging around. He was all smiles as he finished with my thigh and then told me to roll onto my side.
Vera’s face filled Nellie’s phone screen and she screamed. “I want my thighs back! Look at you! I’ll trade you a screaming newborn who only wants her daddies for those thighs, Maxie.”
I grimaced and reached for one of the flasks as Big John worked on the second tattoo, the small pink heart at the top of my hip that every one of the women were getting.
“Did you know tattoos hurt? Like, a lot?”
“Oh, come on! It can’t be worse than losing your virginity to three men hung like horses!” Vera giggled when I blushed and Big John threw his head back and cackled. “Oops. Was that okay?”
I’d maybe had a few more sips from the flask than I’d planned and I’d blurted out a lot of things. A lot, a lot of things.
“I don’t like you very much right now.”
Big John put a second wrap over the smaller tattoo and helped me sit up.
“Young lady, you lead an exciting life. Good for you.”
I couldn’t get the smile off my face as I moved aside so Sugar could get her tattoo. Looking down at her, I grinned and wiggled my finger.
“I hope that doesn’t hinder your movements when you’re climbing over Steve’s back fence next time.”
Everyone who’d heard howled with laughter as Sugar’s face turned bright red. She stammered out a few syllables for a moment and then just gave up.
“Just tattoo me, Big John.”
“God, I like this new version of you, Maxie.” Nellie hugged me tight and then burped. “Uh. I might’ve taken too many drinks from whatever Sugar’s hiding in that flask.”
“It’s moonshine, baby.” Sugar let out a yelp as Big John started her tattoo. “Oh, sweet Jesus. Why the hell are we doing this again?! Maxie Hellstone, I think you might just be a bad influence!”