Chapter 8
Fiona had a couple cuts and colors after the interview that took the rest of the day.
She replayed the interview over and over again in her head. Sometimes she felt confident they’d hire her, other times she felt like she’d completely bombed that interview. She felt her stomach lurch. If she didn’t get that job, she’d have to find something else. Fast. Or she wouldn’t be able to pay for the suite that was being held for her.
At least the familiar act of cutting, coloring and styling kept her calm and occupied. It was the feeling of flow - doing something you loved and were skilled at, over and over and over again. Every day there was a new challenge. Every day she rose to those challenges. And that gave her confidence that she’d rise to her new challenges, too.
She swept the floor after her last customer. She typically kept to herself at the salon, but she was really missing Norm. He was in California all week house hunting with Marc. She was happy for him, really. But she also hated, so much, that he was leaving. That Norm’s wouldn’t be around anymore. It had been her true home in Savannah.
It was dark as she left the salon. Lynn was still there, so Fiona escaped the lockup process. She got in her car and drove a few streets away to the salon suites where Stella had her makeup and facial suite.
This was something to look forward to, Fiona thought. She hadn’t actually seen the suite yet, but she called Faith, the owner, that morning to tell her she was interested. She was here now to drop off a deposit.
Fiona had no idea how this next phase would work. She’d be an independent stylist. Working at a restaurant again, maybe. Starting a new business. Mostly, it was all scary and inconvenient. But it was the tiniest bit exhilarating.
She opened the door to a small, simple lobby, and a bell rang behind her. Almost immediately, Stella rounded the corner.
“Hi!” she said, then pulled Fiona quickly down a hallway. “You are going to love it. It’s so cute.”
“Hello to you too,” Fiona said, laughing. Stella was like a human glass of champagne. Bubbly, classy and always up to celebrate.
“Look!” she said, presenting the suite to Fiona with a sweeping motion.
Fiona assessed it through the hallway windows. It was cute, she thought. Simple, but plenty. It had wood floors, a wall of mirrors, a sink and lots of cabinets.
“And this one is only one of two suites that has a window, so you really lucked out,” Stella told her.
“It’s my only choice,” Fiona said, “so I’m glad it’s not a dump.”
“Faith is this way,” Stella told her. “You’ll like her. She’s spunky.”
Stella pointed to her door, mouthed “good luck,” and went back to her suite.
Fiona checked again to make sure the check was in her purse, and then knocked. Part of her was ready to run. This was a risk. A big risk. But before she could change her mind, a short older woman with Dolly Parton-esque hair opened the door.
“Fiona?” she asked.
“Yes, hi,” Fiona answered. “Cheerful” wasn’t her default, but she was going to try her best to get this suite.
“Have a seat,” Faith told her. The office was pink and glam, with something shiny or bedazzled in every corner.
She pulled on a pair of blue rhinestone glasses and looked at her computer.
“I sent you the contract earlier - oh, signed already. Before you even saw the suite?” she glanced down at Fiona.
Fiona clutched her purse in front of her and swallowed.
“Uh - yes. Stella spoke so highly of it that I wanted to act fast.”
Faith nodded, her hair bobbing with the movement. “Stella’s a good girl.”
Faith rose, directing Fiona to the door. “I’ll take you to see the suite. We are month-to-month here, as I told you on the phone. Laundry is at the other end of the hallway.”
She led Fiona back down the hallway and unlocked the door to the suite. Of course, there wasn’t much to see. But already, Fiona was in love. This suite faced the street, and through her window was a view of an exquisite historic mansion and a square tucked under spanish moss.
“What do you think?” Faith asked.
Fiona did a slow spin, taking in every detail. This was right. She could feel it in her bones. She didn’t know if she got the job at Hearth. She didn’t know how many of her clients at Norm’s would follow her here. This was a massive risk. But it didn’t feel like that at all. It felt like exactly what she needed to do.
“I’ll take it,” Fiona said, not giving herself the option to back out.
Faith held out her hand to shake Fiona’s. “Welcome to our little salon suite family,” she said, her hair bobbing with the movement. Her bubblegum pink lips curved into a smile. “How about we do some paperwork?”
After she’d filled out the contract and handed over the down payment, Fiona met Stella in her suite. Stella’s suite seemed to be one of the biggest ones. She’d set it up as a multipurpose room. There was a massage table in the middle of the room for facials, and pink salt rock lamps that gave the room a warm glow. But the left of the room was her makeup station, complete with a huge illuminated mirror and drawers of brushes, compacts and lipsticks.
They sat together at the vanity, sipping sparkling waters from Stella’s mini fridge.
Fiona spun around in her chair, feeling the oddest sense of delightful dread.
“The guy in that suite moves out in a few weeks, so I have a little time to find myself a job if Hearth doesn’t work out,” Fiona said.
Stella was standing at the mirror, trying out an array of new lip products.
“When did they say they’d call you?”
“Within a couple days,” Fiona said. She’d only talked to them this afternoon, but already she was losing hope.
“You think it went well?” Stella asked. She had a palette in hand now and was studying Fiona’s face.
“I mean, sometimes I think it did.” She flinched as Stella approached her face with a brush.
“What are you doing?” she laughed.
“I have new eyeshadow,” Stella told her. “With your dark hair and eyes, I think it’d be gorgeous.”
“Fine,” Fiona said, laughing.
“We need a night out,” Stella said, adding the color to Fiona’s lids.
“When?” She opened her eyes and saw a familiar look on Stella’s face, one that usually meant she had an over-the-top idea.
“Oh no.”
“Tomorrow. You, me and Cassie are going out.”
“Going out how? Like to dinner?”
Stella looked carefully at Fiona’s face, and added another color. “I have a whole idea.”
“Of course you do,” Fiona laughed.
“We start at my place so I can do your makeup, and Cassie’s,” she said. “Then we go to the Midnight Lounge. Have you been there?”
Fiona frowned, thinking. “I’ve heard of it, but I haven’t had a chance to go.”
“Well, it’s super sexy, but like an old Hollywood kind of sexy,” she said. “Perfect place to get some numbers.”
Fiona wouldn’t mind that. A night out could be just the distraction she needed right now.
“I’m up for it, but how are you going to convince Cassie?” Fiona asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ll sell her on the desserts,” Stella said. “You know she won’t turn those down. Oh!” Stella clapped her hands. “I have the best idea. Let’s treat this as a trial run for glam-on-the-go. I’ll do the makeup, you do the hair, and Cassie will dress us. If it’s business, she’ll say yes. Right?”
Fiona blew out a breath. “We can definitely try.”
“I”ll take that as a yes,” Stella told her, smiling triumphantly.