who lifts our heads unfurled in my memory. I wondered if Amanda had ever heard it, but she didn’t know me so I wasn’t sure how to tell her without sounding like an infomercial spokesman pushing health supplements.
Maybe I didn’t know how to encourage her, but I could make sure she stood out during that interview. God was the one who could influence Amanda on the inside; my specialty was the outside.
There you go, Heather. Changing the world, one haircut at a time.
I plunged back into the conversation. “What are you going to wear tomorrow?”
“Wear? I hadn’t thought about it.” She blinked down at her oversize T-shirt and gray leggings. Which she was wearing with plastic flip-flops. Shudder.
“Okay, we’ll do a virtual inventory of your closet while we’re waiting to rinse your hair. And don’t leave anything out, not even the whitewashed denim jacket with the plaid collar and cuffs.”
Amanda laughed out loud. “How did you know?”
“Mom refuses to part with hers. I’m going to start wearing it as vintage pretty soon.”
Amanda dutifully recited the contents of her wardrobe and the number of pairs of sweatpants she owned didn’t surprise me. By the time I dried her hair, we’d decided that the interview called for a man’s tailored white shirt, a macramé belt (old-fashioned but still on the funky side) and a khaki skirt. I nixed the flip-flops but okayed a pair of leather sandals. No open toes, though, because she was in desperate need of a pedicure and there wasn’t time.
I spun the chair toward the mirror, hoping she liked the results. “Ta-da.”
“Heather, you’re amazing.” Amanda looked at her reflection in the mirror for the first time since she’d come into the salon. I considered that progress. And the expression of shock on her face was the same one I’d seen on Marissa’s face after I’d cut her hair. Why were these women so surprised they were beautiful?
“Look what you gave me to work with.” I refused to take the credit. I’d just brought out the best of what she already had. Just like I’d done with Marissa.
“My grandmother always said you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
“Grandma Lowell says a girl should make the most of what God gives her. Which is what we just did. And you know, she wasn’t just talking about what’s on the outside .” Attitude, Amanda. Lift up that chin!
“I like your grandma better.”
“What time is your interview tomorrow?” I was going to pray for her. Highlights were great, but they could only get a girl so far.
“Ten o’clock.” Amanda pulled out her checkbook. “How much do I owe you?”
Color: forty dollars. Haircut: eighteen dollars. Giving Amanda Clark back some of her confidence: priceless.
“Just for the haircut.” I cut her off when I could see she was about to argue with me. “The rest is compliments of the Cut and Curl—just let me know how the interview goes, all right?”
“I will.” She looked me in the eye when she said it.
Chapter Ten
Adventurous (The List. Number 4)
I took a deep breath before I went into the apartment. I’d been so busy at the salon I hadn’t had time to think about what was happening right above my head. Who knew what Bernice’s kitchen was going to look like? It occurred to me that I should have told Dex I wanted to okay the paint sample before he started. After all, the color of his Impala had already given me serious doubts as to whether he could find the number five, made up of little green dots, hidden in the background made up of little red dots. Yet I’d trusted him to go to the hardware store alone.
I blamed the canoe paddle.
The smell of fresh paint hit me when I cracked open the door, and there was no escaping the inevitable.
“Dex? Are you still here?” I hadn’t seen his car parked outside, but that didn’t mean anything. Maybe the police had hauled it away for disturbing the peace.
No answer. The coward. He was like those graffiti
Maybe I didn’t know how to encourage her, but I could make sure she stood out during that interview. God was the one who could influence Amanda on the inside; my specialty was the outside.
There you go, Heather. Changing the world, one haircut at a time.
I plunged back into the conversation. “What are you going to wear tomorrow?”
“Wear? I hadn’t thought about it.” She blinked down at her oversize T-shirt and gray leggings. Which she was wearing with plastic flip-flops. Shudder.
“Okay, we’ll do a virtual inventory of your closet while we’re waiting to rinse your hair. And don’t leave anything out, not even the whitewashed denim jacket with the plaid collar and cuffs.”
Amanda laughed out loud. “How did you know?”
“Mom refuses to part with hers. I’m going to start wearing it as vintage pretty soon.”
Amanda dutifully recited the contents of her wardrobe and the number of pairs of sweatpants she owned didn’t surprise me. By the time I dried her hair, we’d decided that the interview called for a man’s tailored white shirt, a macramé belt (old-fashioned but still on the funky side) and a khaki skirt. I nixed the flip-flops but okayed a pair of leather sandals. No open toes, though, because she was in desperate need of a pedicure and there wasn’t time.
I spun the chair toward the mirror, hoping she liked the results. “Ta-da.”
“Heather, you’re amazing.” Amanda looked at her reflection in the mirror for the first time since she’d come into the salon. I considered that progress. And the expression of shock on her face was the same one I’d seen on Marissa’s face after I’d cut her hair. Why were these women so surprised they were beautiful?
“Look what you gave me to work with.” I refused to take the credit. I’d just brought out the best of what she already had. Just like I’d done with Marissa.
“My grandmother always said you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
“Grandma Lowell says a girl should make the most of what God gives her. Which is what we just did. And you know, she wasn’t just talking about what’s on the outside .” Attitude, Amanda. Lift up that chin!
“I like your grandma better.”
“What time is your interview tomorrow?” I was going to pray for her. Highlights were great, but they could only get a girl so far.
“Ten o’clock.” Amanda pulled out her checkbook. “How much do I owe you?”
Color: forty dollars. Haircut: eighteen dollars. Giving Amanda Clark back some of her confidence: priceless.
“Just for the haircut.” I cut her off when I could see she was about to argue with me. “The rest is compliments of the Cut and Curl—just let me know how the interview goes, all right?”
“I will.” She looked me in the eye when she said it.
Chapter Ten
Adventurous (The List. Number 4)
I took a deep breath before I went into the apartment. I’d been so busy at the salon I hadn’t had time to think about what was happening right above my head. Who knew what Bernice’s kitchen was going to look like? It occurred to me that I should have told Dex I wanted to okay the paint sample before he started. After all, the color of his Impala had already given me serious doubts as to whether he could find the number five, made up of little green dots, hidden in the background made up of little red dots. Yet I’d trusted him to go to the hardware store alone.
I blamed the canoe paddle.
The smell of fresh paint hit me when I cracked open the door, and there was no escaping the inevitable.
“Dex? Are you still here?” I hadn’t seen his car parked outside, but that didn’t mean anything. Maybe the police had hauled it away for disturbing the peace.
No answer. The coward. He was like those graffiti
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