Seven (21 page)

Chapter 24

Savannah

“Holy shit you spent the night there? At his house? With Ivy?” Rachel hammers me with questions one after the other.

“Yes, yes, and yes,” I say, trying to remain as nonchalant as humanly possible. I’m sure she can see through me. She’s always good at picking up on my feelings.

“Well how was it then? Did you guys...you know…with Ivy there?” Her eyebrows raise in excited suspense.

I continue washing my combs and brushes as I think back to Friday, playing with Ivy, putting her to sleep with Bryant, the time we shared together afterwards. “It was…” My anxiety attack floats through my brain and my stomach turns, wiping the smile off of my face.

“It was what?” Rachel asks noticing my mood change.

“It was nice. I had a great time.”

Rachel’s eyes narrow. She knows something is off. “No, no, no, no, no.” She waves her finger at me. “You don’t get to tell me that it was just nice. A minute ago you were all smiles and now you’re not so what the fuck happened and how badly do I need to kick Wood’s ass?”

“Not at all…that’s not…”

“Then what is it? Did he hurt you?”

“No,” I say immediately. “He didn’t hurt me at all Rache. I just…had this moment on Friday night that I can’t explain.”

“Okay…try,” she prompts.

I dry off the combs and brushes I was washing and place them back in my drawer so that I’m ready for the day. The clock on the wall tells me we’re opening in about five minutes so I take a second to sit in my chair as Rachel takes her cue from me and sits in hers right next to me. I can tell she’s concerned.

“Okay, Ivy wanted me to help put her to bed which I did. I kissed her good night and left Bryant alone with her so that they could have their regular nightly routine together. I didn’t want to be in the way, so I excused myself to the kitchen.”

“Alright, I can understand that. Then what?”

“So I’m standing in the kitchen and all of a sudden I hear Bryant start singing to Ivy. I didn’t know there was a monitor in the kitchen and I heard it all loud and clear.”

Rachel tilts her head slightly. “I don’t get it. Why is that a bad thing? Did he sing some sort of inappropriate song or something?”

My head turns to the top of the mirror at my station. Above the mirror is a small painted canvas that reads “You Are My Sunshine.” I’ve had it there since the day I started. It brings me peace on those days when I just miss my family. Rachel sees me looking at the canvas and a lightbulb flashes in her head.

She gasps softly. “Savannah did he sing that song to Ivy? ‘You Are My Sunshine’?”

I nod.

“Did he know?” She asks.

“Know what?”

“Did he know that was your special song for…Peyton?”

“No. He didn’t know. He found out really quick though when he found me outside on his porch doubled over in tears.”

“What? Oh God! Savannah, you poor thing!”

“I can’t even tell you how it happened Rache. One minute, I was standing in his kitchen, and the next moment I couldn’t breathe. I had tears pouring down my face and didn’t even know it. It’s the weirdest thing to happen to me in a long time.”

“So what did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. Bryant found me like that, picked me up and carried me to his room, held me, talked to me, you know. He felt terrible. I felt terrible for causing him to feel that way. I should’ve just gone home but he didn’t want me to be alone and to be honest, I didn’t want to go.”

“Girl, I’ve heard that grief hits you when you least expect it. Sounds like that song just triggered something for you. Are you okay now? Do you need some time off?”

“No, no, no. I’m totally fine. Thanks though, I’m good, I promise. After that, our weekend was fantastic. Really.”

“Okay good.” Rachel’s eyes fall to the door when the bell rings and Audrey walks in.

“Mornin’ ladies!” Audrey says in her usual perky tone.

“Good morning Audrey,” I reply.

“Well ladies…” Rachel looks down at her watch. “I hope you’re ready for what this day has to throw at us so early this morning. Just don’t hate me alright?”

Detecting a bit of trepidation in Rachel’s voice I have a bad feeling I know what’s about to happen. “Why would we hate you so early in the morning Rachel?” I ask sternly.

I no sooner ask the question than three ladies waltz into the salon, all looking every bit the bitches I know them to be. Jamie Henders, Jody Westin, and Brooke Lilt, three best friends from high school who never left town to grow up. They’re the same now as they were back then, spoiled rich girls always sticking their precious noses in other people’s business. If there were a cast for
The Real Housewives of Bardstown
, these girls would be the stars.

I turn quickly to Rachel before the ladies have a chance to see my expression. “Make ya a deal, Rache. I won’t hate you if you don’t hate me for accidentally knocking my fist into one of their beautiful sets of perfect teeth.”

Rachel chokes on her coffee but tries to hide her smile. She deserves it for starting my day this way. These girls were the bane of my existence in high school and I can’t stand them now. They walk in dressed to the nines on a Monday morning wearing their perfect designer jeans, high heeled pumps and carrying their Coach purses. Even Brooke, who is at least seven months pregnant, is sporting designer maternity clothes. They definitely put my black leggings and yellow tunic to shame.

Seriously, does she know one day her water is going to break and ruin those pants?

Maybe I should ask her about her mucus plug.

This isn’t Rodeo Drive ladies.

Nevertheless, I plaster a brilliantly fake smile on my face and welcome them in with open arms. “Good morning ladies! How are you all this morning?”

Jody eyes me up from head to toe before answering sympathetically in her best southern twang. “That’s right. I forgot you were working here now. My mom told me you were back in town. It’s good to see you.” Ugh, the way she drags out the word ‘you’ with her southern accent makes me really want to punch her in the teeth. She sounds like a two-faced church girl trying to be nice to the devil.

“Yes. I’ve been here for a few months now. It’s good to be back. What are we doing for you today?”

“Oh yes, well umm, I definitely need to have my eyebrows waxed and then I’m thinking just a cut and style. No need to go overboard today.”

“Okay. That’s no problem. Let’s head back to the sink and we’ll get started on those brows.”

As I lead Jody to the back of the shop Audrey and Rachel both make their plans with the other two girls. These bitches always seem to travel in packs. I would like to think that alone, one wouldn’t be so irritatingly pompous, but then again, getting one of them alone for any length of time is next to impossible. Jody and I used to be relatively friendly with each other growing up. She lived near me in my neighborhood and we often rode the bus together. As we grew up though, we definitely started growing apart, she became a high school cheerleader and I was the school nerd. I had goals and ambition, a passion for the arts. From what I heard she and her little besties had a passion for penis and every guy knew it.

Maybe I should ask Bryant…

No…don’t ever ask Bryant.

Some things I don’t want to know.

Eventually all three girls are seated next to each other in their salon chairs clucking away like gossiping hens. Hair salons are definitely where you hear everything about everybody whether you want to hear it or not. In the twenty minutes they’ve been here, I’ve learned about Robyn Small’s drinking problem, and the affair her husband is having with their babysitter. I listened intently while Brooke talked about the six kids Michelle Timely has because she can’t keep her damn legs closed, and they all laughed while discussing Ben Garster’s rise to fame in the corporate world only to be sent to jail for three years for embezzling.

I can only imagine what they all had to say about me not too long ago.

“I heard that now that Ben’s back home and his wife left him, he lives with his parents again and spends his nights at the bar,” Jamie says, filing her nails as her hair is being cut.

“Too bad. He was hot back in the day. Nobody will ever want a piece of that now,” Jody says.

“Didn’t you have a little fling with him back then Jode?? That one summer during college? Wasn’t that him?” Jamie asks.

Jody laughs. “Little fling would be a good word for it if you know what I’m sayin’. God, he was such a mistake. I’m glad it didn’t last more than a few make-out sessions that summer. He was a sloppy kisser too. Blech.”

“I’m sure by now he’s got his one-way tickets to Alcoholicville with as much time as he spends at the bar.” Brooke says. “Speaking of the bar, Savannah…”

Huh? What?

I was able to drown them all out by thinking about my weekend with Bryant and Ivy, but as soon as she says my name I’m all ears.

“I heard you were having a little fun with Bryant Wood at the bar a few weeks ago.”

Is that a question?

Does she expect a response?

“Uh, yeah. The girls and I went to have a few drinks. He was there. It was karaoke night.”

Brooke nods her head slightly. “I hear you gave a stellar performance. You always were quite the singer in high school.”

“Bryant Wood huh?” Jamie’s eyes narrow as she looks across to me through the mirror in front of her. I can only imagine what she must be thinking. “He’s definitely a looker now isn’t he? He’s grown into his body quiet well I would say.”

“Um, yeah I guess. I don’t know. We didn’t hang out much in high school.” I try to play off my feelings. The last thing I need is this group of gossip girls running their mouths around town.

“He sure gets around from what I’ve heard - flirts pretty heavily with the women who go there. I hear they’re all over him. They always were in high school too. Bryant Wood definitely is a ladies-man.” Jamie says. I look at her expression in the mirror just fast enough to see her wink at Jody.

She’s goading me.

I decide not to reward her with a reaction to what she just said. Instead I pretend to be focused on my work with Jody’s hair, meticulously snipping in the appropriate places and wishing I was buzzing it all off.

“Did he kiss you?” Jody asks me.

“That’s what I heard.” Brooke announces in a high pitched sing-song voice.

“My brother, Joe, saw the whole thing. Said you two were making out right there at your table, in front of all your friends,” Jamie raves.

I feel the red.

I’m seeing red.

I’m thinking red. How I would love to slide the blades of these scissors across all three of their fucking little necks. I smirk to hide my pissed off expression. What Bryant and I do is none of their damn business.

“That’s bull shit. They never made out. I was right there, sitting at the table.” Audrey comes to my defense, not that I needed her help. I appreciate it anyway.

“So he
did
kiss you then?” Jamie asks again.

I slide my scissors into the pocket of my apron and pick up the blow dryer and a brush. “Not that it’s any of your business Jamie, but yes, Bryant kissed me…and I kissed him back. Is that what you want to know?”

Before there’s time to hear a response from either of the three bitches seated in front of me, I turn the blow dryer on high and begin to glide my fingers through Jody’s hair, praying it dries in record time and I can get the hell out of here. I know the girls are still chatting because I can see their lips moving, their eyes landing on me as they exchange winks and smirks.

Stupid catty girls.

Time hasn’t changed for them.

They’re still ugly, inside and out.

Immediately I’m smiling to myself as I begin to hum the tune to the one Pink song that makes me unequivocally think of these three ladies. “Stupid Girls”
.
Almost five minutes later I’m shutting off the blow dryer and grabbing the hair spray to finish Jody’s hair.

“You know he has a kid right?” Jamie asks.

I’ve had enough of this bitch. Who does she think she is? Who do any of them think they are?

Throwing my hand on my hip I cock my head to the side and stare her down through the mirror in front of me. “Why are you telling me all this exactly? Why all the questions? Is there a problem you need to talk to me about or are you still the high school gossip queen lookin’ for her next headline?”

Jamie’s jaw hits the floor momentarily. Even Audrey and Rachel stop to look at me. Oops, I guess I said all that out loud.

Jamie clears her throat and with the most diva-like attitude I’ve ever seen in a young adult white female says “I don’t know who you think you’re talkin’ to Savannah Sanders, but you should understand a few things. Bryant Wood isn’t the shiny white night you probably think he is. He’s nothin’ but a loser with a big ass douchebag of secrets and if you’re not careful, he’ll knock you up too.” She purses her lips and rolls her eyes before checking her make-up in the mirror in front of her.

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talkin’ about Jamie Lynn,” I say with all the calmness I can muster using her middle name just as she used to be called when we were kids. “And my name is Savannah Turner.”