Walking down Main, I wrapped my arms tightly around my waist, holding the sides of my wool sweater close to my body trying to get warm. For some reason, this fall seemed to be abnormally chilly to me. I couldn't decide if it was the actual temperature or because of my personal situation, but I couldn't recall an October feeling this cold before.
As I walked, I glanced in the windows of the shops that lined the street. We didn't have too many major stores in the immediate area, but the town was filled with small mom-and-pop stores that catered primarily to the tourist crowd and the summer dwellers.
I passed Donna's Jewelry, and could see a young couple inside. From his glazed over expression and her radiant smile, I guessed that they were looking at engagement rings. I smiled thinking back to the day when Rob proposed to me. Lost in my thoughts, I wandered down the street towards Cher's.
Cher's diner was on the ground level of a three-story brick building that sat on the corner of Main and Beachcomber. The plate glass front was etched with gold leaf and had the name in an elegant script. As I stood waiting to cross over, my stomach lurched slightly. I was nervous.
I'd had lunch here several times since I'd moved to this town, but this was the first time I'd be meeting friends here. I still wasn't sure how they knew about Rob, and what today was, but that could be a thought for another day.
Walking into the well-lit diner, I immediately spotted Liz and Sarah.
Actually, it would have been hard to miss them. Sarah, who has fire engine red hair and is barely five-feet tall was standing behind her chair, waving both arms and whistling.
I raised my eyebrows wondering what I had gotten myself into, gave a timid wave and started towards the two women.
Approaching them, I wondered what brought the two of them together. Sarah was probably in her early fifties, while Liz was closer to my age, in her mid to late thirties. Sarah was obviously extremely outgoing, not concerned about putting on a spectacle. Liz seemed to be a bit more reserved, but still more outgoing than I, Queen of the Introverts, saw myself.
Anxiety was still rumbling in my belly when the waitress came over to take our orders. Not sure how I was going to do, I decided to go for comfort food and ordered the B.L.T. with my bacon really crisp.
"What?" I asked the other two who were now staring at me after the waitress left.
"Do you eat like that all the time?" Liz asked. "You've got a figure that makes me envious of you, and I'm forcing myself to eat rabbit food and you're having French fries. It doesn't seem fair."
I was astounded. "You're envious of my figure?" I managed. I'd never thought of my shape as anything more than a way to fill out clothes.
"Lizzie's always been like that," Sarah said with a smile. "She always thinks that everyone else has the better side of things. But she is right, dear. You've got a figure that probably drives every man crazy."
"Sarah!" Liz hissed.
"Oh, golly," Sarah said shaking her head. "Sorry about that, Laura. I didn't think about things."
I just nodded, and tried to move the subject away from my feelings and men.
By the time we'd finished our lunches, and made our way the three doors down to Amber's I'd forgotten about my nerves. Between Sarah's lack of inhibition and Liz's supposed horror at Sarah's antics, I found myself having a good time. It was refreshing to be out with friends again.
Pushing through the door at Amber's, my nostrils were assaulted by the telltale aroma of a perm. A pert blonde walked up to our little group, "Welcome to Amber's. I'm Jasmine, your hostess for your experience. Please, follow me." She turned and led us back to a small reception area.
Three women sat in the overstuffed chairs reading the latest fashion magazines while they waited for their next consultant. One of the women looked up at our small entourage and visible sneered.
"Hi, Edna Lou," Liz called out cheerfully. "How are you doing?"
I barely knew Edna Lou. She too was a member of our league, but she had never struck me as the friendly type. In my mind, I always saw her as the overachiever, the super competitor. Whenever we played against her team, she never said anything to another player. In fact, as I thought about it, I couldn't remember ever seeing her talk to anyone else at the lanes.
"My day was fine," Edna Lou said in a raspy voice that spoke of too many years of smoking.
By tacit agreement, Liz, Sarah and I found seats on the other side of the room. Trying not to look horribly out of place, I picked up a copy of Cosmo from the side table and pretended to read.
Jasmine came to the doorway holding a clipboard and called Edna Lou and me.
Edna Lou was directed to a massage room, while I was taken to the back and introduced to a woman who looked like she had just stepped off the runway for a magazine shoot. Old instinct kicked in and I did a quick inventory of her. Five-ten, brown eyes and dark brown hair that stuck out in all directions, and the whitest teeth I could remember ever seeing.
"Hi," she said sticking out a hand that had to be adorned by at least seven different rings. "You're Laura, right?"
"Yes," I said wondering when my voice had become so timid.
"I'm Amber. Welcome to my place. Since my cousin said that this was your first time here, I thought I'd take you myself." She pointed for me to sit in the beauty chair that was in front of her.
"Your cousin?" I asked as I settled in.
She snapped a cape around my neck and nodded. "Liz Alcott's mom is my dad's sister. So Liz and I grew up together." She spun me around and worked her hands through my hair and began muttering. "You've got a good color, and it's nice and thick, but it lays all wrong for your face. I think you need a good cut, and a bit of a style."
"No!" I nearly screamed, my eyes wide. "I-I can't lose the length. Please." I couldn't tell her that one of Rob's favorite things to do for me was to brush and braid my hair. If I lost the length, I might lose the memory too.
Amber looked at me slyly. "All right, no change in length. How about layers? It'll let it lie a bit nicer, give you a bit more body and enhance your face."
"I dunno. I guess we could try," I acquiesced.
Thirty minutes later, after she massaged my scalp, washed, styled and dried my hair, Amber spun me back towards the mirror. "Well?"
I stared. I saw the woman reflected back, and couldn't believe that she was me. She had my moss green eyes, and the chestnut colored hair was right. But instead of looking bland, the woman in the mirror looking back at me was a raving beauty.
My hair softly framed my face, and even though I knew that nothing had been done to enhance my eyes, they were obviously my most prominent feature, easily canceling out the too rounded chin and the dimple that rested in the center of it.
"Wow. Amber, it's wonderful," I said.
"That's what we-"
A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the spa cutting her off.
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Other Titles by Christine Chianti:
Short Stories
The Shocking Truth
One Night
New Kid in Town
Witless Protection
Unbalanced Conspiracy
Ever Green
Novellas
Whole Once More
Merrifield Mysteries
Resort to Homicide
Makeover for Murder (June 2016)
Homicide for the Holidays (June 2016)
Tagged for Murder (June 2016)
Novels
Dreams Series
Desert Dreams
Blue Ridge Dreams
Christmas Dreams
FBI Organized Crime Taskforce
Misappropriated Means
Dealer's Choice
Carson Capers
Silver Linings
Sleepy Hollow High
Fiendish Fall
Wicked Winter
Savage Spring
For more information or t
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About Christine Chianti?
Christine Chianti is the pen name of a multi-published author who writes both fiction and non-fiction. As Christine Chianti, she is the author of more than twenty titles ranging from short stories to novels.
Christine is a member of Romance Writers of America and is at home in Western New York.
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