“We’re going as Cher and Dionne from Clueless.” My voice was as patient and calm as it could be.
Olivia opened her mouth, ready for another rude remark, but closed her bloated lips just as the front door chimed.
68
Karen
“Go on back,” Mary said as I entered the salon.
“Thanks so much, Mary.”
She smiled as I disappeared through the curtains. I found Olivia sitting in a chair, sipping a glass of champagne. Jenny was rearranging her station, even though everything was already in place. Keisha stood from her chair, and her face lit up when she noticed I was standing there. We exchanged pleased smiles. I was wearing loungewear. I would get dressed for the party back at the house with Mark.
“Nice to see you, Karen,” Olivia said coyly.
I grabbed the small red Saint Laurent purse from inside my larger bag. I walked to Olivia and tossed it in her lap. “Here. You forgot your purse at my house.” The purse was actually mine, but it was filled with the money I “owed” her.
“That was sweet of you to bring this to me. I so appreciate it. I was looking for this purse. It goes perfect with my outfit,” she lied. I rolled my eyes and took a seat at Keisha’s station. Keisha handed me a glass of red wine. Our fingers touched for a moment, and it caused my lips to curve upward. She returned the smile and patted my shoulder.
“What are you dressing up as?” Keisha asked.
“A sexy skeleton.”
“No way. That’s what I’m going as, Karen. There can’t be two of us,” Olivia pouted. I looked at her in the mirror.
“Well, I already bought my costume. So, feel free to change.” I smirked.
Olivia took another drink and let out a huff. “You knew I was going as that. I told you the other day.”
“I must have forgotten.”
She raised her chin at me. “It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll look better.”
“You’re right. I’m sure you’d look so much better as a skeleton.” I twisted up my lips and rolled my eyes.
“What do you want to do with your hair?” Keisha asked.
“Nothing. I’m wearing a wig. For the makeup: whatever Olivia’s having done, I’ll have, but better.” I laughed.
I didn’t care anymore. I had had it with Olivia. I was no longer playing nice with her. She was dead to me.
The front door chimed.
“Hey, y’all,” Crystal said as she entered the salon. Her voice was more twangy than usual. Jenny walked to her and gave her a hug.
“Hello, Crystal. Is Bryce ready for tonight?” Olivia asked.
“I’m sure he is.” Crystal followed Jenny and took a seat at her station. Jenny wrapped a cape around her and then poured her a glass of champagne.
“How does the house look?” Jenny asked.
Crystal’s eyes lit up. “It looks amazing. Everything came together perfectly,” she gushed.
“And everything’s all set for tonight?” I asked.
“It is,” Crystal said with a nod.
The makeup artist was outlining Olivia’s lips with skeleton teeth, so fortunately for the rest of us, she couldn’t talk.
“I can’t wait to see it!” Jenny combed through Crystal’s long blond locks.
“You’re going as a cowgirl, right?” I confirmed, glancing over at Crystal while keeping an eye on Keisha. I could never take my eyes off her.
Crystal shook her head. “Nope. Changed my mind. I’m going as Sandy from Grease.” She smiled at herself in the mirror.
“That’s perfect,” Jenny said. “I’ll put in really tight curls.”
“And I’ll do a smoky eye and dark-red lips when Jenny’s done with your hair,” Keisha said.
Olivia tried to mumble something, but the makeup artist told her to stop moving. That was probably the toughest thing Olivia ever had to do . . . keep her mouth shut.
“What about you?” Crystal took a drink from her glass and looked at Jenny in the mirror.
“Keisha and I are going as Cher and Dionne from Clueless.”
“Oh, that’s amazing. I love it.”
“And you, Karen?” Crystal glanced over at me.
“A sexy skeleton.”
“What about you, Olivia?” Crystal asked, looking in the mirror at Olivia who was still getting makeup applied to her lips. She tried to answer, but it came out all mumbled.
“She’s going as a sexy skeleton too,” I answered for her. “She copied me.”
Olivia groaned.
“You could always change . . . your costume.” Crystal raised her eyebrow. Olivia rolled her eyes and moaned again.
“Yeah, there’s still time to uncopy me,” I said with a laugh.
“Okay, all done. But keep your mouth closed for five minutes while everything dries. Otherwise, I’ll have to redo it,” the makeup artist said to Olivia. She made a grunting sound and pulled out her phone, setting a timer for five minutes.
The front door chimed again.
69
Shannon
I said hello to Mary and waltzed right to the back. The wives were already there, getting their hair and makeup done. I greeted them all, even Olivia. Olivia nodded and didn’t say a word. Her face was done in full skeleton makeup. It looked quite striking and beautiful.
“Wow, Olivia. Death looks good on you.” I chuckled as I made my way to the drink table. I poured myself a nice, tall glass of wine and set it down. I turned back to Olivia. “What? Nothing to say?”
“She can’t talk until her makeup dries,” Karen said.
Olivia held up her cell phone, facing the screen toward me. A timer was clicking down. Three minutes, twenty-three seconds.
“Then I best not take these next three minutes for granted.” I grinned.
Jenny smiled while she curled small sections of Crystal’s hair into tiny tight ringlets. “What are you going as?” I asked Crystal.
She looked in the mirror at me. “Sandy from Grease.”
I nodded and gave her a warm smile, “Wonderful.”
I grabbed the bottle of red wine and champagne and walked around the room refilling everyone’s drinks. “Let’s get this party started, ladies.”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Keisha cheered.
I got to Olivia. She held out her glass to me like she expected me to serve her. Her wrist limp, while her skinny fingers held on to it. I tipped the bottle and poured until the red wine spilled onto her lap. “Sorry.”
She scrambled, trying to wipe it off. One of the makeup artists handed her a towel. She dabbed herself dry, keeping composure in her face to ensure her makeup wouldn’t be ruined, but her eyes were like daggers. She wanted to hurt me. That much was obvious. She held up her phone. The timer read one minute. Was she trying to threaten me? I wasn’t scared of Olivia.
“What about you?” Crystal asked. “What are you dressing up as?”
“Corpse bride.” I spun around, facing the other women.
The timer went off. Olivia took a big breath.
“How fitting!” she said. “Heck. You don’t even need to dress up, Shannon. You’re already a single, alone, forgotten nothing—just like a corpse. The only difference is you’re not married . . . anymore.” Olivia cackled.
Everyone else looked around awkwardly. All that venom Olivia held inside of her for five minutes had erupted. She took a drink and swallowed hard, realizing she may have gone too far . . . even for her. “I’m just kidding,” she added. “I’m sure you’ll look nice, Shannon.” She took another drink.
“Anyway,” Keisha said, changing the subject. “Is Mark coming tonight?”
Karen nodded and didn’t say a word.
“Why? Do you have something to tell him?” Olivia asked.
Why was she being snarky to Keisha? Keisha never did a damn thing to her. Then again, none of us had. She was always toying with people. She thought she was the goddamn puppet master, just pulling the strings. Little did she know, she was the master of nothing.
“Oh, Olivia. Would it kill you to be nice?” I scowled at her as I threw up my arms. I walked over to the station next to hers and took a seat.
Olivia paused, then looked to me. “Yes, yes it would.” She curled her lip.
“I figured as much.”
“You would know, Shannon. You’re the queen of mean,” she quipped.
I gave her an odd look. I knew she was holding on to something, and if I didn’t find out now, I never would.