That's fine by me. I'm cold-natured.

Oh, I found a place in the Quarter that makes a mean chocolate cheesecake. I'll have to avoid it in the future, too.

As you mentioned earlier, I've been getting a few creepy e- mails, too. I'm glad you're normal...even if you're kind of rabid.

So have you been brave enough to go out with any of the people you've met here?

Newbie I read her e-mail a couple of times, actually a dozen. If she found the wind coming off the river bone chilling and she'd been in the Quarter, then she had been in my neighborhood. And she'd gone to Fiorella's. I wondered if we'd pa.s.sed each other on the

22.

*street. Even though she would never figure out where I lived, I was still apprehensive to reveal that she'd been close to my apartment.

I wondered if she happened to live close by.

Hi, Newbie, So you tried out Fiorella's. Good for you. There are so many places here to eat good food. You should try Maspero's next.

They're near the Quarter, too. Anything on the menu is good.

You're right about our summers. They are hot and muggy and sometimes downright oppressive. I don't care for the cold, either, but I miss it when the heat feels like it's going to melt my hair off.

I haven't been brave enough to take up any offers yet. I did get a haircut today, and one of the stylists gave me her card. I don't have any plans to call her, but it was nice to be noticed.

How about you? Gone on any dates yet?

Was she flirting with me? What if she asked me to meet her in person? That was a sobering thought. I liked the mystique of not knowing who she was, and although it might be nice to meet her one day, the thought made me nervous.

One thing was for sure. Things were looking up, and I had a glimmer of prospects. I couldn't date a stylist from another salon.

Kalen would kill me for one thing, and it would be a conflict in my opinion. Oh, but it was a sweet moment when she handed me her card.

I didn't hear from Newbie again that night nor the next day.

Unlike the last time, I didn't get disappointed. I knew she would eventually respond.

As luck would have it, there was a problem at the store on Ca.n.a.l Street. The manager, Blitz, as she liked to call herself, was caught in the crossfire between two stylists. Tension had been brewing between the two for a while over a guy they were both dating. The two had almost come to blows in the back of a packed salon, and I'd been called for backup.

Blitz was red-faced when I arrived and apologetic for having

2.

*to call me in. Kalen had left strict instructions that if there were any more problems, they'd both have to be let go, and this was a problem. My stomach was in knots. I'd never had to fire anyone, and I wasn't looking forward to it.

I followed Blitz to the back office where she filled me in on what happened. They'd both made a huge scene in front of customers. First trading insults that quickly led to a face-to-face screaming match and some shoving.

"I've talked to them both on three separate occasions." Blitz pushed the doc.u.mentation across the desk at me. "They both signed the warnings. They know better than to pull this s.h.i.t."

"I have a guy in mind as one of the replacements, but he'll have to give notice to his employer. We won't have him for two weeks. Do you think you can cover two slots for that long?"

"I've been antic.i.p.ating this," Blitz said wearily. "Everybody knows they're on the chopping block, and a few have already volunteered to fill the gap. Plus, Carol at the Rampart location said she can spare at least one of her staff to help cover."

I looked down at the warnings in front of me. Blitz had detailed each incident and the probable outcome if the problems continued. She'd done a good job of handling the situation, and I knew that I couldn't let her or the other employees down by allowing the two troublemakers to remain.

"Okay, please bring them in." I sounded a lot calmer than I felt.Minutes later, Patrice and Kelly were sitting across from me, and Blitz stood in the corner with her arms folded across her chest.

Patrice, the bolder of the two, went on the offensive before I ever spoke. "I know why you called us back here, and I think it's unfair." She jerked a finger in Kelly's direction. "She's been hara.s.sing me, and I'm not taking any of her bulls.h.i.t anymore."

"Have you filed a hara.s.sment claim with Blitz?"

"Hara.s.sing you?" Kelly interrupted. "You're the one who sends me threatening text messages all the time."

I held up a hand. "Stop. I asked a question, Patrice. Did you file a hara.s.sment claim with Blitz?"

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*"No."

"You've both been warned three times that bringing this issue to work was unacceptable, and now you've made a scene in front of customers. Your employment here is terminated effective today. You'll both leave through the back entrance after Blitz collects your things."

Patrice's face turned blood red, but before she could open her mouth, I went on. "If you cause another commotion in this salon, I'll have you escorted out by the New Orleans Police Department.

Are we clear?" I'd heard Kalen use that line, and I hoped that I sounded as tough as she did, even though my knees were banging together under the desk.

Both women got up without another word, and fortunately, Blitz was one step ahead. She'd already had a couple of the stylists box up Patrice and Kelly's workstations while we talked.

"Were you really going to call the police on them?" Blitz asked when we were alone again.

"I was hoping that scared them, but if they caused enough of a ruckus, I might've."

Blitz and I sank down into the office chairs and sighed with relief. Blitz let lose a tiny chuckle. "They both drew down on each other with cans of hair spray. It was beginning to look like an Old West shootout. All this was over a smooth-talking punk that probably didn't give a rat's a.s.s for either of them."

"At least they didn't pull scissors." I rested my head on the back of the chair and looked over at Blitz. "I'm glad it's over. Kalen said they were beginning to affect morale among the staff."

Blitz nodded, then looked at me wide-eyed. "You look great.

When did you get it cut?" She pointed at my head, and for a minute, I'd forgotten my new look.

"The guy I'm about to hire did it. I think he's gonna fit in great here." So much for keeping my changes quiet.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, I apologized to the customers that witnessed the fight and gave them all a discount on their next visit."

"Marion Caznyk, you handled this perfectly. I'm proud of you."

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*She shot me a look. "If you're proud of me, call me Blitz."

"It's a deal, Blitzen. Now I have to get back home and get to work. First on the agenda is to give Marvin a call and get the ball rolling."

Blitz went back to her duties, leaving me alone to wander.

Before I took the long walk home, I strolled through the salon and chatted with a few of the staff. Of the four salons, the Ca.n.a.l Street location was the largest, complete with six tanning beds, eight stylists, and four ma.s.sage therapists. Things had changed a lot from the day when my mom first put out her shingle as a beautician in the sixties.

I applauded my decision to walk the two and a half miles back to my apartment. I could've driven, but for a January day, it wasn't all that cold. I'd used the walk to the salon to build up my courage; it sure beat getting back on the treadmill.

I smiled at the strides I'd made in one day. I'd gotten a new haircut and found a new employee. Though the situation was thrust upon me, I'd handled a tense situation without throwing up. Yes, Pitifully Ugly was making headway.

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Chapter 4.

Play with your own toys.

When I arrived back at the apartment, Hailey and Fuzzy were on their way out again. Maybe my confidence was bolstered by the day's events, but I actually looked forward to attempting small talk. "Hi," I said with a smile as they descended the steps.

"Um, hey," Hailey said with something akin to a smile. Her brow wrinkled as she looked at my hair again. "We're just heading out. I promised Fuzzy chicken on a stick."

She seemed sort of nervous and was edging past me. "Okay, enjoy then."

She nodded and headed briskly toward the gate. "Good to see you," she called over her shoulder.

The past two times we ran into each other, she seemed like she wanted to talk, and I was the one running away. Maybe that's what she expected of me. Then again, maybe she was just really hungry.

When I got into my apartment, I booted up my computer, hoping that Newbie had written. While I waited, I gave Marvin a call.

"Oh, my G.o.d! Are you kidding me? Ca.n.a.l Street?" he whispered excitedly into the phone. "I'll give my notice today before I leave. Oh, Ms. Brycen, you won't be disappointed. I'll do right by you. Thank you so much."

"It's Shannon, please, and you're welcome."

As I laid out the salary and benefits, I logged into my account

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*with the Rainbow Room and was disappointed to see that there were no new messages from Newbie. Perhaps that was why I did what I did next.

Marvin explained that he was going to meet a few people for drinks later at a bar that was only two blocks from my place. "Oh, come on, please. My friends are stylists, too, but I won't tell them who you are."

I accepted his invitation, but as I ended the call, I pondered my sanity. Kalen would not be pleased that I would be "getting too familiar" with a future staff member. I reasoned that it was only a couple of drinks. It was a work thing, really. Besides, I was feeling a bit s.p.u.n.ky.

I arrived at the bar promptly at seven and was greeted by Marvin, who was flat out giddy. He took me by the hand and introduced me to two of his friends who I a.s.sumed were a couple.

"Ike and Ben, meet my new friend, Shannon."

"Pleasure to meet you, Shannon." Ike pulled out a chair for me. "Marvin's been all a-twitter about meeting you. He's a matchmaker, you know."

I shook Ike and Ben's hands and felt like a celebrity. They fawned over my hair and argued about who would look best in my jacket. My vote went to Ben. The soft brown suede leather looked good with his dark eyes and hair when he tried it on.

"Frankly, I think the blazer looks better on her."

I turned and looked into the dark eyes of the stylist who had given me her card at the salon. I smiled back up at her, trying to remember her name.

"Alicia, join us," Marvin pulled another chair from the adjoining table and shoved it close to mine. "She has a boot fetish." Marvin gave me a nudge. "I'll bet before the night is over, she'll be trying to get yours off your feet."

I hid my blush by looking down at the black leather boots that Alicia was wearing. "Those are nice," I managed to say. Her proximity made me nervous, and she seemed to sense it. On some level, I think that pleased her.