Pitifully Ugly

Chapter 19

Beware the Stanky Leg.

We repeated the dressing process over again the next morning

sans the Bloody Mary. Marvin picked out a gray suit and a soft

pink blouse to wear with it. After he’d done my hair and makeup,

I looked in the mirror pleased with the results.

“You are stunning,” he said with pride.

He bolstered my self-esteem and made me feel comfortable

in a world that I didn’t belong. “I wish you were a woman,” I said

with a laugh.

“Me too, baby,” Marvin said as he sauntered off to dress.

We had breakfast with Angela, who yawned repeatedly, and

still managed to look fresh. She wore her hair down, and against

the green blouse, her eyes sparkled like emeralds. I was reminded

of Hailey as I looked at her. I thought back on the conversation

I had with Marvin and felt myself sinking lower into gloom. If I

had only accepted her dinner invitation, things might’ve turned

out differently.

Natural Beauty’s booth was impressive. Large pictures of our

models were hanging on the back wall where they could easily be

seen. Our name and logo figured prominently with some major

salons in New York and Los Angeles. It made me proud.

We hadn’t been there long when a woman approached Angela.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as the statuesque brunette

looked my way a few times. I moved closer to Marvin as she

caught my eye and smiled.

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“That’s Zoe Martinez,” Marvin said in a whisper. “She owns

a salon in Houston. A friend of mine worked for her for a while.

She’s a bitch to the men, but she loves the ladies.”

“She and Angela keep looking over here.”

“I’ve noticed,” Marvin said as he looked around. “Angela is

probably filling her in on who you are. She’s a femme that likes

femmes. She’s bedded half of her clients, and the word is she’s

fire between the sheets. She’s not into commitment, but she’d be

great entertainment for the weekend.”

Zoe was smoking hot, that was undeniable. It was obvious

that she knew it, too. She wasn’t shy about meeting a few stares

from women as they passed, nor did she look away when she

caught my eye. I averted my attention.

“Shannon?” Angela said behind me a few minutes later.

I turned and looked at her, then at Zoe, who stood close by. A

slight smile curled the side of her lips. I couldn’t help but look

away from her dark gaze as she scanned my face. Embarrassment

washed over me as I looked down at the cleavage revealed by her

tunic-style top. I looked back up at Zoe’s face.

“I’m Zoe,” she said, not waiting for Angela to make the

introduction. “Angela was just telling me about your salons. I

passed by the one on Canal Street the last time I was in New

Orleans, very impressive.” She smiled then and cocked her head

to the side. “Actually, I checked out all four. I took a cab ride out

to St. Charles, then to the one on West End Boulevard. Rampart

and Canal are the real jewels, though.”

Her voice was smooth and low. When my gaze met hers again,

she looked as though she could see directly into my thoughts.

I think she knew and enjoyed that she made me nervous. “I’m

Shannon, nice to meet you.” My voice conveyed every bit of the

tension I felt as it rose an octave higher. Marvin wasn’t going to

be able to help me with this conversation, and the little shit knew

it, too. He moved off, taking Angela with him, to my horror.

“I’m afraid that I’m not that familiar with your salon.” I

tried to sound relaxed. “My sister is usually the one that attends

these types of things. I stay behind the scenes and manage the

finances.”

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“And why are you here now?” Zoe asked with a playful smile.

“She’s pregnant and is supposed to be living stress-free,

although I imagine she’s beside herself wondering what kind of

trouble I’m making.”

Zoe’s gaze stayed locked with mine. “What kind of trouble

have you gotten into so far?”

“I’ve been very well behaved.”

“Then you’re not having a lot of fun.” Zoe pursed her full

lips. “Are you staying here at the hotel?”

I had to shuffle my feet to keep my knees from banging

together. “I am.”

“I’m staying in room 140. Look me up later, and we’ll find

some trouble to get into.” She turned and walked away, then looked

over her shoulder seductively. “Nice to meet you, Shannon.”

Marvin strolled over with his hands in his pockets sporting a

grin. “She gave me her room number,” I said when he looked at

me expectantly.

I did my time in the booth and escaped the first chance I got.

Marvin and I made a pretty good team in my opinion. I handled

the simple questions like “how are you doing?” and Marvin took

over when the topic turned to hair products and style.

In the sitting area of our suite, I kicked off my shoes and took

a look at my cell phone. There were at least a dozen text messages

and two voicemails from Kalen. I gave her a call, knowing what

her first question was going to be…

“Did you go to the social last night?” Kalen said after the

first ring.

In a child’s voice, I replied, “Yes, ma’am, and Marvin made

me pretty.”

She ignored my attitude and went on to the next question.

“Have you been down to the booth yet?”

“Been there all morning, Kalen. We broke for lunch, and I’m

in the room resting my aching feet. Marvin is having lunch with

a guy he met, and Angela is as happy as can be.”

Kalen exhaled loudly. “Good, you’re almost done.”

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“How are you feeling?”

“Sleepy. I swear this baby is draining the life out of me. I had

to sit down after I took a shower this morning, I was exhausted,”

Kalen said with a yawn.

“I guess it probably was the best thing that you didn’t attend.

We’ve been on the move pretty much since we arrived.”

“I know you don’t care to hear this, but I’m really proud of

you, sis.”

“Yeah, well, save your praise until after I’ve made your

speech.” My stomach turned at the thought.

“You’re gonna be fine. How is Marvin doing?”

“He’s in his element surrounded by fellow hairdressers. He’s

talked the ear off of everyone that’s dropped by the booth. Angela

adores him.”

“He was a great find. I have to hand it to you, you really

picked a winner.”

“If I choke or throw up during the speech, he still gets the

bonus, right?” Kalen chuckled, but I was dead serious.

We ended the call after she reminded me again of how proud

she was of me. I’m sure she thought she was bolstering my ego,

but it made me feel even more anxious. If I tanked on anything,

I would be disappointing not only my sister, but Angela, as well.

Marvin would probably feel like a failure, too. Pressure started to

build, and I hoped that I wouldn’t melt down like Chernobyl.

The crowds pushing through the exhibition hall were much

larger after lunch. I felt out of place as Marvin and Angela talked

to everyone who visited the booth. Angela had two additional

reps working with her, and they all had their hands full. Everyone

looked haggard and tired by the time the hall closed for the

evening.

“How about dinner?” Angela asked Marvin and me as we left

the booth. “I should at least treat you both to a meal.”

I was looking forward to room service and a hot bath. Marvin,

however, seemed to catch a second wind, and before I knew it, we

were walking down the sidewalk to an eatery that Angela was

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fond of. Apparently, nearly everyone at the convention had the

same idea, and we had to wait in the bar for nearly an hour before

we would be seated for dinner.

Angela passed me a brown drink with a celery stick protruding

from the glass. I gave it a sniff before asking what it was.

“It’s a Stanky Leg,” Angela said with a shrug. “I have no idea

what’s in it, but it’s the house specialty.”

I waited for Angela and Marvin to take a drink first before

I worked up the courage to put my lips to the glass. It was sweet

and spicy at the same time and went down smooth. It wasn’t long

before I’d finished it and another was being pressed into my

hand.

“Hmm, is that a Stanky Leg?” a familiar voice said from

behind.

I turned to find Zoe standing behind me with what looked

like a martini in her hand. “It is, and it’s not half bad.”

“Mind if I taste?” Zoe wrapped her hand around mine and

lifted the glass to her lips. Her gaze locked with mine as she took

a sip while I wished I had an ounce of her confidence. She licked

her lips and smiled before saying, “Tasty.” She let her fingertips

trail over the back of my hand as she released it.

“Would you like one?” I asked.

She held up her drink and leaned into me, pressing her body

against mine. “Maybe later. I tend to lose all my inhibitions when

I drink.”

I seriously doubted she had any inhibitions perfectly sober.

“Would you like to join us for dinner, Zoe?” Angela said,

appearing beside us.

Zoe slipped an arm around my waist as she turned to look at

Angela. “I wasn’t planning on eating, but now I’m feeling a bit

hungry,” Zoe said as she gave me a squeeze.

“Good.” Angela shot a quick glance at me. “I’ll let the hostess

know that we have another joining our party.”

I caught Marvin’s eye as I watched Angela walk off. He was

sporting a huge grin as he turned, leaving me alone with Zoe.

“What are your plans for the rest of the evening?” Zoe asked,

keeping me in her grip.

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I felt awkward when I turned to look at her. Our faces were

mere inches apart. I hoped that the Stanky Leg on my breath was

covering the onions I had on my salad at lunch. “I don’t have any,”

I said, trying to sound at ease.

Zoe smiled and looked at my lips. “Well, maybe that will

change.”

“I’ve spoken to the hostess, and she’s ready to seat us now,”

Angela said as she stepped into my line of sight. “Shall we?” She

motioned toward the dining room. Without waiting for a response,

she took my hand and led me through the crowd. I looked back

at Marvin, who had offered his arm to Zoe and was leading her

along behind us.

Angela seemed to be in a hurry as she pulled me along. I did

my best to keep up and stay upright on the high heels I rarely

wore. I got the distinct impression that she was uncomfortable

with the way Zoe and I were behaving. When we were led to the

table, she inserted herself between Zoe and me so that we were

forced to sit across from each other.

“So, Shannon, are you nervous about the presentation

tomorrow?” Angela asked after she ordered another round of

Stankys for us all.

I wanted to say no, but since I was doing this for her, I felt

she should share in some of the nervous anticipation that I was

feeling. “I’m terrified.”

“You’ve spoken publicly before,” Angela said with a smile

that faltered. “Haven’t you?”

I shook my head. “Kalen is the mouth and I’m the brain.”

I chanced a quick glance at Zoe, who seemed to be enjoying

Angela’s unease.

“The speech has already been prepared, and Shannon knows

it in her sleep, “Marvin said.

Angela nodded and looked back at me. “Let me give you

some advice. First get a good night’s sleep.” Angela jumped like

she’d been kicked under the table. She glanced angrily at Zoe for

a fleeting second and looked back at me. “You don’t really need

to come to the booth tomorrow. Have a massage in your room.

That’s what I do when I have to give a presentation. You’ll be nice

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and relaxed, and the speech will be over before you know it.”

“I find the Jacuzzi to be equally as relaxing,” Zoe said. She

tilted her head and looked at me with a smoldering gaze. “I have

one in my room.”

I couldn’t look at Zoe for more than a second. The promise

of sex practically oozed from her pores. I looked back at Angela,

then the muscles in her jaw twitched. She seemed pissed.

Marvin gazed back at me and smiled when I looked at him.

As though my discomfort was obvious, he spoke up. “Ladies, I

think all this relaxation talk might be making things worse.”

I nodded and looked around the table sheepishly. “What

I need right now is some food. These Stanky things are going

straight to my head.”

We ordered dinner, and the tension between Zoe and Angela

seemed to lift. The discussion went back to the convention and

the gossip that was floating around among competing salons and

vendors. I had no interest in any of it, so I concentrated on my

steak. The food seemed to clear some of the haze from my brain.

I ate fast, hoping that I could somehow draw this evening to a

quick close.

“Excuse me.” I stood, hoping that I wasn’t going to stagger.

“I’m going to the ladies’ room.”

Zoe looked as though she were about to get up, as well, when

Angela jumped up and took my arm. “I’ll go with you.”

Angela stood with her arms folded, leaning against the vanity

when I came out of the bathroom stall. “Feeling all right?”

I washed my hands and wet a towel that I held to my neck.

“Are you and Zoe…?” I let the meaning of my question hang in

the air.

“God, no, she’s a pariah, and I’m straight.”

“Then what’s the deal?”

“Your sister gave me strict instructions to keep you away

from her. She likes to brag about her conquests. If she beds you,

everyone will know about it before breakfast.”

“Then why did you invite her to dinner?” I asked, feeling a

bit pissed that I was being chaperoned by not only Marvin, but

Angela, too.

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“She’s a client.” Angela sighed.

“I’ll make it easy on you,” I said, feeling very tired and

longing for bed—alone. “I’m ready to turn in for the night, and

not with Zoe.”

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I fished it out and looked

at the screen. She’s headed for the bathroom. Somebody stopped

her, don’t know how long—

“Zoe’s on her way in here,” I said quickly and stuffed my

phone into my pocket. Maybe it was the Stanky Legs or maybe

it was just spite, but I pulled Angela into my arms and laid one

on her.

I heard the bathroom door open and Zoe say, “ah,” then

chuckle.

I tried to appear surprised at the interruption. Angela didn’t

have to act as she stood there with her lipstick smeared. “We…

uh…we don’t tell anyone.” I gestured between Angela and me. “It

might be considered unprofessional.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Zoe said with a smirk as she

slipped into one of the stalls. This time, I took Angela’s hand and

led her back to the table.

I motioned for the check once we were seated. I looked over

at Angela, who still looked stunned. “I don’t think either of us has

to worry about Zoe now.” I reached over and wiped some of my

lipstick off of Angela’s bottom lip. “And tell my sister that I can

take care of myself.”

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