“I’ll take your expert opinion.” She returned the dress to the wardrobe to minimize any risk of damage before tonight. “How will you style your hair?”
“This mop?” Kate patted her silvery hair. “There’s not much I can do with this but put a little volume in.”
“No fuss hairstyles are the best.”
“A perk of getting older.” Kate winked. “Have a seat, and we’ll get started.”
“Mom used to curl my hair with those pink foam contraptions on Saturday nights, so I’d have fresh curls on Sunday morning. I hated it then, but it’s become a fond memory.”
“Ah, the pink curlers. They had their share of use with my daughters as well.” Kate ran a brush through Cece’s hair. “You’ll be happy to know I’ve since upgraded my tools.”
“Me too, but they aren’t doing any good sitting on my bathroom counter at home in Virginia.”
“That’s what I’m here for. I never go anywhere without my setup.”
Despite Kate’s arthritis she’d mentioned, she skillfully wound Cece’s hair into the curlers, more neatly than Cece did on her own.
Someone rapped on the door.
“I wonder who that is.” She saw her forehead crease in the mirror. “Housekeeping has already come by for the day and I’m not expecting anyone. Excuse me a minute.”
She stood up and walked across the room, peeked in the peephole. She hurried back to the dressing table. “It’s James.”
“Why didn’t you let him in?”
Cece waved her hands over her head. “I can’t let him see me like this.”
Kate chuckled. “Yet another benefit of old age. You don’t care who sees you looking like what.”
She gave Kate a look. “What do I do?”
“Let him in. Who cares if he sees the curlers? It’s not like you’re in a nightie.”
“Kate!” Cece’s cheeks flamed.
“Goodness sake’s girl. Are you going to leave him standing there? Go see what he wants.”
Roling her eyes all the way to the door, Cece was torn between annoyance and humor. She opened the door, but kept her head hidden. “Can I help you?”
“I, um, was wondering if we could talk.”
Intrigued by the lack of confidence in his voice, she temporarily forgot about her hair and stepped fully in view. “Sure.”
His eyes widened with a hint of amusement. “Did I come at a bad time?”
The heat in her cheeks rose twenty degrees. “Kate is doing my hair for tonight.”
“Oh.” He shifted his balance. “I can come back later.”
“Nonsense.” Kate swept in. “I forgot the hairspray in my room. You kids talk, and I’ll be back in about twenty minutes, longer if I get distracted which is very possible.”
Cece knew full well that Kate hadn’t forgotten about the hairspray. She’d already spritzed the bottle once. Since James had already seen her with curlers in her hair at this point, however, she didn’t see the point of sending him away.
She closed the door behind Kate. “I’m sorry about all this.”
“Don’t be. Are you sure you can talk now? I don’t mind coming back.”
“It’s fine if you don’t mind that I look like a clown.”
