Howl at the Moon (3 page)

Aaron smiled to himself, unconcerned. He cleaned his face thoroughly, then put on some sunscreen. After that, he smoothed his chocolate complexion. He could wok magic with his Sigma brush set when he put his mind to it, and at the moment his mind was definitely to it. He trimmed his eyebrows and got ready to work. He used some spirit gum to flatten his brows so he could trim them. Step one, done.

His Mac Studio Tech foundation went on next, evening any splotches in his skin tone. He blended in his concealer methodically. Step by step, his face emerged. He knew the hardest thing to soften was his jaw so he overemphasized his eyes and put on a larger wig. Most people thought big hair was the queen thing because of the look. It wasn’t entirely true. He was tall, and he knew it. The larger hair, which simply meant a full curled look, helped him be proportioned and lengthened the look around his shoulder area. It also framed and softened his chin area.

Slowly, Aaron disappeared and Coco LaMann immerged. His alter ego. His other half was softer, nicer, than Aaron ever was. The mask that didn’t have to fight to be who she was, she simply was. Coco could be the good girl while Aaron was the asshole. Time had proven that. He thought that Tatiana would be more comfortable talking to a woman than a man. Sometimes that happened. Later she may she still need the asshole to whip her into shape, even as the good girl hugged her close and said it was going to be okay.

Mind made up, Coco walked out of her office and back into the store side of The Fairy Drag Mother, leaving Aaron behind. She cleared her throat delicately and watched Tatiana blink awake. The poor girl was out of it so much she’d rather sleep in a store than go home. After she shook the sleep from her eyes, she stared at Coco.

“Oh, I am so sorry. I fell asleep. Did Aaron leave?”

“No, honey, not entirely.” Coco knew her voice was softer than Aaron’s. She’d perfected that over time.

“Where is he?”

“I suppose there’s no help for it. You are just that dense.” Aaron’s voice pushed though.

“Fuck me running,” Tatiana said with a gasp.

“Oh, there is a bad girl in there after all,” Coco said. She watched in amazement as Tatiana’s face crumbled. Tears streamed, making tracks in her makeup as they went. Coco had no idea what the heck she’d said that made Tatiana react as such but she wasn’t prepared for tears. Wonder, maybe. Amazement, yes. Flat-out bigotry against her way of life, certainly, but not tears.

“What is the matter, love?” she asked, sitting down next to the woman.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” Tatiana answered, standing up blindly and then angling toward the door. Coco couldn’t let her walk out. She’d loose her chance, and she had to do as Lea asked. She couldn’t let her out the door.

“Aww, honey, I took all this time to show you my secret. You can share yours with me. Sometimes getting it off your chest can help.”

“I’m sorry. You really look beautiful, Aaron.”

“Coco.”

“What?”

“When I am dressed like this, I am Coco.”

“Coco.”

“Yes, honey. I am Coco. I’m not Aaron. Look, talk to me, woman to woman. No woman as beautiful as you should be crying like this. It just is not a good look.”

“Ha. Beautiful. You don’t have to puff me full of smoke. You’ve outdone me ten times over on even my best day. You are the one that’s beautiful. Maybe if I looked more like you…” she started and then shook her head, stopping herself. Coco felt like it was important, what she was getting ready to say.

“If you looked more like me, what, honey? This store is full of fantasies. Look around. I make men into the women they want to be. For some it’s just a job. For others, like me, it’s a way of life. Some feel it’s what they truly are, on the inside. We have no judgment here. Tell me what’s wrong. Maybe a little of The Fairy Drag Mother’s fantasy can help you.”

“Unless you could make me into a new woman, nothing could help me.

So that’s it
, Coco thought.
Something in her doesn’t think she can get the man she wants. Whoever he is, she doesn’t think she’s enough.

“I don’t know who he is, but if he doesn’t want you, he’s a fool. I can make you into whatever you want to be, but who you are is always the easiest.” The tears came harder, and Coco gasped, hand fluttering to her chest. Open mouth, insert foot. That was the second thing she’d said wrong in a matter of minutes. She was supposed to be the softer of her and Aaron, and yet she was making mistakes left and right. What was she supposed to do?

“Tatiana. Let me help you.”

“You can’t. Thank you. Thank you for trying. You really are beautiful, and maybe one day I’ll come back in here and look around. It’s amazing in here.” With that, Tatiana breezed out the door before Coco could say anything else.

“Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. The woman just walked out.”

“Not your best first stab at it. But you did better than I thought,” came a familiar voice.

“Lea.”

“The one and only.” The angel twirled around the store, now in all white. A gold belt cinched her waist. The dress was formfitting, showing off her shape to perfection. Coco lifted a brow at that. “I know you want it but you can’t have it. It’s my dress, Coco.”

“Are angels supposed to dress like that?”

“I am what is necessary. You are a bit of a fashionista. Would you respect me if I came to you in a toga or talking to you with the voice of the faithful?”

“Probably not,” Coco allowed.

“Exactly. Now I am going to help you out.”

“Oh, well, thank you.”

“You know I was going to say I like Coco much better. Don’t change my mind.”

“Gotcha. So what are we going to do now? That woman really has an issue. Whatever that man did, she’s torn up about it.”

“Aww, I’d think you care.”

“I know pain when I see it. I care because she’s one step closer to me making it out of here. I just need you to point me in the right direction.”

“I guess I won’t repeat that this will, in turn, change you.”

“You just did,” Coco grumbled. She smiled wide when Lea narrowed her eyes.

“Instead,” Lea continued, “I’ll say I programmed her address into your GPS and you can go there. I’d recommend you do it sooner rather than later. Take too long and she’ll think her way to a new job and a new city.”

“That bad?”

“That bad.”

“I suppose I should go, then. No time to change and clean up now.”

“No. Besides I think you were right in one respect.”

“What’s that?”

“She needs Coco’s sentiment. But she needs Aaron’s bite too. You are one and the same. Do not think I will ever ask you to separate that. You were made perfect the way you are. God makes no mistakes.” With that, she disappeared and Coco was glad she did. She couldn’t fight the tears or the warmth spreading through her soul. She had forgotten there was a light at the end of the tunnel at times. She was accepted for who she was. It felt good. Better than she would ever admit aloud.

Chapter Three

Tatiana stuck another spoonful of Gold Medal Ribbon ice cream into her mouth in veg-out mode, complete with scruffy green socks, purple tights, and a white tank top. So, she was majorly color clashing. She didn’t care. Add to it her very messy bun balancing haphazardly on her head and she was about as far from model perfect as she could get. Of course, that was the whole stupid point. She knew who she was. She was this girl, right now, who didn’t care about perfection and designer clothes. Who didn’t give a crap about being the crème de la crème. Not because she couldn’t afford it, because she knew there was no point. She wasn’t some Pollyanna, of course. She knew she was pretty. She was okay with that. She was comfortable with herself.

She was just mad as hell that God put in her path a man who she knew she could never get. That was a bitch, to say the least. It was time for another mouthful of ice cream. She started walking past the front door after leaving the kitchen. She was headed to her living room and a nice night of
CSI:
marathon watching. Midstride, she stopped because of a knock on her door.

“Who is it?”

“Would you open up, please, it’s cold out here. Nothing like a random cold front in South Texas.”

“Coco?” Tatiana asked as she opened the door, shocked to see the queen on her doorstep. Still in her all black outfit with the startling silver heels, she had added a smart peacoat with the collar turned up around her face. Her hair was twisted up into an artful messy bun.

“Oh, that is just wrong,” Tatiana groaned, thinking of her own hair.

“What?”

“I bet you did your hair in five seconds and made mine look like a nine-year-old did it.”

“I could teach you how to do it, but we’ll need a mirror. Going to invite me in?” Coco asked, rubbing her gloved hands together.

“Yeah, come on in. It’s not that cold outside, Coco.”

“Hey, if I have a peacoat on, the gloves come too. Accessories, love, accessories make the outfit.”

“I suppose you’re right. Let me take your coat.” Coat securely deposited in the hall closet, Tatiana went into the kitchen to deposit her comfort ice cream in the freezer again. She sighed. So much for that.

“Take it with us into the bathroom, Tatiana. A girl can never turn down ice cream. Just get another spoon.”

“I can’t believe I let you in my house,” Tatiana thought aloud. “Wait a minute. How did you even know where I lived?”

“One step at a time, chickapea. Where’s your bathroom?”

“I asked you a question, Coco.”

“Missy, don’t get smart with me. I came to help you. Have a little faith. You went running out of my store crying a storm. In my book, that means you need help. Has the world gotten so bad people can’t look out for one another anymore? You want to frisk me for weapons?”

* * * *

“Oh, good one, darling.”

“Shut up, Lea, I’m trying to work here.”

“But you’re doing such a good job.”

“I don’t have a choice, remember.”

“Ah, so you didn’t mean those things you said?”

“Of course not.”

“I think you did. Deep down inside. I think you did. Let me know if I have to bespell her.”

“Bespell her?”

“Yeah, help her to think you are the best friends in the world.”

“You can do that? Why didn’t you do it first!”

“It’s better this way. Trust me, Coco.”

“Then why say anything.”

“’Cause.”
Lea winked out of her mind.

* * * *

“Bitch,” Coco muttered.

“What?” Tatiana asked, frowning.

“Nothing.”

“I suppose it’s hard to hide weapons with the way you’re dressed.”

“Have a little faith, Tatiana.”

Breathing deeply Tatiana looked at the woman before her. In a way, she was right. Tatiana didn’t have many friends. Even the ones she worked with her would get on her for even taking a chance on Clyde in the first place. She already knew what they would say. That was, if they even had time after dealing with their own problems. Sylvia was newly a single mom after her ex-husband decided he wanted the maid instead of her. Joyce was so career-oriented, most times the girls wondered if she even knew she had female parts or not. Lana had lost the only man she ever loved to Operation Iraqi Freedom just a few short years ago, and Reese…well Reese was Reese. She was the wallflower. She was the one who relied on them to protect her, especially after a playboy had broken her heart. A hard family life growing up made her painfully shy around anyone else, really. Tatiana could call any of them, but why would she? They were best friends, but this, she was too embarrassed to share, even with them. She sighed, she supposed she’d seen weirder things. Done weirder things, if earlier today was anything to go by.

“My bathroom is the second door on the right if you turn down that hallway on your left.”

“Second question: Got any alcohol?”

“Do I look that bad?”

“Honestly? Yes, but pain does that. One thing at a time.”

“Yes. I got the fixings for amaretto sours in the fridge.”

“Let’s make a jug then, get some ice and some cherries, and then you can tell Coco what’s wrong.”

“Okay.” So commanded, Tatiana made the amaretto sours with Coco in record time it seemed, amid scoops of ice cream and chuckles, before being marched, with a very big glass to drink, to the bathroom.

“Now, for the messy bun, it’s a little of an art. Don’t try to make it messy. Let it be messy. Your hair is braids at the top so it is going to look a little different but the free hair will make it look good.” Coco let Tatiana’s hair down fall around her shoulders and turned her to the mirror, standing behind her as she talked. “Now. Let’s put it back into a ponytail, leaving some braids out. Plug in your curling iron.” Tatiana did as she asked, leaving some out for bangs and at the nape of her neck.

“Good. Now, I’m going to separate the hair into four sections in your ponytail and curl those. Then I’m going to wrap that around your bun individually, letting some braids fall down in some curls.”

The curling iron clipped and steamed around her hair haphazardly. There was no real design to the style. Just steps to make something look messy that actually took time to create. Tatiana felt herself relaxing into Coco’s hands. She let the stress of the day melt away under alcohol and the simple pastime of getting her hair done. Tatiana wasn’t sure why she felt so relaxed but she did. In no time, Coco had her hair spiral curled here and there. She wrapped the individual sections around the bun until only some strands hung out. Tatiana watched the transformation from her bun to one that nearly looked like Coco’s.

“Now, pull at the top, away from the ponytail a little and then the back a little. That loosens the bun so it’s not so tight.” Tatiana did as she asked, feeling like she’d just taken time to sit in her beautician’s chair. The outcome was perfect.

“It won’t always look like this. But that’s the beauty of it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just is. Sometimes just a little work can polish something you don’t feel is right.”