Shattered (5 page)

Our Monday seemed to fly by with ease.  There is nothing more satisfying than helping someone gain just a tad bit of confidence in their life than with a brand new hair cut.  Bright eyes always make it warmer.

“Hey Ryan I was thinking.” Oh god this can’t be good, especially when Kylie gets to thinking.  I turn my client around and face Ky as she is standing there leaned up against the reception desk. “What if we expanded the salon? I mean we have little space and we should really think about putting in tanning beds, massage tables, and a facial room, that would include waxing, in.  The space next door will be available next month and we could make the place bigger to attract more clients.  Make it like a spa.  I mean this is called Essentials’ after all.  Why not just deliver the whole package to everyone.” She spoke with hesitance as she looked at me wondering if I would shoot her down or think about it.  In all honestly I think it would be a brilliant idea.

“I like the idea
Ky but that just means more overhead and then I would have to hire more people. I mean don’t get me wrong it would be great.  We are booked most of the time and we keep getting more business but I don’t think I could get a loan.  That would just scare me.  I paid cash for this so it’s not like I owe the bank, alls we pay is rent and utilities. But I just can’t see myself going that route until I have enough in the bank to support it. “

“I know that’s why the three of where thinking about helping you out with that.  We love this place just as much as you and we will be here until the end.  Just think of us as silent partners.” She stated firmly.

“How about this, how about we talk about it more when we don’t have clients and we can go from there.  Fair enough?”

All three girls sighed at the same time and agreed.  Don’t get me wrong I think expanding
the business would be wonderful but I am so afraid to fail.  I don’t want to bring my friends down with me.  Too much in my life has been lost to money and I don’t want to go down that road with my girls in toe. But like I told them we would talk about it.

After we closed up shop we all sat down at our stations and talked about expanding.  I ordered pizza and we got down to business. After about an hour of them trying to persuade me I finally gave in.  We decided that all three would be silent partners in the business.  Kris’ husband is going to write up the proposal and get the contracts out.  Each one can be bought out at anytime they want.  This way if things happen to fall apart they
won’t be liable and I won’t lose a friend in the meantime.

Having Kris’ husband draw up everything saved me time and money for a lawyer.  He
is a corporate attorney for a few oil and gas companies in the Houston area.

They would each invest 50k
into the expansion of Essentials’. With the remaining funds we can replace and update some of the used and outdated equipment.  When I first started I tried to get my stuff used with quality but not having the place look shabby.  We are also going to redesign the shop by adding new colors and paint.  All this was Ky’s idea.  She said she is going to call her sister, the interior designer, and get her to do it for free if we advertise for her in the windows and around the shop.

I felt good about this.  These girls were willing and ready to help make all of our dreams come true.   God lead these girls to me and I will be forever grateful. Mama always said live and let God and
I think for the first time I am going to.

Once we had the plans all figured out we all got ready to leave. We were all walking out to our cars when Amanda said that we should celebrate our new
future and go to Barneys for karaoke night tomorrow night.  We all agreed we would meet there after work around 9.

Tuesday rolled around with new hope and direction for my future.  I felt like for once the path for my life was finally being placed in front of
me.  We all may think we know where we are headed but God already had it figured out long before we did. Unfortunately people like me had a few bumps and pot holes that we had to pass along the way. But that’s ok “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”, thank you Kelly Clarkson for those very very wise words of wisdom.

So
as the day grew to a close the girls and I were getting pretty excited about our Karaoke night at Barneys. Amanda and her husband Nick showed up hand in hand.  Kristy and her husband James were also in toe right behind them.  Me and Kylie decided to go stag.  I really think she did that so I wouldn’t feel left out.  But that was ok because I was going to have a good time and try to let my hair down.  We had decided to close the salon on Wednesday so that way we could recover from our night of fun.  My ladies deserve to relax a little and let lose.  And so did I.

Tonight I was the only one not in a dress.  Tonight I pulled my brown hair
off to the side in a messy knot at the base of my neck.  I wore plastered on denim jeans that hugged what curves I tried to show.  On my feet I put on knee high black heels and my top was a loose fitted purple shirt that hung off my right shoulder showing my shooting star tat that wound down my neck and all the way to my side. I surprised the girls when I showed up.  Normally I would show up in baggie jeans and a sweat shirt but tonight we were going to celebrate new beginnings for all of us.

Each girl was dressed to perfection.
Ky was in a black strappy cocktail dress that hovered just at her mid thigh, paired with silver pumps.  Amanda was in similar fashion wearing a soft pink dress hugging her knees with matching pink shoes.  Kris wore a dark navy blue dress that hugged her hips and butt showing her curves but the dresses top hung off her left shoulder bearing her tanned shoulder. She paired her dress with black stilettos’.  The men were just as dashing as their ladies.  These girls were lucky to have them and the boys were lucky to have such great arm candy. 

We were all seated at the table sitting there enjoying the terrible karaoke and people watching.  The girls all wanted to do a song together.  Now I am a very shy person when it
comes to singing but get a little liquid courage in me I throw caution to the wind.

We decide to sing Spice Girls “Spice
Up Your Life” Why because it is a funny song and we wanted to get a good laugh. We all sang off key and bounced around the stage jumping and have a good ol’ time.  When the song was over we got a standing ovation and lots of catcalls.  The boys were the loudest of them all.  All four of us went back to our seats just giggling like little school girls. 

The DJ decided to play a few songs and give the machine a rest and every ones ears
.  So we all pilled on the dance floor. Me and Kylie started swinging our assets all around.  Needless to say we turned a few heads in the process.  It felt good to let loose and enjoy the moment.  Once we were done dancing to a few hip shaking songs we all left the dance floor and cooled off and started drinking again. 

“Hey
Ry, why don’t you get up there and sing us a little something? We all know you have a voice, we hear you just about every day when you’re in the back.” Kris said tipping her glass my way trying to get me to come out of my shell.

“Oh my god.
You guys can hear me?  I didn’t think you could.  I wouldn’t know what to sing and plus I am too shy.” I cried placing my head in my hands shaking back and forth.

“Oh come on now. Live a little it will be fun.  You went up there with us why don’t yo
u do it by yourself?”Asked Kylie.

“Yeah come one we promise we won’t laugh or take video we will just sit back and ignore you.  Just think of it
like no one is around and you aren’t in a packed bar.” Manda stated.

“Oh yeah like that is supposed to make me feel any better.  I am in a packed bar!!!! Anyways I don’t think I can
, I have never sung in front of people before.  What if I suck?  It will be just another embarrassing moment for me. And lord knows I don’t need any more of those in this bar.”

“Look just go and have fun you deserve to live a little. You’re a 32 year old MILF that has a great voice. Just go sing something.” Kris replied.

“And now for our next performer to help crush our ear drums some more let’s give a big hand to Ryan Davis!!” Called the DJ. Holy shit, heart failure.  The first person I shot daggers to was Kris then Kylie and lastly Amanda.  Those little bitches set me up.

“Well looks like you have to go. So
get your ass up mama and get those vocals going!” Kris said laughing while dragging me up to the stage.

Shit! “Hi I am Ryan Davis and I am going to kill my friends for making me do this.  You bitches better sleep with one eye open tonight!” I screeched into the microphone.

“What am I singing by the way?”

“Oh
Sugarlands ‘Stay’.” the DJ replied looking at me with a shit eating grin.

“Oh now I am really going to kill you ladies!!” Not only did this song hold special meaning it also tore me up
inside every time I heard it and sang it.

When this song came out in 2006 I had just found out that Jason was cheating on me with a girl he met at work.  I was
devastated; we had only been married for a few years. My world crumbled.  This song helped me get through that very devastating heart break.  But he came back to me and begged for my forgiveness.  I was weak and let him back in. I felt I needed him to help me raise our kids.  We had two babies and I didn’t want to be a broken family.  So I sucked up my pride and put on my big girl panties.

So that’s what I am going to do now.  I am going to put on my big girl panties and belt this song out to
the bleeding ears of Barneys Bar.

I started
off a little shaky and then I let out each and every word, hanging onto them like it was my life line.  I sat on a stool because my legs felt like jelly and I didn’t want to pass out.  Halfway throught the song, I had the stand gripped in a vice grip and my eyes closed.  I put so much emotion in the song and decided that I could do this.  So I opened my eyes when I got to the second verse.  Looking out among the crowd I noticed silence and all eyes were on me.  Every bartender, every server, and patron in the bar was watching and listening to me poor my heart out with every word that came out of my mouth.  Not once did I stumble. Once I got to the ending I ripped the microphone off the stand and poured every single emotion into to those last soul full words. By the time the song was over the bar was silent.

I cleared my throat “Well……um…..
I hope your ears didn’t bleed too bad.  Thank you listening.”  I put the microphone back in the stand and started to off the stage with my face flaming hot with embarrassment. With my back turned from the crowd I started off the stage.  The next thing I knew the crowd was going wild. Clapping and screaming for an encore.  My head was spinning.  I rushed off the stage and hung my head so that way I couldn’t look at anybody.

“Well ladies and gentlemen I think Ms Davis should get her cute little ass up here and sing again.  What do you say Ms. Davis?” asked the DJ

Holy shitballs.  What do I say? Um I think not because I just peed myself or how about no I am good once is enough. Yeah that sounds. I just stared at the DJ in shock.  My mouth wouldn’t process what my brain wanted to say back.  So I stood there like a dummy shaking my head pleading with him not to ask me again.  Next thing I knew six hands grabbed me and drug me back to the stag.  I swear these girls are going to die.  If looks could kill, they would all be dead.  But lastly life doesn’t work that way.

So here I am again looking at the crowd, standing like a dummy once again. I started scanning the crow looking to see if I noticed anyone.  I was hoping that I wouldn’t, more make that praying that none of my regulars would be
at the bar tonight.

Thankfully I didn’t see anyone but I did however see him.  Not only was he here
but he was sitting with my friends, making himself comfortable, leaning back in my seat with hungry eyes.  Not that I would know what hungry eyes looked like but I am pretty sure that’s what those where.  For a moment I let myself get lost in the stare but then I remembered he had a girlfriend.  So I straightened my back and thought of another song while taking my eyes off him.  I looked to my right and spotted my girls.  They were all grinning and holding hands beaming up at me.  I mouthed ‘I am going to kill you all’.  All three threw their heads back in laughter.

K
ylie shouted, “Sing Miranda Lamberts ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’”.  Nice choice I thought.  This song could have come around two years earlier to help me mend my broken heart.  But there is not time like the present.

I looked at the DJ to see if he had it and he smirked.  I shrugged and grabbed the stand.  This time I was going to keep my eyes open and off of him.  When this song comes on in the salon it always gets my hips moving.  I just may put a little sway into my hips to get that sass flowing.

The song started and once again I got swept away with the lyrics.  No one has ever said it better than Miranda. I should have hid my crazy two years ago but that’s ok. It wasn’t my mama’s broken heart at the time.

While I was singing the dance floor started to fill up and people started
line dancing.  My girls included.  This wasn’t a country bar but I swear every person knew how to line dance.  I don’t know how so I couldn’t tell you what they were stepping too but it was lots of fun to sit there and watch them line dance to my singing.