Robin Alexander - Pitifully Ugly

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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Robin Alexander

“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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Pitifully Ugly

“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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Robin Alexander

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