Page 4 of Just What She Needed

No, it was more than a pang. It was a sharp, swift kick in the ass. Yes, she had been a wife and mother while Mel lived fancy free, but after Lilith hit middle school there was no reason for Rhett to cling to her soccer mom jeans, her no-fuss hairstyle, and hurried, almost non-existent makeup routine. She and Todd never had much extra money, but she could have found enough for home hair color to keep her blonde bright, and for drugstore makeup. Why hadn't she bought those things? For a girl who almost worshipped Bonne Bell throughout high school, the sad, dispirited frump she’d become was almost unthinkable.

What happened to that girl who loved hot rollers and curling irons? The girl who experimented with makeup after she finished her homework? The girl who was able to take even the cheapest dollar store clothes and change them into something stunning? She loved doing things like that, and it had made her happy. What made her think she had to stop?

With a flash of clarity, Rhett saw the way she must look beside Mel, her nondescript hair pushed behind her ears, the swipe of blush she’d applied almost faded to nothingness, the ill-fitting blouse adding fifteen pounds. She might not be seventeen anymore, but she wasn’t ready to start eating Early Bird dinner specials and put a blue rinse in her hair, either.

And while she’d never attract a Rhys James, there had to be men out there who would appreciate a real woman who liked the way she looked, a woman whose outer appearance matched the vibrancy, and, yes, the sexiness within. Mel certainly never lacked for companionship, and if asked would probably be more than happy to point her little sister in the direction of some appreciative males.

There on the balcony Rhett Vandergriff rose from the ashes of Rhett Davis, swept by a surge of confidence that had been absent since she missed her high school graduation because she was in labor. All those things that she had fun with, all the things that made her happy at one time, she was taking them back. The downtrodden widow could take a hike, because the girl inside wasn’t dead yet.

3

It’s actually come as quite a shock to learn just how many people don’t like me.—Phil Collins

Instead of an all-over color, the stylist at Mel’s salon suggested highlights. That way Rhett would get her blonde back, but her roots wouldn’t show as much as her hair grew. That sounded great, as did the layers the stylist urged her to have cut in her shoulder-length hair. The end result delighted her. Bangs swept across her forehead and made her eyes appear larger and brighter. The face-framing layers accentuated her high cheekbones and called attention to her defined jaw. And the color? She hadn't been that blonde since Lilith was born. Yes, it cost the earth, but, oh, it was worth every penny.

Thrilled with her new look, Rhett decided to show it off to her friend Elaine before she even made it home. Elaine and her husband Jack had been close to Todd and Rhett all the way back to high school, but Rhett hadn’t seen much of them since Todd died. The accident that took his life left Jack a paraplegic, and Elaine gave up socializing to stay home and take care of him. But Rhett still considered Elaine her closest friend, her only friend, and couldn’t wait to see her reaction to the new look.

“Well.” Elaine looked sideways at Rhett. “If you like it, that’s what counts.”

Stung, Rhett put a hand to her hair. “You don’t like it?”

“Oh, it’s pretty. It’s just a little ...” Elaine flapped her hands as she sought for the right word. “Young."

Rhett stared at her friend’s back as she poured coffee into two cups. Elaine’s pronouncement hurt, and she couldn’t stop the surge of defensiveness that rose to the surface.

“Sorry. I wasn’t aware there were age restrictions on hairstyles.”

The look of mingled exasperation and pity on Elaine’s face as she put the coffee mugs on the glass-topped kitchen table did nothing to soothe wounded feelings.

“Now, Rhett. You know what I mean.” Elaine sat down and cradled a mug between her hands. “I just don’t want you going middle-age crazy or anything.”

“Good grief. It’s not like I bought a sports car. I got my hair highlighted.”

“Now, hun, don’t get mad.” Elaine reached across the table. “It’s just a little bright for someone your age.”

Rhett ignored the proffered hand and crossed her arms over her chest. “So, what then? Because I’m in my forties I’m supposed to fade into the background?”

The pity faded, leaving only exasperation behind. “Look, I’ve kind of been expecting this since Todd died. I’ve seen too many widows go off the deep end, and I don’t want you making a fool of yourself like they do.”

“And coloring my hair is making a fool of myself?” Rhett realized her voice was louder than it needed to be, but she didn’t care.

Elaine’s voice also rose a few decibels. “Face facts, Rhett. You’re a middle-aged widow, and that hair color is too close to what you had in high school. If you keep on like this, next thing I know you’ll be dressed in head-to-toe leopard print and wearing a sign that says, ‘Desperate Cougar Seeking Prey.’ I know you don’t want to hear it, but you need to accept that your glory days are over.”

Through the hurt and anger, the beginning of doubt crept into Rhett’s mind. Maybe she was a fool to even think of embracing the excitement and joy of her past. While she was tired of looking downtrodden, she sure didn’t want to come off as desperate. She thought she wanted to be more like Mel, but maybe she was too close to Mel to see what she really looked like. What Rhett saw as a strong woman, confident and proud, others might see as the cougar Elaine referenced.

“Don’t listen to her, Rhett.”

At the unexpected voice, both women started and jerked their heads towards the doorway to the living room. Jack had approached, the wheels of his chair silenced by the carpet, and took them both by surprise. Though his words were directed to Rhett, it was his wife he stared at, his face set into tight lines of anger and his eyes filled with disgust.

“Don’t listen to her,” he repeated, glaring at Elaine.

“Jack.” Elaine recovered from her surprise and put a hand on her chest as if to still her heart. “I thought you were napping.”

When Jack transferred his gaze to Rhett, the disgust was absent, even though his face remained tight. “You don’t look like a fool, and you don’t look like someone whose glory days are over. You’ve always been a looker, Rhett, and you still are. I like your hairdo. It suits you. So don’t pay any attention to the bitching of a woman who’s jealous of you and always has been.”

Two hectic patches appeared on Elaine’s cheeks. “What’s wrong with you? Have you overdosed on your pain meds or something?”

“Give me a break, Elaine,” Jack snapped. “You’ve had a stick up your ass about Rhett since high school. I’ve sat by and listened to you run her down behind her back for years. Every good thing she ever got, you tried to make it bad. And it’s time she knew the truth. You’ve been sniping about her since she beat you out for homecoming queen.”