LJ Idol, Season 11 - Week 15
Title: Emergency Hair
Topic: busman's holiday
Penny's girlfriend Iona was a hair stylist, which sometimes meant that “go on vacation” was really “spend quality time in museums looking at art and trying to figure out how all those women did their hair”. But it also meant that when Penny's best friend from college asked Penny to be in her wedding, and the stylist she hired to do the bridal party's hair flaked at the last minute, Penny had a solution in her back pocket.
“Are you dressed?” Penny asked, the second Iona answered her phone.
“In a towel,” Iona said. “I went for a swim. Did you forget something?”
“Addie's stylist didn't show up. How do you feel about doing some wedding hair?” Penny glanced over at Addie, who was wearing a robe (so as not to tempt fate by getting into her wedding dress too soon) and bitching mightily at someone on her phone. The rest of the bridesmaids were sitting around the suite the venue had given them, in various states of readiness, discussing how important professionally-done wedding hair was, anyway.
“When are the pictures?” Iona asked.
“Addie? How long do we have before pictures?”
Addie held up a finger, too busy bitching to answer.
“I don't know,” Penny said to Iona. “How fast can you get over here?”
“I think I can be ready in twenty minutes. I'm just going to put my hair up. The venue's, what?”
“Ten minutes away? I'll tell Addie half an hour. Hurry.” She hung up.
Addie had always been a planner, and the wedding day was so tightly scheduled that the loss of the hair stylist, and the subsequent hole in the schedule, threw everything off. But Penny was a good improviser, and one of Addie's cousins, who had three kids, was used to things not going to plan. Between the two of them they got everyone reorganized and Addie calmed down enough so that when Iona showed up ready to do hair, the bridal party had more or less gotten back on track.
Addie cared about three things - that they were ready for the photographer on time, that said photographer was done with the formal photos before the ceremony, and that everyone looked good. Penny and the cousin helped with the first part, Iona was here to help with the third, and the second was out of their hands.
Addie was arguing with one of the bridesmaids about lipstick when Iona appeared brandishing a round brush.
“Oh good,” the cousin said, “the cavalry's here.” She interrupted Addie and made her sit backwards in a chair, waved Iona over, and told the bridesmaid with the lipstick that it was way too dark and she needed a more daytime color.
Addie looked frazzled. Penny took both of her hands.
“You know Iona's a professional,” she said. “She does this for a living. She'll make you beautiful.”
“She doesn't know what I want,” Addie said. “We didn't have a consult. You don't know what I want,” she told Iona.
“So what do you want?” Iona asked reasonably.
“Get my phone,” Addie told Penny. Penny fetched it and Addie scrolled through the many pictures she'd collected of bridal hair, finally settling on a shot of a woman with a fancy twist decorated with a lot of little pearls. “How fast can you do this?”
“She doesn't have a veil,” Penny said.
“That makes it easier,” Iona said. She issued orders to the other bridesmaids and soon she had a collection of hair care products, brushes, combs, a curling iron, and a pile of hairpins tipped with rhinestones and fake pearls.
“Breathe,” Penny told Addie. Addie took an exaggerated breath. She looked at the time on her phone. Penny took it away from her and handed it off to the cousin. “No distractions. Trust Iona.”
The party planner from the venue stuck her head in the suite fifteen minutes later to give them an update on the arrangements (flowers had arrived, photographer should be on the way, bartender would set up during the ceremony) and ask if Addie wanted anything to eat or drink.
“Just a snack,” the cousin said, “and some water, please. Nothing with sauce. Or juice.” Addie hadn't gotten dressed yet but most of the bridesmaids had, and the cousin, as a mother of boys, knew that if anyone was wearing anything dressy, and they hadn't actually gotten to the event yet, something was bound to get on someone's clothes.
“Are you breathing?” Penny asked Addie. Addie nodded.
“Don't move,” Iona told her. “Pins.” She held out a hand and one of the bridesmaids gave her a bunch of bobby pins. The bridesmaids were all standing (or sitting) around watching and chatting and taking pictures with their phones. Addie's cousin told them all to finish getting ready, because as soon as Iona was done, she was going to give their hair touch-ups while they got Addie into her dress.
“You didn't tell me I'd have to do the bridesmaids too,” Iona whispered to Penny.
“I wasn't sure,” Penny whispered back. The bridesmaids had all tried to fix their own hair in the time it took for Iona to get to the venue from the hotel. “It won't be a problem.”
“You say that now.”
“You know you love it.”
“Stop whispering,” Addie demanded. “What time is it?”
“You have lots of time,” one of the bridesmaids said, and was immediately contradicted by another who said “Isn't the photographer supposed to be here in like fifteen minutes?”
“Shush,” Addie's cousin told her.
“I have to pee,” Addie said.
“Five minutes,” Iona said, her hands full of pins and hair.
Five minutes later she tapped Addie on the shoulder and said “I'm not quite done but I can take a break. Go pee.” Addie hustled off to the toilet. One of the bridesmaids plopped down in the chair, tried to fluff her pin-straight hair with both hands, and asked “Can you make it curly?”
“Not right now,” Iona told her.
“Curls would look so conventional,” said one of the other bridesmaids, the one who'd wanted to wear the inappropriately dark lipstick.
“So would straight hair.”
Dark Lipstick waved a hand dismissively. Addie came back and Iona shooed Straight Hair out of the chair.
Iona had just finished spritzing Addie's hair with a strong-holding spray when the party planner returned to tell them the photographer had arrived and was setting up by the grand staircase. The groom and groomsmen were ready, as were both fathers and the groom's mother, who had opted not to get ready with the bridal party.
“Shit,” Addie said. Penny thought she could hear a note of panic in Addie's voice, but that could also be related to the mention of her future mother-in-law, who didn't like her and wasn't subtle about it. “I'm not dressed.”
“Your hair's done,” Iona said. Penny gave Iona her phone so Iona could take some pictures of her handiwork. It was important to document even the casual, I-didn't-get-paid-for-this hair. Addie climbed out of the chair and went into the bathroom to look at herself. Her cousin told the party planner they'd help Addie with her dress and jewelry and in the meantime if the photographer wanted to take some pictures of the venue or any combination of wedding party that didn't involve the bride or bridesmaids, that would be great.
“You're still on schedule,” the party planner said, although the only person whose reassurance mattered was admiring her wedding hair in the bathroom and couldn't hear. “I'll let the photographer know.” She left.
Addie came out of the bathroom and hugged Iona so tightly that Iona bugged her eyes out at Penny and mouthed “Help” over Addie's shoulder. Addie kissed her on the cheek.
“My hair's beautiful,” she said. “You saved me. I'm going to cry. Thank you so much.”
“Don't cry,” Penny told her, “you'll ruin your makeup.”
“Time for the dress,” the cousin said, and Addie reluctantly let Iona go.
“You wanna watch us get our pictures taken?” Penny asked.
“Fun,” one of the bridesmaids said, sounding unconvinced.
“I'll stand off to the side with extra hairpins,” Iona offered.
“You're a lifesaver,” Penny told her, after Addie was dressed and accessorized and on her way out of the suite towards the photographer, her cousin carefully walking behind her holding her train.
“I know.”
“You could probably send her an invoice and she'd pay it.”
“No, I'll consider it a wedding present. Well, another wedding present. Besides, it was fun. I will remind you about this the next time you complain that I want to look at classical sculptures instead of some other touristy thing, though.”
“So noted.” Penny stopped her just long enough to kiss her on the mouth, then jogged to catch up with the rest of the bridal party.
The original hair stylist flat out not showing up was fortunately the only scheduling hiccup. Addie told anyone who asked about her rescue stylist, and several total strangers complimented Iona on the bridal hair. Penny decided that the next time she and Iona got invited to a celebratory occasion, she was going to make Iona bring some business cards, just in case. You never knew when you might have to call on your stylist girlfriend to do someone's emergency hair.
Topic: busman's holiday
Penny's girlfriend Iona was a hair stylist, which sometimes meant that “go on vacation” was really “spend quality time in museums looking at art and trying to figure out how all those women did their hair”. But it also meant that when Penny's best friend from college asked Penny to be in her wedding, and the stylist she hired to do the bridal party's hair flaked at the last minute, Penny had a solution in her back pocket.
“Are you dressed?” Penny asked, the second Iona answered her phone.
“In a towel,” Iona said. “I went for a swim. Did you forget something?”
“Addie's stylist didn't show up. How do you feel about doing some wedding hair?” Penny glanced over at Addie, who was wearing a robe (so as not to tempt fate by getting into her wedding dress too soon) and bitching mightily at someone on her phone. The rest of the bridesmaids were sitting around the suite the venue had given them, in various states of readiness, discussing how important professionally-done wedding hair was, anyway.
“When are the pictures?” Iona asked.
“Addie? How long do we have before pictures?”
Addie held up a finger, too busy bitching to answer.
“I don't know,” Penny said to Iona. “How fast can you get over here?”
“I think I can be ready in twenty minutes. I'm just going to put my hair up. The venue's, what?”
“Ten minutes away? I'll tell Addie half an hour. Hurry.” She hung up.
Addie had always been a planner, and the wedding day was so tightly scheduled that the loss of the hair stylist, and the subsequent hole in the schedule, threw everything off. But Penny was a good improviser, and one of Addie's cousins, who had three kids, was used to things not going to plan. Between the two of them they got everyone reorganized and Addie calmed down enough so that when Iona showed up ready to do hair, the bridal party had more or less gotten back on track.
Addie cared about three things - that they were ready for the photographer on time, that said photographer was done with the formal photos before the ceremony, and that everyone looked good. Penny and the cousin helped with the first part, Iona was here to help with the third, and the second was out of their hands.
Addie was arguing with one of the bridesmaids about lipstick when Iona appeared brandishing a round brush.
“Oh good,” the cousin said, “the cavalry's here.” She interrupted Addie and made her sit backwards in a chair, waved Iona over, and told the bridesmaid with the lipstick that it was way too dark and she needed a more daytime color.
Addie looked frazzled. Penny took both of her hands.
“You know Iona's a professional,” she said. “She does this for a living. She'll make you beautiful.”
“She doesn't know what I want,” Addie said. “We didn't have a consult. You don't know what I want,” she told Iona.
“So what do you want?” Iona asked reasonably.
“Get my phone,” Addie told Penny. Penny fetched it and Addie scrolled through the many pictures she'd collected of bridal hair, finally settling on a shot of a woman with a fancy twist decorated with a lot of little pearls. “How fast can you do this?”
“She doesn't have a veil,” Penny said.
“That makes it easier,” Iona said. She issued orders to the other bridesmaids and soon she had a collection of hair care products, brushes, combs, a curling iron, and a pile of hairpins tipped with rhinestones and fake pearls.
“Breathe,” Penny told Addie. Addie took an exaggerated breath. She looked at the time on her phone. Penny took it away from her and handed it off to the cousin. “No distractions. Trust Iona.”
The party planner from the venue stuck her head in the suite fifteen minutes later to give them an update on the arrangements (flowers had arrived, photographer should be on the way, bartender would set up during the ceremony) and ask if Addie wanted anything to eat or drink.
“Just a snack,” the cousin said, “and some water, please. Nothing with sauce. Or juice.” Addie hadn't gotten dressed yet but most of the bridesmaids had, and the cousin, as a mother of boys, knew that if anyone was wearing anything dressy, and they hadn't actually gotten to the event yet, something was bound to get on someone's clothes.
“Are you breathing?” Penny asked Addie. Addie nodded.
“Don't move,” Iona told her. “Pins.” She held out a hand and one of the bridesmaids gave her a bunch of bobby pins. The bridesmaids were all standing (or sitting) around watching and chatting and taking pictures with their phones. Addie's cousin told them all to finish getting ready, because as soon as Iona was done, she was going to give their hair touch-ups while they got Addie into her dress.
“You didn't tell me I'd have to do the bridesmaids too,” Iona whispered to Penny.
“I wasn't sure,” Penny whispered back. The bridesmaids had all tried to fix their own hair in the time it took for Iona to get to the venue from the hotel. “It won't be a problem.”
“You say that now.”
“You know you love it.”
“Stop whispering,” Addie demanded. “What time is it?”
“You have lots of time,” one of the bridesmaids said, and was immediately contradicted by another who said “Isn't the photographer supposed to be here in like fifteen minutes?”
“Shush,” Addie's cousin told her.
“I have to pee,” Addie said.
“Five minutes,” Iona said, her hands full of pins and hair.
Five minutes later she tapped Addie on the shoulder and said “I'm not quite done but I can take a break. Go pee.” Addie hustled off to the toilet. One of the bridesmaids plopped down in the chair, tried to fluff her pin-straight hair with both hands, and asked “Can you make it curly?”
“Not right now,” Iona told her.
“Curls would look so conventional,” said one of the other bridesmaids, the one who'd wanted to wear the inappropriately dark lipstick.
“So would straight hair.”
Dark Lipstick waved a hand dismissively. Addie came back and Iona shooed Straight Hair out of the chair.
Iona had just finished spritzing Addie's hair with a strong-holding spray when the party planner returned to tell them the photographer had arrived and was setting up by the grand staircase. The groom and groomsmen were ready, as were both fathers and the groom's mother, who had opted not to get ready with the bridal party.
“Shit,” Addie said. Penny thought she could hear a note of panic in Addie's voice, but that could also be related to the mention of her future mother-in-law, who didn't like her and wasn't subtle about it. “I'm not dressed.”
“Your hair's done,” Iona said. Penny gave Iona her phone so Iona could take some pictures of her handiwork. It was important to document even the casual, I-didn't-get-paid-for-this hair. Addie climbed out of the chair and went into the bathroom to look at herself. Her cousin told the party planner they'd help Addie with her dress and jewelry and in the meantime if the photographer wanted to take some pictures of the venue or any combination of wedding party that didn't involve the bride or bridesmaids, that would be great.
“You're still on schedule,” the party planner said, although the only person whose reassurance mattered was admiring her wedding hair in the bathroom and couldn't hear. “I'll let the photographer know.” She left.
Addie came out of the bathroom and hugged Iona so tightly that Iona bugged her eyes out at Penny and mouthed “Help” over Addie's shoulder. Addie kissed her on the cheek.
“My hair's beautiful,” she said. “You saved me. I'm going to cry. Thank you so much.”
“Don't cry,” Penny told her, “you'll ruin your makeup.”
“Time for the dress,” the cousin said, and Addie reluctantly let Iona go.
“You wanna watch us get our pictures taken?” Penny asked.
“Fun,” one of the bridesmaids said, sounding unconvinced.
“I'll stand off to the side with extra hairpins,” Iona offered.
“You're a lifesaver,” Penny told her, after Addie was dressed and accessorized and on her way out of the suite towards the photographer, her cousin carefully walking behind her holding her train.
“I know.”
“You could probably send her an invoice and she'd pay it.”
“No, I'll consider it a wedding present. Well, another wedding present. Besides, it was fun. I will remind you about this the next time you complain that I want to look at classical sculptures instead of some other touristy thing, though.”
“So noted.” Penny stopped her just long enough to kiss her on the mouth, then jogged to catch up with the rest of the bridal party.
The original hair stylist flat out not showing up was fortunately the only scheduling hiccup. Addie told anyone who asked about her rescue stylist, and several total strangers complimented Iona on the bridal hair. Penny decided that the next time she and Iona got invited to a celebratory occasion, she was going to make Iona bring some business cards, just in case. You never knew when you might have to call on your stylist girlfriend to do someone's emergency hair.