True-Blue Cowboy - Vicki Lewis Thompson Page 0,66

and Ed. They kept the Babes entertained with wild stories about the years they’d worked together in Hollywood.

The tales required much body language, with Ellie Mae bouncing in Eva’s salon chair and Ed twirling around in Josette’s. Without Josette to help corral Ellie Mae, Eva would have had a mess on her hands.

Halfway through the coloring process, the octogenarians decided to teach the group some bawdy songs. They knew a lot of them. The more champagne they consumed, the more risque the songs. Eva hadn’t laughed so hard in years. Maybe ever.

They were in the middle of Do They Hang Too Low when Ben Malone showed up with food from the Moose. Ellie Mae and Ed kept singing the raunchy lyrics as Henri cleared a path so he could push the multi-tiered trolley into the salon. He grinned, tipped his hat and took off, moving fast. Henri laughed and hurried after him.

Ed stopped singing. “Go get him, Henri!”

Ellie Mae and the Babes picked up their cue, chanting get him, Henri! until Pam waved her arms. “That’s enough. They’re too far down the block to hear us.”

“Are they kissing?” Ellie Mae, her hair covered with strips of folded tinfoil, popped up from Eva’s chair and hurried to the door, vinyl cape flapping. “I want a visual to take home with me.”

Eva looked over at Josette and smiled. “She’s not very good at sitting quietly, is she?”

“At least no one’s suggested dancing, or I’ll bet she’d be doing that. C’mon, let’s go see what’s happening.”

“Oh, darn.” Ellie Mae’s voice carried as she moved from the doorway to the sidewalk where the others were gathered. “They’re just talking.”

“Talking’s good.” Peggy rose on her tiptoes to peer over Ellie Mae’s thicket of foil. “Does anybody know what went on during their date Sunday night?”

“I’m convinced she’s told nobody,” Lucy said.

“I’d call that promising if it was special enough to keep private.” Josette pulled her phone from her pocket. “Ellie Mae, it’s time to check your color.”

“I’ll be there in a flash.” She edged over to the curb so she could see down the block. “Shoot, Henri’s coming back… no, wait! He grabbed her arm. He’s pulling her close, aaaannnd…we have lip-lock!”

Eva’s heart squeezed. Good for them. A cheer went up from the group on the sidewalk.

Ed started making shooing motions. “Okay, everyone back inside. Let them finish their kiss in peace.”

“We don’t all fit inside, Edna Jane.”

“As many as are comfortable, then. Who wants more champagne? I’m not taking any back home.”

Ellie Mae scooted back to Eva’s chair. “I want more, but first I have to get my color checked.”

Eva took one side and Josette the other as they each unfolded one strip of foil. “Looks great,” Eva said.

Josette nodded. “Terrific. You do good work.”

“Am I blue?” Ellie Mae wriggled with excitement.

“You sure are,” Josette said. “Time to get you shampooed and gorgeous.”

“Edna Jane, can we all go to the Moose when I’m finished so I can show it off?”

“Don’t see why not. We might have to head down there, anyway, to fetch Henri.”

“I love this plan. We can finish off the champagne while I’m getting beautiful and then zip down to the Moose, check on Henri and Ben, and dance a bit.”

“You’ll be the belle of the ball with this hair, Ellie Mae.” Eva lowered the back of the chair and slipped a folded towel between Ellie’s neck and the lip of the shampoo bowl. With Josette working on one side and Eva on the other, they divested her of the foil in no time.

Josette rinsed her hands. “She’s all yours for the shampoo and blow dry. I’m going to treat myself to some of Ed’s champagne.”

“By all means. Thanks for the help.”

“It was fun.”

“You’re a hard worker, Eva,” Ellie Mae said. “I appreciate all the time you’ve put in.”

“It’s a treat doing this for you.”

“Everyone’s champagned up except you, Eva.” Ed reclaimed Josette’s chair. “Can I pour you a glass?”

“Thank you, but I’d better not. I can have cider when we go to the Moose, though.” She ran warm water over Ellie Mae’s hair.

“That’ll be on me.” Ed spun the chair. “What a great few days this has been. I can’t decide which thrills me more, all the money we raised with that auction or Henri and Ben finally getting it on.”

Ellie Mae closed her eyes and sighed happily as Eva worked shampoo into her hair. “Strictly speaking, Edna Jane, we don’t know they’re getting it on. Only that they’re to the