Saving Wishes

Saving Wishes Part 8

17. White Knight

The main street of Pipers Cove resembled a ghost town on weekends. Rolling tumbleweed wouldn't have looked out of place. None of the shops were open except Norm's hardware store, which traded until three.

The row of angled parking bays lining the street was empty with the exception of the infamous blue Festiva, crookedly parked right outside the salon.

"What is she doing here?" asked Nicole bitterly.

I had no clue why the Beautifuls' car was parked there but had no doubt we were about to find out. Nicole was never one to hold back. She stormed the building with the gusto of a police raid, pushing open the glass door with her entire body. The candy pink vertical blinds wobbled in every direction as the gush of outside air caught them.

The Beautifuls seemed to wobble a bit too. Lisa – who had been lounging along the pink velvet couch in the waiting area – sat bolt upright, knocking the cotton wool balls that were stuffed between her newly pedicured toes flying in every direction. Jasmine was at the basin, rinsing Lily's hair when we walked in. They were now both covered in water. The only one who didn't jump out of her skin was Lily. Poor, oblivious Lily. A bomb could have gone off and she would have continued reading her magazine.

"What do you think you're doing?" snapped Jasmine, reaching for a towel to dry herself off.

"I could ask you the same question," spat Nicole, angrily.

Jasmine gave up trying to dry the front of her tight fitting red shirt and turned her attention back to her sister. She rubbed Lily's hair so brutally that her voice shook as she spoke. "What does it look like we're doing?"

"It looks like you're treating your posse to free products."

The chief Beautiful chuckled darkly, infuriating Nicole. I watched from the doorway as she marched over to Jasmine and ripped the towel from her grip. Lily squealed loudly and grabbed the back of her head. I wondered if Nicole had managed to tear out her over-bleached hair in the process.

Nicole spelled it out for them in no uncertain terms by speaking slowly and loudly. "You're stealing."

Jasmine's shameless snicker proved something we already knew. They were morally bankrupt. "It's not stealing. It's market research," she said, raking through Lily's hair with a wide-toothed comb.

Lisa stood up, waddling toward Nicole with the grace of a drunken duck, trying to not disturb the remaining cotton wool between her toes.

"We come in every few Saturdays when the new stock comes in, to try it out," she explained. She had the intellect of the world's dumbest criminal and I bit my bottom lip to stop myself laughing out loud at her stupid admission.

Jasmine shushed Lisa, directing a poisonous glare square at her but it was too late. Nicole pieced it all together instantly. One of Jasmine's duties as Carol's apprentice was ordering new stock. Judging by the way Lily was studying the product catalogue; they were ordering whatever they fancied and intercepting it without Carol ever knowing.

"You wait until my mother finds out," warned Nicole, unfortunately sounding juvenile.

Jasmine didn't look alarmed. If anything she looked even more demonic than usual as she stepped toward Nicole, waving the plastic comb at her. "Are you planning to dob on us, Nicole? Because that would be a huge mistake."

"You're a thief!"

Jasmine sauntered back to Lily's chair. "What would happen if I got in first?" she mused. "I could call her and tell her everything."