The Hairdresser Diaries (35 page)

I jumped off the bed, rushing to find some clothes to throw on.

“Tatum, where are you going?” Cole asked.

“To find Alex.”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.” I spun in circles panicking trying to find something, anything.

“Tatum stop.” Cole got up from the bed.

“I can’t, I need to get to her now, she’s in trouble.”

“You don’t even know where she is…Tatum…” I ignored him still searching. “Tatum…”

“Are you going to help me or just sit there,” I yelled throwing my hands up in the air exasperated.

Cole grabbed my arms trying to calm me down. “Tatum, I will help you, but you need to calm down first and we need to figure out exactly where Alex is.”

I put my hand to my head. “I don’t know…I don’t know, I don’t know!” I screamed and started to cry.

Cole pulled me into his chest trying to calm me down. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “We’ll figure it out. What did you hear in the background?”

“I don’t know it was so noisy…really loud music…”

“What kind of music?”

“I guess dance.”

“Did you hear anything else, like bells, or whistles?”

“A siren, I heard a siren.”

Cole squeezed me a little tighter. “I know where she’s at,” he sighed. I pulled back.

“Where, where is she?”

“At the Club.” I saw his face and I knew that was the last place he was hoping she’d be.

We got dressed and I called Tyler on the way and told him to meet us there. They wouldn’t let him in, but it still helped to have him there once we got her outside. Cole also called Tommy to help us have a little more muscle on our side if need be.

We got there ahead of everyone else so we waited until they arrived. Jessie came along with Tommy. The boys wanted us to stay outside, but we refused and insisted we go with. They knew arguing with us they wouldn’t win.

Cole pulled me aside. “Tatum, before we go in here, I just…”

“Look, whatever happened in the past is in the past, you don’t have to worry…I promise, cross my heart.” I drew an ‘x’ over my heart. He hugged and kissed me and then took my hand before we walked in.

I braced myself for what I was about to see. I could handle naked chicks and whatever else went on in this club, but I couldn’t bear to see my friend suffering.

Once inside, I looked around for Alex. We barely made it ten feet before the workers started to recognize Cole.

“Cole, baby, where have you been?” asked one of the dancers putting her arms around him. I tried hard not to get angry and remember we were here to get Alex. He peeled the dancer off of him. “What did you want to do tonight?” she asked.

“Sorry, but I’m looking for a friend of mine.”

“I’m all the friend you need right here,” she said putting her hands all over him again.

Now it was time for me to step in. I wanted to rip her to shreds and tell her what I really thought of her, but I knew that wouldn’t get me anywhere. “Look, like he said, were looking for our friend Alex.”

“Who?” she said confused.

“Alex, long dark hair, blue eyes, has a butterfly tattoo on her thigh.”

“Oh, you mean Alexa,” she said and pointed in the direction of the stage.

Alexa, really, how original.

I blew past the girl and straight for the stage, but all I saw was Bambi. I couldn’t even begin to describe what the place looked like. I was here for one purpose and that was Alex. I spun in circles, neck craning, eyes searching everywhere, but no Alex.

I noticed Bambi had found her way over to Cole. She was the last person I wanted to talk to right now, but she if anyone, would know where Alex is. I stood behind her, listening to her pathetic attempts to flirt with Cole.

“So I see you came to your senses and ditched the bitch. I’m happy you came home. We missed you…I missed you,” Bambi said running her finger down Cole’s chest, smiling seductively. I tapped her on the shoulder and when she turned around and saw me, she wasn’t smiling anymore. “You,” she grunted.

“Look whore, you’ve got about five seconds to back the fuck up before I knock you on your ass.”

“It’s not my fault you weren’t woman enough for your man. I knew he’d come back eventually.” She started to run her hands all over Cole, but he pulled away.

“Stop,” Cole said to Bambi.

“You know you want me to,” she purred.

“No I don’t,” he said ripping her hands off of him.

“I get it,” Bambi turned to me. “You can pretend all you want while she’s here, but we know who it is you really want.”

“I won’t pretend anymore, and the truth is you’re right, the one I really want,” Cole turned to me, “is this one right here,” he smiled gently at me. “And she’s also who I’m going to let loose on you if you don’t tell us where Alex is.”

Bambi crossed her arms in a huff annoyed. “I’m not telling you shit!”

I grabbed her by the throat and pushed her up against a wall. Almost instantly bouncers surrounded us, Cole, Tommy, and Jessie stalled for time.

“You’re going to tell me now! Where is she?” I demanded. Bambi’s eyes grew wide with terror and I squeezed harder just before I let go. Her hands went to her neck and she started gasping. She pointed to a door over near the stage. I rushed over and charged through the door. Alex was lying on the floor face down.

I ran to her, rolled her over, she was still breathing, but barely. “Alex.” I brushed her hair off her face that stuck from sweat.

She batted her eyes. “Tatum,” she said weakly.

Cole walked through the door. “Help me get her up.”

We lifted her up, she was hardly coherent. Cole and I stood on each side of her carrying her out. Tommy and Jessie flanked themselves around us on our way out of the club. Fortunately the bouncers stayed clear as they watched Alex being carried past finally realizing something serious was going on. As soon as we got outside Tyler came running up and picked Alex up into his arms. He had fear and concern written all over his face.

“She needs to get to the hospital,” I said. They all agreed.

The doctors made us wait in the emergency waiting room. Tyler paced angrily back and forth. Blaming himself, saying if he hadn’t given up, none of this would have happened. I tried comforting him and telling him it wasn’t his fault and this unfortunately would have happened anyway.

One of the Doctors that was taking care of Alex came out and Tyler almost attacked him. “How is she?”

“She’s stable now. She had a bit of a scare. Does anyone know what she took tonight?”

We all shook our heads no.

“We found quite a bit of drugs and alcohol in her system. We’ll know more shortly.”

“Can we see her?” Tyler asked.

“Only one for now, the rest can visit her tomorrow.”

“Tyler, you go ahead,” I said. I knew he would be a mess if he couldn’t see her now. “Why don’t you guys go home? There’s nothing else we can do for her now,” I told Tommy and Jessie.

“You’ll let us know if anything changes?” Jessie asked.

“I will, I promise, and thank you.” I gave them both a hug and kiss goodbye and sat back down in the waiting room.

Cole sat down next to me. “You’re tired and it’s late, I think we she should head home too.”

“I just want to make sure Tyler is okay, and then we can go.” Cole just kissed me on top of my head and I leaned on his shoulder.

After about a half an hour I sneaked back to Alex’s room to check on Tyler. He told me he was going to stay with her. I squeezed his shoulder and told him to call me if he needed anything and I would be back in the morning.

Exhausted, Cole and I headed home and I made sure I set the alarm early so I could get up and go back to the hospital.

I had another dream that night. Same as the last one, everything was black, but I could hear voices. This time it was Tyler. “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, I should’ve…I’m so sorry, we need you back, I can’t lose you now.”

When I woke up I didn’t think too much about it. I just figured it was me worrying about Alex. I got up right away, got dressed, and headed for the hospital. I didn’t bother to wake Cole. I just left him a note, telling him where I was.

Alex was awake when I got there. “Good morning,” I said as I walked through the door.

“Hi,” Alex said in a soft voice. I didn’t see Tyler around and I thought I’d ask her later.

“How you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been hit by a bus,” she said her voice scratchy and hoarse.

“The Doc says I should be able to leave today, but I have to have someone monitor me. He thinks I’m a drug addict and might be suicidal,” she laughed.

“What happened last night?” I asked.

“I’m not exactly sure…I remember I was feeling really nervous. They wanted me to do a private show. Bambi gave me something to calm my nerves.”

“What was it?”

“I don’t know,” she said bashfully.

“The Doctor said you had a lot of drugs and alcohol in your system,” I said calmly hoping she’d be honest with me.

She turned her head to the side, too ashamed and embarrassed to even look at me. “We always did shots and had a few before we went on stage to help get over the fear and loosen up.”

“And the drugs,” I said quietly.

Alex let out a breath. “Cocaine…Bambi gave it to me my first night. She told me it would help me relax.” I closed my eyes and squeezed her hand. I had no idea what to say to her. “Thank you,” she whispered. I looked up and she was now facing me. “Thank you for not turning your back on me.”

“Alex I never would.”

“I would have…I was horrible to you and the things I said…”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t matter.”

“It does, and I’m sorry.”

“The important thing is you’re safe now and we’re going to do whatever we have to to help you get better.” She smiled sweetly at me as Tyler walked into the room. “Hey, I was wondering where you were.”

“I went to the cafeteria to get some food,” he said offering me an apple. I waved it off.

I stayed with Alex for about an hour and went home to get ready for work. Tyler said he would take Alex home once she got released and he would stay with her at her place for a while. I told him I would go over there first and make sure everything is cleaned up and free of all drugs and alcohol.

After work I called Jessie to help me get Alex’s house ready before she came home. Jessie, Peyton, Cole and I picked up some cleaning supplies and went to work on Alex’s house. It was a mess, worse than the last time I was here. Trash everywhere, empty food containers, dirty dishes—containing leftover food that looked like it was in there for weeks—and empty liquor bottles everywhere.

We started picking up all the trash first. Peyton screamed when she picked up an old Chinese food container and a cockroach scurried across the table. I panicked not knowing where it was—I don’t do bugs.

“There it is!” Jessie yelled and we all ran screaming for the couch.

Cole and Tommy busted through the door, running inside after hearing us scream. “What is it, what’s wrong?” Cole said in a rush.

“There’s a cockroach on the floor,” I said panicked. Relieved, Cole and Tommy laughed at us. “It’s not funny, get it,” I said pointing.

Tommy walked over, found it, and crushed it with his shoe. It made a loud crunching noise.

“Eww, gross,” Jessie cowered.

Once we knew it was safe, we stepped off the sofa and cautiously continued to clean. Cole, semi-laughing said, “Why don’t you girls take a break, Tommy and I will pick up where you left off.” We thought that was a good idea.

Before we stepped outside, we opened all the windows to air out some of the funk smell. We sat and chatted for about twenty minutes before we went back in to finish. By then the boys had all the trash picked up and volunteered to do most of the real dirty work. We scrubbed the house from top to bottom and got rid of all the booze and drugs. We changed all the locks and installed an alarm system. It’s possible we might have been acting a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry. We also threw out all her skanky clothes and outfits she accumulated recently.

After we were finished, I went into each room and plugged in air fresheners. We got done about an hour before Alex was to come home. Not wanting to overwhelm her, we left her a note and the new keys on the table. Tyler already told me he’d be spending the week at her place.

Once home and finally knowing Alex was safe, it was easier for me to fall asleep at night.

As the weeks went on, things went back to normal. And I didn’t have any more crazy dreams. Alex and Tyler were no longer hiding their feelings for each other and she also got her job back at the salon—with some groveling. Teresa told her she would be on probation; one screw up and she was gone. Alex learned her lesson and was back to being her cheery, old, sweet self.

Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear…

- Unknown

It was only a week away from Kristi’s wedding and I couldn’t wait. My dad and sister were coming back for the wedding so I’d get to see them again. I picked them up on Thursday and Cole came with me. My dad was actually pleased to see us together and ecstatic when I told him we were engaged. I let Cole drive home from the airport with my dad in the front seat. They chatted while I sat in the back with Trina and she caught me up on all the latest gossip at her school.