Don't Mess With Lady C's

Revenge doesn’t always work in the best interest of those involved. In fact, it seldom does. And then you always have the risk of it all unraveling in your sticky fingers. Fingerprints, DNA, screening devices, technology all have a role to help or hinder. Then, just when you think you have it all figured out, something unexpected comes into play.

Dreaming of becoming wealthy, Christina ran her own salon and spa. Hosting wealthy clients who desired to have almost every part of their body exfoliated, waxed, clipped, styled, polished, massaged, steamed, evacuated and more, Christina was well on her way. Starting as a nail artist when she was 19, Christina grew her business, using the sense that her mother taught her, until she was now, at 29, successful. Becoming a millionaire by 30 was her goal, and this was surpassed. Competition by her rival spa did not faze Christina. One step ahead of their efforts, Christina’s Salon and Spa was leading the game.

Competition being as it is by nature, it was not always pretty. Smearing Christina’s business became the method that her chief competitor used. Connections with the health department by Charlene’s Salon and Spa did not help matters. Visits from health department officials happened on a monthly basis. When strange mold showed up, she knew better. Having to reprove that there was not a mold issue, she lost valuable time. Buckling from pressure would not happen for Christina as she had a plan. Charlene’s Salon and Spa had a weakness, more than shoddy equipment. Drawn to this one weakness, Christina figured out a way to not only take Charlene down but also get something she wanted.

Spying on Charlene could not have been easier for Christina. Located just a block away, it was easy to see how many cars were parked, just by a quick walk by. Insider knowledge was even better. Justin was that inside track. Single life was always a choice for Christina, but she had a penchant for spicy men. Spicy, indeed, was the man who was a stylist at Charlene’s. Justin carried a rock hard body with dark, glistening locks and a smile to match. Christina never tried to get him under her employ. Mixing relationships and revenue was never a good idea. Dating Justin was fun for Christina, but she had an agenda. Physical attraction was their forte and getting Justin to do whatever she wanted was as easy as wearing satin and lace.

Chilling the chardonnay, Christina summoned Justin over for a little after work treat. Confident he would come over, she was waiting for him, sans much more than a slinky black dress. Arriving timely, Christina offered Justin a glass of wine. Desirous of the vine almost as much as of her, Justin downed the glass and handed it to Christina. Knowing he wanted more, she refilled his glass. Justin rubbed his eyes and loosened his belt. Dozing, Justin was unaware of what Christina was doing. Slipping his pants off, Christina lay Justin on the couch and reached into his pockets until she found what she was looking for. Grabbing the keys, Christina slipped out the door. Mission minded, she was ready to execute her plan.

Slipping into Justin’s car, Christina drove off to Charlene’s Salon and Spa. Knowing they would be closed, Christina could execute her plan. Stopping at the one place nobody would expect her to be, she picked up the supplies needed and off she drove. Driving Justin’s car was all a part of the plan. Nobody would suspect anything if they saw his car behind the shop. Sometimes he would work late and it was not unusual to see his car sitting there. Unlocking the back door, easing in, just in case, it looked like it was all clear. Grabbing her bags of goods, Christina unleashed the rest of her plan. In and out and the next thing Christina knew was she was back to her apartment. Justin was still dozing and Christina crawled in bed and went to sleep.

Morning came and Justin was stirring in the kitchen. Brewing coffee, he called for Christina, but she was already in the shower with the bedroom door locked. Throbbing beyond belief, Justin’s head felt like it would explode. Confused what could cause this, he decided that he would call in sick for that day. Rarely was this something he did, but he was nauseous. Hurling at the shop would not be a good idea.

Justin went home and took aspirin, a shower and crawled into bed. Intending to call in, Justin grabbed his phone and dozed off while pushing the buttons. Pounding on his door, Charlene was doing all she could to stir Justin. Drowsy and staggering, he answered the door. Rubbing eyes, he saw Charlene through blurs. Screaming beyond any tantrum she had ever had, “What the hell are you trying to do? Why are you home? Were you out with that tramp last night?” Before Justin could say anything, Charlene ranted more. “It’s all on the camera. Christina was with you last night at my salon. She was carrying bags inside. You must have been waiting in the getaway car.”

“What, what are you trying to say? I was at Christina’s all night. What do you mean my car? Getaway? I don’t know what you are talking about.” Justin was waking more, now but his head was pounding. “I have a horrible headache. What I remember from last night was wine and sleep.”

Angry and confused, Charlene wanted to believe Justin. Aware that he was seeing Christina, she jumped to conclusions, but his car was there and he didn’t come in to work. “Explain how you helped that low life bitch get those bedbugs in my salon. You planned this out, didn’t you, didn’t you?”

Dropping his jaw wide open, Justin couldn’t speak. Feeling a raw dryness in his throat, he coughed repeatedly before falling on the couch. “Water, please.” Charlene handed him a water bottle, and he guzzled it dry. Shaking his head, Justin spoke, slowly and assuredly. “Charlene, why would I do anything to jeopardize my relationship with you? Your salon is my livelihood. You have got to believe me. The last thing I remember before I fell asleep at Christina’s is that I had wine.”

“Well, I want to believe you. You’ve never given me any worry. I mean, I knew you two were seeing each other, but I looked at that as security. I mean you don’t sleep where you eat, you know. It will be awhile before I can reopen the salon. I have a fumigation team over there now, but it has to be bug free, and those things were everywhere. Damn it. That bitch. Well, I only saw her on the playback, not you. She wouldn’t have seen the cams. Those secret cams were your idea. Nobody could see them.” She reached over and patted Justin on his shoulder. He was still very sleepy and his head was throbbing. “Listen, just go back to bed. I‘ll get this sorted out.”

Charlene thought about calling the police, but revenge was her first thought. Devising a plan, Charlene enlisted the aid of her accomplice, her friend from the health department. Getting Christina closed for good, would be the best way to get her off the radar. Charlene was livid to find out that her friend, Mary, was no longer at the health department. Someone caught on to her game and they fired her. Putting two and two together, Christina was the assumed culprit. Planning together, Charlene and Mary devised a plan for revenge.

Sitting across the street from Christina’s salon, Charlene and Mary waited. Once they saw that business was booming, bound to be full inside, Mary walked in. Flashing her old health department badge, Mary stated loudly that she was there to inspect for bedbugs. Rushing out of chairs and on out the door, the customers flew out of the shop. Christina was in the back office. Shaking their coats and checking their belongings, the staff members followed the customers. Showing up at Charlene’s shop, many of the customers were looking for urgent relief. The sign on the door said, “Closed for Renovation-Reopening TBA. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Christina, hearing the commotion, rushed to the front of her business and it was empty with all signs of a quick vacancy. “What the hell.” That was when she saw Mary.

“Looks like you’d better shut down. There is a big old bedbug epidemic.”

Christina’s eyes grew large, and she was fuming. “What the hell. You, you, you are behind this. There aren’t any damn bedbugs in this shop. You are conspiring with Charlene.” Christina stepped back to the back room, to be alone and gain composure. ‘What am I going to do, now.’ She thought. Mary posted a sign on the door, “Closed Indefinitely,” pulled the door shut and left. A few minutes passed and there was a knock at the back door of the shop. Christina went to open the door, thinking it was a delivery. There stood Charlene and Mary.

Charlene shoved Christina to the office chair and held her down. Ripping off strips of duct tape, Mary taped Christina to the chair. After taping her mouth shut, they left. Charlene made sure they locked all doors before heading out to her car with Mary. Sweating and vindicated, the two women laughed and went for drinks.

Struggling in the chair, Charlene was determined that she would get free. Looking for something sharp, she scanned the room. Flipping the chair, she fell to the floor and tried to squirm free. Perspiration was burning her eyes, making it hard to see. Straining her eyes, she saw the nail clippers on the floor, likely falling from the scuffle. Splayed out, the clippers were jackknifed and Charlene scooted across the floor until she could maneuver to the file point of the clippers.

Pressing her taped up mouth to the point of the hard metal she pushed as hard as she could. Poking a small hole in the tape, she could find relief. Biting and working the file with her tongue, Christina freed her mouth enough to cry for help. People were checking the front door and she could hear them buzzing. She kept yelling, but nobody responded. Hearing a loud knock and shaking of the back door handle, Christina felt hopeful. She heard a loud crash and there he stood. Justin walked over to Christina, pulled her to a seated position on the floor, spotted the nail clippers and put it all together. Ripping the remaining tape from her mouth, he talked to her. Taunting her with the nail clippers, Justin spoke.

“I suppose you need to get out of this tape. These clippers might help. Let’s see.” Snipping a little at a time, Justin then ripped off the tape. Christina winced, but did not speak. She knew what she did and assumed that Justin had it all sorted out. Freed from the tape, Christina reached to Justin to help her. Justin walked out the door.

Summoned to meet with him, Charlene and Christina showed up at the same time at Justin’s. Neither knew the other would be there. “There’s the matter of the two businesses. Ladies, they are now mine. Don’t fight me and I won’t bother to bring charges.” Justin had two envelopes. One read “Medical Report” and the other “Surveillance.” Justin said he was ready to proceed and expected a full recovery. “You both will have a little nest egg to start over in another town. You won’t be practicing anywhere around here. Do you understand?” Both ladies nodded and said they understood.

Signing over their businesses was painfully difficult for the women. They both left at the same time. After they were outside, Christina spoke up. “You know, Justin recommended that I have surveillance at my business and I followed his advice. Well, I have this one thing. The one thing that may have helped. It’s those nail clippers. I kept them. And I kept the duck tape as evidence. And, you know what? Justin stayed at my place a few times. If you get my drift.” Charlene nodded, yes. “Well, what do you say, partner? Are we going to let him have his way or are we going to fix this?” The ladies left arm in arm, had a few drinks and planned. “What do you think of Lady C’s Salon and Spa?”