True Colors Read Online Free Page B

I’ll call people five minutes before we’re ready for them so they can run other errands and not clog up the salon while they’re waiting.”
    Aly glanced around at the customers in the waiting area. Most of them looked a little impatient, checking their phones or reading magazines. Joan was right. They could probably put the time to better use running errands rather than sitting around until a manicurist freed up.
    â€œNice plan,” Aly said. “Do you think my mom will like it?”
    Joan massaged her forehead. “If she doesn’t, she can discontinue it when she’s back. But as long as I’min charge, we have to keep business—and people—moving.”
    Aly nodded. She’d never seen Joan so serious about something salon-related before. Usually, she was the fun one who made cookies and hosted pizza picnics while Mom took care of salon business.
    â€œSounds great,” Aly said. Then she looked at the clock. She really should head home now and see how Brooke was doing, but then she spotted a familiar face poking through the front door.
    â€œSophie!” Aly said. “What are you doing here?”
    â€œMy mom is at the Sports Palace with my brother—buying him new sneakers. She said I could come here until they’re done. I wanted to ask Joan how Brooke’s doing.”
    â€œBig brother or little brother?” Aly asked.
    â€œBig,” Sophie said. “Sammy is at home with NaiNai.” Sophie had two brothers, one in seventhgrade and one who was three. Her grandma watched the three-year-old a lot. “I thought you had to work on Lewis and Clark today?”
    â€œI did,” Aly said. “But I stopped in here afterward for a little bit. I’m going to go home to see Brooke soon. My mom said she had a bad night, but I don’t know how she’s been today.”
    Sophie nodded. “Maybe I’ll give her a call when I get home,” she said.
    Aly thought that was a good idea. “As long as she’s not sleeping, I bet she’d like that.”
    Sophie nodded again, but she didn’t leave the salon. “Um . . . ,” she said. “Since you’re here, there’s something I wanted to show you.” She held out her hand for Aly to see. “I practiced polishing a lot last night. Look.”
    Aly inspected Sophie’s fingers. They were close to perfect. Not a drop of color on her skin, and every part of every nail was polished.
    Aly grinned at Sophie. She really did need help tomorrow, and if Sophie could polish, that might fix Aly’s scheduling problem. And even if she did a terrible job, the thing about polish is that it’s easy to take off.
    Aly looked at Joan’s clipboard list. Then she took a big breath. “Sophie,” she said, “I’m making an ESSD—an Executive Sparkle Spa Decision: You’re now an official Sparkle Spa manicurist. Can you come in and polish tomorrow afternoon?”
    Sophie beamed. “Absolutely!” she said.
    For what seemed like the first time since Brooke broke her arm, Aly exhaled with relief. She put her arm around Sophie’s shoulders. “Welcome to the team,” she said.
    â€œAly!” Joan called from the reception desk. “Your mom is on the phone. She said you should head home now.”
    â€œI’ll see you tomorrow,” Sophie said, still smiling, and she walked out the door.
    Aly got her backpack and started to head out too. But before she did, she stopped at the reception desk and blurted out, “Joan, just like you, I made a big decision today: I hired a new manicurist for the Sparkle Spa. Sophie. And now everything’s going to be okay tomorrow.”
    At first Joan was silent. She stared at Aly for a few seconds, then finally said, “Aly, you’re in charge of the Sparkle Spa. If you think that’s the right thing to do, you should do it. But you have to take responsibility