Veneer
“No, no! Not the honeydew lotion! The cantaloupe!” The overweight mare flailed a hoof and grabbed at the nearest cloth—Aloe’s spare apron. She spun about in the spa chair and rubbed her face dry. “I swear, I don’t know why I keep you around.”
Aloe quickly closed her eyes and bowed. “I’m sorry, madame.” She waited for some added verbal barb, but when none came, she looked up.
The mare glared at her, face still half-covered in a light green paste. “Well?” The soiled apron landed, dirty side down, across Aloe’s shoulder.
“Yes, madame.” Keeping her head low, Aloe wiped off the rest of the lotion and reached for the correct product. A bit here, a bit there, dabbed on her customer’s cheeks and forehead, then Aloe massaged it in, taking care to spend extra time wherever wrinkles might tend to gather: around the mouth, the eyes, the brow. Those round cheeks had drooped into jowls years ago, and no amount of skin lotion would—
“Maybe I should get Lotus to do this,” the older mare continued.
A shock ran up Aloe’s body, and she immediately blurted out, “N-no! No, that won’t be necessary!” Before she had time to think better of it, even… She leaned forward over the spa chair and peered into the hallway, but if any prying ears lurked out there, they hadn’t betrayed their presence yet. “She’s… not that good. I try to cover for her, but—”
“Really?” The customer snorted and shook her head. “She sits in lecture the same as you. Doesn’t she understand simple instruction?”
No, no, this was all going to backfire! “I… She…” Aloe gulped and forced a slow breath out her nose. “She understands perfectly, madame. I meant just with the lotion, not necessarily anything el—”
“I haven’t bothered with her yet. If you’re really the better one…” In one ear and out the other. Pick up the negative, ignore the positive. Or worse yet, twist it. Aloe shouldn’t have said anything. “You can’t pick and choose, Aloe. You have to know it all. All or nothing. If Lotus can’t get up to speed on skin care, the rest is worthless.”
“Yes, madame. I’ll see to it personally,” Aloe replied. She’d finished spreading the face mask around and put two fresh cucumber slices over her client’s eyes. At least the mare always enjoyed this part—Aloe massaged the scented cream into her temples, and the mare responded with a contented hum. Actually, the smell from the honeydew still blended in. Nothing Aloe could do about it, but from the way that mare had just wrinkled her nose, Aloe would get an earful about it soon enough.
Her customer let out a heavy sigh. “I really hope I’m not wasting my time with you two.”
Aloe glanced at the clock. Not even noon, and she felt so tired already. Of course, she did every day now. Always on trial, always under scrutiny. She let her shoulders slump, but then the mare absentmindedly dangled a hoof in the air; Aloe cradled it in her own and kissed it. “What manestyle would madame like today?”
The mare pursed her lips and tapped her other hoof on the chair’s arm. “Surprise me.”
With a shuddering breath, Aloe took a step back. She always hated that answer. No doubt that whatever Aloe did would be found woefully inadequate, but at least if she had some idea of where to start… Now she could expect a lecture on not only messing up the manestyle but choosing the wrong one in the first place. She could pick one she knew her customer liked, and it still wouldn’t matter. Nothing was right, and nothing would ever be good enough!
Good thing those cucumbers hid the mare’s eyes, or she’d see Aloe clenching her jaw. And then of course she’d upbraid Aloe about behaving unprofessionally. Difficult customers come along, she’d always say, and Aloe needed to know how to deal with them. An excuse. Maybe if it only happened for practice once in a while, but every single time?
She caught herself just before huffing a sigh and reached for her hair gel. The one from last week, with the curls, that her client had worn to dinner—she’d try that one, for all the good it would do.
Aloe’s ears pricked toward the sound of a door closing softly in the hall. She watched the doorway for a moment, but madame would be getting impatient any minute now, so she turned back—
“Need any help?” Lotus said, leaning in from the corridor. Her face was blank.
For a second, Aloe’s heart bobbed up like a feather on the wind. Yes, yes, she’d love some help. But… Aloe grimaced. She squeezed herself right back into the confining box of what she had to be. “No,” she mumbled, “I have it covered.”
Aloe flinched at the glare she got back from Lotus, who bit her lip and leaned against the door jamb. Years ago, she used to find it humorous when Lotus pouted, sitting there fuming while Aloe hoarded the toys. So much had changed since then, and so little.
Pausing from her work as long as she dared, Aloe gave a gentle smile, but Lotus flared her nostrils. For twins, they really were quite different. Lotus simply didn’t understand everything. Perhaps it was better that way—she’d always taken things way too personally, even after Aloe had grown out of that stupid bullying phase.
“Yes, Aloe is managing her best. No need,” the client added, wriggling to sit up a little straighter. “I hope you both appreciate what I do for you. These are valuable skills, and I won’t teach just anypony.”
“Of course,” Aloe mumbled. She braved a look at those seething eyes in the doorway again, then Lotus stalked off. Despite herself, Aloe’s smile remained. She’d try giving Lotus a hug later, but her sister would maneuver her way out of it, for sure. More outgoing, but definitely not the touchy-feely type. Maybe she just enjoyed being the one who had what the other wanted now.
“Lotus needs to adjust her attitude if she thinks she’ll make it in this business,” the client said, then clicked her tongue.
If only to distract her from going on, Aloe made a fuss about tucking a towel around the mare’s neck, but—
“I trust that later you’ll show her what you learned today,” she continued, sighing the words away as if some trifling thing.
“Certainly, madame.” Aloe clenched her teeth and struggled to keep the edge out of her voice. But even though her customer couldn’t see her, she bowed. If she didn’t, that mare would know. Somehow, she always knew. She nearly choked on her words—speaking out of turn rarely passed unnoticed—but she forced them out anyway. “Lotus has a few of her own regulars already. I think you’ll be proud of her.”
Another snort. “We’ll see.”
Aloe closed her eyes and hung her head. Truth be told, Lotus was the more gifted stylist. And Aloe was proud of her. Lotus didn’t understand; she shouldn’t have to.
Fighting back her tears, Aloe glanced at the recently vacated doorway. And then down at her side. She remembered the day well, almost three years ago. She and Lotus had spent an entire afternoon playing with some cheap, horrible bit-store beauty products. They didn’t care. Hours of laughter, putting this and that one on, washing it off, trying the next one, doing each other’s makeup, hooves, tails… Aloe had ended up with a pea-green mane, clumps of it sticking out every which way. Lotus, with her coat dyed bright orange and mascara absolutely caked on. They thought they’d never stop laughing. Then the flash of light and the little picture forming on her flank…
Aloe supposed doing something with gusto and true joy must be enough. Doing it well wasn’t required, apparently, but it probably did take potential, at least. Her smile faded away. Was this her destiny? Browbeaten until she couldn’t take pleasure in it anymore? Playing dress-up for life had seemed so appealing at first. And right on cue—
“Well?” the portly mare barked. “My mane can’t wait forever.”
Aloe jerked out of her daydream. “Yes, Mother—uh, madame.” Aloe held her hooves to her mouth. Maybe she hadn’t noticed. Fat chance of that. More likely she’d keep that little flub filed away until the next time she needed an excuse to yell about something.
“My apologies, madame.” She rushed to grab her spray bottle, and only then did she hear the quiet click of a door latch further up the hallway. Had Lotus heard?
Rarity turned her head first one way and then the other as she gazed in the mirror, then tossed her mane and broke into a huge grin. “Oh, I absolutely adore the new conditioner, dear! It’s got my mane looking so shiny!”
“You know better, Miss Rarity,” Aloe replied. “No product can create beauty. It can only enhance what is already there.”
“Still.” Rarity fluffed her forelock, then pulled a tress of it forward and sniffed it. “You always know just what to do. Now, what would you suggest for eye shadow?”
Obviously blue or purple for Rarity. She’d look stunning in a burgundy or black, especially with a tight-fitting cocktail dress, but she’d never go for it. A little nudge in that direction wouldn’t hurt, though. “A darker shade would contrast with the shine, I think.”
“Are you sure? I find the lighter hues give more of a refined beauty, while something too… lugubrious tends toward—” Rarity puckered her lips, gave a sultry glance, and waggled her hips in her seat. “Not really my thing.”
Aloe chuckled inwardly. Not that Rarity would get mad. She just preferred a more sophisticated, elaborate display, but she sure had the goods to pull off either look. “A dusk blue, then? I can apply a bit of glitter, which would have a lightening effect, plus it would match a shiny mane.” She dabbed a small amount on her mixing board, stirred in some of the sparkling flakes, and held it next to Rarity’s eye.
“Ooh, that is nice! A tad dark, perhaps,” she said, arching an eyebrow.
Again Aloe laughed, out loud this time. Rarity enjoyed playing the game as much as seeing the result, but the customer always wins, of course.
From across the aisle, a pronounced harrumph sounded. Rarity’s smile faded, and she peered into the mirror at the patron behind her. “What’s got a bee in her bonnet?” Rarity muttered.
“Oh, just…” Aloe sighed. “Don’t worry about it. We want every customer to be satisfied, after all,” she added, her chin forced into the air.
“She’s not satisfied unless she has something to complain about,” Rarity continued under her breath.
At the salon’s other chair, Lotus carefully brushed gel coat onto her client’s hooves and blew on them to dry. “Is this the proper shade, madame?”
Spoiled raised an eyebrow and looked down her nose at the cherry-red hue. Her mouth curled into the same type of frown she might give somepony who’d suggested a carrot dog and hay fries as fine dining. “Not quite. I wanted something a little lighter. Honestly, this isn’t that hard.” She reached for the nearest cloth—Lotus’s clean apron, naturally—and wiped off the offending polish. “It’s not one of the standard colors. You’ll have to do a custom mix. I thought you understood that.”
“Yes, madame.” Lotus’s bottom lip quivered, and she even flinched toward the back room. But to her credit, she held her ground and collected her polish remover and a clean towel.
Aloe stood next to Rarity, the hoof with the eye shadow sample having fallen to her client’s shoulder. Rarity had tensed up, and Aloe could practically hear her teeth grinding. She patted Rarity on the withers, set down her mixing board, and stepped between Lotus and Spoiled.
Aloe liked her work. She really did. Not every customer got under her skin—far from it. But these ones, who put her right back in that old salon, years ago, wincing from a reprimand or trying to anticipate what might be taken as offensive on any given day… She bit her lip and blinked hard. These customers, who reminded her of—
Why did she miss that mare? She really did. Almost seven long years now, and nopony else could make her want to tear her mane out quite like Mother. But Aloe really did miss her.
Damn it.
She took a deep breath and curled her foreleg around Spoiled’s back. “Don’t worry, madame. I’ll fix everything.”
“I should hope so,” Spoiled retorted. “I swear, I should have my husband, Filthy Rich, buy this place and staff it properly.”
“Yes, madame.” Aloe took out her buffing cloth and smoothed Spoiled’s hooves over before picking out a few colors of polish and a fresh mixing board. “I’ll see to it that madame is satisfied.”
“Hmmph.” Had to get in the last word, of course.
Beside her, Lotus just stood there, her mouth hanging open slightly. Aloe cocked her head toward Rarity. “Could you please finish up with Miss Rarity?”
Lotus looked up and met her gaze for a moment. “Uh-huh.” She went to Rarity’s side, then shook her head as if coming out of a daydream and plucked up the eye shadow sample. “Perhaps a shade or two lighter?” she said.
“I think that would be best,” Rarity answered with a nod.
Aloe allowed herself a small grin. Yes, Lotus tended toward Rarity’s sensibilities. She pricked her ears to the conversation behind her as she saw to her own client.
“Is Sweetie Belle looking forward to getting out of school for the summer?” Lotus asked.
“Yes, dear, but—” the grimace was evident in her voice “—that means I’ll soon benefit from an awful lot of help.”
“Ah. I’m… sorry?”
“Not at all. She’s my sister, after all. I’ll make do.”
Lotus always did such a good job of chatting up the customers and making them feel at home. Speaking of which… “So, how is Diamond Tiara doing?” Aloe asked.
“Continuing to learn the ropes, I suppose.” Spoiled shifted in her chair and clicked her tongue. “She spent spring break shadowing me on the job and trying to pick up the banking business. Has no head for it, I tell you. I hope it’s not wasted effort.”
Maybe her talent, maybe not. But forcing it… “Give her time. Having trouble with math?”
“Goodness, no!” Spoiled rolled her eyes. “She can keep a ledger perfectly well. But she doesn’t get the basics, like why we charge a higher interest rate for small businesses. ‘The bigger ones can afford it better,’ she says. Yes, but they can also afford to go to another bank halfway across Equestria for a lower rate.”
Aloe clenched her teeth. Yes, their small-business loan payment was due soon. She fell back into silence, punctuated only by the occasional coo from Rarity or comment from Lotus.
And finally she heard the swish of the drape cloth and the clink of bits. “Thank you so much,” Rarity said. “You always do such a good job.”
“Certainly, Miss Rarity.” Lotus moved to escort Rarity to the door, but only a single stride away, she stopped. She sucked in a short breath, leaned back to Aloe’s ear, and whispered, “You just want all the ritzy customers so you can get the big tips.”
Aloe always split her tips with Lotus. Always. She must have known, must have seen more in her account than she’d expected. If not… well, maybe it was better that way. Better that Aloe didn’t have to explain. Perceived slights, glory mongering, whatever. She’d seen the looks, year after year.
But Lotus hadn’t left yet. “And you deserve every bit,” she added, giving Aloe a little squeeze. “Thank you. For always watching out for me. I did notice. Even back then.”
And Lotus followed Rarity to the door, Aloe staring after them.