Chapter 2: Building Tension
The incessant ringing of the doorbell dragged Ashley from her comatose sprawl across her couch. Her open laptop—which had been occupied with a new design for a social media app—wobbled, threatening to fall into a deep slumber of its own. For a deliciously long minute, she entertained the notion of not responding, instead luxuriating in the vibrant fantasy of life without doorbells, or neighbors, or human interaction for that matter. Fate, however, had more mundane plans.
With a theatrical sigh, Ashley pushed herself up from the couch and padded to the door. The muted clatter of high heels against polished wood informed her of her unwelcome visitor's identity before Stacy's face came into view.
Stacy, Ashley's childhood friend and roommate, had the disposition of a mischievous fairy; the type who'd guide a wandering traveler through their enchanted forest without sparing a single thought for the chaos she'd leave in her wake.
Her long red hair cascaded down her shoulders like a flowing river of molten lava, drawing attention to her bright green eyes that danced with a never-ending mischief.
Stacy stood impatiently, twitching her polished foot as she balanced on four-inch red spiked heels. Her vibrant floral dress, unsuitable for the crisp October air, fluttered around her like a painting of a field of wildflowers in a blustery breeze.
"Ash!" she cried, cutting off Ashley's train of thought. Coming to her senses, Ashley quickly stopped looking through the peep hole in the apartment door and let her roommate, one with an unfortunate habit of forgetting her keys, inside. Truthfully, Ashley shouldn't have been surprised at the red headed beauty's arrival, after all, she'd been the one to ask Stacy if she could go out and get her a new box of her usual black hair dye so that she could finish up a bit of work on her laptop; however, that being said, Stacy also had a rather unfortunate habit of not coming back until late into the night, often times drunk with a man around her arm, or sometimes the next the morning, even, whenever she left the house, even when she was simply intended to run an errand, so Ashley could be forgiven for her lack of preparedness for her roommate's quick return.
"Wow, that was... fast. Sorry Stacy, honestly I wasn't expecting you home until 2 at the earliest" Ashley said, her eyes flicking up and down Stacy's form, who was now holding a small plastic bag in her hand.
"Come on Ash, you know me, always expect the UNEXPECTED " Stacy replied with a wave of her hand, her laughter still lingering in the air. "I got you what you asked for. Same boring black you always dye it" she added, holding up the bag and giving Ashley a mischievous grin.
Ashley glanced at her own reflection on the mirror behind the couch and sighed. Maybe, in a certain sense, someone could at least try to argue that Stacy was right. The dark black Ashley preferred for her hair certainly wasn't the flashiest color of hair in the world, but Ashley also wasn't someone who desired to be looked at, in fact, if someone was looking at her for any reason other than looking for her advice or authority, she actively avoided it. The only reason why she deviated from her natural mousy brown in the first place was because she felt the black made people take her more seriously.
The hair was a subtle sign that she was a force to be reckoned with, someone who didn't play games or play with people's emotions. And long gone were the days where she had tried to please others or fit into socially acceptable norms. Post-Yale, she was efficient, organized, respected, and feared in equal measure-all thanks to the armor of professionalism and her short black hair.
But as Stacy unveiled the new hair dye, something unfamiliar stirred in Ashley's chest. The bottle didn't look quite the same as Ashley recalled and her memory was QUITE good. You don't graduate from an Ivy League University at 20 if it isn't, after all. " This isn't the usual wash I asked for," Ashley said, her voice level and steady, capturing the room with her presence. The room fell silent as Stacy's laughter faded, the playful tone replaced with a more sober curiosity.
Holding up the bottle, Ashley peered at its label before shaking her head with a shrug. "I mean, the label and the box are correct, certainly, but the shape of the bottle is all wrong, and it's opaque, so I can't even see the contents inside. I think you made a mistake, Stacy" Ashley explained, her brows furrowing and eyes narrowed inspecting the hair dye she now held in her hands.
Stacy responded with a light giggle, snatching the bottle from Ashley's grip with practiced ease to examine it herself. She shrugged nonchalantly, turning the bottle around in her hands before putting it back up on the table beside her. "Maybe, maybe not?" she teased, her voice a playful lilt as she winked at her childhood friend. "But seriously, I was pretty sure this is the right one.
I double, even triple checked it before buying it." Stacy's voice rang out "honestly Ash, I'm sure they just changed the bottle." Ashley, for her part, wasn't so sure. She couldn't help but feel a little worried about the unfamiliarity of the new bottle but decided to presume Stacy's expertise in such matters, after all, being unencumbered by the shackles of femininity and conformity, she had far less knowledge when it came to the world of fashion and beauty products in comparison to Stacy.
"Okay I trust you, I'll take your word for it" Ashley said, her usual calmness returning to her voice.
Stacy's smile widened, pleased to have assuaged her friend's concerns. With an air of dismissal, Ashley picked up her laptop and stalked back towards her own room.
"Oh, Ash?" Stacy called out, her voice barely holding back a giggle. "I'm sure you'll love the new bottle even more than the old one! Let me know what you think of it, mkay?"
Ashley offered a noncommittal hum and closed the door tightly behind her.
If left to her own devices, she would've undoubtedly spent hours poring over every inch of that bottle, analyzing each contour, every element of its design in order to determine if it truly belonged to the box Stacy had brought it to her inside of her, but she simply didn't have the time. Truthfully, she was overdue on redyeing her hair already. She could still hear the words of the airheaded secretary who works the front desk and she exited the building on Friday. "Oh my gawd Ashley you're a brunette??? I had like no idea." Nope, no way, she had to get this done before she went back to work tomorrow.
The thought of stepping into the office with roots that were an unwelcome shade of brown made her skin crawl. She could almost hear the whispers now: Had she been trying out a new style? Was she going through a mid-life crisis? Or was she just trying to look younger? Ashley couldn't abide the thought of it.
She quickly shed her work clothes, swapping them out for an old t-shirt and sweatpants. The prospect of hair dye coating her good clothes was enough to make her shudder. Making her way to her bathroom, she wasted no time in gettin started.
What Ashley didn't know, of course, was that Stacy HAD, in fact, put a bottle of the wrong hair dye inside a box of the usual product Ashley used as a way of pulling a prank on her roommate.
It was just a bit of fun after all.
Stacy was quite satisfied with the idea of Ashley going to the office with blonde hair. Her black haired friend was always so serious about her work and so quick to belittle 'vapid' blonde office women. Stacy, on the other hand, loved to change her hair color frequently - just for fun. And now, the usually serious Ashley was going to get a taste of her own medicine. The dye had been from a brand that Stacy had never heard of before, 'Magical Solutions', and the color was called 'bimbo blonde'. When it came to her own hair, Stacy never would have trusted a brand she'd never used before, but she figured pretty much anything would do for the sake of the prank and the name of it was just too good to pass up.
As Ashley lathered the dye onto her hair, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. It smelled different than any hair dye she had ever used before. There was a sweetness to it that was almost cloying, a strong chemical scent that dug into her nostrils and clung in her throat. Despite this, she pushed it back into the recesses of her mind where she tucked away all of her reservations.
After finishing the application process, Ashley waited the requisite forty-five minutes for the dye to take effect. She wasted no time. Immediately getting back to work on her proposal related to the business dealings behind her company's new app while she waited.
It wasn't too much longer until the forty-five minutes passed, and Ashley stood in front of the bathroom mirror, ready to wash the dye out.
As she ran the water over her hair, Ashley couldn't help but feel a pang of suspicion nestling within her. There was something... different about this hair dye compared to what she usually used, from the smell to the feel of it to the bottle itself, everything was unusual about this dye. As Ashley finished rinsing her hair and walked over the mirror on the other side of her bathroom, she was shocked at what she saw.
Her dark hair was now a startling shade of bleach blonde, something she had never tried before, and never had any desire to.
She stared at her reflection in disbelief, turning her head from side to side as she tried to process the sudden change in her appearance.
Revulsion rippled through Ashley as she examined her glinting golden tresses under the bathroom light. There was something unsettling, almost grotesque in her eyes about her new appearance. This simply wasn't her. She was a serious woman, an academic, a would be politician, best selling author, or fortune 500 CEO, one who preferred the professionalism and severity of her dark locks to any frivolous, girly shade.
How could she possibly look or act the part convincingly with this ridiculous shade, this stereotype of feminine fickleness plastered on her head?
Her mind wandered back to the odd shape and smell of the bottle as she nervously twisted the faucet shut. It was at this point that the pang of suspicion inside her chest turned into a knot of dread. A cold shiver ran up her spine. Fucking Stacy.
Stacy was enjoying a nice evening class of wine in the kitchen when Ashley came storming into the room, opening the door with such force that it nearly slammed into the wall it was attached to.
"Stacy!" Ashley shouted, her voice shaking with rage. "What the hell did you do?!" Stacy took a guilty sip of her wine before replying, "What are you talking about?" she asked, innocently, batting her eyelashes. But Ashley wasn't fooled for a second. She could see the slight curve of a smile playing on Stacy's lips, a smile that made Ashley's blood boil.
"Don't act dumb, Stacy!" Ashley yelled.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about! This hair dye you brought me! It's not my usual brand, and it's not even the right color. This is blonde, for fuck's sake!"
Stacy shrugged, still trying to maintain her innocent act. "So what?" she said. "It's just hair dye. It's not a big deal."
But Ashley was not convinced. She could feel her heart racing, her chest tightening as she tried to keep her frustration at bay. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
"Stacy, I trusted you to get me my usual hair dye, and you instead brought me some fake, cheap-smelling stuff that turned my hair into this ridiculous shade of blonde."
Stacy finally let out a giggle, no longer able to maintain her innocent facade. "Oh, come on, Ash. It's just a bit of fun. And besides, blonde looks good on you."
But Ashley was not amused. "No, Stacy. It doesn't. I'm a professional woman. I've worked hard for my position, and I've earned everything I have. And now they're gonna make a fucking mockery of me because of this ridiculous hair!
I didn't have time for this shit, I didn't ask for this!" Ashley spat out, her voice filled with anger and frustration. She was beyond livid. Her mind raced with the scenarios that could play out in the office on Monday. The endless laughter, the disbelieving looks, and the never-ending questions.
Ashley could already see her coworkers' faces as they marveled at her new hair color, the whispers and giggles behind her back. She couldn't let this happen.
As Ashley continued to rant, Stacy's smile faded, and she finally realized that this prank had gone too far. "I'm sorry, Ash," she said, looking genuinely apologetic. "I didn't think it would turn out like this. I just wanted to mess around a bit, but I can see now that it's not funny.
I should have known better," Stacy murmured, a trace of shame in her voice. The words felt like ice water, seeping into Ashley's veins and causing a shiver to ripple through her body. "Stacy, I just don't understand why you did this, honestly.
I've never done anything but support you and your antics, but this is just too much." Ashley sighed, rubbing her temples as if trying to ward off a building headache.
Stacy looked down at her wine glass, swirling the crimson liquid around and around. "I'm sorry, Ash. I didn't mean for it to go this far," she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ashley looked into her friend's eyes and saw the remorse written all over her face. She couldn't stay mad at her, not truly.
Not her beloved childhood friend who frolicked through life like a will-o'-the-wisp, leaving trails of laughter and chaos in her wake.
Instead, Ashley stood there, her arms folded over her chest, staring at Stacy with a mixture of lingering anger and sadness for having clearly upset her friend in how she'd responded to the prank.
"You honestly thought it would be funny to make me look like some stereotypical dumb blonde?
Do you understand how that kind of image is perceived in the professional world?" Ashley shook her head, still unable to believe that Stacy would do something so careless.
Stacy sighed, setting her wine glass down on the counter. "I get it now, Ash. I do. I was just trying to play a harmless prank, but I can see that I messed up. I'm so sorry."
Ashley's expression softened. "I know, Stacy. I know you didn't mean it. But please, just think before you act next time.
Understand that your actions have consequences, and those consequences can affect not just you, but those around you. Especially when it comes to something as important as my career, Stacy." Ashley spoke softly, her words filled with frustration and disappointment.
Stacy looked up at Ashley, her green eyes watery. "I know, I'm sorry. I really am. It was a stupid prank, and I shouldn't have done it. I promise, it won't happen again."
Ashley nodded slowly, still looking at Stacy with a stern expression. "Good.
Now, I suggest we both go to bed and start fresh tomorrow. But just to be clear, you're going to help me fix this mess, right?" Ashley said, her voice still carrying a hint of irritation.
"Of course. I'll take full responsibility for this and do everything in my power to help you fix it," Stacy said, looking up at Ashley with a determined expression.
Ashley nodded, then turned around and headed back towards her bedroom. She couldn't think of anything more to do tonight. As Ashley turned in for the night, she tried to push any thoughts of her new, unfortunate hair color out of her mind.
The following morning, Ashley awoke with a rather uncharacteristic headache.
She sighed, reaching her hand up to rub her temples before taking notice of her reflection in the vanity mirror, confirming what she'd feared. The prank, Stacy tricking her into dyeing her hair this ridiculous shade of blonde, hadn't been a dream after all.
Ashley's initial reaction was to scowl, but she knew that Stacy already felt regretful about her actions the previous night.
As she begrudgingly got ready for work, Ashley couldn't help but notice her reflection in the mirror. The bleach blonde color was striking-it practically glowed under the bathroom light. Ashley couldn't deny that it did, in some twisted way, suit her sharp features and dark eyebrows. She reached up and primped her hair, making a kissy face in the mirror before realizing the absurdity of her actions. "What the fuck am I doing?" Ashley mumbled, shaking her head and avoiding her reflection in the mirror.
She had never paid much attention to her appearance before, it was never something she felt was worth her time.
Now, it seemed like it was all she could focus on. She had to admit, however, that the bleach blonde hair did make her feel more feminine. It was an odd sensation, one that she wasn't used to, and one that she wasn't sure she liked.
She shook it off, chalking it up to the lingering frustration from the prank and the mounting stress of her job.
As she walked out of her apartment building and hailed a cab, Ashley couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, her eyes catching her reflection in the window of the passing cars. The bleach blonde hair highlighted every angle of her face, her sharp cheekbones, and the intensity of her dark eyes. The image that stared back at her was so different from the one she had grown accustomed to, it was almost jarring.
Ashley's usually professional and no-nonsense demeanor seemed somehow softened. She pulled out her phone and opened her selfie camera to get a better sense of how her new hair framed her features. Trying to make her typical no nonsense work scowl, she was frustrated to see that it now looked much more like a childish pout than anything else.
This angered her. She wanted to appear unapproachable, and yet the reflection she saw in the glass looked just the opposite.
When Ashley arrived at the office, she drew quite a few stares. The brilliant shade of blonde hair that now framed her face was nothing short of captivating. The same bimbo secretary at the front desk who'd commented on her hair Friday squealed when she saw her walk through the door. " OMG, Ashley! You look amazingggg !" Hannah gushed as Ashley walked past her, the blonde hair catching the light from the office windows and casting a warm glow around her.
Ashley tried to keep her expression neutral as she always did but, strangely, she found herself unable to stop herself from blushing at the bimbo's compliment. " Th-thank you, Hannah," Ashley stammered, her eyes darting around the office in an attempt to gather her thoughts.
She had been so used to looking at the world through a specific lens that it was difficult to process the fact that she now looked significantly different. It was as if she had lost control of her own reflection, as if the hair dye had somehow altered more than just the color of her hair. "You, um, you really like it?" Ashley asked, confused as to why on earth she was looking for any sense of validation from a vapid girl like Hannah. " Oh, absolutely, Ash! You look like a whole new person. It's like your hair color was hiding the real you all along!"
Hannah crooned, her high-pitched voice echoing through the foyer.
Ashley couldn't help but feel frustrated by Hannah's words, particularly because she could sense a small part of herself agreeing. She felt a strange newfound confidence bubble up inside of her as she walked through the office, heads turning as she passed. Men and women alike seemed captivated by her transformed image. Even her usually stoic boss, a man known for being all business and no pleasure, couldn't hide the appreciative look in his eyes as she entered his office.
As a traditional feminist, Ashley's ideology was rooted in intellect, ambition, and shunning the patriarchal expectations placed upon women.
She loathed the idea of relying on her looks or sex appeal to get ahead in her career or personal life. Yet, here she was, feeling a sense of vulnerability that came with the change in her appearance. She felt exposed and bare in a way that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Ashley knew she shouldn't let it get to her. It was just hair dye after all, and she wouldn't let it define her. She shook off the feeling, mentally reminding herself not to let the transformation affect her too deeply.
"...so, what do you think Ashley?" her boss asked her, his face looking for guidance. It was then that Ashley realized that her boss had been speaking with her the entire time she'd been sitting there thinking about her hair, she'd completely spaced out.
"I'm sorry, what was the question again?" Ashley asked, flushing with embarrassment as she hoped that she hadn't missed anything too important.
Her boss chuckled and repeated his request for her to lead the new marketing campaign. Ashley nodded, feeling her confidence come back and taking control of the situation. She assured her boss that she could put together a presentation by the end of the week, and they agreed to meet again on Friday to review it. "Oh, one last thing, though, this new project, I want you to work on it with our new hire, Ryan, bring him in to the fold, teach him how things work around here. He's got a good head on his shoulders, I'm sure you two will get along" her boss added in a passing comment as Ashley got up to leave.
Ashley only nodded, unaware of who this "Ryan" was, or what kind of a person they were, determined to get the job done regardless.
Ashley was about four paragraphs into the first draft of her proposal, making slower progress than usual, oddly, when he finally stopped by her cubicle.
"Ms. Samuels, I presume?" he asked, the tone of his voice making her skin crawl even before she turned to look at him.
Ashley glanced up from her computer screen at the sight of a well-dressed man standing in her cubicle doorway, her eyes skimmed over his perfectly tailored suit before landing on the bold name badge pinned to his left lapel. "Ryan" it read, though his actions that followed made her think he truly believed he was so impressive that he warranted no further introduction.
"Ummm yes?" she offered as warmly as she could muster, still unsure of the nature of his visit. For some reason, the name "Ryan" was bouncing around in her head. Part of her knew that his visit should have come as no surprise, that there was some significance to the name, but for the life of her she couldn't seem to remember why she was supposed to interact with a man named Ryan today.
A small, sly smile played upon Ryan's lips as he took in Ashley's fresh bleach-blonde hair, noticing the way it highlighted the sharp angles of her face in a way that was both stark and elegant. "I thought the boss already talked to you? I'm supposed to be your partner on this upcoming project, didn't he tell you this morning? I know they say blondes are forgetful, but sheesh" he said with a charming laugh and a condescending look in his eye.
"But then again, with those gorgeous blue eyes and platinum locks, I guess you could get away with murder."
Ashley managed to maintain her composure, despite his annoyingly attractive voice, but she couldn't help but feel herself flood with embarrassment at the man's words. How on earth had she forgotten the conversation she had with her boss all of 2 hours ago? Did she have a fever or something?
Ashley wondered to herself. It was so unlike her to forget anything, not to mention something so recent. "Oh my god, I'm sorry, I guess I like, totally forgot" Ashley cringed as she said the words, embarrassment burning in her cheeks as she watched his smile grow even wider.
"No problem, beautiful. I'm Ryan. It's nice to meet you." He extended his hand, and Ashley hesitated for a second before shaking it firmly, trying to convey a sense of confidence she didn't quite feel. "Nice to meet you too, Ryan.
I'm Ashley." Ashley replied, attempting to keep her composure despite the heat rising to her cheeks. She didn't understand why she was so off her game today.
"I know, remember, I called you Ms. Samuels a second ago?" he said with another charming chuckle. Ashley's face turned beet red as she realized that she'd just made herself look forgetful once again.
She looked up at Ryan, and even though she wasn't one to care much about appearances, she couldn't help but notice that he was very good-looking. With his sandy blonde hair, a chiseled jawline, and piercing green eyes, he was the type of man that would catch the attention of any woman in the room. "Oh gawd. I have like, no clue what's wrong with me today. Sorry" Ashley replied, unable to stop herself from joining Ryan's chuckle with a giggle of her own.
The sound was feminine, almost coy, and Ashley cringed inwardly as she realized how airheaded it had made her sound. On the other hand, Ryan's grin simply continued to grow.
It was a lazy, satisfied smirk, reminding Ashley of a cat with a plaything toy. "Hey, no worries," he drawled, leaning against the edge of her desk, his gaze dropping to her mouth and lingering there. "I can do enough remembering for the both of us, dollface" he added, that infuriatingly charming grin still lingering on his lips.