Page 17 of Hollywood Undercover
“What?”
“I’m chopping it all off.” She paused to think. “And I’m dyingit.”
“Honey you can’t dothat.”
“I have to, Rick. That way no one will follow me, and no one will pry into what’s going on. They’ll be looking for my purple hair. I’m sure they won’t recognize me without it. My father deserves some dignity if it’s serious, Rick. You know how he values his privacy. I have to try and give himthat.”
As Alexandra spoke, her voice gained conviction. She stared in the mirror. Even without heavy liner and dark eyeshadow, the purple hair defined Lexxi Rock. It was every bit as much a part of her public identity as the stage name. Ridding herself of it was the right thing todo.
She hung up the phone in the middle of Rick’s protests, and dashed down thestairs.
“Lilly!” she shouted. Her housekeeper had to be around. Lilly came in every morning atsix.
Alexandra skated across the slick floor of the living room and slid through the archway to the kitchen, out of breath and feeling crunched for time. She found Lilly at the kitchen table, making a breakfast tray for Alexandra as she did on mostmornings.
“Lilly, I need you to do me afavor.”
“What is it, Ms. Alexandra?” Lilly asked insurprise.
“My hair. I need you to cut it. Short. Like boyish short. But first I need you to drive to the store and get me some black hair dye. Here’s some money. It’s really important, Lilly, and I really don’t have time to explain. I just need you to do it, and rightaway!”
At her breathless pleas, the housekeeper nodded and hurriedly grabbed her car keys to leave. Less than an hour later she returned with the hair dye. Lilly quickly led Alexandra to the bathroom attached to her main floor bedroom. She dragged a chair and placed it in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom. Next, she pulled scissors out of a drawer. Lilly was familiar with styling hair. She had once told Alexandra she cut and dyed her own hair all her adultlife.
She was grateful Lilly had no qualms about helping her, although the work was punctuated with grumbling and expressions of confusion at Alexandra’s urgency. With steady, sure hands, she brushed through the immeasurably long purple tresses, parting her hair in four, and braiding each section formanageability.
“Are you sure, Ms. Alexandra? This is so extreme foryou.”
Alexandra stared at both of their reflections in the mirror, and nodded solemnly. She felt a pang of remorse at the drastic measure, but it couldn’t be avoided. She couldn’t take the risk. For countless events, she stood on stage and whipped around that hair. It had to go. She desperately needed to beanonymous.
Alexandra heard Lilly’s first snip. It felt like a part of her was just cut away. She struggled not tocry.
“Shorter,” shewhispered.
By the time Lilly was done, four long, thick, purple braids were resting on the bathroom counter, and piles of hair littered the floor like the purple plumes of some exotic animal. What was left of on her head wisped around her earlobes in a short, curly, almost pixie style that instantly transformed her. She studied herself, marveling at the difference. Her eyes slanted slightly upwards at the corners, and her waxed eyebrows still made her look feminine. It was the same for her pink lips and blunt nose above her slightly full chin. The face hadn’t changed, and yet shehad.
“You can sort of pass for a boy, Ms. Alexandra!” Lillydeclared.
Alexandra looked at her with a brave, somber half-smile, and told her, “Now let’s do thecolor.”
* * *
The plane toucheddown at Tucson International. When the flight attendant cleared passengers to disembark, Alexandra reached up above the seat and dragged down a carry-on bag. So far, traveling by passenger plane helped her avoid the attention of leaving LAX and arriving in Tucson by private jet. She had made it through LAX without being detected, and now, braced herself for this last leg of hertrip.
Just like back at LAX, she dreaded walking through the airport. With so many people, she could be recognized. She wore loose olive green jeans, an oversize black t-shirt, and a black zippered hoodie. With sunglasses and a fitted baseball cap pulled low, she followed the other passengers into the terminal building. It was working! No one shouted for autographs or tried to take pictures. In fact, no one noticed her much atall.
She remembered to be polite, and held doors for women, kids and elderly people. She walked with an exaggerated, bow-legged slouch. It was a little over the top, but she hadn’t been able to blend into the background for a longtime.
I could so get used tothis!
She found the private driver outside the airport, waiting as instructed. She coughed and tried on a lower voice to fit her disguise when giving the address to her childhoodhome.
The day was already approaching dusk, and the darkening sky showed a smattering of stars. The streets grew more and more familiar as she peered out into the early night. The nondescript black limousine fought through snarling traffic to the Tucson suburbs. It finally came to a stop in front of a beautifully maintained house that rose into the dusk sky. The wraparound porch sat on a base of dark grey granite, and the house was trimmed in off-white. It was a familiar house; herhome.
For a moment, Alexandra realized she was sitting in a limousine. This wouldn’t help if she wanted to stay incognito. She asked the driver if he had a personal car. He told her he did—a blue Fordsedan.
That’s more likeit.
She asked him to use it instead whenever she phoned to be driven around. He hesitated, but when she offered him double his daily rate to cover the extra expenses, he agreed. Climbing out of the limo with the large backpack as luggage, she ran up to the door. She rang the bell nervously, blowing warm air on her long, slender fingers. Arizona at night was colder; nothing like Beverly Hills during the earlysummer.
