Marissa could barely breathe. She felt something clawing through her throat. Her breaths were ragged and gasped. Pressure was building in her head from around her neck. She tossed back and forth, tangling herself in her purple sheets. Marissa felt her throat constrict and herself gag. Fumbling with her sheets, Marissa freed herself and shot out of her bed. Choking, she stumbled to the bathroom keeping one hand near her throat while the other used the walls to keep herself standing. Marissa stood in the doorway of her bathroom, her reflection was becoming blurred; she felt herself losing consciousness.
She lunged forward, kneeling on the cold bathroom floor. Throwing herself into the toilet, Marissa threw up whatever pieces of her dinner that hadn’t been properly digested. Spitting into the murky water, she ran the outside of her arm across her mouth. She sat back on her heels catching her breath.
Marissa pushed herself off the floor and flushed the toilet. She got her toothbrush from the medicine cabinet and went to the sink. Now that she could see, Marissa looked at herself in the mirror again. Her black tee shirt was speckled with throw up. Her face and neck were red and blotchy. Her hair looked like something constructed by beavers. After giving her teeth a thorough brushing, Marissa found a brush in the back of the cabinet under the sink and did the same with her hair. After two hours of combing, Marissa detangled her locks and found they reached below her butt.
That had been fourteen years ago, when Marissa was fourteen years old and careless about taking care of her hair. Growing up with three brothers and a single father, Marissa had missed out on a womanly touch when it came to style and grooming. That night changed something in Marissa. As silly as it seemed, she knew she had almost died choking on her knotty hair. After making Maria promise to not tell Eric, Marissa had consulted her oldest brother’s girlfriend for hair care tips. At least once a day (either in the early morning or after dinner) since then Marissa combed out her long hair, massaged it with various oils and home remedies, washed, conditioned, and styled her dirty blonde hair.
Marissa thought back to that horrible day and shuddered as she fingered the edges of her ponytail. If she left her hair unattended for more than 13 hours, she started to get anxious. Since then, nothing had interfered with her hair treatments. Not high school AP testing, college nights filled with partying or studying – sometimes both, not working as a full time marketing director, and certainly not dating. Marissa had undoubtedly dated some questionable men in her time, but all of them loved her long hair which she kept long enough to reach her belly button when pulled to the front.
Marissa put down her planner on the couch, and reached for her phone. She had reviewed her work week several times, and was on track with her latest promotional idea for the firm. Besides, she was so distracted she could’ve been looking at last May’s agenda and she wouldn’t have noticed. Samantha, the head of the litigation team, had set Marissa up on a blind date with an attorney from her old firm. Harold seemed cute from the pictures that Samantha sent her via text. He was very involved with animals and charity. He was well educated, held multiple degrees, and had a reputation as a stellar attorney. Harold seemed to be too good to not be a complete asshole, but Samantha had become a close friend, and Marissa trusted her judgment, most of the time. Leaving the couch to go tend to her hair, Marissa smiled at the last picture of Harold, posing with his parents’ Rottweiler. Maybe a date with Harold would be fun after all.
***
“I can’t believe you spent the whole night talking!”
“Neither can I. I had just had enough time to run home and change before coming right here,” Marissa whispered to Samantha as they headed into their 8:00 AM executive meeting.
“Did you not do your hair,” Samantha asked mimicking a faint as she settled in the oversized leather chair around the 16 person conference room table.
“Shut up,” Marissa said rolling her eyes while she ducked in to the chair next to her, as their CEO walked in. Marissa hadn’t done her hair, but had been so focused on her incredible date with Harold she had pushed it aside.
The meeting started, and Marissa presented the marketing department’s accomplishments and projections for the upcoming quarter. After she returned to her seat, she began thinking about Harold. He had texted her on his way to work this morning. He had won tickets on the radio to one of their favorite bands. Normally if a guy asked to see her two days in a row, she would panic and bail… clingy was not Marissa’s type, but Harold seemed different. Besides, it wasn’t as though he could have planned to win these tickets. She was excited to be going out with him again. Marissa would just have to leave work a little early to give herself enough time to actually do her hair before Harold picked her up. The executive meeting wrapped up, and Marissa headed toward her office space.
“We have a problem,” her assistant said before Marissa had even opened the door.
Marissa said nothing and looked up at Evelyn, who handed her a very large, iced latte topped with swirls of gooeyness. Even though Evelyn was almost a foot taller than Marissa, she both admired Marissa and was terrified of her, that much was always evident.
“That bad, huh?” Marissa half chuckled as she accepted the drink.
“There’s a glitch in the campaign,” Evelyn said evenly.
“Okay, it’s supposed to be launching Monday. We have time to fix it.”
“Definitely, except,” Evelyn hesitated for a moment, “Whatever sequences Robert didn’t delete he reprogramed to send a video clip of you dancing in the shower instead of our latest promotional montage. He hasn’t played it for anyone, but he’s waiting in your office to leverage for your position or a severance package to keep him comfortable for a year. “
Marissa hesitated. Evelyn had picked up speed, but dropped in volume as she explained the minor crisis that erupted in Marissa’s morning.
“Evelyn, I’m going to borrow your computer. Please get Dean, Samantha, and Denise. Tell them everything, except the shower dancing, and have them meet me at your desk. Thanks.”
***
Marissa looked at the clock, 6:15 PM. Harold would be showing up at her front door in 45 minutes.
“Hey Evelyn?” Marissa called out from her desk, “can you come here a minute?”
Evelyn walked in and smiled, “what’s up?”
“The good news is I’m rebuilding the last sequence now,” Marissa said with a tired smile, “the bad news is I was supposed to be home an hour ago.” Evelyn’s face froze.
“It’s not that surprising, is it?”
“Sorry to overstep, but kind of. Is everything okay?”
“You’ve been my assistant for a year and a half now; I believe that I can trust you with anything.”
“Definitely Marissa. Anything.”
“Good,” Marissa said laughing, “because I have a date and need your help. You are always dressed like you stepped out of a catalog. Can you please run across to the mall and grab me something to wear to a concert? I’ll text you my sizes. When you get back, I’m giving you my company card and kicking you out of the office to have a nice dinner with your fiancé at Chez Jaq.”
“I can do that! Thank you so much, Marissa!” Evelyn gushed.
“Trust me, you’ve earned this,” Marissa said, “between your help last quarter and today, just please make sure you grab a pair of flip flops too.”
After Evelyn left, Marissa called Harold and arranged for him to pick her up from work instead. She could have killed her ex-boyfriend Mark for sending that video to Robert. For someone with such a small cock the man had some big balls. Marissa had helped Robert get the job as a personal favor for Mark. She really knew how to pick and choose the scummiest of the scum. Instead of letting anger overtake her, Marissa used her energy to recreate the last sequence of the campaign. To her surprise she liked it more than the version that Robert had erased. As she was adding it to the campaign, Evelyn returned with three shopping bags and another coffee.
“The coffee was my treat, my way of saying thank you,” Evenly said.
“Thanks!”
“Did you finish it?”
“Yup! I just uploaded it. We’ll need to be here 7:00 AM Monday morning to run it through a few more times before launching it at 9:00, but we should be golden” Marissa exclaimed as she took the bags from Evelyn. “Thank you again,” Marissa added, “one more favor though, can you just tell me how I look before you leave?”
“I was planning on it,” Evelyn smiled.
“Best assistant ever,” Marissa cheered as she left to change into her new clothes.
***
You are a knock out, Harold had said when he saw her. Evelyn had done a stunning job picking out the perfect outfit for Marissa: simple skinny jeans, an open back flowy top, and even a gold headband to compliment her now messy bun. Marissa had felt like a knock out. She hadn’t even freaked out about her hair, which hadn’t been attended to since Wednesday night. Harold was in the kitchen getting Marissa some water and a special treat. She had told him all about Robert and his lame blackmail scheme and about repairing an entire month’s worth of sequencing in one day. She hadn’t intended to sleep with him, but they had been having so much fun at the concert that neither wanted to let the night end. Instead they went back to Harold’s, and had sex on his kitchen counter.
Marissa was fingering the ends of her hair; by the time she got home tomorrow to treat it, it would be three whole days since she had taken care of it last. Harold returned a few minutes later with a large brownie and two glasses of water. Marissa dropped her hair and raised her arms like a child who had just bowled a strike, “is that what I think it is?” Marissa asked.
“I know you haven’t had one since college, but a friend of mine makes them,” Harold started to blush as he explained; “I thought you could use a treat.” They both laughed as they cuddled up and shared the magic brownie together. After consuming the brownie, and each other, Marissa fell asleep in Harold’s arms with her hair tangled between the two of them. She hadn’t felt this surrounded by such warmth in her whole life.
***
Marissa clawed her hair out of her face as she rolled over onto her back. She was definitely alone and a little confused. She remembered falling asleep in Harold’s arms, but Harold was nowhere in sight. Marissa reached over to the nightstand for her phone. She felt like she was waking up to her college years all over again. She laughed to herself and went to text her old roommate Alexis, but her phone was dead.
“Harold?” Marissa called out.
There was no answer. Marissa got up and walked over to the other nightstand, the one she assumed was Harold’s. The charger and watermarks against the dark wood confirmed her assumption. Marissa plugged her phone into the charger. Her phone lit up and began charging. Marissa looked around the bedroom. The furniture was all dark wood and was from the same collection. The light silvery-gray walls matched the silvery-gray area rug and brightened the dark wood floors. It was comfortable, with a hint of modern. Marissa picked up Harold’s undershirt from the night before and threw it over her head. She walked out of his bedroom and down the stairs toward the kitchen. The coffee pot was on and pulled forward, next to it was a mug and a note. Marissa picked up the note first, “Got up to make you breakfast and wasn’t sure what you wanted. Should be back by the time you’ve finished your coffee. Harold ☺”
Marissa smiled and poured herself a cup of coffee. She went to her purse and took out her book. She curled up on the wooden chair around the kitchen table, and began to read. It didn’t matter where she was, if the opportunity presented itself to read in peace, Marissa took out whatever book she was reading. Somewhere in the middle of chapter 18 Marissa heard a noise, and looked up to see Harold holding two stuffed paper bags smiling at her.
“Hello,” Marissa said putting her book down.
“Hello,” Harold said with a chuckle.
***
Marissa got home a little after nine. She and Harold had spent the entire day together. After a delicious home cooked breakfast feast, the two had holed up in his living room playing board and card games, and with each other, while a marathon of 80’s movies streaming in the background. They had sandwiches for lunch, and for dinner, Harold ordered from three different places. Marissa loved having an Asian appetizer, a French entrée, and an Italian dessert. It felt so romantic, she was almost sad when the day ended. Harold insisted that he drive her home, and that he would either take her to pick up her car from work on Sunday, or personally pay for a car service to drive her there Monday. He walked her to her front door and kissed her goodbye for what felt like hours. Marissa had let herself in and waved from behind the door once Harold had gotten back in his car. Once she had gotten upstairs, she poured a glass of wine and called Samantha. An hour and a half later the conversation and the wine were both finished. Marissa’s body was tired from working the day before, the concert, and the day of games and sex. Instead of doing her hair, Marissa decided to just shower tonight, and vowed to give her hair a special three hour treatment the next day. She hadn’t touched her hair since Wednesday night; tomorrow would be day four unless she did it. Even if she saw Harold for a little bit, it was a Sunday, there were enough hours in the day to tame the beast.
Marissa, slightly drunk on the wine, swayed ever so slightly as she walked to her bathroom shedding her clothes as she made her way down the hall. She shook out her hair, and twisted it into a bun that looked more like a bird’s nest than hair. She started the hot water and waited as the bathroom filled with steam. She stepped inside and let the hot water warm her skin. She quickly shaved her underarms, her pussy, and her legs. Thankfully it was only her legs that she nicked a few times. Then she washed her body with mango pomegranate scented soap. As she was getting ready to get out, Marissa felt something hit her ankle. She looked down to see her hair tie being taken by the running water. Great, Marissa thought, my hair has a mind of its own, she chuckled to herself.
Marissa felt her hair uncoiling and dropping onto her back. Pressure was building in her head from around her neck. She tried to steady herself against the shower walls. She began feeling lightheaded. Her hair had wrapped itself around the front of her neck now, as though someone had been holding it one way, and Marissa had spun around in the opposite direction. She felt the pressure greaten. Marissa tried to gasp for air, but wasn’t able to. As her eyes began to flutter she saw the strands of her hair waving in front of her face before she felt them crawling into her mouth and nose. She dropped to her knees, and fell forward. The noise from the shower muffled and her body tingled all over. Marissa lay lifeless on the shower floor with the water beating down on her as her hair unwound itself from her nose, mouth, and neck. It settled loosely down her back, each strand swimming like an eel as the water continued to run down her back.