Songstresses

She shook her hair out, letting auburn locks cascade over her shoulders like a blonde waterfall and plunge straight down her back to her waist. Then she blinked twice and screwed her eyes up like someone getting used to contact lenses when they first put them in. Her eyes relaxed, the lines around them smoothing out and disappearing, leaving her looking youthful. Almost illegal, I thought. Then she picked someone out across the bar and her eyes tightened, focusing, staring. She set off, picking her way between the tables and over people's carelessly abandoned bags -- the student athletes were in tonight, on their way home from whatever match had been played. Curious about her, and bored with nothing else to do, I discretely wandered in the same direction.
She stopped near the bar, her blue eyes still focused on what I could now see was an older woman. The other woman was shorter than the first, had dark-brown, almost black hair, was wearing unflattering overalls and a floral blouse that might have been popular in the seventies. She was reading through the music list on the jukebox with her lip curled in a sneer.
I smiled to myself and settled down to watch. This had all the makings of the wife discovering all about the mistress for the first time.
"Julia," said the first woman in a soft, throaty voice that reminded me of my first English teacher. "Julia, we have to talk."
"What's there to say?" said the other woman in a sharp tone. "Tell me why I don't like Mondays?"
"You were always on my mind."
"I wasn't born yesterday, 'Lise. Whether or not I was on your mind, you went ahead and did it anyway. That's what matters to me." She paused, and then, "Guess that makes you Jet City Woman."
"Julia, it's so not what you think. I wonder if this is what you want to think though. After all, Time changes everything."
"Not this Circus it doesn't."
"Britney?" The auburn-haired 'Lise actually spat on the floor at Julia's feet. "You're bringing Britney into this?"
Julia smiled, a hard smile with cold eyes. "It's easier than slapping you, and doesn't hurt my hand. I think I'd better leave, since you'll only cause a scene."
She turned away from the jukebox, glanced at 'Lise for the first time, and walked out. The auburn-haired woman seemed to shrink in on herself and her hair lost some of its lustre. I sighed, not quite sure what I'd witnessed but amused nonetheless and make a snap decision to leave as well and follow Julia for a while, and see where else this was going.