You decide to let them wash your hair

"All right." you said, laying back.

"Let's get to work." Eleanor said, leaning your chair back and letting your hair fall into the basin.

Eleanor started massaging your scalp as she worked in the shampoo, which, after the few days, was extremely relaxing and felt really good. So good that the tension of the last few days started to drift away and your eyelids started to flutter.

As you finally relaxed, Eleanor noticed that you had finally become comfortable in the chair.

"Don't worry, Erica, we'll have you looking gorgeous in no time." Eleanor said as Madge and Shannon began prepping a few other items to use.

As you slept, Eleanor worked the shampoo through your hair and rinsed it off. Then she used a towel to dry your hair a little, before she had Madge bring over a set of curlers.

Eleanor started by parting your hair on the left and cutting a bit for style. Your hair wasn't the longest, but truth be told, that was the style nowadays, so Eleanor barely noticed. She rolled the front of your hair on top into two large stand-up curlers, before moving onto the rest of your head, pulling everything else into two rows of large pin curls around the side and back.

Once that was done, she tapped your shoulder.

"Erica? Honey, get up, we need to move you to the dryer." Eleanor said.

In your drowsy and relaxed state, you barely recognized what she was saying, but her reassuring voice made you simply allow her to guide you over to the dryer. You sat down and she dropped the dome onto your head.

"Oh, cute," you thought. "The retro dryer too. They're really giving me an authentic experience."

You hadn't yet noticed the tightness and heaviness sitting on top of your head. As you sat, Madge walked over and grabbed one of your hands, starting to file the nails. You wanted to object, but the heat from the dryer was making your drowsiness return and your eyes slowly shut once again.

That meant that you weren't aware when Madge started to polish your nails a soft pink color, or when Shannon started doing some light makeup work on your face, brushing foundation and rouge onto your face and cheeks, using mascara on your eyes, along with some eye-shadow, and a light, coral shade of lipstick onto your lips.

"Heavy sleeper, huh?" Shannon asked.

"Carol said she'd been having a rough time. This is probably her first pampering session in a while." Eleanor said.

You were so heavily asleep, in fact, that you didn't even notice when Madge took your shoes off and started giving you a pedicure.

Once the dryer was lifted, you were woken up again and led back to the first chair, where Eleanor started to undo the curlers, not that you could tell what she was doing. While she had faced your chair away from the view of the mirror, you noticed a heaviness on your face and hands. Eleanor was blocking your hands as she undid the curlers, but you licked your lips and found an... unfamiliar taste on them.

"Is that lip balm?" you thought to yourself.

Once Eleanor undid the curlers, she started to style your hair, which didn't take very long, before she tore the cape off and turned you around, revealing...

"Oh my god!" you exclaimed.

You looked like a woman! Wearing the clothes were one thing, but this... this was... your hair was curly, in a pageboy style, your face was made up, similarly to how Carol's was every day. You raised your hand to your face, discovering your polished and rounded nails. With your feminine outfit, your head didn't look at all out of place on your body. This was...

"It was Carol's idea, she said you seemed like you needed some TLC and we were more than happy to oblige our new shampoo girl, Erica." Eleanor said.

Suddenly it all clicked. Because of the clothes, and likely your hair, Carol had thought you were a woman! That's why she was so much of a busybody and why not one had commented about your strange manner of dress. They all thought that these were the clothes that you were supposed to wear! That's why she made you get a job here, because she thought you were some unkempt woman!

"I... I..." you started. "I..."

"Don't worry, I know you love it." Eleanor said.

This was a disaster! If this is what Carol thought, you'd risk causing a large fracture in the timeline, not to mention probably get yourself in a lot of trouble if you went around saying that you were a man and this was a huge misunderstanding, especially since you don't have any money or identification. You were going to have to suck it up and live like this for a while, if you were ever going to fix that machine.

"Let me help you up, dear." Eleanor grabbed your hand and helped you stand up. "Remember, bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Right..." you muttered as you came to terms with how the events had played out. "Tomorrow morning..."

You walked out of the salon and: