"Are you sure this is the right place?" college-aged Virginia Bubo asked the taxi driver.

"You said 'Beautiful Plumage!' right? This is the address the GPS pulled up!" said the skunk.

Virginia looked out the window. The place didn't look like a prestigious feather salon. The name Beautiful Plumage! was right there on the building, in lights. But most salons had big windows up front instead of no windows, right? She checked her text messages and made sure she had the name correct.

"Look, lady, we can keep discussing this but I do have to warn that the meter is running."

Virginia got out of the cab and paid the fare before it got unfair.

She walked up to the big, buff bulldog standing in front of the building and meekly asked "Is this Beautiful Plumage!?"

"That's what it says on the building, miss," answered the dog.

"It's not what I was expecting but," she laughed nervously. "I have an appointment?"

He looked her over. It was not a quick look. "You the new girl?"

"Oh! Yes! This is my first time!"

His rough expression got a trifle kinder. "No worries, miss. Just go around the side entrance and the girls will get you ready."

Virginia thanked the kind man and hustled around the side. So she was at the right place! Time for a high-end salon experience!

The owl didn't expect the salon beauticians to all be wearing bikinis. Prestigious salons sure were different!

--

At the prestigious beauty salon Beautiful Plumage!, Virginia's college friends Aquila and Zalma impatiently waited for her but their owl friend just didn't show up.

"When she said she'd make her own way here... that's when I should have known she would screw up somehow," Aquila said sourly. "Salon day with the gals! What a surprise, Ginny is nowhere to be found!"

"Do you think she went to another location by mistake? There's another Beautiful Plumage! downtown," said Zalma.

"No, name's the same but completely different business. The one downtown is a str- ... But we are talking Ginny here... We have to go downtown!"

"What? But our appointment!"

"The owner is my cousin's wife. She'll reschedule us," Aquila said breezily. "If I'm right, what we'll find is going to be a lot more soothing to the soul than hours of pampering."

--

The eagle and dove took Zalma's car downtown. They found the other Beautiful Plumage!, paid the cover charge, and entered the dimly lit interior.

Aquila and Zalma got fancy cocktails, found seats, and waited.

They didn't have to wait long.

"And now... our newest girl... VIRGINIA BOOOOOBS!"

A very confused owl in a gold bikini wandered onto the little stage.

"Um, I'm not sure I expected an audience during my salon trip..."

Virginia started dancing around the pole, as she was instructed by the other performers. Who she had mistaken as salon staff. Because the downtown Beautiful Plumage! was not a beauty salon. But it was a place to celebrate beauties.

And Aquila and Zalma cracked up watching their friend who had somehow confused herself into becoming a poledancer.

---

A story of a slightly younger Virginia! College Virginia.

I figured this YCH was a good time to show that Virginia has always been tripping into mishaps and embarrassments.

In this case, I'm sure she realized partway through the routine that she is not actually in a beauty salon. And that it's actually a strip club. Then she became very embarrassed.

---

Virginia Bubo owned by me
Art by  kastoluza