Inception - Mind over matter

Fabulous

Eames dragged her out of bed at six a.m. 

"Up! Come on, it's time."

Tiffany rubbed her eyes, unsticking her wet lashes.

"Time for what?" she yawned.

"Maurice Fischer just died in Sydney," he wrenched open the curtains and sunlight streamed in through the window. The rain was gone.

Rain!

"Eames, I remembered something!"

He whirled around, his full lips parted and his eyes eager. He perched on the end of her bed.

"The dream I was pulled into last night, it was raining there,"

He waited for her to continue.

She threw back the covers and slipped her feet into fluffy pink slippers, "That's it."

Tiffany watched him struggled with his eyebrows, forcing them from a frown to raise half way up his forehead,

"That's a good start," he said. He put his thumbs up, "Maybe next time you'll remember more."

Concern crept into his voice, "But you must say if anything strange starts happening."

She shuffled across the room to her dresser and pulled a brush through her hair, "Strange happenings? Like what?"

"Holes in your memory. Headaches, flashes before your eyes, that sort of thing."

"Holes, flashes, got it."

"I'm serious, darling."

"I know. Now let me get dressed, I'll meet you and the others for breakfast."

Tiffany swirled powder across her cheeks, noting how her the skin still tingled in a certain spot. She added a flick of mascara and put on a red flowery dress. They were off to Australia, after all.

"He'll accompany the body to L.A. for the funeral early next week," Arthur was saying, as Tiffany entered the room, "That will give us a few days to make sure everything is in place."

"Does Saito know?" asked Dom.

"He'll meet us at the airport."

Tiffany successfully stayed awake for the entire journey to Australia. Eames let her have an iPad and she exhausted every game she could find. Anything with an internet connection was normally banned.

"Why?" asked Ariadne, chewing strawberry laces.

"People are always searching for me. Did you know they can remotely hack web cams?"

"Yeah, um, you said it's been years, surely people have dropped it by now?" she offered her laces to Tiffany.

"Urg no thanks, they smell like plastic. Yes, that's what I said! But Eames knows a tech wiz. He keeps an eye on certain software. My name and picture is still on a priority list. Apparently that means surveillance is still searching for me."

Ariadne shifted in her seat and the leather squeaked, "So how are you going to get through a public airport in Sydney, then L.A.?"

Tiffany shrugged, "The old fashioned way. With a really big hat and sunnies."

"Do you have a fake passport?"

"Pssh, do I have a fake passport, of course I do!"

"And a fake name?"

Tiffany bit her lip and tilted her head, "No, I'm not good with them. Once I was Ruby for a while, but that cover got blown and a new one never really caught on. So I just go by Tiffany Eames, it's worked so far."

"But that's so obvious?"

"I think that's why it's such genius."

Australia was awesome. Tiffany hit the beach, enjoying the warm sand under her feet, the salty sea breeze and stretching her cramped muscles with a game of Frisbee with Eames. Then she dragged Ariadne to the mall.

"It's not really my thing," she grumbled.

"I guessed," said Tiffany, looking away to roll her eyes, "But we need to get some posh clothes. The boys all have full suits for tomorrow."

Ariadne whined for the whole hour, making it just as grueling for Tiffany. But the end result was fabulous. Ariadne chose a red pencil skirt and a black blouse. Tiffany bought a bright white work dress. A thin red belt emphasized her toned tummy, and the angular cuts showed off her curves. She finished the look with nude heels, designer floral sunnies and a big beach braid hat.

"You know you look like a super model right?" said Ariadne, "You're supposed to be avoiding attention."

"No," Tiffany corrected her, "I need to be persuasive, alluring and avoiding detailed checks."

"Right."

"You worry too much."