Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 38.3: 1968, Georgina

Chapter 38.3: 1968, Georgina

 

"Dobroye utro!"

"Why would you ever answer the phone in Russian? Who the heck is calling you in Russian other than Ganya at 3am?"

"Haha. Oh, you are right. Good morning, Georgina."

"You sound weird."

"I'm being visited by a girl named Mary Jane."

"Wonderful."

"So, how is your night?"

I sighed into the phone, relaxing on my snowy white couch. The lights of the city were streaming through my windows, but dominant was the color of a ghostly blue. My fingers went to twist the phone cord, but were met with a stab of pain from my injured finger. I settled them instead on my lap. 

"My night is not going well."

"Oh, no. Tell Sasha what's wrong."

I sighed again, thinking. "Well, for one thing I can't get out of my drag. I got home and realized I couldn't do it."

"Why is that?" He seemed to be stifling his laughter, his voice squeaking.

Ignoring this, I stared at my injured finger on my lap, ringless and angrily swollen, tender. "Because I punched a wall while wearing a pretty big ring and hurt my finger and my wrist."

"You must have punched that wall very hard. What did the wall do to you?" Sasha started chuckling to himself in a snorty manner and I rolled my eyes. He was acting too silly for my mood. 

"It wasn't the wall. It was Paulie. I punched the wall because I wanted to punch Paulie."

"Oh my goodness. What did Paulie do to you?"

I sighed deeply into the phone again for the third time, an exasperated, long breath. "He's using again."

"Poor guy."

"Yeah, I suppose." I leaned over, putting pressure on my finger and jerked back to the cushions of the couch as pain zinged up my hand. These old habits. No leaning on my knee. I shook my head at myself, the pain reminding me of my dire predicament. The truth was, I really was in trouble here. I couldn't get out of my dress. Couldn't get out of my corselette or even roll down my stockings without two hands. I hadn't realized this at the club. 

In defeat, I looked up at the ceiling. "Look, I don't know if you can, but...truth is I really can't get out of my drag. I tried every way I could. I can't even get it undone enough to pee." Blush bloomed on my cheeks. "My hand hurts too much to let me get my shit off. Can you come over and help me?" Vulnerability made my heart pump faster, embarrassment.

"What?" Sasha guffawed and I rolled my eyes again, but really it was kind of funny. The corners of my mouth twitched despite myself. 

"Can you come over? Please say yes."

"Sure I can. I heard you're living at a new hoity-toity address. Is the rumor true?"

Oh right, I hadn't told him. "Yeah."

"Okay, tell me where. I'll jump into a cab, darling."

"Thank god." I relaxed completely, relief spreading all over my body.

"Don't thank god, thank your Russian friend who decided to smoke a blunt instead of going to bed." He burst into high pitched giggles at this like it was the funniest thing in the universe and I couldn't help laughing with him, breaking my bad mood.