Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 56.1: 1968, Georgina

Chapter 56.1: 1968, Georgina

 

"You embarrassed me the other day."

Genesis looked up at me from the pair of slacks he had been suspiciously fingering. "How so?" he asked, still not giving me his full attention. God, how I hated that. The only two people in the world who seemed to ever give me their full attention were Frankie and Cha Cha.

"At Norman's. What you did."

"What did I do?" 

I closed my eyes to try to control my anger. He'd gone back to touching the brown pants, flicking the tag over to check the price. Taking advantage of the pause, he chose to speak further, deepening my resentment. "You know, these pants are the same color brown as that coat you're wearing."

I shoved my hands into my brown pockets. The little ribbon brooch inside scratched my fingertips, the crystals sharp but soothing in a way I couldn't describe. 

"You should take that coat off. Its really hot in here, isn't it? I think I'm actually sweating," he went on. 

My heart started beating too fast under my sailor collared mini dress.  "I swear to god if you make me take my coat off again..."

"Don't you dare use the Lord's name in vain, young lady."

"Shh! Don't call me that in here!"

"Oh come on." He made a tisking sound with his teeth and went back to the pants, not much different from the sort of sound Paulie and I employed with each other. It temporarily put me off balance. But I found my center.

"You know, nobody would think anything if you weren't half going it right now. Pants under a dress. Scandal. And that wig is much too short. You look so pretty with longer hair, past your shoulders. I always thought so."

"Shh! Stop it!" I was whispering loudly now, but I quit it as soon as I realized how loud I was actually being. My heart was pumping so fast I thought I might become dizzy.

"I shouldn't have agreed to come here with you if you weren't fully dressed as female. That's the problem. I'm too soft."

"Genesis!" I hissed, my eyes darting around the men's department.

"What do you think of these pants? Felix wouldn't wear them. I don't see why I bother. Why don't they have them in pink? Maybe purple? Do you think he'd wear them in purple? I think he'd wear them in purple. But I can never shop for that man. He doesn't like anything."

The change in conversation caught me off guard. I put my hand over my racing heart but I quickly shoved it back into my pocket again. Fuck, now that he'd mentioned it I was sweating. Goddamned wool.

"I think I have to sit down," I whispered, leaning to him.

"Why are you whispering?" He flicked the plastic hangers on the rack quickly one by one, still staring at the pants. The sound grated on my nerves.

"I really, really have to sit down."

"Okay, fine. I'll be here."

I swallowed, standing in my spot like a fawn who's sank into mud. My eyes started blinking to the rhythm of Genesis' hanger flicking in my nervousness until I closed them altogether. This was not a good idea, as my head started to swim. 

"N- no, I think you'd better come with me."

"Oh-whoa." I recognized this sound. It was a rare sound he made when he realized something amiss. My hands clenched into fists. "You're sweating. Really sweating. Are you okay?"