Get It Straight, Or Say Good Night

Tah-heaty

It's so hot, Lou muttered to herself, its got to be hotter than the hottest day ever- not just in Britain, mind you. Probably as hot as the Sahara, or Mars. Mars is hot, right? Frowning Louise let the heat burn her skin, then realised. If I stay frowning will I have deep white lines everywhere?

Trying to relax, Louise waited.

Nothing.

Not a sound, have they forgotten? They better not have.

I'll end up shrivelled and charred, she frowned again and sang a few of the boy's new songs in her head, going through the words John had been uttering over and over. She was bound to remember them, he said them soooo much.

Not that she minded though. They were good words, happy. And the way he sang them made her toes curl. And then he'd keep on and on about hating his voice when he listened back his trial runs on the tape machine balanced on the little table in the living room. He better have moved that bloody contraption by now, Evie will soon have it in pieces. Bet he hasn't though, he never learns.

Steak, blood red on one side, charred and blackened on the other was how Lou imagined herself as the rough woman turned her over like she was on a barbeque.

The 'lady' with broken English had shoved a pair of obscenely small pieces of fabric at Louise this morning, pushed Lou into a stall to change, barrelled back in and muttered something about bush, and getting lost, then shoved Louise into the 'Serenity Treatment Room'.

More like Screaming Torture Chamber.

Louise remembered every strip of the pain, every pull, every bloody hair tearing from her body, tears ran and she bit her fist to stifle the screams. I will kill Lennon when I get outta here Lou grumbled to herself.

He must have known, but how?

He didn't come home looking like an overcooked steak anytime, or have a hedge clipped around his ahemm.

They hadn't stopped clipping, trimming, pulling until her face was blotchy and red from crying- Definitely torture!

And I (Lou rolled her eyes) or rather John, pay pounds and pounds for the privilege of it too!!!

An outrage!!

Louise thought of the horridness of it all as she stared at her toenails through tiny sunglassy google thingys.

Now, that had been a treat. Someone sandpapering nails, all of them- hands and feet, trimming them then deciding on a colour out of a rainbow of pretty hues. Lou smiled. The aqua was quite nice and when I put the aqua swimmers on that I purchased from the shop at home catalogue and wallow in the sea I will be colour coordinated! Lou smiled at the joy of it all.

Bloody John and his 'oh Louie, May~bel, you'll have a great time this morning' He said that false truth as he shoved her out the front door.

Should have known, Louise grumbled as she felt her retinas burning. When he called her May~bel it usually meant trouble or he was going to get into trouble from something he had done, one of the two. He'd shoved fifty pounds, fifty pounds, in her purse and got Mal to drop her off.

Quite like it when he say's 'May~bel' now, bit French sounding with the belle bit and the way he says it. Rasping it out if he's mad or cooing it if he wants me. Never will admit it though, let him think he's pissing me off. Much more entertaining that way.

Louise had been happily minding her own business, laying on the lounger in the back garden in her bra and knickers soaking up the few rays... John had walked out laughing when it started to rain.

Damn English rain.

Was one cloud, then three, then five all rammed together and opened overhead. Lou lay there though, probably still would be, attempting to wait out the torrential downpour to perfect her 'tan'.

Most likely still flogging down out there, Lou huffed then grinned with nervous anticipation, then stopped grinning- lines you know.

So excited for a holiday, Louise read every book from the library on Tahiti and went to the travel agency for more brochures to stare at the heavenly pictures. Oh! it looked like heaven, Lou smiled, then stopped- lines you know.

Lots of people soaking up the sunshine, swaying palms, waiters bringing drinks to the edge of the crystal clear blue water. It's got to be warm that, all the sunshine would heat the water so nice, Louise sighed as she remembered the euphoria she felt when John had dropped the tickets in her lap on the cold winter night in February.

Hang on, all them people are brown, she'd thought at the time, from chocolate through to a golden they smiled and looked warm and delicious. Lou had looked upon herself that very evening and grumbled- white, lily white, not a trace or even a mark line under the bra straps, nothing remotely looking like tan. Whiter than snow, whiter than the hair-do she got in Paris. It was finally a little closer to her caramel bandage dress in colour now but what did John call her? That's right 'white as an albino jackrabbit in bleached snow' bloody arse.

Someone screamed ....

Serenity, huh!

Suffering and misery a much more apt description.

Lou felt her skin tightening, I don't want steak I want chocolate.

Now if I was melting chocolate and not charred steak that would be nicer, could live with that scenario.

*************

Lou looked over her skin in the mirror, the lighting was horrendous but gave a good idea of the results.

As she had walked down the street this morning, toward the unknown now identified as a torturing chamber business house, a woman a little older than herself had stepped out of the supposed 'beauty' clinic and passed her by. Louise had to turn about, for a double take, to look at the poor things legs and have an 'oh my goodness' moment.

Oompa Loompa orange!

No way Jose!!

Not coming out looking like an orange!

Not even if John is a huge, huge fan of orange Jaffa Cakes. I am not coming out looking like that!

Louise came out looking a lovely golden brown.

Smooth skin, aqua nails and walking carefully, walking very, very carefully.....

Just like she had just stepped out of one of those John Wayne movies....