[Del]'s Diary

ENTRY THIRTY-NINE

I am in a small clean and smart office as Sugar as she tugs down the fingers of her small white gloves onto her hands and slips her teal green purse over one forearm. The room has wide open windows framed by deep blue polyester curtains that look out over the cityscape.

Whatever meeting has just occurred, it is now clearly over. Sugar rises from her seat in front of the polished mahogany table, nods at the gaunt and sharp looking blonde lady smiling at her, and glides out of the room when I realize that Sugar no longer bounces on her heels when she walks. She walks with…poise now.

Outside, in the hall, there is a row of pretty gals all more or less dressed in the same pointy bodices, flared skirts and white gloves. We continue to glide past them with a serene smile on our lips, and out the double doors past the sign hanging outside that says: Ford Models.

We continue to glide down the steps and out the door onto the busy street. The day is bright and gleaming. Men pass by in sharp fitted suits topped with fedoras. Women in skirts and pastel pointed bodices. Finally, we stop at a shiny and round black car door and open it.

Hunter is inside at the driver’s seat. He lays a tanned red forearm on the wheel and looks at us expectantly. “Well,” he inquires.

I get in. Close the door. The car feels huge to me, a luxury of space for my legs to unfurl in. And I realize that I must have been in smaller, much more compact cars, myself at some point in my history for this one to feel so large. I flip down the mirror and dig around my purse with one hand, pulling out a compact.

I pause before powdering my nose to look at Hunter, “Swell. She said I had good teeth.” I flash a smile at myself in the mirror and notice my teeth are perfectly straight now. No gap. I want to run my tongue over them but Sugar has no need of the tactile confirmation.

“Good,” he smiles as if he was just proven right about something. “It’s time for your special training.”

My voice cracks as I whip my head towards him, “Special training for what?”

I would like to know as well but Hunter just shrugs and starts the car and soon I wake up. I am certain I will find out soon enough.

[Deleted]