16 October, 2006

Underneath Everything

...I wanna be your t-shirt when it's wet/ I wanna be the shower when you sweat....


She stares critically at my chest for a moment, then reaches into my bra and rearranges me. I stand, patient as a horse with a farrier, while she does this.

You'd expect this, maybe, of a bra saleswoman in a shop dressing room. It's Coco. We're in the office at the Center. Mr. J. stares, laughs. The new tech, not loquacious to begin with, is stunned to literal open-mouthed silence.

I realize suddenly that this seems odd public behavior to anyone who doesn't know us well.

Mr. J. attempts explanationtion. "They've been in theatre so long, you know."

Coco, undisturbed, regards my newly-fluffed bosom.

Is it better?

"Better. Before, you just looked.... squashed."

Well.... thanks.

*

My sister is about to pull away. I stand in the drive, the sun on me.

Hey!

"Hey, what?"

Can you see my underwear?

She studies me, squinting.

"Umm..."

How about now?

I tug down the side of my knit yoga trousers and flash her my lacy panties.

"You are so weird." She shakes her head and drives off.

*

He regards a flimsy object in my car. "Is that .... underwear?" A fair question. It could be.

Sort of. Not really. It's a tube top. For when I'm caught in a T-shirt or something and the sun's out.

He looks confused, disappointed and apprehensive, all at once.



([I Wanna Be] Your Underwear; Bryan Adams)

3 comments:

Aimee said...

He may not understand sunny weather. And Mr. J may not understand necessary adjustments. But I do.

We're going to PA for ESC's reception. She had the formal wedding, which was very small, in GA, and is hosting a much larger reception at "home" in PA. So Julie, Nanner, and I are going. I'm not sure if E-Lo will be there or not... though she's close enough she ought to be!

Are you nearby? I can't invite you to someone else's wedding, but if you're close, I'd sure love to meet up with you for a cuppa!

Michael said...

You used the word "farrier".

A farrier is like a blacksmith or someone who shoes horses. A farrier's tool is a hasp.

I know you knew that, but I didn't know this prior to last week, when these terms came up in the NY Times crossworld puzzle.

I'm glad someone besides Will Shortz uses these words.

Cybele said...

Aimee, let's see if we can work something out- I'm excited!

Mike, thanks for the appreciation. One of the people I write for is forever telling me "Nobody uses words like those. Nobody KNOWS words like those." I hate having to 'dumb down'.