An hour later a spiffy Simon - liberally splashed with his favorite aftershave - waited impatiently in the lounge, flipping channels, waiting for his Pearl to arrive.
He heard the door open and leaped to his feet. A click-click of high heels preceded the vision of Pearl wrapped from head to feet in a cloak of shimmering ostrich feathers. Her smoky eyes were bigger than ever, her mouth lush and gleaming bronze. She looked beautiful. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Pear-Pearl..." he gasped, "You look...Very nice."
"Thank you, Simon," a secretive knowing smile folded up the corners of her mouth.
Simon found he was gaping foolishly, and closed his mouth. "Shall we go?"
"Yes, do lets." and Pearl stepped forward and placed an ivory-sheathed hand on his arm. "May I say, Simon-Sir, you look very fine."
Simon was sure he was blushing wildly, and thanked God that his dark complexion saved him from the visible embarrassment of his confusion. "Than-thank you Pearl..."
Her secretive smile deepened somehow. "You smell lovely too. I love that scent. Old Spice, isn't it?"
"Ye- yes..."
"My Grandfather always used it, and it brings back wonderful memories."
Her Grandfather. He smelled like Pearl's Grandfather.
Strike 3.
A somewhat deflated Simon drove them to the Opera House, and - miracle of miracles!- found a parking spot conveniently close to the main entrance.
He jumped out of the car and ran around to gallantly open the door for Pearl. She stepped out onto the curb in a wave of soft feathers and some delicious scent that set his head spinning.
Pearl didn't smell anything like his grandmother. No, not at all!
He offered her his arm, and the two walked up the broad marble steps into a gilded wonderland. The wide lobby was filled with beautifully dressed people, chatting and laughing and sipping at gilded glasses filled with sparkling wine being distributed by elegant men in black.
One such gentleman approached them bearing a silver a tray with two champagne flutes.
"Welcome, Madam, Sir. Would you like some Champagne? If Madam would like to leave her wrap, there is a cloak-room..."
Pearl smiled at the man. "Yes, that would be lovely." and taking her glass in her gloved hand, led Simon through the crowd in the direction the man had indicated.
At the cloak-room counter, a girl (also in black) was taking overcoats and jackets. Pearl handed him her glass, stepped up to the counter, and gracefully shrugged the feather cloak off her shoulders, handing it to the girl in one smooth movement.
Simon Thambisa's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Pearl was a show stopper.
She was wearing a fifties-style strapless gown, the bodice in pleated ivory studded with pearls, The dress itself was black velvet, tight around the waist with a wide skirt that flirted with Pearl's knees at the front, and draped itself into a sultry train sweeping to the ground at the back. Long ivory gloves slithered up Pearl's arms, nearly all the way to her shapely bare shoulders.
Bare shoulders.
Luscious, polished chocolate shoulders, sweeping into a long elegant neck.
Elegantly molded delicious shoulders, shoulders that begged to be kissed and nibbled and...
Simon couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Pearl..." Before he could speak, he heard a voice behind him echo: "PEARL!"
He turned.
Ratsike.
Dratted Ratsike.
Ratsike looking elegant and refined in his musician's coat and tails.
Ratsike looking as poleaxed as Simon felt.
"My dear Miss Pearl!"
"Good evening Mr. Ratsike. You look very handsome!"
"Thank you, Miss Pearl, you are...You look..."
Ratsike looked like an idiot.
"Mr. Thambisa! Welcome, Sir!" Ratsike was feverishly pumping his hand, a huge grin on his stupid face. "Come with me,. both of you..."
He was leading them along the lobby. From the corner of his eye, Simon could see men staring at Pearl, and women glaring at her dress. He drew himself to his full, impressive height. Without a doubt, Pearl was the most arresting women in sight, and she was with him.
Simon rather enjoyed the concert. He had to admit Ratsike was good. The German man too.
But the best part was sitting in the dark next to Pearl, having her lean close to whisper in his ear, having her gloved fingers touching his arm, and the scent of her filling his head.
Then it ended. The lights were coming up, and Pearl was rising from her seat with her glowing dreaming smile. "Oh Simon-Sir, it was so beautiful! Did you like it?"
"I love it Pearl. I love it, and you."
She tilted her head at him in confusion.
"Sir?"
Simon found he was shuffling his feet.
LIKE RATSIKE!
"I loved it too. What I meant to say was, I loved the music too."
MC
He heard the door open and leaped to his feet. A click-click of high heels preceded the vision of Pearl wrapped from head to feet in a cloak of shimmering ostrich feathers. Her smoky eyes were bigger than ever, her mouth lush and gleaming bronze. She looked beautiful. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Pear-Pearl..." he gasped, "You look...Very nice."
"Thank you, Simon," a secretive knowing smile folded up the corners of her mouth.
Simon found he was gaping foolishly, and closed his mouth. "Shall we go?"
"Yes, do lets." and Pearl stepped forward and placed an ivory-sheathed hand on his arm. "May I say, Simon-Sir, you look very fine."
Simon was sure he was blushing wildly, and thanked God that his dark complexion saved him from the visible embarrassment of his confusion. "Than-thank you Pearl..."
Her secretive smile deepened somehow. "You smell lovely too. I love that scent. Old Spice, isn't it?"
"Ye- yes..."
"My Grandfather always used it, and it brings back wonderful memories."
Her Grandfather. He smelled like Pearl's Grandfather.
Strike 3.
***
A somewhat deflated Simon drove them to the Opera House, and - miracle of miracles!- found a parking spot conveniently close to the main entrance.
He jumped out of the car and ran around to gallantly open the door for Pearl. She stepped out onto the curb in a wave of soft feathers and some delicious scent that set his head spinning.
Pearl didn't smell anything like his grandmother. No, not at all!
He offered her his arm, and the two walked up the broad marble steps into a gilded wonderland. The wide lobby was filled with beautifully dressed people, chatting and laughing and sipping at gilded glasses filled with sparkling wine being distributed by elegant men in black.
One such gentleman approached them bearing a silver a tray with two champagne flutes.
"Welcome, Madam, Sir. Would you like some Champagne? If Madam would like to leave her wrap, there is a cloak-room..."
Pearl smiled at the man. "Yes, that would be lovely." and taking her glass in her gloved hand, led Simon through the crowd in the direction the man had indicated.
At the cloak-room counter, a girl (also in black) was taking overcoats and jackets. Pearl handed him her glass, stepped up to the counter, and gracefully shrugged the feather cloak off her shoulders, handing it to the girl in one smooth movement.
Simon Thambisa's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Pearl was a show stopper.
She was wearing a fifties-style strapless gown, the bodice in pleated ivory studded with pearls, The dress itself was black velvet, tight around the waist with a wide skirt that flirted with Pearl's knees at the front, and draped itself into a sultry train sweeping to the ground at the back. Long ivory gloves slithered up Pearl's arms, nearly all the way to her shapely bare shoulders.
Bare shoulders.
Luscious, polished chocolate shoulders, sweeping into a long elegant neck.
Elegantly molded delicious shoulders, shoulders that begged to be kissed and nibbled and...
Simon couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Pearl..." Before he could speak, he heard a voice behind him echo: "PEARL!"
He turned.
Ratsike.
Dratted Ratsike.
Ratsike looking elegant and refined in his musician's coat and tails.
Ratsike looking as poleaxed as Simon felt.
"My dear Miss Pearl!"
"Good evening Mr. Ratsike. You look very handsome!"
"Thank you, Miss Pearl, you are...You look..."
Ratsike looked like an idiot.
"Mr. Thambisa! Welcome, Sir!" Ratsike was feverishly pumping his hand, a huge grin on his stupid face. "Come with me,. both of you..."
He was leading them along the lobby. From the corner of his eye, Simon could see men staring at Pearl, and women glaring at her dress. He drew himself to his full, impressive height. Without a doubt, Pearl was the most arresting women in sight, and she was with him.
***
Simon rather enjoyed the concert. He had to admit Ratsike was good. The German man too.
But the best part was sitting in the dark next to Pearl, having her lean close to whisper in his ear, having her gloved fingers touching his arm, and the scent of her filling his head.
Then it ended. The lights were coming up, and Pearl was rising from her seat with her glowing dreaming smile. "Oh Simon-Sir, it was so beautiful! Did you like it?"
"I love it Pearl. I love it, and you."
She tilted her head at him in confusion.
"Sir?"
Simon found he was shuffling his feet.
LIKE RATSIKE!
"I loved it too. What I meant to say was, I loved the music too."
MC
TO BE CONTINUED
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