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An excerpt from my novel, Showing Pink: Ten after eight and my day is over; the shift changes staggered in ten minute increments so that as I drag the dressing room door closed behind me, there's Desiree off at 8:00 in her robe, still in full make-up, legs crossed, smoking, and Monica on at 8:20 naked at her locker, and Sophia still in street clothes, on at 8:30, and a brief glimpse of Cleopatra whizzing past me, ankle bells jingling, to relieve me for the 8:10 to 2:10 evening shift. Desiree's pale eyes follow as I cross to my bag of stuff pulling off damp scraps of sweaty costume as I come; feet dragging, shoulders rounded. I stuff the fragrant lingerie in my locker and fish for the bottle of Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap and a washcloth. At the sink, I turn both taps on full force and lean my head into the basin, splashing cool water over my face and neck. When the hot catches up with the cold, I squeeze a stream of strong yellow soap into the warm wet washcloth, scrubbing my face and rinsing, scrubbing, rinsing; soap stinging, water running down my body, dripping and soaking into the already damp and mildewed carpet under the basin. With the rough nap of the washcloth I wash again and again the sweat and juices from my underarms and crotch, rinsing and rinsing until the makeup and sweat, and all of Anastasia, swirls down the drain. Until the clear water and clean smell of peppermint obliterates the stench of smoke, mildew, sperm, disinfectant, perspiration. Until, skin refreshed and tingling, I turn, nude, back into the eyes of Desiree who watches me, slowly shaking her head. An excerpt of Showing Pink appeared in Cherry Bleeds, 2003. |
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¬(c) Ericka Lutz, 2003 |
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