Maid of Marvels
Lurking with Intent
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2001
- Posts
- 5,184
2. Cosmo Pearl
Her grin broadened and was matched by Jack's. "Why not? It's been... ages since I've been to the cinema. I just have to get ready, okay? Make yourself comfortable meantime."
Martha was waiting for her in the hallway, arms akimbo and a frightful glower on her face. Truth, her entire demeanor exuded an air of unconcealed menace. "What do you mean you're going to the retrospective?" Martha hissed, not caring and, in fact, wanting Jack Baker to hear. "He's just using you for a story and plans to slide his oily way to fame and fortune among the paparazzi by riding on your coattails."
"And if he is? What then? I'm an adult, Martie. I have free will and until someone declares me non compos mentis, I think I'm capable of making my own decisions." Lana pushed past Martha and entered her bedroom, slamming the door behind herself.
Taking a few deep breaths, Lana smoothed down her dress as she stepped into her dressing room. What to wear, what to wear? Should she change? Her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't exactly overdressed for something like this - and no one would know who she was anyhow, she decided. Why bother to change? She was neat and clean. It wasn't going to be fancy shmancy.
Lana nodded at herself and opened the drawer where she kept scarves, selecting one that would match her dress. Yes, this would do, she thought, draping it over her head and tossing one end over her shoulder. The sunglasses she had were what some might call retro now, but in their heyday they were the bee's knees. She chuckled, slipping them on. So dark no one could ever claim to have seen her eyes, there was something about the upturned edge of the frames that had always appealed to her - and they were fairly large. Also a good thing.
Taking the sunglasses and scarf off, Lana brushed her hair and refreshed her lipstick, blotting her mouth with a tissue - all the while chanting "I can do this. I can do this!" like some kind of personal mantra. Now if she could only get her heart to stop pounding.
Five minutes later, she was on her way back to the living room, secretly pleased that Martha was still standing where she had left her. "Not one word," Lana said in a forbidding tone, but grinning as she passed. She wasn't exactly sure that Martha would have been able to speak at any rate the way her lips seemed to be cemented together in a thin, straight line.
Jack looked up as she reentered the room and jumped to his feet. "No disguise?"
Lana smiled and waved the scarf, placing it over her head as she had done earlier before sliding on the sunglasses. "Tonight," she said, "I'm just going to the movies."
"We," Jack replied in a pseudo-firm voice, all the while wondering how Lana could possibly think that no one would know who she was. Then again, he thought, stranger things had been known to happen.
Her grin broadened and was matched by Jack's. "Why not? It's been... ages since I've been to the cinema. I just have to get ready, okay? Make yourself comfortable meantime."
Martha was waiting for her in the hallway, arms akimbo and a frightful glower on her face. Truth, her entire demeanor exuded an air of unconcealed menace. "What do you mean you're going to the retrospective?" Martha hissed, not caring and, in fact, wanting Jack Baker to hear. "He's just using you for a story and plans to slide his oily way to fame and fortune among the paparazzi by riding on your coattails."
"And if he is? What then? I'm an adult, Martie. I have free will and until someone declares me non compos mentis, I think I'm capable of making my own decisions." Lana pushed past Martha and entered her bedroom, slamming the door behind herself.
Taking a few deep breaths, Lana smoothed down her dress as she stepped into her dressing room. What to wear, what to wear? Should she change? Her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't exactly overdressed for something like this - and no one would know who she was anyhow, she decided. Why bother to change? She was neat and clean. It wasn't going to be fancy shmancy.
Lana nodded at herself and opened the drawer where she kept scarves, selecting one that would match her dress. Yes, this would do, she thought, draping it over her head and tossing one end over her shoulder. The sunglasses she had were what some might call retro now, but in their heyday they were the bee's knees. She chuckled, slipping them on. So dark no one could ever claim to have seen her eyes, there was something about the upturned edge of the frames that had always appealed to her - and they were fairly large. Also a good thing.
Taking the sunglasses and scarf off, Lana brushed her hair and refreshed her lipstick, blotting her mouth with a tissue - all the while chanting "I can do this. I can do this!" like some kind of personal mantra. Now if she could only get her heart to stop pounding.
Five minutes later, she was on her way back to the living room, secretly pleased that Martha was still standing where she had left her. "Not one word," Lana said in a forbidding tone, but grinning as she passed. She wasn't exactly sure that Martha would have been able to speak at any rate the way her lips seemed to be cemented together in a thin, straight line.
Jack looked up as she reentered the room and jumped to his feet. "No disguise?"
Lana smiled and waved the scarf, placing it over her head as she had done earlier before sliding on the sunglasses. "Tonight," she said, "I'm just going to the movies."
"We," Jack replied in a pseudo-firm voice, all the while wondering how Lana could possibly think that no one would know who she was. Then again, he thought, stranger things had been known to happen.
