The knock on his door interrupted him at a very delicate moment
and Stanley Raymond Kowalski cursed dramatically. Another, more
imperative knock, and he shrugged the edges of his robe together
and minced towards the door. Damn these shoes, they were way too
tight, but what was a girl to do about it?
Ray opened the door onto a vision of loveliness. Long red hair, a face
to die for, and the sweetest little smile...
"Oh dah-LING! That shade of taupe is just so YOU!"
His visitor winced a little at the high notes, then fixed the
smile a little more firmly in place. "Why, thank you kindly,
Miss Ray-LEEN..."
They both shrieked genteelly and leaned in for the ritual kiss.
At least three inches away from the surface of Ray's cheek, Benny pursed
his lips together and made the required "mmwa,
mmwa" noises.
"Well, come on in, darling! It's so GOOD to see you!"
Ray led the way to the couch and watched admiringly as Benny
perched daintily on the edge. "That man of yours has been
just DOM-inating your attention lately! Ooooh! Dominating! What a dee-LI-cious
word! Makes me go all goose-bumps!"
Benny smiled demurely. "Yes, Ray has been just a teeny bit
de-MAND-ing lately... if you know what I mean..." He
inspected his nails coyly. They were the most divine shade of
turquoise.
"Oh, darling, I WISH I did!" Ray flung a limp wrist
dramatically across his brow and rolled his eyes. "If only I
could find a REAL man. Ray is just so wonderfully BUTCH!"
"He IS, isn't he?" Benny blushed prettily. "I'm
SUCH a lucky girl! Do you know, he actually REFUSED to open the
car door for me again yesterday?"
"No! The BRUTE! Did you cry?" Ray leaned forward
eagerly.
"Of course I didn't!" Benny looked offended and Ray
hastily apologised. "I am a LADY. Ladies do NOT cry! But I'm
afraid I had SUCH a headache last night! I was quite
PROSTRATED!"
They burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh, Miss Benny! You are
such a WICKED girl!"
"One has to know how to manage one's man, Miss Ray-leen.
It's an ART, believe me!"
"Oh, I DO!" Ray placed his hand confidingly on Benny's
stocking-clad knee. "That's why I asked you to come around
today. Darling, I think I've FOUND him! You know, the ONE! Mr
Wonderful! And we're going on a date TONIGHT!"
Benny squealed with delight. "OOOOH! Sugar! Tell me ALL
about him!"
"I don't NEED to, darling! You already KNOW him!" A
small, but dramatic pause ensued. "It's TURNBULL!"
Both Benny's eyebrows shot up into his fringe. "Turnbull?
You're DATING..." Words failed him.
"Oh, YES!" Ray sighed adoringly. "He is just SO
cute! And that UNI-form! So MACHO, darling!"
Benny pouted.
"Oh! Except when YOU'RE wearing it, NATURELLEMENT!" Ray
eyed his guest nervously. It didn't do to offend Miss Benny. She
could be such a bitch.
"Hmmm! That DREAD-ful uniform. So... so... MASCULINE!"
Benny brooded on that fact for a while.
"Yes, but you must admit, the colour is just so
SCRUMPTIOUS!"
"Well, yes..."
"So I thought..." Ray stood and tottered over to the
closet in his six inch stilettos. He flung the door wide with a
flourish. "What do you THINK? Isn't it just the most DIVINE
thing you've EVER seen?"
Benny stared at the red, sequined sheath which hung, glittering
on the inside of the closet door. It was the exact shade of
Mountie red, and tiny sparks of red light glinted teasingly on
its surface. His mouth began to water. He would have scratched
Ray's eyes out to possess that dress, but it would never fit him. He
resolved to go on that diet he'd been putting off.
"Don't you just ADORE it?" Ray gushed enthusiastically.
"Oh, YES!" Ray, his Ray, would just love to see him in
something like that. Perhaps the shop had it in a larger size. It would
hurt his pride, undoubtedly, but a girl would go to any
lengths for a man like Ray... He swallowed. "Um... where did
you get it?"
A tiny, triumphant, smile flickered over Ray's lips. "I
borrowed it off Stella. She doesn't know yet. She'll be
LIVID!"
Benny giggled. "Because it's going to look better on
you!"
"Oh, MEEE-ow!" Ray giggled and made a clawing motion.
"But what I REALLY need your help with..." He dived
into the depths of the closet and came out with a wig in a stand, then
another, and a third. "What hair should I wear with
it?"
Benny inspected the three wigs critically. "Well,
DEF-initely not the strawberry blonde. It clashes horribly,
dear." He considered the mane of dark auburn curls, but that
too had just a shade too much of the wrong red in it. "The
blonde, I think. It always looks SO striking with red! You are
SUCH a lucky girl! I can NOT wear blonde... it just doesn't suit
my skin tones."
"Oh! POOR darling!" Ray kissed the air approximately
two inches away from the surface of Benny's cheek. "But you
look SO adorable in that red one. I'm sure Ray just LOVES
it!"
"Ray loves EVERY-thing about me!" Benny smiled
complacently. "In fact, I'll have to go soon. We're going
shopping for lingerie. It's his way of apologising for his RUDE
behaviour yesterday."
"Ooooh, darling! He REALLY is the perfect man, isn't
he?" Ray was almost green with envy. How could he ever hope
to find a man like that?
But Benny was rising gracefully, smoothing down his skirts,
giving his chiffon scarf a little flick to settle it just so...
"Well, it was lovely to visit. We must do it again sometime
soon. It's been FAR too long."
"Oh, yes, and do bring Dief next time, he is SUCH a
cutie!"
Benny frowned slightly. "He refused to come today. I don't
think he liked that pink rinse we gave him last time."
Ray tittered. "Oh, but that was so much FUN! And he looked
adorable!"
"Well, you know Dief... he's so... MALE! I've tried to talk
to him about it, but he won't listen."
They both sighed happily. "MEN!"
After Benny had gone, Ray made his way carefully back to the
closet. He'd already decided on the make up. He'd especially
bought a lipstick the exact shade of the dress, everything was
decided now, except for one tiny detail. He held up the two
coat-hangers... Red leather boustier, or white lace? He decided
the red was just a teeny bit off the shade of the dress. The
white it was, then.