Driven from Normal .

Simon McKenzie started his week normal enough, but after a series of events he found himself standing in a bar wearing a cocktail dress. Chapter 29.

After a few minutes of pleasantries with Mel as she still tried to cover her initial mistake of not seeing Dad standing there, Mel suggested we should all have lunch together. Dad declined her offer as he needed to get back on the road.

“It’s been very nice to meet you Mel, I hope my boy behaves himself and doesn’t do anything stupid…”

“It’s been nice to meet you as well.'' Mel replied, offering a handshake, “...and again, I'm sorry about before… I don’t normally carry on like that...you probably think I’m a skank or something”

Dad chuckled, “Nah don’t worry, I don't think you’re a skank, maybe just a bit weird or something, for thinking he’s alright…but definitely not a skank”

I shook my head “Right-o, you best be leaving then, aye.”
Dad laughed again, “Yep, see you Mel..” He turned towards me, “Come and grab all of your shit of of the Ute”

As Dad and I walked back across the carpark I fully expected for him to say something about Mel but he didn’t,
“I will give you a couple of gate passes as well, so you can get in…” Dad leaned into the back door of the Ute and dug through his briefcase, producing two lanyards marked with (Stall holder) on them.

“There’s an extra one… just in case…” Dad said as he handed them to me.
“Ahhh shit nearly forgot… There’s a couple of shirts for you in here as well. Your Mother ordered some ladies ones, hopefully they’ll fit.” Dad handed me the two new shirts still sealed in the plastic bags.

“Cheers!... and thanks again for the ride down Dad”
“No worries mate, it was good to have some company” Dad replied as he shut his door and started the engine, “Right, I’d better head off. Shit to do and no time to do it.”

“Yeah, see ya later…”

The Ute moved forward slightly then stopped, Dad leaned his head out the window,
“She seems like a really nice wee girl. Look after her and don’t fuck it up!”

Before I had an opportunity to respond he tooted and quickly pulled away, leaving me in the carpark with a large suitcase and an arm full of extra shit, then as he neared the end of the car park, he tooted, held an arm out the window and gave me the bird before pulling out and disappearing out of sight.

I pushed the front door open with my elbow and dragged the case inside the salon finding a spot to park it that wouldn't be in everyone's way. Mel had gone out the back again so I wandered through to see what she was doing.

Mel had two clients in chairs, one was reading a magazine with a head full of silver foils and the other had a swimming cap looking thing on her head with random tufts of hair poking through. The second lady smiled and mouthed hello as she spotted me,
”Hi!” I replied with a small wave. The first lady looked up from the magazine and looked at me in the mirror, “Hello?” she said, I assume she thought I was talking to her. She furrowed her brow and gave me a good stare, “You must be Simon…Mel has been telling us all about you…” she said, now with a warm smile on her face.

“Well, I hope it was all nice things…”

The two clients both chuckled away like two old chooks in a hen house before they then began a full-on inquisition. It was like being in a job interview that I hadn’t planned for, there were the normal questions but they also managed to sneak in a few curve balls that kept me on my toes. I’m really pleased Mel works as fast as she does because I was exhausted by the time they’re hair appointments were finished.

“Shit I’m knackered…” I joked to Mel when they had both gone.
“They love a good chat, aye.”
I nodded and followed Mel out to the back work area.
“I still can't believe I said that in front of your Dad, bloody hell that was embarrassing…”

I gave her a cuddle, “Dont worry about it, he thinks you great”
“Yeah sure, I bet he does…” she replied very sarcastically.
“Yeah, nah he does. He told me you’re nice and to look after you…”

Mel held my hand and smiled.
“Well, yeah you better, cause I am nice…” She grinned, then examined my fingernails “These could do with a touch up, sit down over there. I’ve got some time before my next client, so lets do it now”

Mel stripped the pink polish off my nails, added some filler stuff to the chipped and damaged areas, then gave them a going over with a file to shape them up.
“What colour will we go with?” she asked herself turning to the little cart full of polish bottles,
“Mmmm, maybe just a simple French tip, at least that will match whatever you wear…”

“Ah yeah, I don’t know what that means, but you know best…”
Mel scrunched her nose up with a smile. “Yeah babe, I do….and dont forget it..”

After each coat she applied I had to place my hands under a small UV light to harden the polish off,
“It’s like a mini version of a bake oven at the car painters…” I informed her.

The door buzzer sounded. Mel told me not to remove them from under the light until the blue light turned off as she went to greet the newly arrived client. She returned leading a very girthy woman towards the changing area, she came back over to me and inspected the finished job.

“Perfect!... Umm, might pay to pop out to the waiting room until I finish this wax…”
I didn’t need to be asked twice, just the thought of seeing that large woman getting whatever it was she was here to have waxed, frightened me.

I managed to fill in the next hour or so on my phone without too much effort at all. By the time I had checked the two social media accounts and my emails the large woman had been stripped of hair from whatever unimaginable body regions Mel had just witnessed.
When the big lady had paid and gone I said to Mel,
“Frig you must see some sights…” I didn't actually want an answer with any details what-so-ever.

She shivered then dramatically stared into the distance before waving her arms around, “You have no idea the horrors I’ve seen, things that would keep you awake at night. Nobody understands!…No one, man!” she burst out laughing,
“Are you ok?… Not too bored hanging around here with me?”

Dragging her in it for a hug and a quick smooch, I said “Hardly!...This is the only place I want to be”

“I only have one more booking this afternoon, …in about half an hour, then we can head away”

“Cool” I grinned, “Where’s Anna?” I asked as I released she hadn’t been around.

“On holiday in Rarotonga for a week, the lucky bugger!” she ran her fingers through my hair, “This colour suits you… Terrible cut however… you can see all the scissor marks…I need to fix it up. It’ll annoy me otherwise”

She dragged me by my hand towards the chair. Pushing me down by the shoulders and hanging a black cape around my neck,
“I’m Batman…” I said in the deepest, lowest, gravelest voice I could manage while sweeping my arm around under the cape.

“Dork!” Mel pushed my head down and sprayed a mist of water in my face from a squirty bottle. She snipped and trimmed away at my hair until she announced she was all done. She wasn’t done though, Mel reached for a hair dryer, combing and styling my hair.
“That looks better…”

“Sweet!, Thanks!” I replied,

Mel leaned over my shoulder and nibbled my ear, “Oooh, I’m looking forward to messing it all up again soon”

She spun the chair around to face her then straddled her legs over mine, sitting down on my lap. My body reacted almost immediately and my erection pressed against her, something that was not lost on her either. Mel grinned and wriggled,
“Mmm, what is that down there, I wonder…”

“Just something I made for you…” I pulled her in for another long kiss. As the situation really started to heat up Mel paused,
“We better not get too carried away, my client will be here shortly…”
And then, right on cue, the door buzzer sounded again …

Mel got off and headed towards the front door, leaving me to deal with the obvious bulge in my jeans from my erection. I managed to adjust things to try and hide it as Mel brought her customer over,

“Sorry Babe, I need that chair…”

I got up and dusted the loose hair from the seat before presenting the empty seat to Mel’s client. As Mel settled in and prepared the lady for a haircut, I decided to have a sweep up.

“You've got her well trained…” The lady told Mel.
Mel grinned and winked at me,
“Yes, she’s coming along nicely…”

I shrugged my shoulders and finished cleaning the area up before I headed back up to the comfy couch in the waiting area. It didn't take long before the boredom set in so I re-looked through my phone at the five or so apps I always went to. The only thing of any interest was an email from the online racing programme I used, it was to let me know I had a new private message.

I decided to see what it was from my phone and after a few minutes of trying to remember my login and password details, finally got in.
It was a very brief message from “Gibbo” the professional driver I’d raced with the other night, the excitement levels rose up as I waited for it to open,
(Hi Mate,
Just a quick note to say how impressed I was with your racecraft on Sunday.
I have a small proposal you may be interested in…
If you send me your email address I will send you the details.
Regards,
Jeff Gibson)

I had no idea what it could be, but even so, I couldn't get a reply typed in fast enough. I read what I had written and spotted a small mistake, then after correcting the dozens of other spelling mistakes I had made, hit the send button. My mind was already working overtime trying to imagine what the proposal might be, starting with the most probable of an offer to race online again or something, right through to the most ridiculous thing my imagination came up with, a full time drive in the actual touring cars… But either way, just to have a top driver compliment my driving was very epic. Dad will be super impressed as well when I tell him.

I was still practising my first touring car, post race TV interview in my head when Mel and her client emerged at the counter, she thanked her and said her goodbyes as the lady smiled at me before heading away out the door.

“And what is my lovely assistant looking so happy about?” Mel asked, sitting down beside me.
“Ahhh, just a message I got from Gibbo in Aussie..” I replied.

“Who’s Gibbo?” Mel asked.

“Gibbo, races in the Touring cars. I raced him online a few nights ago and he messaged me with a proposal…” I explained, battling to contain the smirk of excitement.

“What sort of proposal?” Even Mel was getting more excited and leaned over to see my phone screen.

“I’m not sure yet, he wants my email deets to send it through”

“Exciting!” She said, then grabbed my crotch, “...but not as exciting as what I want to do with this… I just need to have a quick tidy then lock up and we can go!”
I lept straight up off the couch, “Right! Quick, let's do it! What do I need to do?”

Mel laughed and headed around the back to pack some stuff away and tidy up her work stations, I followed trying to help speed things along. I actually thought that judging by the state of her car, Mel would have been the same with her work equipment, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. She was clinical, putting everything away clean and in its correct spot. Everything in its place and a place for everything.

I helped with more sweeping, just keeping out of her way as she whipped around the various spots she had been working in. When Mel was finally satisfied, she proclaimed we were done and ready to go. I dragged my suitcase outside and Mel followed after setting the alarm and locking the door.

“Ahhhh shit! You don't have a car here do you!” Mel asked realising that she already knew that because Dad had dropped me off,

"I got an uber here this morning cause my car wouldn't start again…”
I was already opening the app on my phone, “Don't panic, I’ll book a ride now… and I’ll have a look at your car when we get to your place and see what's wrong with it..”

“Sorry I forgot all about that, frig I’m a ditz!”

“Nah you're ok!.... Shit! There’s a thirty minute wait at the mo… Plan B, wonder what Dylan is doing?”

(B there in 5) came instant reply back from Dylan

“I hope I don't need to be jealous of your boyfriend…” Mel asked.

“Hardly! He’s just a mate…” I replied .

Mel raised her eyebrows and nodded with a smile, “He’s got his eye on ya I reckon… I might need to fight him…”

I laughed at the stupid old timer boxing pose Mel was standing in waving her fists, “I could take him, easy as…”

“It seems that I was getting all worried over nothing…” I said, still laughing.

Mel dropped her fighting stance and asked, “What exactly were you getting worried about?”

I sort of dismissed her question and waved her off.
“Nah! Hang on there Mister! What were you worrying about?”

After a few gentle pokes in the ribs from Mel, I told her I was a little bit worried she wouldn't like the boy version of me as much as the Simone version. She looked a bit hurt and I quickly apologised for saying anything.

“I really like you Simon! I like you a lot! Not just what you wear.” she said in a soft voice.

I pulled her in for a hug which she accepted then pushed back away, “I like you for what’s in here!” she told me as she poked me again but this time in my tummy.

I grinned, “Well, there is not much in there at the moment…”

Mel agreed with a nod, “Nah! I’m a bit peckish myself… we should get something for Tea”

We spotted Dylan’s car lurching over the car park entrance ramp and heading towards where we were waiting.

“Ask ya boyfriend if he wants to join us…” Mel suggested along with another quick rib poke.

“Ouch! I'll be covered in bruises tomorrow, and then I’ll have to tell everyone my girlfriend beats me up!”

“Girlfriend aye?… I like the sound of that!” Mel's big grin was interrupted with Dylan’s brake pads squealing as he pulled up.

Dylan leaned out of his window, “Hey you two pretty peeps, how’s it going? Need a lift do ya?”
He stepped out of the car, then walked straight to the back and opened the tailgate, I started carrying my suitcase towards him and he did a little running step taking it from me, “You hop in! I’ve got this!”

Mel grinned and winked again as she gave me a kissy face while Dylan wasn’t watching.

“Thanks again for picking us up, bloody uber was going to be half an hour…” I said, sliding into the front passenger seat.

“Nah! No dramas at all” He yelled as he slammed the tailgate shut. When he was back in the driver's seat, sounding a bit puffed, said, “Shit! Bit of gear in that case, aye…. So, anyway, where to Ladies?”

Mel piped up from the back seat, “We were just talking about getting something to eat….Have you eaten yet?”

“Nah, I’m starvin! What sort of feed tickles ya fancy?” Dylan asked, looking over at me.

I shrugged, “I’m easy…” And as soon as the words left my mouth I braced for the inevitable response for someone…
“Yeah I’ll say, but what do you want to eat?” Mel added.

After dozens of different suggestions, all of which someone else had poo-pooed, we all settled on an Irish pub in town with a good restaurant.

It took forever to find a carpark and we had a short walk from the one we eventually found, giving us all a chance to have a catch up on what we had been up to over the past week and a bit.

Mel had been mostly working with a night or two out on the town, Dylan was much the same, his social touch rugby team had a big win the week before and he said they'd had a big celebration that he got very messy at, and had to call in sick the next day from work. I said I had been fairly low key and other than the Taupo job, had done bugger all. I mentioned that I’d been working with Mitch which sparked Dyland interest, he knew a bit about him from TV and wanted to know more.

I skipped over the parts that directly involved me, well, I thought I had. I don't remember exactly what I said, but something made Mel give me a brief funny look. She didn't mention anything more at the time, but later when Dylan went to the toilet and we were both on our own asked me if something had happened between Mitch and I.
I wasn't sure what to tell her and was saved by Dylan’s return to our table,
“Shit I needed that, I reckon my back teeth were floating..” he informed us before shoving a clump of salad into his mouth.

I was hoping that may have been the end of any further questions about Mitch, but it wasn't to be.
After dinner Dylan, Mel and I talked more over a post meal beer in the bar. It was good just relaxing with friends, having a laugh and talking shit. It was Mel that suggested we probably should head home, giving me an anything but subtle wink and nudge with her elbow. Dylan dropped us at Mels flat insisting on carrying my suitcase right to the door before excusing himself and leaving.
I dragged the case into Mel's room and when I returned into the lounge asking where Kamyla was, Mel was sitting on the couch.

She patted the seat next to her, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. I sat down beside her, stretching my arm out behind her back giving her a gentle squeeze. She looked me in the eyes and as I moved closer for a kiss, held a finger up to my lips, stopping me in my tracks,

"Hold up for a sec there Cowboy! You need to spill the beans on what happened with you and Mitch!"