Diva Dismayed: Chapter 22 – Après show

The others’ opening outfits were just as well received as mine had been and in the dressing room everyone was full of smiles at the reception we were getting. I soon recovered from the shock of seeing that unexpected leering face. After the first items had been paraded, the pace became fast and furious as we tried to keep up with the lightning programme of changes that had been scheduled. Any thoughts of modesty went completely out of the window. I was very relieved that neither swimwear nor lingerie were included in the ranges on display so that I was not required to strip completely. That way, what was below my waist might always remain hidden from my assistants. In any case with my dearest friend taking charge of me I had no real cause for alarm.

Eventually there came a welcome interval for refreshments. We had run through three or four outfits each by that time. After the break the theme changed to evening wear which typically featured full length gowns. In that section, the older girls had more outfits to model than I, and that gave me a much-needed breathing space.

In this part of the display, to provide some variety we went out in pairs enacting an elaborate routine. The choreography went down well with our audience. After we had performed that successfully, the finale featured a return to the first bouffant set of styles, but of a more daring nature. My last dress had a bodice and sleeves of the sheerest gauze imaginable. No bra was possible underneath and the only nod to modesty was provided by two sequinned bands running up from the waist to my neck. I was treated to enthusiastic applause and whistles when I made my entrance, leaving me self-consciously aware how little the frock left to the imagination.

My lack of coverage reminded me of some of the get-ups my mother had manipulated me into wearing years before. Then my figure was less well-formed but now there was much more to hide! It wasn’t just the revealing nature of the top that I found unsettling. The skirt was stiffened so that it stood out almost horizontally, hiding little of my legs. Worse still, it bounced up and down as I walked, try as I might to stop my hips swaying from side to side. I must have resembled a giant mushroom!

I was joined by the other girls to take a final curtsy and, despite descending as gently as I could in doing so, no doubt I treated the onlookers to another flash of my unmentionables as the skirt was borne upwards by the air beneath it, but that was the end of the show.

Phew!

Thankfully we were able to change out of the all too revealing final outfits into our own clothes before the after-show cocktail party. We were ushered into a room off the main hall for this. Every part of the event had gone smoothly, and Mrs Millward made a short speech thanking everyone. Drinks and nibbles were then served. I’d had nothing to eat since breakfast so that now we could draw breath and relax I was really hungry. The refreshment trolley was situated near to where Rachel and I were standing, so I grabbed a plate and demolished its contents in record time, to her intense amusement. After all those salty canapes I found that I now had a terrible thirst so picked up a glass of something at random from a tray.

As I was sipping it, my employer came over to us, doing the rounds of thanking and congratulating each one of us personally. “I’m so pleased at how well you all did. I believe the evening has been a wonderful success. We’ve had some advance orders already.” She pointed to a large man in a tuxedo. “That’s one of our suppliers. He’s delighted and well he should be. The outcome has been far better than anyone could reasonably expect in terms of sales.”

Rachel and I offered our congratulations on her powers of organisation.

Mrs Millward then reminded me of my pre-event nerves. “You see Jennifer, you were worrying over nothing. You can’t deny that you enjoyed yourself out there. Who knows? This might be the start of a whole new career for you.”

I nearly choked in mid-swallow at the terrifying thought. I had to gulp the rest of the liquid down to get over my fit of coughing. Whatever the glass contained, it was instantly soothing. My employer and my friend were soon engrossed in conversation while I listened absently, empty glass in hand.

My reverie was interrupted by a voice behind me. “Allow me, my dear.”

Tuxedo man had come up silently behind me. Without further ado he took my empty glass from me and supplied a full one in its place. “You will find this one more refreshing.”

I was confused by these attentions from a stranger and took it from him instinctively, stammering my thanks.

“Think nothing of it. I have had much experience of meeting the needs of young ladies, especially pretty ones like yourself.” He winked conspiratorially.

He was obviously trifling with me. That seemed comical in someone so much older than myself, but his disarming manner was engaging. I found myself giggling while idly trying not to wonder exactly what he meant.

The opportunity to flirt was too good to be resisted. “How do you what my needs are?” I protested coyly.

“Oh, I have a good idea” he beamed. “Young women always like to be pampered, but if you have any specific demands, please feel free to tell me. I won’t disappoint you!”

“Oh, pamper away!” I hadn’t meant to voice the thought out loud, but I didn’t know what else to say. I finished my second drink and was immediately handed a third. Really, I was out of my depth in conversing with such a sophisticated man. It didn’t help that my head was starting to feel woozy from whatever I was drinking. I didn’t appear to be getting any better at handling alcohol than the last time I had tasted any.

“Don’t worry, I shall! And at every opportunity. Your glass.”

It was still half full, but he was holding out another, so I gulped the contents down and took the fresh one from him. That would be my third, or was it fourth? I realised that I’d lost count, but it didn’t seem to matter.

At this point Rachel turned to regard me inquiringly. The result of her scrutiny was a look of anxiety across her pretty face, so to reassure her I put my head on one side and beamed at her. Dear, kind Rachel! At this, her expression crystallised into one of alarm and when she spoke, her voice contained a note of reproof. “Well Jennifer, you have probably had enough of that. It’s time we were going. Early start tomorrow, remember.”

What early start? I was trying to recall what day tomorrow was when “Oh, it’s Jennifer is it?” my new companion chimed in. “Well, I’m Maurice and at the risk of contradicting your lovely friend, the night is yet young. Let me suggest that you and I move on to a little place that I know. Then we will simply have a ball.”
Seeing the chilling look on Rachel’s face he continued smoothly “Even better, let’s make it a foursome. Allow me to introduce you to a good friend of mine. He’s a whole heap of fun, I can assure you. You will just love him. There is no need for concern about the hour. You will both be in bed in good time.”
“Exactly what I’m afraid of!” My friend’s words were uttered sotto voce, but I could discern them well enough and picked up on her anxiety. I knew I had to pull myself together somehow.

Maurice walked across to the other side of the room and returned with a middle-aged man with thinning hair. With renewed alarm I saw it was none other than my stalker, as I deemed him to be. His suit had seen a lot of wear, and he was carrying a professional looking camera. The penny dropped and I realised he was the official photographer who had been hired to take pictures of the models on the runway.

“Walt, let me introduce Jennifer and…?”

“Miss Bennett.” Rachel’s voice would have chilled an Eskimo.

Our new companion was unfazed by her frosty tone and held out his hand to me. “Say, don’t you know me? You’re the little chick that ran away to church that day.”

It was indeed that Walter!

I tried to mirror my friend’s attitude with what I hoped was a distant smile, but the guy was in no way repelled. He grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously. After the handshake I tried to pull away, but he held on. He was standing awfully close to me too. This was creepy.

“Ah. I can see you are old friends. That calls for more drinks, I think.” Maurice proffered two more glasses to Rachel and myself.

My mentor was equal to the occasion. “You’re very kind, but we do have to run. Come Jennifer. We must go over and take our leave of Mrs Millward before we go.”

“Sorry” I exclaimed in support, probably a little too vigorously in my somewhat tipsy condition. “Really got to go. Past my bedtime, don’t you know?”

Rachel glared at me, took my empty glass and set it down.

“Before you both disappear, may I pose a question?” Maurice was not giving up. “Have either of you two young beauties considered a career as a model? I know that the camera will love either of you, or both.” Turning to me “and you are a natural on the catwalk, my dear.”

“Thanks” interrupted my friend. “You can see that Jennifer isn’t tall enough to be a model and I already have a career.”

“Pity. It’s very true she wouldn’t make a fashion model, although she may grow taller yet. As a photographic model, however, the opportunities are limitless, for someone with such a figure and good bone structure.”

“Too right!” put in the photographer. “You’re just perfect for the camera. That’s what I wanted to tell you that day, before you slipped away. I can get you no end of opportunities and it’s very good money. No funny business either. Strictly legit. Here’s my card. Give me a call any time.”

Somehow Rachel disengaged us both. As we walked to her car, I got the strongest impression that my lover was not best pleased with me. Soon I was left in no doubt. “You really ought to know better than to drink like that. You’re more than a little tight. Fancy accepting alcohol from a complete stranger! One glance at him should have told you that lounge lizard had one thing on his mind!”

At this scolding I felt suitably ashamed of myself. “I don’t know how it happened. It just seemed to happen. I don’t mean to disappoint you.”

“You haven’t disappointed me” she continued in a kinder voice. “Don’t think that. I’m so proud of you for tonight! I can guess that after the adrenalin rush that comes from such an exciting evening, your guard was down. It’s often the way but it’s then that you need to be watchful. Whenever you are out you need to be wary. Just try and learn from this before the next time.”

I looked my alarm. “Next time?”

“It’s bound to happen again. Attractive girls get hit on all the time, and you my darling are more than just attractive, so you must always be prepared. Though the consequences for you might be different, they could be a disaster all the same. Anyway, you did brilliantly tonight. I was so pleased I could be part of your success. A bit envious too, I have to admit. Modelling those wonderful creations must have felt like heaven. What a shame your mom couldn’t be there to see you. At least I was able to take snaps and if they come out, I’ll send some to her.”

During the previous week my studies had started in earnest. The pace of teaching in the lecture rooms proved to be much faster than I’d experienced in high school and there my grades had never been anything to write home about. However, although the amount of information dispensed in the space of an hour’s lecture demanded intense concentration, I reckoned that I was keeping up at least as well as any of my fellow students.

In the intervals between lectures, I found myself reiterating and explaining key points, initially for Alice who was clearly struggling. Then I discovered that most of the others of my fellow students were listening in to my explanations. This developed into a regular q & a session for me after each class.

I can’t claim any credit for being in this position of mentor. I guess that the close relationship between the subject material and my everyday work made most of the former self-explanatory to me. It was quite a novel situation to be in and was completely unexpected and unsought.

The only other student who seemed to be equally on top of things was Howard. He kept himself to himself and remained aloof from our little after-class huddles, and though I was anxious to avoid it, I sensed there was a rivalry developing between us. On the principle that no-one likes a smart-mouth I tried to avoid showing off my knowledge in class. He had no such scruples and I couldn’t help but feel a frisson of pleasure if he happened to give an incorrect answer now and again.

It was natural for Alice and I to walk to the campus together most days when we had lectures. On these walks we had long conversations. She had little reserve and as our friendship developed I became acquainted with even the most intimate details of her life. In return I was expected to supply similar particulars about mine. This was tricky! For instance, there was my so-called period.

My mother’s feminising scheme had left not the smallest corner of my existence unaffected and she had nominated a five-day window of time when my hormone intake would be reduced and I would experience some mild symptoms. For a reason I can’t quite recall, this occurred every fifth week rather than every fourth. I was expected to douche my bottom end during these days and even wear a tampon or sanitary towel. The whole procedure was most humiliating for a teenage boy which was probably the reason my parent insisted on my enduring it. From force of deeply ingrained habit I still went through this rigmarole at the prescribed interval. It was the unusual timing which I now found difficult to account for to my inquisitive friend.

Having established the exact date of my last ‘period’ she stopped in her tracks and gave me an extravagant hug. “Oh Jennifer, this is great! Your period and mine will be on exactly the same week. We must be soulmates!”

I smiled and hugged her back, although I thought that this was pushing the connection between us rather far. Then I twigged that Mom’s unusual timing threw up a difficulty that I would have to straighten out. “Well actually, my period won’t start until the following week. It’s very unusual but that’s always been how often my time comes around.”

“Oh, that’s amazing. I’ve never met anyone with a five-week cycle before. You must be one in a million. It must be so nice not to have to go through all that so often. Lucky you!”

We then had a deep exchange regarding all the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of our respective menses. It went into far too much detail but there seemed to be no way of diverting our conversation into a less intimate path.

After these particulars had been laid bare, I felt that I would never see Alice in quite the same light again!