Gaby Book 27 Smell of the Crowd by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2022 Madeline Bell Life has some certainties, birth and death of course, but the rest is a mix of Minestrone and Spaghetti, some of which we have no direct influence over. We can however decide whether we want Parmesan or other seasoning, we can give Gnochi a try, doesn't mean we'll like it but at least we'll know. Gaby has reached just such a point in her life, she knows she likes Pizza, she's not averse to Spaghetti or Lasagne but is Gnochi for her? The Gnochi in this case is doing the singing with BlauHase on a more serious level, as a 'hobby' its fine but could this be a change of career? Well you don't find out without trying so that's just what our heroine is about to find out in this, the 27th book of the Gaby saga.

 
So there I was, down to socks, knickers and bra in a changing room with a woman dressed head to toe in pink latex, weird to say the least. Maria had freed her hair from the wig cap and it now hung loosely if a little damply, around her shoulders. Of course, with her twenty centimetre heels she towered over my metre fifty eight, although she’d do that without as I’m sure she has about ten centimetres over me anyway.

"Here we go,” she announced freeing a garment from one of the bags.
"A dress?”

Look, I’m not gonna look a gift horse but given our surroundings and what Mist had been dressed in I was a little disappointed, on the other hand I was relieved it wasn’t something too out there.

"Well my brother, bless his heart, was thinking of putting you in latex pants with a corset with lots of straps and buckles. He said you looked, how was it? Like a dark goddess, that was it when he saw you the other night.

When he told me what he planned I had to intercede on your behalf, remind him you are a singer not one of his Fetischist customers. So we came to a bit of a compromise, something comfortable but as sexy as hell!”

By now I could see the dress a bit better, it was very black, the material a short knap velvet that somehow reflected the room’s lights making it look more like satin. It was difficult to see exactly on the hanger but it had short sleeves and some sort of lacing detail across the er, chest area. And it was short, I could see that much quite clearly.

"So what do you think?” Maria asked as I checked it out.
"Its not what I was expecting that’s for sure.”
"Ah but the dress is merely a prop, its the rest that will make it unforgettable.”
"Huh? Unforgettable?”
"You bet, no one, and I mean no one, will forget what you wore tonight. First things first, lets make sure it fits then we can see what else we can do.”
 

The dress, it turns out, was stretchy, no clingy would be more accurate. There weren’t any zips or anything, it just pulled on like a t-shirt and I think I’ve got t-shirts that are longer! Truly, it was short, covering my knickers but not by much, the slinky material hugging every contour.

Maria fiddled with the neck opening, lacing the closure and tying it off with a bow at the neck, yup, the girls, and my bra, were certainly on display.

"So what do you think? The right hose, different unders.”

I checked myself out in one of the mirrors, an incongruous image to say the least with my bra peeping from the collar, socks on the end of my bare legs and the ponytail didn’t exactly go either. I could see the detail of the garment better now, a sort of cross between Goth with some braid detail and neck a bit like one of those Chinese Cheongsam things. The chest was criss crossed with the lacing which added to the Gothy look and it was soon evident that keeping knickers out of sight wouldn’t be easy, the dress doing its best to slide up my legs at every move.

"Well it fits.”
"Isn’t it supposed to be, I dunno, a bit longer, I’m gonna spend all my time pulling it down.”
"Patience, we can help with that, so, BH, knickers, hose, yep, I think we are nearly there.”

We were interrupted by the sound of my Handy trilling from my bag.

"I should get that, its probably my parents.”
"Okay, I need to fetch some stuff from the stock room, I’ll be right back.”

"Dad?” I queried not recognising the number.”
"No its me.”
"Stefan, what’s up, everything okay?”
"Well yes and no.”
"Bit cryptic,” I allowed.
"Well, you know the interview?”
"With Spex, what about it?”
"Well they’ve asked that we bring it forward a bit, do you think you guys can get to the station for one?”
"Probably, I don’t think we’ll be much longer.”
"Okay, if there’s any problem give us a call, oh its the South entrance.
"We’ll see you there then, tschuss.” but he’d already closed the call.
 

Maria came back as I stowed my phone.

"Everything alright?”
"I think so, we have an interview with some magazine that’s now at one but we’re nearly done right?”
"Well I’m sure we can have you there on time and looking super.”
"Oh-kay. So what did Larry have to say about you taking the hood thingy off?”
"He hasn’t seen, I could hear him with your friend in the showroom, giving the tour I think. So this interview, where do you need to be?”
"The central station?”
"Ah, that’s easy, we are only a couple of minutes away, lets get started.”
 

I stepped up onto the dais and tugged the dress back into place.

"Turn,” Maria indicated whirling her hand about.

I did as instructed, the slight tugging of the whale net tights making me conscious of my outfits brevity once more. With everything on though i looked pretty good if I do say so myself, sort my hair out, bit of slap and I’ll be good to go.

"Hmm,” my dresser mused, "It feels like something is missing though.”
"Well my hair needs sorting.”
"Yes but that’s not it, something else.”
"Lippy?”
"Nope,” she replied one hand on her chin, a latex covered finger slowly tapping her cheek. "Got it! How do you feel about tattoos?”
"Tattoos? Not given it much thought, Mum went ballistic when she thought I got one tho, it was only one of those choker things.”
"But you wouldn’t be against some body art?”
"In theory I guess,” I allowed.
"So if we gave you some?”
"Erm, is that not a bit permanent,” I replied with a note of panic.

I might not have given the idea a lot of thought but that doesn’t mean none. The idea has some appeal, I’ve seen some really nice ones but how do you decide what and indeed where, after all, they are kind of there for ever right? There was a story doing the rounds at college last term, this girl got some Chinese symbols done, which should’ve said something like ‘love everyone’ but it turns out it actually said something quite offensive – and she’s stuck with it on her arm for like ever.

I’ll not say never but I’m certainly not going to jump right in today.

"The look on your face,” Maria said with a grin, "I didn’t mean to get you inked today, for starters, we don’t have the time but there are other ways.”
"Phew, you had me worried for a minute. So something like body painting?”
"Something like.”
"I did this advert thing last year for our team sponsors right after the World’s, they painted me to look like I was in bike gear.”
"Worlds?”
"Away from this singing lark I race bikes,” I explained.
"Motorbikes?”
"No, no, pedal bikes, I’m double Weltmeisterin on the road,” I told her with a slight puff of the chest.
"Hang on, that was you, the water thing?”
"Guilty as charged, so I guess you’re not talking anything that extensive, it took ages to do that.”
Maria gave a half smile, "And that was body paint? Thought it was just clever electronics.”
"No, it was paint, I just had knickers and some things over my bits, even Mum didn’t twig, she still doesn’t know.”
"Oh i think you’ll love this then, take off your boots and tights, I’ll be right back.”

Well it wasn’t quite as simple as it sounds, the boots were black patent ‘Dockers’ with a ten centimetre sole which some how disguised the raised heel which felt like about three quarters of that, not high but not flat either, which needed to be unlaced to take off.

And then there was the matter of the knickers. It wasn’t that they were tiny, in fact they were quite a full cut, worn over the fishnets to keep everything in place, no it was the bright red shiny latex they were made from, just like Mist is wearing. They’d taken some effort to put on and getting them off was no easier, in the end I rolled knickers and hose down my legs together, the resulting tangle of nylon and rubber easier to separate off than on.
 

I’d just tugged my own cotton briefs back into place when the pink lady returned carrying a water bottle, towel and a sheaf of cellophane packages.

I gave her a quizzical look as she put everything down.

"Temporary tattoos,” she explained, "We just put them in place, wet the back and presto, instant body art!”
"Oh like they do in films and stuff?”
"Yep,” she agreed.
"Cool, so why do you have them here?”
"Well, there are some of Larry’s customers who for various reasons don’t want to get the real thing but want to have tats for events or just the weekend, lets see what we’ve got.”

Like any art, tattoos come in all sorts of sizes and styles and so did these temporary affairs. Tiny flowers and butterflies these were not, nope, think big and bold, some in just black, others in full technicolour.

"So where exactly are we putting it?”
"You’ll see,” she smirked.

At that moment my Handy went off again, this time the screen came up with ‘DAD’.

"Lo!”
"Hey kiddo, you okay?”
"Yeah, just getting sorted for later, we’re doing an interview in about an hour then we go straight to the venue. Where are you?”
"Just going past the airport.”
"You’ll be well early,” I observed.
"We’re going into the centre first, some people want to hit the shops then we’ll eat before going to this Bed place.”
"Sounds nice, how is everyone?”

I could hear the chatter of the rest of the bus load of ‘fans’ coming down from the Ahrtal to see the gig.

"Looking forward to seeing you.”
"Hi Gab!” someone shouted in the background, followed by a further chorus of greetings.
"Tell them I said hi back.”
"I will,” the phone went a bit fuzzy and I could just hear Dad passing on my ‘she says hi’ reply. "So what are you up to kiddo?”
"Sorting my stage costume out.”
"Thought you had that dress?”
"Yeah well I’ve been trying some different looks this week and I thought it should be something special with it being the last night and on the radio and stuff.”
"You do know they can’t see you on the radio,” I could hear the laughter in his tone.
"I know but they’ll be filming it as well and we’ve got this interview, got to look my best. Look, I’ve got to go, see you later, give Mum my love.”
"Okay, later then Princess, bye.”
I sighed, Princess indeed, "Bye Dad.”
 

"What do you think?” Maria asked.
"It’s, erm, a bit big.”
"Needs to be if we want people to see it.”
"If you say so.”
"So I reckon if we put this one on your other leg.”
"Another one!”
"Trust me, you’ll look like a kick ass Goth Princess when we’re done.”
"That’s how I got my nose pierced,” I sighed.
"Ooh, do tell,” she encouraged as she prepared to apply the second design to my body.

"Well my sister, Jules is a bit of a Goth, not hardcore or anything, well she got her tongue pierced and dyed her hair black but that’s by the by. Its how I got into this singing stuff, we went to see a BlauHase gig on her recommendation and the rest, as they say, is history.

Anyway I kind of lost a bet and she got to give me a Goth makeover which included my nose which everyone else thought was hilarious. I was only supposed to be temporary but I kind of liked how it looked and Max, that’s my boyfriend, well he’s putty in my hands when I’ve a ring in.”

"Maybe I should try that, some of the places I’ve seen pierced…”
"Yeah, one of the nurses at my doctor, she’s got loads of pierces, think I’ll stick with what I’ve got thank you.”
"You don’t want the same as your friend?”
"Ut uh, she only got those last weekend, goodness knows why.”
"Well I think it looks cute on her,” she dabbed at my leg with the towel, "Like this does on you.”

Urgh, the c word!
I was examining the results in the mirror when Miss Latex came in for the kill.

"We should do your arms too, something more hard core.”
"Arms?” I burbled inspecting my currently pristine appendages, "Hard core?”
"Yes to both, you need something that makes a real statement,” she quickly flicked through the pile of papers, selecting one seemingly at random, "Something like this maybe.”

‘This’ was a million miles from the large pink and red blooms that now run from my right hip to knee on the one leg and knee to ankle on the other. No this was a sort of collage of faces, flowers and dark symbolism, dark tones with some vivid highlights. Oh what the heck, they’re temporary right.

"Go on then,” I sighed.
"Ace! Then we can have this on the other arm!”

She held up another sheet, this being an image that included a variety of cartoon characters, I spotted Bugs Bunny® and Betty Boop® in the mix.

"Lets do it, but that’s it.”
 

Of course, now I couldn’t do anything without my ‘tattoos’ catching my eye, I’m sure on a bigger person the arm ones wouldn’t be so, well big, but on me they each almost covered my arms from shoulder to wrist. I reassembled myself below the waist and once again stood on the dais for my tormentors inspection. At least I had the knack for putting on the rubber knickers now!
 

"So how do you do your hair, we may as well sort that out whilst we are here.”
"Do we have time?”
"Easily, so you wear it how?”
"Mist usually puts it in some sort of braid. Keeps it tidy on stage you know.”
"Just straight braids or something fancier?”
"Varies a bit.”
"So, sit, maybe we try something different.”

I couldn’t actually see what she was doing, the mirror was actually behind the chair I was sat on. Of course I’ve got the basics in my Handtasche, who doesn’t? Ties, brush, grips, a scrunchy or two. There was the familiar tugging of hair being braided either side of my head then everything was pulled into what felt like a ponytail. To be honest, I was rather engrossed in exploring the designs now decorating my limbs, the flowers framed by the wide net of my hose, the all encompassing art that transformed my still pre season pale arms into a kaleidoscope of colour and images.

"Hmm, there’s something not quite right.” Marie mentioned standing in front of me to inspect her work.
"Can I see?”
"Sure,” she allowed.

I turned to see in the mirror, the ponytail was much higher than I’d thought, pretty much at the crown, the braids either side constraining most of my hair but the bit at the front didn’t know what to do with itself.

"I think I’ve got some gel in my bag, we could just slick this bit back.”
It was like a lightbulb going on, "I’ve got a better idea.”

Look, I know I should have been firmer but its done now and if I’m honest, it does look well cool. I mean the whole package, dress, hair, the tats, I slipped Gran’s earrings in, you know, the dangly ones she gave me when we went to the bike show? Anyhow its done now, I suppose I can live with a fringe for a bit, even if it does sit quite high, especially after Marie used a bit of gel to curl the ends under a bit.

"I’d best get masked up and we can do the grand reveal.”
"Thanks Marie, I think I’ll certainly make a statement looking like this, I’ll probably be grounded for life.”
"I’m sure they’ll get used to the new you.”
"They might, its me I’m not sure of!”
 

Clearly ‘Monique’ has had practice with the hood things, once she’d got her hair tucked safely in the wig cap she quickly had the confining garment in place and zipped up. In the meantime I’d collected my own clothes up and with a flourish the curtain was pulled back.

"Ta da!” I announced to the duo who’d been waiting in the main room.
"Oh...mein...gott!” Mist got out before her jaw grazed the floor.
"Up on the stage Fraulein, let me look at you,” Larry requested.

I did as bid, which meant re-adjusting the dress a little, the fishnets provide a bit of holding traction but it still likes to creep up a bit.

"So what do you think? Mist?”

She made no reply, she was still picking her jaw up.

"Magnafique Fraulein Erdbeeren,” Larry announced, "We must get some pictures.”
 

"Where are you?” Stefan asked when I answered his call.
"Sugar! We’ll be there in like five minutes!”
 

Maddy Bell © 24.08.2022