NEXT morning the man and woman had breakfast together in the dining hall and they talked about all sorts of things that were of interest to only people such as them. They shared diagrams of inventions and even tried to outplay the other with what they each had invented. It was, for those that understood the scene, a lovely sight.
They went their separate ways before lunch, returning to work happier and more enthusiastic than they had ever been. As he returned his focus to his inventions, the male machinist sang to himself songs of glory and of love for the world, as though he had been rejuvenated and reborn. The moments flew by and before he knew it, it was dinner time. He didn’t have any plans that night, and he didn’t know which room the lady occupied, so he felt he would try his luck at the bar.
She wasn’t there, quite apparently, so he got something to drink and sat down on a banquette with a good book to read.
After a while of reading, and after a few times scribbling inspired designs on whatever paper happened to be around, into the bar walked a charming and rather attractive woman in a red gown. Her hair was an unfurled curtain going down the length of her back, crowned with a tiara and other silver ornaments. Her cheeks were tinted a light pink from the powders she had applied, and her lips were a luscious red that complimented her gown. She settled herself on a stool by the bar and the barman took her order.
The male machinist turned his eyes away to again read his book.
It was not a minute later that a tall glass of cocktail was placed onto his table by an attendant. The machinist quickly looked up, almost afraid of what was to happen.
The attendant whispered, “That lady over there wishes you a good day.”
Still uncertain of what just hit him, the machinist turned his head, albeit slowly, to the person the attendant indicated. Sitting at the counter, the woman in red waved back at him. Now the machinist peered with much concentration through his glasses until his eyes became teary, when he finally grasped the intricacies of the situation.
As a reply to the look of shock on the machinist’s face, the woman got down from her stool, picked up her drink, and walked over to him.
“How much more marvellous can you get?” said the machinist to her.
“You took a while to recognise me,” the woman replied. “It’s my first time wearing a dress. I’ve… gotten too used to wearing workshop garments.”
“Like me.”
“Like you.”
They laughed at that, for the machinist certainly was wearing his workshop clothing in a high-class place such as this.
The woman sat down at the table and said, “It’s an invention of mine. It can make any person into a work of art. I’m… not sure how to say this but… would you, you know, like to give it a try?”
The machinist tapped a finger to his lips, saying, “I would. I would. But I’m not sure I’m ready for such a drastic transformation.”
“You scared?”
“I scared, yes.”
It can’t be denied that the woman knew how he felt, knew the fear and the trepidation of stepping out of your comfort zone. For people that have always worn practical attire over luxurious ones, she and the machinist certainly dreaded the change.
“Come with me,” she said. “We’ll make this work together. We can start a business. We can have a life together.”
This could work, the machinist thought to himself. Such a venture! Why, given the chance, he’ll grab it. And since the chance was really being given to him….
He removed his spectacles, giving the woman a glimpse of how handsome the man would be after the makeover. She held her breath as her imagination ran wild.
“I would like to,” he said. “Come, let’s do this.”
>End of story.
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