Red Lipstick

Well, finally, there was some let up from the unending rain.

When you have ten kilometers of steel between you and the weather, you can't expect much. Of course we all know the reason for the rain. It's because of the change in the solar cycles, we're going into an Ice Age....but it's also the kelp farms that are atop Mega City West. They are in a tens of thousands of square kilometer greenhouse; but that, in and of itself, affects the weather.

I had walked out on my stoop to watch the blimp pass by. The Oriental lady always smiles and winks; but the blimp also gives an indication of the weather. And, today, the top of the blimp was.....dry!

So I decided to go down to Antonio's and have an Ezpresso. One of my few regular habits. We won't discuss my other ones just yet.

A young couple was in my usual spot; so I took a table rather out toward the front. Antonio had bustled over with his usual attentiveness and brought me one of his 'especial' Ezpressos.

The usual milling throng was doing the walk of Center Fifteen. Center Fifteen, as you all know, is the fifteenth major boulevard to the south of Center.

Along this boulevard pass not the influential, or the powerful, or even the middle tier. Along this boulevard pass the average mass of people who while away their days being fed the dole of those who are powerful, and influential and the top tier.

These are those for whom the newest fashion, or the newest drug, or the newest music, or the newest news feed; is all that has meaning in their life. Notice, that I did not mention the latest..... person....... for the latest person is just another person in the long line of passing sexual fantasies which has gone paid for a relationship for...... oh...... the last several thousand years.

The last few years, the style of choice has been the venerable codpiece for the males; we won't say men, and for the females, well they have a covering and that is about what can be said.

There is nothing left to the imagination; because there is no imagination.

The Ezpresso was quite up to Antonio's excellent standards and I caught his eye for another.

Above, ten kilometers above, I could just make out a gray overcast sky which boded well for snow. And, seeing that Christmas was just a few weeks off.....that was in keeping.

Antonio's tables are rather curious. He previously had a rather run of the mill operation; but one day, the Gregman ambled over to the cafe and told him that he had received a misdirected shipment off the beltways. Rather than the accustomed miscellany of terms and term parts; he had received several dozens of outdoor chairs and tables.

The Gregman was a strange fellow. When he didn't have anything else to do he cleaned the floors of his computer shop with a toothbrush. Rather strange that. But a likeable enough fellow, and he liked Antonio. They worked a deal, and Antonio suddenly had tables and chairs that attracted more than the average passerby.

Wooden tops.

There are no wooden tops anymore. Wooden tops were eaten by termites hundreds of years ago... how they ended up on the beltways is anybody's guess. And how they ended up at the Gregman's.......well........ he does have friends down below.

I like the wooden tops.

They are not steel.

The people seem to move rather in waves. There will be a group and then a break. Another group and then another break. Through one of the breaks I saw the Chinee in animated conversation with what can only be called a sweet young thing. Yes, a very sweet young thing.

Instead of the normal see through; she had on a dress and jacket. I had not seen a dress and jacket in...well.... years.... Only the upper crust wore that kind of clothing. The upper crust has a certain........elan....about them.

However, I must categorically now say; that I was wrong about her.

Another group of animated young people passed by and in the interim the Chinee was looking about and evidently saw me because he gestured in my general direction. His hand was, of course, almost hidden in the voluminous Mandarin sleeve.

She looked about and saw me also, and returned to him with a nod; evidently thanking him.

He bowed, and backed, and bowed and backed again, and bowed and backed again, and then scurried into his manufactory of spare noses and ears.

One reason for the voluminous sleeves was.. that his manufactory of spare noses and ears is very COLD inside.

The gap in the people had passed by and I rather expected that she would wait for another. But, apparently she stepped out and the people just parted before her. Rather like a naiad parting the waves before her.

I could distinctly hear her heels clicking on the crete as she walked toward me.

She arrived so quickly that I was rather...well...taken aback. Normally I would have risen but instead, I remained seated.

She wasn't tall, but I still looked up at her, and noticed....that .......well...she was..beautiful.

She looked down at me in a quizzical manner; running her eyes over me in a rather appraising manner.

"So! That...is a White Panama Suit!"

"Well, no..." I replied...." THAT is a Panama hat." indicating my hat on Antonio's wood topped table... "And this is just a white suit".

"Oh." she replied.

"So what is a Panama?" she asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"When I was first told about you I asked my Kub she and didn't find anything. So I was wondering."

"Your Kub didn't find anything?"

"No."

"Hmm... how did you spell it?"

"P..a..n..i..m..a.." she replied.

"Ahhh well me darlin'. That was your mistake. It is Paah naaah maah..."

"Oh."

"Sooo.....if I might ask. What has my white suit, and my Panama hat to do.......with you?"

She kind of straightened her shoulders and I knew than that she was going to 'tell me'.

"Before you begin, please, fold your bones into the chair," I indicated the one across from me, "and let's have something."

I caught Antonio's eye and he bustled over.

"Yes, Mr. Professor! How can I be of service?" He caught my eye with an ever so small wink.

"I might recommend Antonio's Ezspresso. There are those who say that it is the best in Mega City West. And I must say that I agree."

"Thank you Mr. Professor, thank you very much for the compliment, I don't know that it is at all deserved!". Antonio effused.

She nodded assent.

"And....do you take sugar?" I asked.

"Well, yes....but real sugar is MANY credits....I wouldn't want to impose."

I caught Antonio's eye and he bustled off....

We watched the wandering throng as they passed by. Actually, there was an ever so slight chill in the air. The heat of the steel generates thermals which rise and they pull in the colder air from the Silent Sea.

I noticed, however, that she didn't shiver. Not a bit.

"So...why did you know about my white suit and Panama Hat? I asked.

She didn't reply immediately. When she did, it was rather hestitantly.

"I was told that you are someone who can think 'out of the box'." she said. "'Someone who has the ability to look at things from a different perspective'. Someone who....... 'sees the world'.....as opposed to....'looking at it'".

"Ahhh lass... I don't know about that so much. Possibly, Possibly not." I replied.

We watched as the blimp passed overhead. The Oriental lady winked at me again.

"Just what is it that I could do for you?" I asked.

"I have a friend. Well, possibly. I HAD a friend. He has gone missing. I would like your help to find him."

"Have you not gone to the Gendarmes? Have you not queried your Kub?" I asked.

"Yes. I've tried both. Finally, at the Gendarmes I was directed to a Detective Benton. He spent several cycles trying to find my friend with no luck. He sent me to you. He gave me your address, and also said that you could probably be most easily identified as the man with the 'White Panama Suit'." She seemed rather embarrassed.

"So. If I might ask. Just who is this person to you?" I asked.

"We met on the Rim. I'm in the Navy, you see. We had some laughs. We spent some time in bars. We ate dinner together. Nothing beyond that."

"Annnd...." I trailed...

"Well; I like him."

"Ahhhh my darlin'.....that says it all." I said.

"So you want me to find him."

Antonio bustled back with the Ezspresso. He was pulling out "all the stops" for her. And, I must admit that I understood why. Her Ezspresso was in an especially fine cup. I do believe that it was real 'china' from........the old days....... and the saucer.......which of course didn't match, was real also. To have a matching cup and saucer was unheard of and Antonio was no less in my eyes for it.

But then, with a flourish, he produced ANOTHER saucer........of the same quality.......

And...nestled upon the saucer were two... real..... cubes of real sugar.

I could see her eyes dilate just a bit......

Antonio was all smiles.

I glanced up at him and smiled back.

He rubbed his hands in his immaculate white apron.

"Is there anything else that I can do for the lady?" He beamed.

She fluttered here eyes, and he backed away......rubbing his hands on the immaculate white apron. Antonio always wore an immaculate white apron. I like Antonio.

She moved her hand out to the cubes of sugar........ her hand was not "alabaster white"....... her hand had seen work......not rough work.......but work........

She picked up one of the cubes and in one graceful movement took it to her lips........

She was wearing lipstick.

Red lipstick.

I just realized.....red.....lipstick....

Before that, I had been fascinated by her eyes.... large.....almond....

Red lipstick......

Her tongue slightly caressed her lips and then caressed the cube of sugar..........

And I knew then that whatever she wanted me to do.......whoever she wanted me to find........ I would do it.

woodsmoke