Her stuff was all over!

Previously, on a fashion passion…

The day after the previous one was better. Susan was gleeful, she was going shopping. Again. Matt was going to work, and even he was in high spirits.

Like birds happy for the morning, they chirped through breakfast. Their first in days. Matt was not a breakfast person. Over the weekend, they had got up after ten in the morning. And thus whatever they had had was more of an early lunch than a late breakfast.

She did not indulge in shopping sprees but for once Susan felt the need to. She was fussy, but even today, it was easy to get what she wanted. And at times what appealed to her even if she had not planned for it.

On coming home, Matt was surprised to find her stuff all over. It looked as though she was getting ready to move in while she was actually going to leave in two days. She was not even in a hurry pack up. Or had she changed her mind? Matt wondered.

In his shirt and a new skirt, she ambled around the house flaunting at him, with a wine glass half empty. She even had a new hairstyle, a sleek one.

Filled with purchases, others empty, tote bags littered the floor. Two pairs of shoes; checked flats and classic black pumps were carelessly placed on the bed. On the other side of the bed lay several panties, strings, tights and bras.

Obviously, she had just retried her purchases for the second, or the third or even the tenth time and was too tired to put everything back in place.

Matt was puzzled, but he was warming up to this side of Susan.

They spent the idyll evening indoors and without even caring to put things away, like soldiers awaiting a disbandment, cherishing the final moments.

The pullout was going to be difficult and would need more man power.

Susan and Matt S01E11

Nothing sweet about me

Previously, on a fashion passion…

Susan read Matt’s anguish as he stood on the balcony, as if she had a sixth sense. She sensed his fears, felt his pain and that gave her pain. She somehow felt responsible but she was not sure what she had done to cause the pain that was now trickling to her.

Standing behind him with her hands around his abdomen, she tried to feel the tension in him.

There is nothing sweet about me, right?” She asked him.

Without letting her see his face, “Its about me, there is nothing sweet about me. I wish there was nothing sweet about you because then I would not have a problem unloading my pain to you.”

He replied. It hurt him to tell her that but somehow, he had to let her know that his pain had nothing to do with her.

“I am sorry, you are pain but it would be better if you let me shared it with me, maybe I can help.”

She held him from behind, tears flowed freely on her cheeks. She struggled to hide the anguish that was now tormenting her.

They stood there for a while without speaking to each other but somehow, and naturally, the pain seemed to lift off with time, like an overloaded plane on a long runway.

No/Some-thing sweet about me. Where there are ends, try to make them meet.

Both had had difficult pasts and it was clear they preferred dealing with issues individually and silently.

“Am sorry I can’t share my pain with you now, but someday I will.”

“That’s okay, you don’t have to until the time is right.”

“Are you okay?”

“I feel better.”

With a grin on his face, he now turned faced to her.

“Good, because am about to make you the happiest woman on the planet. There are lots of sweet things about you and I appreciate your being with me.”

The sun was now going down hurriedly. Watching the two silhouttes from a far, you’d have had a different impression. But the mood though easing was a little somber. Like denizens living in an earthquake hotbed, not sure how to react to a mild earthquake that was imminent of striking full force in the future.

The two superpowers were now locked in hug. A chilling wind was now blowing, sweeping away the remnants of somberness.

“Good. Can we go indoors.”

“Yes, ma’am”.

He had developed a lot respect for her for she had not pushed him to tell her what was had caused pain. He was also certain that she could read his feelings even when he did tried to hide him.

What happened later might have been worse than earthquake, the two superpowers with a lot of chemistry between them were busy flexing their chemical muscles. A little more or less chemistry and a world war would have been imminent.

Actions speak louder than words. But Susan did not need actions to know that Matt and her had a thing for each other or even better, they were a thing. Now, she was sure the thing was more than a thing.

susan and matt S1E10

A deal with the devil

Previously, on a fashion passion…

Matt was standing on the balcony his eyes looking over but no focusing on anything in particular. He was not enjoying the view or the breeze, both of which would have been pleasing to the eye and feel respectively. Receiving a simple gift, a pair of loafers from Susan had brought bad memories. Memories he had not been able to deal or come to terms with.

Back when we was almost no one. With a mere college degree and no income or prospects.  When his parents were not well off to send him to university. He had almost wished that he could slink away from this life.

As one almost without identity, he belonged everywhere and nowhere. And that was just the beginning, everything just piled up, like dominoes meticulously arranged and on cue, waiting to fall in place. Back then, he was insecure and appreciated every hour that he got by. Nothing was ever in his side.

Was it no for his mother, he would have changed his name. And although he didn’t change it, he did not use it. Over time, his heart had hardened, or was it life. Anyways, no he was a better off with a self made identity.

But Susan’s gift now reminded him of who he exactly was, a soul that was ever in need of love, trust, and care. Things that he had learned to live without. Leaning on the balcony, he grimaced and almost cursed under his breath.

If you’d have asked him, he would have told you that he had no regrets, but if he were to go back, he would do somethings, differently.

His adult life had been modelled wholly on kamikaze, taking risks because he had nothing to lose. As a desperate man, he had been a wild card. He remembered a time when he would have sought a deal with the devil but then, even the devil like everyone else had been wary of him.

susan and matt S1E9

The surgeon receives a gift from a belled Susan

Previously, on a fashion passion…

Matt hated surprises. He always wanted to be in control. But he knew that sometimes it was best to let life take its course, to let it go. Sometimes his heart would almost miss a beat and then race up. At other times, it would drum as if it wanted to be let out and experience life.

Matt arrived home about an hour before Susan. He had of course read her twitter and he knew that she was out shopping. On his way home, he had bought some groceries, and a blue nun from a bodega. Despite his poor culinary skills, he was going to make risotto for dinner. Although he was not a flower kind of person, he had purchased some for Susan. He had preferred color over kind. The bunch had deep purple, blue and white hues.

A belled Susan got back as the kitchen was getting steamy. Matt struggled to maintain a surgeon’s cool, adhering to the printed recipe and tending to boily pans. His insides were vigorously boiling as the contents of the pans on the cooker. He almost looked in control, but then again, that was just because he was not out of control.

Like an experienced surgeon, he had managed to keep most of what he was cooking inside the pans. His cooking apron had a few spatters and smudges and so did the top of the cooker. Of course even in a surgical theater, a few spatters color the floor and other surfaces if the situation is not out of control.

A little bit later, he was able to set the pans on simmering mode. Then he cleaned up the surgical area. Susan knew she was not yet a good surgeon so she had excused herself. She was humming enthusiastically in the bathroom under a multitude of warm water droplets.

Half an hour on, a candle lit table for two was set with glasses and a blue nun on standby. The chemistry between the two was still strong enough to cause a nuclear fission if not fusion. Susan was delighted to receive the bouquet and even more amazed that Matt was not sure what kind the flowers were.

The risotto, to Matt’s relief was well done, and with an inviting aroma. A moment of change had begun, even the most experienced and skilled surgeon consults the book every now and then. In the kitchen, Matt had been like a car mechanic who did what had to be done without consulting.

Dinner was served at seven on the dot. The candles burnt brilliantly as the two enjoyed a delicious risotto. Even though she was not exactly a gourmet, Susan adored Matt’s cooking that day. It was a long time since any one of them had had a candle lit home dinner and they savoured the moments. By the time they were done, the blue nun still stood tall but half empty.

After clearing up, ‘I have a suprise for you’. Said Susan. Sometimes, even a surgeon gets used to surprises that he does not find them surprising anymore. Matt was relieved to discover the surprise. The loafers fit perfectly as if they had been custom made for him. He would not have been any grateful for them and he intended to show Susan how he felt.

susan and matt S1E8

Handpicked fashion with a vintage touch

Previously on a fashion passion,

Susan strolled down the high street in a leisury manner. The sun over her head felt like a guiding star except that it seemed not to move, or it moved so slowly it was hardly noticeable. Expensive fashion stores lined the street with their doors wide open and some shut. Like water flowing under a bridge, customers flowed in and out.

It is unnatural to act against the forces of nature. Being a single drop in a body of water, Susan was tempted to follow the downhill natural flow. However, she was also strong willed and she flowed upstream most of the time, against the current.

To her, fashion was not about labels only, it was about self expression through a meticulously chosen wardrobe, and so unlike many other drops, she sought fashion and not labels. She strolled past a Louis Vuitton, a D & G, a Calvin Klein among others. Their salesmen were benevolent, giving her smiles, that she returned with curtesy and ready to hold doors for her except that she was not interested in going in. She herself was a sales manager with a well off IT company, and she knew the rules of the game; kowtow potential clients for your own good.

After sauntering for well over an hour, she found what she had been looking for. Since she might not have approved of me disclosing her favourite store to you, I will not, for then I will not have a bargaining chip.

She bought herself a pair of slacks and heeled espadrilles and then some loafers for Matt. It had been a good flow upstream, a few handpicked picks with a vintage touch instead of extravagantly pieced labels.

In the afternoon, she went to China Town, or at least she thought it was. There she had chow mein. Afterwards, she sat in tavern facebooking and twittering on her iphone, sipping some and having a little hors d’oeuvre. And even though she was not in a hurry, she could not wait to see Matts reaction on receiving a pair of loafers from her.

susan and matt S1E7

Confessions of a fashionaire, Pt 1

Previously on a fashion passion

Judging from her great style and taste for fashion, it would have been an understatement to say that she was a fashionable woman.

If fashion was a religion, Susan might have been an strong believer. One devoted to her faith, and offerings. One at times unsure of her faith and tempted to hold back her tithe. She might have been a priest, a curate or a nun.

If fashion was a crime, she might have been tried by an international court or sent to The Hague. She might have been the first woman to receive the toughest ruling and sentence on the planet.

If fashion was a race, Susan might have been disqualified. Not because she drove or ran to the wrong direction but because she would have been to fast to compete with others.

If fashion was a disease, Susan might have been overly ill, bedridden and contagious. She might have been quarantined and perhaps euthenasiad.

If fashion was politics, Susan might have been the greatest politician of all time, setting and breaking her own records. She might have been a dictator or a ruthless leader.

If fashion was like a fight for human rights, Susan might have adopted a Malcom X’s like policy; ‘by any means necessary’, silently denouncing a non violent approach to the problem.

If fashion was like running a bank or a financing corporation, Susan might have been a meticulous and scrupulous business lady. The world might not have experienced an economic slow down leave alone a recession on her watch.

If fashion was like having an affair, Susan might have been a good player. While others may have watched the game and hated the players, she might have owned a pied-a-terre on the other side of town.

And even though fashion was none of the above, she maintained a meticulous style, since her teenage years, well before her mother allowed her to buy her own clothes.

susan and matt S1E5

Time for a little shopping

Previously, on a fashion passion….

Sunday went by as fast as it had come. And it seemed to have gone even faster for the armies were too tired to take record of time. First attempting to rise at midday for a quick breakfast and soon after, falling fast asleep until the sun cast its golden rays over the evenly blue horizon as it sunk deeper in to the world of unknown, leaving a dark and starless sky.

Matt managed to fix an edible but almost tasteless dinner with his crude culinary skills. Susan who on the other hand was heavy headed from the previous night’s alcohol consumption and war, opted to go for salad and pineapple juice.

~

Susan may or may not have been a shopaholic but she had made up her mind that she was going to spend the week window shopping and if not shopping. She woke up late finding herself all alone in Matt’s apartment. He had left her a note: I will be at the office at least until five, please help yourself to anything and don’t hesitate to call me if you need more. The note had been signed with a heart shaped letter M.

Being overly conscious to her body weight, she had what she liked to refer as a proper breakfast; a cup of tea, no sugar no milk, all while dressing. She was tempted to have a skimpy breakfast but then it was a few hours to noon. Breakfast would be like turning back the hands of time, a thing she did not believe in.

She stepped outside of Matt’s at 11:15, looking just like the girl next door; in a purple bubble dress and white leather sandals that exposed her neatly purple polished nails. She wore a beaded necklace that matched well with her earrings.

The weather was fine. The blue sky stretched from horizon to horizon showing off a few faint clouds. She sashayed with vigor as she stepped in the blazing sun as if she was a model walking down the runway, ignoring the looks and smiles of passer-byes, only this time in search of some high street fashion.

susan and matt S1E4

The ceasefire that never was

Previously, on a fashion passion..

The entire evening and night were spent indoors, something that Matt was not used to but was getting well accustomed to. Somehow, during the war, a chemical accident had occurred impairing his and her abilities to want out. They ordered Chinese and had it on a small table that Matt liked to refer to as his dining table. It would have collapsed under the weight of one plate but it held up for the respect of Matt’s guest.

Through the door that led to a small balcony and a fire escape, a cool and lazy breeze found its way to the apartment as Susan cleaned up the dishes. Standing by the sink, she was quite a beauty. Her pinkish and almost see-via night dress left little to imagination, not that Matt needed any but this made his heart beat excitedly. It seemed more like an extra large t-shirt reaching only below her bottom and revealing long and slender legs. Even though he had peaked when she had stepped in to the shower earlier on, he found it hard not to look. He almost lost track of time as his mind planned breaking the ceasefire as if he had found a weakness on the enemy or one had been found on him and the only way to cover up was to be the first to strike.

The breeze came to his rescue by exciting papers and threatening to blow them away if they were not tended to immediately. It almost struck the weak point that Matt had discovered. He grabbed his mail and papers by the book shelf and stuck them in between two big books. Susan aware of what he had been contemplating smiled and busied herself although she was done dealing with the mess.

Two bottles of wine stood drained under the sink beside the waste can, two more were in the cupboard, one bottle of hard liquor was on the table. If Matt was a drunk, it was hard to tell. He certainly handled his alcohol well and unlike most guys, he got sweeter as more alcohol found its way into his blood streams. Susan still felt tipsy and was not sure if she or Matt had had more to drink. Alcohol unlike war, was good, felt good and created a craving when the moment was right. The only thing that alcohol and war had in common was that the aftermath was always disastrous, impoverishing the survivors, at least in the short term.

They settled for a movie and more rounds of drinks for the rest of the evening. They watched Tears of the sun starring Bruce Willis with their legs stretched over the bed that retracted from under the sofa. Ikea stuff. The bed cover over their legs was like a complement to the wine; ensuring that they were warm. As guns blasted off and grenades went off over Matt’s home theater system and more people died and body parts were thrown about, Susan huddled on to him. His grip on the almost empty bottle wine hardened. The effects of the chemistry between them still lingered and they now took the wine like an oath, from one dish – the bottle and in poor lighting.

The ipod came to life again after the movie was over and went on for almost ten hours in a low volume. The 42″ flat screen went off in no time and darkness filled the studio. The troops went back to the battleground as diplomacy failed and another war erupted. It went on and off until the wee hours of the night. The armies fell exhausted on ground zero.

susan and matt S1E3

Invasion in the absence of an army and an eventual ceasefire

After a period of several run ins and an exchange of messages over the net, Matt decided that he was ready to invite Susan over to his place, at least for a night. Little did he know that he would somehow regret what lay in store for him.

Susan resided on another part of town and arrived by bus around ten in the morning at Port Authority Bus Terminal. Matt was eagerly and almost impatiently waiting for Susan’s arrival.
On the inside he was nervous, on the outside he looked confident in a light green shirt, fading blue jeans and white Skechers. His dark shades hid the nervousness on his eyes. A passerby would have mistaken him for a private detective as he kept looking around as if in search of a bad guy.

As soon as Susan alighted from her bus, she called Matt. After a few moments of call, look and find, they finally met with hugs and kisses and a space between them. Susan was carrying what seemed to Matt like an extra large army camo holdall bag and a small hand bag that matched with her purplish lipstick. After exchanging pleasantries and that which folks with chemistry do, they agreed to have some food before heading over to Matt’s.

Matt offered to help Susan with the army bag that appeared half empty. The handbag seemed too full and ready blow up and he was not yet ready for war. Surprisingly, the army bag felt twice of what would have been its legal weight. Obviously it was half full. The two love birds strolled to a nearby Matt’s favorite Italian restaurant in the warm sun, being overly courteous and friendly to each other. The chemistry between them was hard to ignore and would have been enough to start up a world war.

After a delicious and pricey lunch and a light consumption of alcohol, they were off to Matt’s. The occupation was finally beginning. Susan loved Matt’s studio apartment that was somehow well kept and decorated for a single like him. She was quick to settle down by unpacking and revealing to Matt that she was planning to stay for a week and get to know him and his part of town. Maybe start a war.

Unlike conventional wars where a courteous army piles supplies on the border and gives a warning before invading, this one was different. And time had changed. The contents of Susan’s army bag revealed her big taste for fashion from the chic collection that was neatly folded and arranged in the bag. A pair of boots, sneakers and slip ons somehow materialized from the bag. Looking back, it would have been difficult for Matt to imagine what was in the bag, given the fact that army bags don’t really mix with a town girl like Susan who arrived dressed in a sleek, silky and flowery summer dress and open toe high heels. Her hair was pulled back a little revealing small chandelier earrings. It rested gracefully on her shoulders. The absence of facial make up helped bring out her natural beauty that even the night could not ignore.

After settling down, the two engaged in a fiery catch up session that lasted almost four hours during which different beverages were taken in small amounts. Eventually, the tipsiness overcame the past and a war was fought. Everything in Matt’s apartment was shaken apart from the ipod was still playing RnB via his home theater system after a cease fire was declared. The armies were completely exhausted and almost in a mood to surrender and thats the reason a ceasefire ensued.

The battleground lay in ruins with blankets and sheets spread across the bed that had rattled noisily as gunfire was exchanged. Needless to say, the armies had fought tooth and nail losing clothes and under wears as they approached the ground where a fierce battle was fought and a ceasefire was declared. The ceasefire in this war was just an official war terminology with no meaning. On the ground, the armies were just too physically depleted to carry on the fighting. No one declared victory or defeat. Emergency supplies including another drink and a dreamless slumber were shared by the surviving soldiers.

Susan felt at home. The army had befriend the enemy and a week long occupation was underway.

tbc

– susan and matt S1E2

This article is part of an on going story published on dresscodes.wordpress.com