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The Blind Date 4

by Jubbly 

Posted: 17 May 2004
Word Count: 364
Summary: Another short piece that occurs in my stage production.


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The Fourth Date

He'd hoped things would go well this time, she was a nice looking woman, her low cut neckline revealed the plump pale beginnings of carefully cupped breasts. He imagined himself relaxing in her embrace, like that pop song; everyone needs a bosom for a pillow, superb lyrics, Shakespeare for the modern man.

He'd describe her as brazen, her skirt hitched up just at the wrong angle revealing glimpses of dappled cellulite thigh that put her right out of the category of 'fit bird'.

Not common exactly but definitely Impulse not Channel. The type of girl you'd expect to have grass cuttings woven into the back of her dress, a constant reminder that she was up for it anywhere anytime, there were some things very pleasing about her indeed.

"My problem is, I don't really know what I want, you know what I mean, like for instance, I can never decided what to order in a restaurant or what book to read when I'm going on holiday,"
She giggled loudly, "I've spent ages standing in WHSmiths at the airport then just bought a copy of Heat magazine."

She laughed her horsy laugh and he felt the need to dip his head away from her.

"I work shifts, which means I get to watch Trisha, sad I know but I love it, I really do, I'm trying to pluck up the courage to go on it, but so far they haven't been any topics that I'd be suitable for." she took a big gulp from her gin and tonic then snorted through the ice cubes.

"Perhaps I should suggest they do a show for people addicted to Trisha, what you think?"

But it was too late, he knew what he thought.
She looked like the sort of person who’d been walked on her whole life, a human doormat, complete with the dirty footprints of all her previous users still marking out her clothes.

She was fag ash and he wanted fairy dust.
No he thought, I won’t leave my footprints on her, it wouldn’t be right. He excused himself and made for the gents, turning sharply toward the exit before he got there.











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Comments by other Members



word`s worth at 11:23 on 17 May 2004  Report this post
Julie

This is wonderfully observant of the kind of female that both males and females look down and silently pity.

"She looked like the sort of person who’d been walked on her whole life, a human doormat, complete with the dirty footprints of all her previous users still marking out her clothes."

Fantastic description. I felt sorry for her when he left, but then I thought, he probably did a very kind thing - but she probably won't realise it and she won't ever know the reason why and so won't get the chance to take a really good look at herself and change her life. Oh dear...I've depressed myself now!

Great short piece!

Nahed

Jubbly at 15:44 on 17 May 2004  Report this post
Thanks Nahed, I'm so sorry to have depressed you. I've done a series of these dates and none of the couples get together. I overheard a woman talking about her addiction to Trisha and she inspired me.

Take care

Julie

word`s worth at 15:55 on 17 May 2004  Report this post
Don't worry Julie, you haven't depressed me - I manage that all by myself! ;) I tried watching Trisha once and I ended up screaming at the telly about what a stupid show it was...then I realised - it's not the telly's fault! Would it be terribly judgmental if I said that anyone who becomes addicted to 'Trisha' needs to get a life? Yes, it is judgmental! My apologies!

Humbly yours,

Nahed :D

Account Closed at 18:17 on 17 May 2004  Report this post
Julie, I liked this. Didn't like your narrator until the end when he had the decency to walk out. For some reason the word 'beginnings' threw me - made me think teenager until I re-read. I could be wrong but WHSmith's? (apostrope?)

This line had a lot of meaning: But it was too late, he knew what he thought.

Elspeth

Anj at 20:15 on 17 May 2004  Report this post
Some fantastic images in here - "the plump pale beginnings of carefully cupped breasts." I can see them before me now. "dappled cellulite thigh", "snorted through the ice cubes" - says so much about her it almost extinguishes the need for the rest."

"Impulse not Channel", "She was fag ash and he wanted fairy dust." Ouch!

It jarred a bit on me though that she's a "nice looking woman" and then not a "fit bird".

There were, to me, a few unnecessary phrases, that I felt detracted from the impact, eg:

"Not common exactly but definitely Impulse not Chanel." For me, "Definitely Impulse not Chanel" would be more powerful.

"The type of girl you'd expect to have grass cuttings woven into the back of her dress, a constant reminder that she was up for it anywhere anytime" - a constant reminder ... seemed to me unnecessary, because the first clause is so fabulously evocative.

"But it was too late, he knew what he thought.
She looked like the sort of person who’d been walked on her whole life, a human doormat, complete with the dirty footprints of all her previous users still marking out her clothes.

She was fag ash and he wanted fairy dust. "

For me, "She looked .... clothes" was unnecessary, because the images have been so fantastic we knew that. (Although the dirty footprints is a good tie into the penultimate sentence, in which not wanting to leave his dirty footprints is great.) "But it was too late, he knew what he thought. She was fag ash and he wanted fairy dust" would to my mind have far more impact.

A great, ouch, of a read.

Take care
Andrea


Jubbly at 22:27 on 17 May 2004  Report this post
Thanks for the feedback Elspeth and Andrea. Anj you make some great points which I will adhere to, as it's for the spoken word everything must be perfect.

Best

Julie

scottwil at 06:22 on 18 May 2004  Report this post
I read this like I was watching it on screen. It's so visual and well-observed. What I'm most impressed by is the way you've written the girl to be such an instantly recognisable type and yet with such a deft touch that she never falls into caricature. Very skillful.
Best
Sion


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