That’s certainly not the perfume a woman working a ranch wears.
Who the hell is this room for and where is she?
Bessie pulls out a pair of jeans from the dresser and walks to the closet to pull it open. I see the array of clothing inside. She gestures inside, “Feel free to take anything that works for you. There should be more than a few pieces that you can use in here.” She sighs. “At least they won’t go to utter waste.”
Walking to meet her, I look into the closet. “This isn’t really anything I’d normally wear. You watch my show. You know my style.” I reach out to flick at a chambray shirt before my fingers close around it. It’s softer than I’d have imagined. Taking it out of the closet, I press it against my chest and turn to look in the mirror. The lightness of the fabric makes my hair appear darker and I have to admit that it’s not a bad look for me. “This isn’t that bad.”
Bessie laughs loudly.
Shit! These might be her clothes. I may have just insulted her.
Not that I’d normally care, but I like this woman. She’s kind and makes me feel welcome.
She chuckles again. “No, it isn’t. It’s very pretty on you. And, you’ll find it’s very comfortable. It also breathes and when the heat outside steals your breath and you start to sweat before you open the door… you need breathable fabric.”
I know all about Southern heat…
I nod at her and decide to open up some. “I know about Southern heat… I grew up in Louisiana. In Baton Rouge.”
Her brow arches and she looks at me. “Really? You’re our neighbor then.”
I shudder and nod. “Not for a very long time. I know it’s utterly shocking, isn’t it?!”
That was a different life for me.
I continue “I switched from one L.A. to the other. I’m more suited to California over Louisiana though. I couldn’t leave the boot fast enough.”
Bessie just looks at me, saying nothing. She hands me the jeans. “Try those on. If they fit, like I think they will, there are more in the dresser. Take what you need. I’ll wait in the hall for you to get you back downstairs. It can be like a maze in here. I wouldn’t want you to get lost.” She smiles again. “Take your time trying stuff on.”
She doesn’t have to stand in the hall. That would be really rude of me to make her do that.
“Bessie, you can stay in here. I don’t mind.”
I sincerely doubt that she cares what I look like without clothes.
I look from my body to hers. “We have the same parts. And, I’m not shy.” I giggle. “I doubt my sex appeal will entice you. Am I right?”
She snickers. “You are quite right about that.”
I laugh again and point. “There’s a chair right there. If you’re going to wait for me, you just as soon wait in here. Take a load off. Somehow I don’t see you sitting down much during the day.”
She chuckles again and crosses the room to sink into the chair. “No, you’re right again.” She leans her head back on the chair back and sighs. “It’s nice to have another female around. I’ve become accustomed to being surrounded by males all the time.
“I’m not much into girly things. I haven’t been for a long time, but this is nice.
“I can answer your questions while you try things on.”
Looking over at her, I see her eyes closes as she talks. “You can answer them later, why don’t you just relax for a minute and enjoy the quiet. I’m sure it’s a rare luxury here.”
She just nods while I kick off my shoes, I unsnap my own jeans and fold them to lay them across the yellow quilt before sliding the jeans from the dresser on. They’re a little snug in the rear, but they button easily and seem to fit me like they were made for me. Turning, I look at myself in the mirror. “Well, I’ll be damned. They fit like a dream,”
I see that Bessie is looking at me. She nods. Her voice is soft as she says, “Yes they do. Imagine that.” She points to the chambray shirt I took out of the closet. “Now, try that.”
She looks at my feet and asks, “What size shoe do you wear?”
I respond and she clucks her tongue. “Try the boots, too. They’re on the floor of the closet.”
Leaving the shirt unbuttoned, I look in the closet and see the brown leather boots neatly stored under the hanging clothes. They look brand new. Reaching for them, I pull them out and sit on the bed to try them on. The leather is hard and stiff, but, as I shove and wiggle my foot, the boot slides on. I do the same with the other one and stand.
