Sunday morning I had a sleep in. It wasn’t until 8 that I had to get out of bed because of a full bladder. I was a bit tender down below. Maybe Mr Millionaire had pushed a little too hard.
I wanted to go for a run so put on some shorts and a t shirt and followed the route I had taken with Sarah. I was able to run the whole 10km but was feeling it by the end.
For breakfast I asked Mum whether she minded if I had Weet-bix. She looked surprised but said go ahead. After the cereal, I had a cup of tea with her while she told me about her dinner last night. She said she was heading down to the Sunday markets and asked whether I wanted to come with her. I told I would like to, probably more because it sounded like she wanted some company, but added I wanted to have a shower and wash my hair first. We agreed to go at 11. She added that Monique and James would be coming this afternoon and staying the night.
I returned to my room and watched a You-tube clip on how to on how to wash permed hair. That gave me some additional tips and showed me how to use the diffuser.
Following the directions on the shampoo and conditioner bottles exactly. I shampooed and conditioned the hair, then dried it as I had seen on the videos. It was very slow, however I was pleased with the final result. My hair was shiny and soft. My curls were bouncy. I also used the opportunity to give Mr Millionaire a good rinse.
Feeling feminine I put on a white dress with a blue flower pattern. Learning from getting sunburnt last week, I put on some sunscreen, lipstick and white sandals. Mum was in the kitchen also ready to go. We took her car and drove to the markets. These particular markets were 15 minutes out of town and were held only on the 3rd Sunday of each month. It was a combination of a trash and treasure market and a farmers market.
I wandered around with Mum as she perused the craft stalls. At one stall she had me try on a white blazer. It fit well and she insisted on buying it for me. She bought some crystal beads for herself from a different stall. And found a coloured glass vase which she thought was a bargain at $5.
Before returning home we stopped and bought a box full of fruit and vegetables which one of the stall holders, teenage sons carried to our car. We were back home by 1pm.
We made ourselves sandwiches for lunch. At 2 Monique and James arrived. I fetched Dad in from the shed and we had a cup of tea together. James gave my leg a nudge under the table, then excused himself to bring in their bags, they were staying overnight. I volunteered to help him.
Once we were out near his car he quietly told me we had a problem. The latest plan was they would take Mr Chin on a tour of some of the Victorian holiday hotspots from April 28th to May 1st. Problem was that Monique was now planning to come along as well. James explained that in his early working career he had been a newspaper photographer. Maybe he could convince Monique that I be invited along on the trip as a model and he could take publicity shots of me at various locations. That way Mr Chin would be happy and my presence could be explained to Monique.
I agreed so long as he could convince Monique.
I helped bring the bags in, then excused myself and retreated to my room. I reorganized the drawers in the wardrobe. Putting a lot of the new pantyhose packs in a box up on the shelf. All I could think was that Jenna had made a bulk buy of pantyhose during a sale. There were some stockings and suspenders in the drawer. I tried to put them on but didn’t succeed until finding a ‘How to’ video on You-tube.
Lastly I stripped off and tried on the bikinis and one-piece swimsuits. I managed to tie up the gold bikini and then put on the matching mini-skirt. I could imagine Tony finding it hard to concentrate if I was washing a car in this outfit. Maybe I would try it someday. I thought I looked good in all the swimsuits but they certainly didn’t leave a lot to the imagination. I particularly liked the way I looked in a green geometric designed one-piece suit. However looking at my smooth crotch in the mirror was a strong reminder of what I had lost.
was a knock on the door. “Jenna. Can I have a word?” It was Monique.
“Give me 5 minutes. I’ll come out” I quickly took off the swimsuit and put on the clothes I had been wearing earlier.
Monique was in the kitchen with Mum. She said to me “Let’s go outside I want to propose something to you”
We sat down at the table near the barbeque. “How would you feel about being a model for some travel brochures we are preparing?”
“I’d be flattered”
“Do you remember how I told you we were hoping to sign a deal with a Chinese travel company? Well their owner is out here at the end of the month. We are going to take him on a tour of some of the scenic hotspots around the state. James thought it might be an opportunity to also get some pictures for a new travel brochure we would need to put together. Well we can’t really afford a professional model and you have the looks. What I’m proposing is that you accompany us on the tour and we will pay your accommodation and meals and in return James would take shots of you at the locations we visit”
“When are you doing this tour?”
“From the 28th which is a Saturday until Tuesday the 1st of May”
“I would miss two days of work”
“I know. It’s a big ask. But we would have a great time. We start with a night at the Casino, then a night in the Yarra valley then a trip up to Falls Creek”
“So you will be there as well?”
“Yes. He flies in early in the morning on Saturday. We will have to be there the day before to talk to lawyers. You would have to drive down and meet us in Melbourne. We can pay your fuel”
“Well it sounds tempting….. Yes is my answer but on the proviso I can get leave from work. I haven’t been there long enough to get holidays yet”
“Thanks Jenna” She ran inside, no doubt to tell James.
I helped Mum prepare dinner, learning how to cook a salmon pie. When I next saw James he gave me a wink.
Over dinner James and Monique discussed the proposed trip. I reiterated that it was assuming I could get leave and wasn’t in jail. Mum said I would have to show her the wardrobe I was planning to take. Evidently she had done a bit of catwalk modelling in her youth.
After dinner we had a game of Pictionary. Monique commented that my drawing had improved vastly from what she remembered. I purposefully was less detailed in my subsequent pictures.
Later I was able to meet with James briefly in the bathroom. He promised he would get Yeung (Mr Chin’s name) to pretend he had not met me before. He again thanked me and promised he would never blackmail me again.
Once in bed I looked through the iPad. Gabby had posted some pictures of herself, Shaz and Em all dressed up last night. On top was a picture of Shaz looking dishevelled and sleeping awkwardly on Em’s sofa.
I had decided to wear the turban again as I had found it quite comfortable. Maybe I could buy myself one? I found myself looking at silk turbans online. One similar to Mum’s cost $60 however you could buy other brands for much less. I decided I would ask Mum about them in the morning.
I picked up the Pirate book and read another 2 chapters. Charlotte was relishing the freedom of been a fallen woman. She was able to wear men’s clothes and felt safe under the protection of the Captain. For two months they cruised around Ireland. She shared the Captains cabins and his bed. They captured ships and the goods in them. She was oblivious to the fate of the ships former occupants. Her maid, Jane, was now her friend and had paired up with the Captains lieutenant. The Captain had announced that they would be returning to his island fortress for the winter.
I put the book down and turned off the light.