Part 43 (2/2)
He pushed the door shut it would only open from inside then started up the stairs.
”Don't you think this is a wonderful production?” he added. ”It's the most fabulous I've worked on.”
”Say what?” Josh kept pace as they ascended.
”Nine Princes in Amber. You must have seen it.” You must have seen it.”
”I'm not really into musicals.”
”But that's dreadful. Never mind.”At the top of the fourth flight, they turned left, and pa.s.sed into a huge, high-ceilinged room ringed with dressing-tables and clothes racks... and some three dozen actresses who were naked or near-naked, changing into costume, or applying make-up while their pert, bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s bounced with the motion.
”b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l.”
Josh had twice known paralysis in the face of lethal danger. This was not quite the same but there was the most perfect female a.r.s.e he had ever seen, bending over to pull up her voluminous skirt from the
floor. Awe and l.u.s.t washed through him.
”Oh, dear fellow, do come on.”Looking back, Josh allowed himself to be led into a side room. When the door closed, hiding the beauties outside, he thought he might weep.
”Alwyn, I've brought your friend.”
Blinking, Josh turned round. ”Hey, Taff. How's it going?”
Taff rolled his eyes, then shrugged to the young man. ”I apologise for my philistine friend.”
”Oh, I find his rough edge rather a thrill. Or dare I say alluring alluring?”
”Out with you, Freddy. I need to talk to my friend alone.”
”Never mind. Ta-ta.”
”Yeah,” said Josh. ”Cheers.”
Once young Freddy was gone, Taff grinned at Josh.
”Did the ladies outside bring a lump to your throat? Or somewhere southwards?”
”How can you work here and not turn straight?”
”Dear Josh, you haven't seen the boys' boys' dressingroom.” dressingroom.”
”Uh-huh.” He looked around the shelves stacked with jars, the polystyrene heads on which rubber masks were draped, and empty gloves in the form of greyskinned hands bearing long, curved spurs. ”From the show?”
”Of course. Demons, sort of. Makes for a rather nice dance number, their big fight in the first act.”
”Er, right.” Josh sometimes worked with the soundtrack of Bladefight 7 Bladefight 7 pounding in his earbeads. That was the nearest he came to a.s.sociating blood and pain with music. ”So I was looking for something to change my appearance.” pounding in his earbeads. That was the nearest he came to a.s.sociating blood and pain with music. ”So I was looking for something to change my appearance.”
”That's the only reason you lovely lads ever invite me to Hereford, isn't it?”
”How could we resist you?”
”Excuse me, but what makes you think everyone there rejected me?”
”This, I don't want to know.”
”Ah, well.” Taff waved at the shelves. ”What are we talking about? Meeting up close and personal? Or just smiling for the spycams?”
Josh rubbed his face, trying not to think of perfect b.r.e.a.s.t.s. From next door, female laughter sounded.
”Er, mainly cameras, but I'll be in view for some time. I'd like not to be recognised later.”
a.s.suming he survived so there would be a later. later.
”Are we talking lo-res from a distance? Or state of the art with close-ups?”
”The latter. Imagine I appeared on a webcast watched by millions, and wanted to be anonymous.”
”Wouldn't that be a lovely thing? I don't suppose you could wear a demon mask? I could do you with or without horns.”
”I'd rather look normal.”
”My dear boy, normal? That sounds so boring.”
”And I'll be taking the stuff away with me. I won't need it for days yet.”
”So you remember all my lessons in artistry? How to layer it on so it's undetectable? Of course not. Now sit down in front of this mirror, and be a good boy.”
”Yes, Taff.”
”And pay attention, because I a.s.sume your taut a.r.s.e will be on the line again.”
”Isn't it always?”
It took over twenty minutes interrupted when a bra-clad beauty poked her head around the door and called Taff out to help with something. If Josh hadn't been half made-up, he'd have offered to help but finally he was staring at a different face in the mirror. It was like seeing a distant cousin for the first time.
”You're a genius, Taff.”
”Aren't I, indeed.”
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