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The alarm went off at 6 AM exactly, same as always. My first thought was, “What a weird dream!” but then I realized I was still seeing my bedroom sharp and clear, and no, I hadn’t left my contacts in. Habit forced me to make the bed before padding into the bathroom. Shrugging out of my robe, I looked at myself in the mirror. I was still Graciela Juarez – but with a difference. I was younger, like ScOsh had told me, and things had been redistributed. I didn’t think I’d lost any weight, but it was moved around some. Where before I had been something of a couch potato, mixing night school and work, and my body showed it, now I had real muscle tone. Not bodybuilder muscle, either, but the kind of lean muscle that comes from long hours of aerobics. I had a definite hourglass shape now – my waist had shrunk at least three inches. My breasts may have been slightly smaller, if anything, but firmer – perkier. Turning a bit, oh boy did I have a nice butt. Breasts are fat, butt is muscle. My face was still my own – not much change there – but my skin glowed with health. I’d have to start making at least occasional time for the gym, thanks to ScOsh. I wasn’t going to let this waste away. I’d also have to get used to a lot more male attention – I wasn’t a beauty queen, but women notice what attracts men and I was definitely something they’d notice now. I had that petite bouncy athletic look I’d always envied, instead of the slightly couch-potatoish one I’d had before. My hair was about the same, shoulder length and wavy, so dark most people call it black, but hair had always been my one eye-catching feature, and I took care of it.
I showered, dressed, and put on make-up. I never used a lot, needed less now, and wanted to not draw attention to my changed self, so I made myself as low key as I could. I opened the door into the hall expecting to see ScOsh crashed out on the couch.
Instead, there was a neat handwritten note on my computer “Went out for a while. Back as soon as I can”. That, together with the remains of our meal the previous evening in the trash, was the only evidence he’d ever been there. I set the coffeemaker going, and made my breakfast – scrambled eggs, since there was no bread for toast – and my phone rang. It was Mama. I’d forgotten to call her last night when I got home. She’d known I was working late, and worried. She was right to worry, but I was damned if I was going to tell her about last night – anything about last night. The opening act would just scare her to no good purpose and the rest would make her certain her baby girl had lost it. Did I mention I’m the youngest of five – four girls and a boy? Yeah, Mama was overly protective of me, and worried way too much. If we both lived to a hundred with great grandkids of my own, I’d still be her baby girl. “I’m fine, Mama, just got done so late I figured you’d be in bed by the time I got home.”
“Hija, you shouldn’t be working so hard all the time for that man,” she told me, “He doesn’t leave you any time for yourself. How are you going to meet a nice boy to marry and give me grandchildren if you’re always working?”
If you know Mexican families, there really isn’t any response to the husband and children thing unless you’ve got the ring and at least a child on the way. That didn’t keep me from trying, “Mama, you’ve got fifteen grandchildren already. Peter is almost my age and sure looks serious about that new girlfriend of his.” Peter had finished his MBA the previous summer and Mama couldn’t be more proud. He wasn’t making much yet, but he did have a good job putting his degree to work. She crowed over him for a couple minutes, and let me get off the phone.
It was time for work, but my phone rang again. I didn’t recognize the number, but it was long distance, so I gave it a chance on case a family member needed help. It was ScOsh, “Grace, I have two million dollars for you.”
Copyright 2013 Dan Melson. All Rights Reserved.
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