Tuesday, January 02, 2007

The Mirror

It's been a week since they moved in but he still hasn't put up the mirror. Even though she's asked him to. Twice. Even though he's been home.

So when she asks him if she looks okay on her way out to office, he pays attention. Puts down his book. Studies her carefully, taking in the impossibly high-heeled shoes, the long black skirt, the flawless creases of the shirt flaring out from the waist to meet the swell of her breasts, the discreet neckline, the tiny kiss of a diamond in each ear, the carefully brushed hair. Eyes still on her, he gets up off the couch, goes over to where she's standing by the door, pushes back the one tendril of hair that's fallen loose and says "You look beautiful."

She doesn't buy it. "No, really", she says, giving him that look of tender exasperation one reserves for idiot children and inappropriately affectionate boyfriends. He maintains eye contact. "Really", he says, putting all the sincerity he can muster into his voice.

He is surprised to find that he means it.

This time she believes it too. She straightens her collar one more time, just to prove him wrong, then grabs her briefcase and heads out of the door.

He goes back to the couch, but he's lost his place in the book. He decides he may as well put the mirror up. That way maybe tomorrow she'll let him read in peace.


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7 comments:

Cheshire Cat said...

Brilliant.

The book rhymes with the mirror

Anonymous said...

had he done it in the first place he wouldn't have been pestered!!(ah! some guys I tell ya :)

The Black Mamba said...

sly :)

Anonymous said...

Too good! And a tad like deja vu wrt real life ;)

Falstaff said...

cat: huh?

swathi: Correction. If he had done it in the first place she would still have asked him except he wouldn't have bothered looking up from his book and this would have meant that at some point in the near future they would have to have a conversation about their relationship and how he took her for granted and didn't love her anymore. Trust me.

The only blameless one here is the book. After all, you don't find copies of Anna Karenina coming up to you and asking you what you think of that scene with the train while you're out on a date, do you?

BM: Thank you, thank you.

siri: Thanks. Though you speak for yourself on the deja vu bit. I would never do something like this. I'm always caring and attentive. To my books.

Cheshire Cat said...

What the mirror is to the woman, the book is to the man. No? No? Could be, I idealize the Book...

In any case, it's like a script for a Eugene Green movie.

Anand said...

Beautiful !! :)