In A Pinch | Passing The Eye Test [Caption Serial]

A Caption Serial Series.

Over the next few days, I'll be posting parts of a caption series I've been working on.  It's a big longer than usual but I hope you'll enjoy the story. 


STORY

The balmy, soothing soak in the tub had been a pleasant reminder why he originally paid more money in rent.  A Private bathroom meant no interruptions during feminine time. Sonny was free to let his hair down and let Soon-Hee out of her hiding place. At the moment, Soon-Hee was indulging the silky sensation of her rose-scented body lotion, a particularly sultry feeling after removing Sonny’s icky body hair.  It was a long weekend so she decided to do her nails in a pearl pink to go along with her suede skirt. Stockings to go along with it, topped off with an off-the shoulder sweater in ivory. Her hair and and makeup always took the longest but it was the part she enjoyed most. More and more of Sonny disappeared as she worked until she was nearly complete when she heard the door open downstairs.

“I don’t understand why we haven’t met this mystery girl yet, Kevin,” Soon-Hee didn’t recognize the first voice.  “Every time you talk to us you say you are off to go meet her but we haven’t heard one thing about her.”

“Dad, it’s no big deal, really.”  Kevin’s familiar voice was full of anxiety.  She knew from stories how particular his parents were.   

“Well I want to meet the girl who has has so much of my son’s attentions” A matronly voice announced.  “You can’t even find time to call your own mother because you are busy with this young woman.”

“You’ll meet her soon enough, I promise - “ That was a lie.  Soon-Hee knew good and well Kevin didn’t have a girlfriend. She had tried to set him up with her theatre friends but they never worked out. They thought he was handsome enough and more than a few tried but Kevin was ALWAYS worried about what his parents thought. Nearly a grown man and they still monitored so much of his life.  They had a discerning eye; particularly his mother.

“When will we meet her?”  Mother Matron was quick on the cross examination.

“Soon, Mother.”

“When is soon?  This really concerns me.  By my count, you have been seeing her at least for six months.  Don’t you think it’s time we met her?” Soon-Hee hear a defeated sigh from Kevin as she crept up to the top of the staircase, listening in closer.  Her heart went out to her friend - she had heard the stories. How his mother was trying to set him up with her friend’s daughters. They were even trying to push him to move back in with them.   

“Alright, alright, Mother. . . you right - let me explain . . .”  

“Hello Mrs. Weatherton, Mr. Weatherton.”   Her feet seemed to move on their own, gliding down the steps in her heels with all the poise and grace she learned in dance class.  Her honey warm voice was clear yet soft, an alternation on the practiced voice she often used when she stepped out en femme. The pronunciation was more practiced,  her eyes shining with friendliness that disarmed the three people in the room. “Forgive me for not meeting you with Kevin. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for your visit.”  Kevin’s mouth was slack, frozen in shock. Both parents turned to her with a look of surprise followed by delighted smiles.

“Oh of course Kevin would leave her to clean up his messes.  Just like his father.” She moved over to greet her, taking Soon-Hee’s hands into her own. “And you must be. . .”

“Soon-Hee, Miss”  She give the slightest hint of a curtsey as she spoke, countless improv classes influencing her every move.  “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“And we have heard nothing about you.  And based on how lovely you are I can’t see why.”  Kevin’s mother turned to her son, her warm eyes zeroed in on him as they narrowed.  “Why have you been hiding this lovely creature from us?” Soon-Hee couldn’t hide the grin from her pink lips as she watched her roommate sputter in response.

“Well, Soon-Hee is…” He tried to say.  “. . unique.” She was not a surprise to Kevin.  She has seen her roommate en femme even before they moved in together.  It never bothered him that his friend was so talented in feminine illusion.  But it was clear he had no idea it would come to this moment.

“I should say so.  Look at those legs and that radiant skin! You are just a vision!”  Her eyes returned to Soon-Hee, a radiant smile for her. “My dear, you may call me Mirim.  This is Mr. Weatherton.” Soon-Hee smiled and shook his hand. As they continued the small talk, she recalled every bit of advice she could from acting coaches and professors alike.  Live in the moment, make it real. You are Soon-Hee, a 24 year old Korean-American girl fresh out of grad school. Details rolled from her lips as they peppered her with questions. Yes, she had just graduated.  No, she didn’t have a job lined up but she had prospects. Yes, she had known Kevin a long time. She drew on every feminine influence she could think of, careful not to vamp it up. Eventually, Kevin managed to excuse them both so they could find some refreshments.

“Um, Soon-Hee,” Kevin whispered when they were out of earshot of his parents.  “What’s going on?”

“Form the looks of things, I’d say I am making you look good, sweetie.”  There was no break in character. The voice and tone remained the same and the mannerisms did not drop.  Soon-Hee imagined Kevin needed a calming presence in his life so Soon-Hee would be calm and poised. . . she would be used to putting out fires for her boyfriend.  She was strong where he wasn’t. “Just relax and follow my lead. We will be fine. Trust me.” Kevin’s eyes appraised Soon-Hee, searching for any signs of Sonny. “You’ve always said I’m good at what I do.  So let me be Soon-Hee for you this time.” Kevin never got a chance to speak, as Mirim had decided to come find them.

“Kevin, let me steal this lovely lady from you for a bit.  I want to have a little cup of tea with her.” She took hold of Soon-Hee’s arm and patted her hand before she gently pushed her son out of the kitchen.  “My dear, I want to share something with you while we talk.” Mirim moved around the kitchen as if she lived there herself, finding the teapot and cups without asking.  “My mother always loved to get to know people over tea and I would like to do the same. Let me show you how I learned to brew it.” Soon-Hee nodded, listening to her instructions as they prepared the tea that Mirim produced from a ornate tin in her purse.  

“Those are elemental markings on the casing, aren’t they.?”  she asked Mirim as they sipped the warm beverage. She walked herself through Miriam's instructions as they talked; it was obvious this was something that was important to her.

“It’s a family heirloom, passed down to the women in my family.”  She told her. “Sadly, I never had a daughter to give it to. But more important than the box is the tea itself.  I grow it in my garden, a special blend you can’t get in any store.”

“It has such a smooth flavor.  I’m completely enamoured with it.”  Mirim’s smile was all pride at Soon-Hee’s words.

“My dear, I’m very glad to meet you.  I can see you look out for my son. I may not know much about you now, but that little bit shows me that you are worth more than most.  I hope to see more of you.” Soon-Hee couldn’t help but blush. It was one thing to pass a glance of a person on the street. It was another to pass the inspection of someone’s mother in such a situation.  She had only wanted to draw the fire from her friend, smooth things over so he could buy some time. . . but this was something she thought she would never forget. Playing the role of the anxious girlfriend meeting the parents?  It was a role of a lifetime. Too bad she couldn’t get a standing ovation for her performance.

Eventually, the Mirim decided it was time to go.  Kevin was noticeably more relaxed by the time his parents were ready to leave, feeling the impromptu ruse was a success.

“It was wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Weatherton.”  she hugged the woman, feeling warmth radiating off her.  She honestly didn’t understand why Kevin was so worried about her.  It was obvious she cared about his well being.

“You call me Mirim, my dear.  And I insist you enjoy the tea; I’ll be sure to send you as much as you like.”

“Thank you, Ma'am.” They said their goodbyes and Kevin finally exhaled once they were gone.  He turned to Soon-Hee, a satisfied smirk on her face. “Well, that was fun. We should have them over again sometime.”

“Do you realize what you’ve done?  They are going to want to get to know you now!  You saw for yourself she doesn’t let up.”

“Well, whenever you need me, I’ll be glad to cover for you.”  she told him as she slid out of her heels. “As of right now, you owe me.”  She grinned as she padded upstairs, still beaming. “I’ll gladly accept a shopping trip to Saks as payment for services rendered.”  She giggled when she heard Kevin’s helpless sputtering. After she closed the door behind her, she took a moment to exhale. Soon-Hee approached the mirror, dissecting her appearance.  Her pink lips curled into a triumphant smile, heart beating under her her bra and prosthetic padding. She gave her reflection a slight bow, which it returned in kind. “Bravo, Soon-Hee.  Bravo.”