A New Chapter Starts Part 7

I knock quietly on Dora’s Door. I am looking for Sharon.

Dora calls me into the room. Takes one look at me and says “Hell’s bell’s what the hell do you have on?”

My uniform consists of tight black shorts and a t-shirt with a Dora Dee Figure Salon logo on it. The logo is a shapely pair of older woman’s legs wearing heels. “I was told to wear this,” I stammer. Dora sighs and looks at the ceiling.

Sharon stands and walks me towards the door. Dora glares at me. “Rachel is wearing the same outfit,” I say to Sharon. “I know honey,” she says walking me into the hall. Motioning her head in Dora’s direction she says, “Sometimes it takes her awhile to know what’s best for her.”

“You have a line forming at the rollers, can you show me what to do?” I ask.

Sharon picks up the pace getting to the front. The line is now 3 large women deep. Sharon motions one of the women on the table and directly on the roller.

Sharon speaks loudly enough for everyone on the floor to hear. She explains the health benefit of letting the roller massage the muscle and the fat surrounding the muscles. Apparently lying on this machine forces the pesky pounds to fall right off. Sharon reaches over and throws the switch. The rollers sound like a small airplane taking off.

The woman’s entire body begins to jiggle at a rapid pace.

“I,I,I,I, I, can feel it working,: the woman on the rollers moans. The other two women giggle and clap their hands. “I’m next,” “No, I’m next they argue and begin to push each other out of the way. I bite the inside of my mouth to keep from laughing.

“Geoff, go find Isabelle in the back to finish this up for me.” “She should be in the exercise room.”

I walk to the back of the club and into the exercise studio. There is blue shag carpet on the floor, paneling on the walls and an old crusty wall length mirror in the front.

Isabelle is finishing up class. There are two women in there with her. She has her hands on her waist and is twisting back and forth.

Isabelle is in her late 60’s. She is wearing a turtle neck long sleeved black unitard, her long grayish hair has been braided and piled on her head. On her feet she has high heeled character shoes. “Three more, two more and done,” she yells into the corded microphone. The women clap their hands to signal their gratitude.There is not a drop of sweat on anyone.

“Hi, my name is Geoff,” I say extending my hand to Isabelle. She looks at me as if I am handing her a fish. She turns her torso away from me and mindlessly covers her breasts.

I am the first and only man to ever work at Dora Dee. The women’s enthusiasm for me being there runs the gamut. Several women are excited that the club is changing and others are horrified that I am there and tell me so to my face.

Isabelle looks at me as if I just got off a UFO and I am asking to probe her. She quickly realizes that her mouth is hanging up and quickly composes herself. “Hello Geoff,” she says to me and looks at the other women.

“Are you in here to teach class?” she asks me. “I teach in about an hour, but Sharon sent me to find you.” Isabelle straightens up and suddenly looks as if someone finds her being here important.

“Then I shouldn't keep her waiting,” she says to me walking past.

I return to the desk and finish my training with Rachel.

To be continued……

Geoffrey Doig-Marx holds all written and electronic rights to his writing "A Day in the Life". It can not be reprinted in part or whole without his written consent.