After that, Mr. Jackson quickly pointed out the customer washrooms, bar and stages I already knew about on the main floor from my previous visit. We stopped a moment at the expansive bar. Two people were cutting lime and lemon wedges and placing them in plastic containers.
"Cindy. Matt. This is Sinead. She's our new dancer. I'm showing her around and introducing her to some of our staff."
"Nice to meet you.", Cindy said.
"Welcome to the place.", Matt said.
"Come on, Sinead. I have to get you acquainted with the place before dance rehearsal starts."
'Good thing I wore comfortable, stretchy clothes.', I thought, as we went up the stairs.
On the second floor, he pointed out another set of customer washrooms, the plant niche, the party rooms and the staff washrooms and change rooms.
I when I asked about the elevator, which I noticed didn't go to the first floor, but appeared here, Mr. Jackson said, "The elevator only goes from the second to the upper floors. It is restricted. The third floor has the offices, storage and safe."
'Interesting.' I thought, but I made no comment.
Then Mr. Jackson gave me a combination lock and a small piece of paper with a code written on it and told me I could pick any empty locker in the women's change room. He informed me that I had fifteen minutes before everyone met on the first floor for dance rehearsal.
As Mr. Jackson turned to go back downstairs, I pushed open the door and went into the women's change room. Inside, I found that the change room and bathroom were connected into one large space. There was a bank of bathroom stalls with carved wooden doors, the floors were marble across the entire space. There were four sinks across from the stalls, the veined, marbled porcelain and gold taps matching the dark blue-black marble countertops. A long, rectangular mirror framed in gilded gold hung behind the sinks.
All the furniture was antique, or of an antique style. Off to one side, there were 50's style vanities, with little round light bulbs surrounding three sides of the mirrors. They were good for creating the perfect lighting to do makeup in. Instead of chairs in front of the vanities, there were stools. Each one was solid wood, with a plush fabric seat cover.
'I like how none of the seat covers match.', I thought.
Each was a different 1950's fabric pattern.
Sitting on one of the stools at a vanity, carefully applying her makeup, was a girl whom I'd never met.
"Hello.", I said as nicely as possible.
'Please don't make this one horrid too.', I silently prayed.
She finished the curve she'd painted with her lip liner before she cast her eyes up, looking at me in the mirror.
She put the lid on the lip liner and sat it down. Then in one fluid motion, she both turned her body and stood to face me.
She smiled then, and said, "Hello."
She walked up to me and took my hand, shaking it.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Marilyn."
"It really is nice to meet you.", I said, grateful she didn't seem to be like Angelique or Essence. "My name is Sinead…"
"Ah! Sinead.", she smiled genuinely. "I've heard both Mr. Jackson and Tony speak of you."
She let go and then said, "We only have so many minutes before we're expected downstairs."
Marilyn walked back to her previous seat and perched again on the stool.
"Come sit.", she invited me, with a pat on the empty stool next to her.
As she completed her lip look, by using a brush to apply lipstick, I walked over, carrying my things and sat.
"Your emotions are showing on your face.", Marilyn informed me.
I caught her eye.
"Now don't get the wrong idea.", she said with a wave of her lip brush. "You don't have to worry with me. I don't really mind. But there are others around here that you should be careful around."
She gave me a meaningful, long look.
"Like just a minute ago, for example. You were feeling relieved that I'm not stuck-up, self-absorbed and mean."
She sighed.
"But there are some here like that. I thought I'd warn you in case you didn't know already."
"Thank you, Marilyn. But I do know. In fact, I was just thinking how glad I was you're not like Essence and Angelique."
Marilyn grimaced. "Don't tell me you've already met them both! Let me guess… were they lurking around the front door, trying to scare you off the moment you arrived?"
"No. I've actually only met Angelique. I only know of Essence by reputation. But, yes, I think Angelique was trying to drive me off."
"Angelique only does whatever Essence wants. Essence is bad enough without having a crony."
Marilyn shook her head, as if to clear it of all thoughts of Essence and Angelique.
"I'm all done my makeup. I'm going to go get changed quickly. You really should get ready."
Deciding to stay in what I was already wearing, I put my bag into the first empty locker I found. I took my makeup bag back to a well-lit vanity and sat. Since I was already wearing some makeup, I didn't have much to do.
By the time Marilyn returned, I'd put my makeup bag back in the locker, locked it and memorized the combination.
"Are you all ready?", Marilyn asked me.
Before I could answer, two women walked in. One of them was Angelique. They stopped talking when they saw us, as if they were talking about us.
'Or talking about me, to be exact.', I thought.
They glanced at each other and looked down on both of us.
"Angelique. Essence.", Marilyn said in a curt, forced polite tone.
Then Marilyn turned from them and put the objects in her arms into her own locker. She flicked her eyes at me, which was a gesture for me to follow her.