I even acted differently when I wore my wig. I sauntered into a
room and stopped to give everyone a chance to see who had entered.
I flipped my hair off either shoulder for effect. My skirts seemed
shorter and my legs trimmer. Men certainly craned their necks for
a second look and I believed with my whole heart that was a good
thing. That wig allowed my inner Farah to surface and who doesn’t
have a goddess dying to emerge? Somehow that wig gave me confidence,
made my insecurities invisible and convinced me I was a walking heart-throb.
At the time I was harboring a not so secret crush on my dentist,
a red-haired married man named Earl. I think he liked me too because
he’d schedule my appointments at the end of the day and we’d
have a little drink of Crème de Menthe before I left. I actually
needed quite a bit of legitimate dental work, and went once a week
for a few months, so my frequent visits had me feeling right at home
in his office.
When I got that wig, I practiced with it ‘cause
I wanted Earl to see me as a desirable woman. After a week or so
of trial runs
at the mall, I felt ready. I had a new outfit I felt complimented
my wig and so I went to work, anticipating my arrival in his office.
This appointment, however, was at 2:00, so I spent my lunch hour
making sure my wig and makeup were perfect. 10 minutes before I was
due at Earl’s, I entered the elevator and pushed the down button.
Suddenly, the elevator halted with a jerk, between floors 7 and 8.
I
allowed myself a moment of panic, being alone, and then tried the
phone. No tone. So I reverted to one of my strongest assets, my voice.
Yelling “HELP !!!” The guard at the bank on the ground
floor told me they were able to hear me quite clearly. In under 30
minutes firemen partially dismantled one side of the elevator, then
instructed me to jump from my elevator to theirs. Distraught tears
followed, not to mention torn panty hose and dislocated apparel.
Finally safe on an elevator that worked, I assured my rescuers I
was fine, and I was let go. Flustered, disheveled and late, I walked
into Earl’s office.
He was furious I had blown off our appointment,
even though I told him I’d been stuck in an elevator. He looked
me right in the eye, said I was a mess and flounced from the room.
That wig had no
effect on him whatsoever.
