Hard Decisions by Elaine © 2020

Janine had said that the salon that pierced my ears hadn't used sterilised equipment or something but now I was happy enough that I could wear something attractive in my ears whenever the mood took me.

Managing the earrings was always a tricky operation never mind the number of times you do it, but these longer nails made it much worse. It helped to look away from the mirror and just rely on feel to push the little clip onto the post that penetrates each earlobe. It's a weird feeling as the metal passes through my earlobes.

There is something sensual about the feel of creamy red lipstick as it glides on my lips. I use Max Factor Kiss Proof lipstick even though I haven't been seriously kissed on the lips for a while. It feels a little funny as I don’t even wear lipstick normally, just some lip balm and nothing more. I took a little bottle of Ysatis and sprayed the side of my neck and my wrists and cleavage too. This was all taking an age when the phone suddenly rang.

"Hi Julie, it's Jamie," he said as I answered my mobile phone.

I felt all clammy inside and I wondered what I was doing. That sounds familiar, already all too familiar.

"Hi, how are you?" I asked eventually in reply and it feels odd talking to him. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would meet someone like Jamie so soon after moving here and starting my new life.

"I'm fine, I'll be a few minutes late, I'm stuck in traffic on the city link road," he said.

I thought it was nice of him to call and it seemed that mobile phones do have their good uses.

"I'm just getting ready," I replied.

"I can just imagine! I won’t hold you back, and I’ll see you there," he said, and then he was gone.

Back to the task at hand, I brushed my new hairstyle gently and it framed my face perfectly. Yvonne had done a great job with it and I loved it though I’d never have asked her to do it that way. I had a little cosmetic surgery done on my nose a few years ago and it looks cute and turned up, as it should. I looked in the mirror and just lusted after what I’d become. I always get a nice feeling when I look at myself these days. I have turned an ugly duckling into a swan.