Red Painted Lips and a Bitter Glance

I have seen my fair share of beautiful women who have looked to have had their fair share of trouble, but this one was different. I first saw her as my fiancé and I were led to an empty table at the café. My fiancé was seated with her back to the woman and I couldn’t help looking over her shoulder for a second glance at this woman’s doleful expression. She caught my glance and disconcertingly glanced down at the red rose petals lying beneath her now crossed legs. The soiled petals had obviously been crushed by the strapped high heels that were as pointy as the Eiffel Tower, the very structure we sat overlooking. She had the smug air of someone who was bored with her life but knew how envious her admirers were and therefore she went out of her way to keep up the pretense.1

Her presence stole the day’s life and replaced it with her gloomy high airs. She wore a black thin-strapped dress with a sheer black cover. Her causally placed netted black hat with its complimentary ribbon was set low over her face so that her painted red lips were all you could see of her face unless she lifted her chin to look down at you. She was dressed to break hearts, or had hers just been broken? She was beautiful and angry. Her hat hid most of her dark hair that was pulled in a low coif at the base of her neck and the only brightness seen on her actual person was the white velvet tie around her waist. Her white gloves and their black lace cuffs were unsoiled from the steaming coffee rising from the pale blue cup on the dark lacquered table. A napkin lay on the table, folded neatly like she was trying to hide her indulgence in a sweet pasty. Perhaps she was unused to the freedom she had found on this breezy Parisian day. 2

She was so very unlike my fiancé, whose soft angelic features and white blonde hair stood out sharply against the dark woman behind her. I could feel the woman’s gaze linger before she continued her stiff scan of the environment as I myself watched my darling’s soft pink painted lips turn upwards and return life to the day with her sweet gaze.