The Bodyguard ("Impression" story #90)

IMPRESSION
by Michael Kroetch

The bodyguard’s mother sees a uniformed cop outside the hat shop window. She isn’t sure how far it makes her jump, but it’s too far, that’s for sure. The other two customers are staring at her. Not sure what else to do, she gives them the bride-smile she been honing for weeks in her bathroom. It works. Perfectly.

Despite the pain it begins to cause, she keeps the smile tight on her face, turns, and checks herself in one of the many mirrors. If only her abominable pair of homosexual photographers were here. This is the look, the look for her wedding book. This is exactly what she’s after!

Drawing on her reservoir of inner strength, she maintains the smile and rotates her head tautly back toward the window where the cop was. If he is tailing her because of anything connected to her engagement ring, she wants him to have the right impression. She pivots her head again. Looking. No. He doesn’t seem to be around. But, just in case, she stands there awhile. Not moving. Holding the smile. Keeping everything nice. At least until she sees her secret speed by in his big, loud car, leaving a trail of cigar smoke and black sputtering oil behind him. That’s when her smile caves in on itself and something else takes its place.