Karen slipped her her soft dainty feet into her shoes aware that any sudden movement would spoil the bright red polish Colin had just perfectly painted on her toes.

"How does your feet feel now?" Colin asked in a high pitch voice. Karen blushed, not with embarrassment but with humor. She had met men like Colin before who worked in clothes shops, like David Jones and Myers, but never in a beauty salon. His touch melted her skin. Kneading the souls of her feet perfectly with sweet smelling lotion that relaxed every part of her body.

"They felt fantastic. Thankyou." Karen answered pulling out her wallet from the green leather handbag.

"Twenty two dollars please, young lady." Colin stated with his lips pierced tightly.

"Well, you are quite the gentleman. I shall come and get my feet done by you again soon." Karen smiled passing over twenty and ten notes.

"I shall be here, nice meeting you. Bye now." Colin's smile faded in the corner of Karen's eye when she slowly turned her back to walk out of the beauty salon.

She had been coming here for over twenty years now. The first time her husband booked her into a complete make over was a day she would never forget.

Karen sat down at the small table with a pink hand towel covering it. Nail polish of every color you could imagine, stacked in a triangular shape up the wall. Plastic nails in small containers for each finger. She remembered thinking if the plastic nails were for toes as well as fingers. She sipped the champagne two hours later while her feet soaked in a foot spa and one of her hands melted with delight in warm wax. To top off the day, a massage with aromatherapy oils. Karen sighed remembering how special she felt with all those envious eyes on her. It was her husbands idea. He always had something to surprise her with. Just last week it was flowers and her favorite, chocolates.

She walked towards the taxi rank and pressed her palm against the cool red glass that gave her identification as a regular passenger. Two minutes later a taxi arrived. Karen opened the back door and slide into the seat.

"Ready." Karen said sitting right back in the seat sightly wincing as the seat belt whooshed passed her shoulders and stapled her into the seat.

"Hello Mrs Nissl." How was your shopping today?" The taxi driver asked through a speaker. Karen flipped her thumb in the air and smiled in reponse.

© Colette R