Hot Pink Stilettos

Monty woke up, startled by the loud beep of his alarm clock. He pounded angrily on it to make it stop buzzing.

He sighed and got out of bed reluctantly, still feeling groggy. As he made his way to the bathroom, he stepped on something. He looked down and was shocked to see a pair of stilettos!.

A pair of hot pink stilettos!

He slowly bent down and picked them up, carefully examining them with his mouth open in wonder. They seemed almost brand new.

He threw them on the floor and walked around to the other side of the bed and on the floor was a long curly blond wig!

“Was there a woman here with me last night?” He asked himself totally confused. “But, even if there was, why would she leave her shoes behind?” And why the hell would she be wearing a wig?” he mused.

He tried desperately to remember what happened the previous night. 

All he could remember was coming home as usual after work, showering and going to bed straight away.

"Was it Peggy?" he wondered scratching his head.

They worked together. He was Peggy's rebound guy. Whenever Peggy broke up with whoever she was going out at the time, Monty was sort of her safety net. He was the one she came crying to, for comfort. "Sometimes, for something much more than comfort." he said to himself as he picked up his cell phone and dialled a number.

A moment later it was answered by a female voice.

“Hi, Peggy?” 

“Hey Monty!, how's it going? Is everything ok?” Peggy inquired.

“Not really. Listen, by any chance, did we hook up last night?”

“What the hell are you talking about Monty?” Have you already forgotten that I am going steady with Roger right now?"

Of course I haven't forgotten Peggy! I know what I am asking sounds weird but, when I woke up this morning, I found a pair of stilettos. They are “hot pink!” Monty exclaimed. “Along with a blond wig!” he continued.

Peggy burst out laughter on the other side of the line. “Darling, those aren't mine. I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a pair of hot pink stilettos and a blond wig!" replied Peggy still laughing.

“So you weren't here last night?”

“Oh! Hell no!” I told you I am going steady now!" replied Peggy. "Besides, Roger and I were at my Grandma's last evening. It was her birthday" she continued.

“I see” said Monty.

“Man, you must have been totally wasted last night, if you can't remember what happened?What's going on darling?” she asked, obviously concerned.  

I have no idea, that's exactly what I am trying to figure out. Everything's a blur. Anyway I shall not keep you. Take care and good bye, Peggy!” Monty hung up before she could respond.

An hour later he was showered and dressed, standing in front of the full length mirror which was in a corner of his bedroom as he adjusted his tie. 

He stood there staring at his reflection for a moment. He was handsome, he knew it, with ebony hair and bright blue eyes and high cheek bones. Tall and lean with long slender fingers, which almost looked feminine. He had got teased back in school because of his long fingers. He smiled at himself through the mirror, shaking his head.

      ....................

Monique sat at her dressing table putting the finishing touches to her make up. She sat back in her chair and examined herself carefully turning her head from side to side.

She was pleased with her effort as she pouted her lips and gave herself a kiss through the mirror saying, “You look gorgeous darling!”

As she stood up she realised that she didn't have her shoes on. She walked over to the shoe rack and looked up and down it, searching for a particular pair, it wasn't there!

Just then there was a light tap on her dressing room door. “Come in.” she yelled.

A tall guy with a ponytail holding a clipboard and wearing a headset stuck his head in and said, “Monique darling are you done, you are on, in ten minutes.”

Yes, Tony I am done, but I can’t seem to find my pink stilettos. Did you take them out for polishing or something?” she asked turning around to face him.

“Sweetie, you were wearing them when you went home last night along with that outrageous blond wig!” exclaimed Tony with a shake of his head.

Monique looked shocked as she replied, “Did I?"

“You most certainly did my darlin,' “Well, just wear something else, sweetie, because you’re on next!” he said closing the door behind him.

“Well, this is puzzling!” Monique told herself as she slipped into a pair of red stilettos which was her second favourite pair.

She went on stage amid thunderous applause, whistles, shouts of adoration from the audience. She approached the piano and bowed elegantly and sat down to do a few of her popular renditions as the crowd erupted once again.

       .........................

Monty woke up the next morning as the alarm buzzed. He scrambled out of bed and did a quick scan of the room. 

Everything seemed normal. There were no stilettos or wigs lying around on the floor this time. He heaved a sigh of relief.

He had begun to have those flashbacks again, the ones from his childhood. In fact he had been having them quite often lately.

Every time it happened he would try to force them away as best he could as sometimes it overwhelmed him to the point of madness.

As he made his way into the bathroom his eye caught something glistening on the bedside table, next to his wallet. He walked over and picked it up. It was a key! He looked puzzled as he hadn't seen it before. 

It couldn't be a key to a safe deposit box because he didn't have one. Nor did he have access to a storage locker.

“Why is my life getting weirder all of a sudden?” he asked raising his arms upwards while looking up at the ceiling in frustration. “First the damn stilettoes and the wig. Now this?”

He started to go around all over the house trying every blessed key hole he could find.

Finally he made his way down to the basement as that was the last place left to search, hoping to find something with a key hole in it. He flipped the switch on as he entered.

He hated coming down here as he had been afraid of dark places ever since he was a child as they still evoked unpleasant memories for him.

He was searching up and down frantically when his eye caught a cardboard box marked “Monique" in elegant handwriting.

“Now who the hell is “Monique?" he muttered under his breath.

He approached it cautiously and slowly opened it. What he found inside made him gasp in horror!

There were a pile of women's clothing and undergarments along with a few pairs of shoes, two wigs, one black, one pink and two purses.

He suddenly remembered. His sister volunteered for a charity organisation and went around collecting second hand clothing and shoes and accessories of all sorts.

He and his sister had been living in this house till she got married and moved away several years ago. In fact she had been the first occupant till he moved in with her when he started college.

Half the stuff down here was her junk which she promised to clear away but never got around to doing so.

He dashed upstairs and ran into his bedroom, grabbed his cell phone and dialled her number. A moment later his sister answered.

Hey, what’s up bro?” she asked in her usual chirpy way.

“Hi Susie, how are you?” 

“I am good honey, how are you?” She asked.

“Not bad, could be better” he said.

“Listen Susie did you leave a box full of women's clothing down in the basement?”

“You went down to the basement?” She asked surprised.

“You never go down there, you have this thing with dark and dusty places!”

“Well, I am grown up now, I can handle dark and dusty places. Just answer the question Sue!” he said getting irritated.

“Hey relax would you, and no, I haven't left any boxes down there. Even if I do, I would tell you first."

“There's a cardboard box full of women's clothing, undergarments, wigs and shoes down in the basement. They are like flashy, the kind only a prostitute would wear!”

“I thought you may have kept it down there temporarily, to pick it up later perhaps?”

“Hmm.....I don't think so honey, even if I did, it wouldn't contain undergarments as we don't collect those.” She said confused. “Montgomery Alan Pearce, don't tell me you have turned into a serial killer?”

“That's not funny Susie!”

“Alright, I am sorry, my bad!”

“The box is marked “Monique"

“I am sorry honey, I wish I could help you but I don't know anyone by that name"

“I also found a key lying on my bedside table. I have no idea where it came from. I have tried every lock inside the house I could find but so far it doesn't fit into any of them.”

“It could be a key to one of your filing cabinets at the office. Why don't you try there?”

“ But why would I bring the key home? It doesn't make any sense."

“Why don't you just take it with you, just in case it fits into something. You’ll never know!”

“Ok, thanks anyway Sis....bye, I'll talk to you later"

Bye, honey, take care” she said as the line went dead.

     ........................

Monty was on his way to the office. He came out of the subway station and started walking the few blocks towards his office where he worked as an Accountant. 

As he was walking along, stopping occasionally to look through the windows of the many shops and boutiques, his eye caught a poster placed outside the night club. It read.

“Appearing tonight and every night

The one and the only

“MONIQUE”

The main attraction of our show

Monty's heart began to race as he read and re-read the words on the poster. 

"I have been walking up and down this street for years now, how come I have never seen this poster before? Have I been too preoccupied with my thoughts to notice it?" He asked himself.

He wanted to find out more about this “Monique” gal.

He approached the entrance and debated with himself whether or not to go in. Finally he mustered up enough courage and pulled the door open.

He walked in. It was dark and quiet inside the club and it smelled of alcohol and cigarettes.

A tall guy in a ponytail was seated at a table going through some papers, as Monty drew near, he cleared his throat and said, “ Hi, could I possibly speak to Ms. Monique, if I can, please?”

“I am afraid she's not in at the moment. You can come back later this evening if you want an autograph.” the tall guy with a ponytail answered without even looking up.

“I need to speak to her urgently!” Monty pleaded.

The guy with a ponytail finally looked up and he was just about to say something, instead he just said,

“Valentin! What the hell? Are you trying to be funny here?”

Monty glanced about him confused as he said, “ Valentine who the heck is Valentin?”

“Don't play around dude, come on this is Tony you're talkin' to!” he said patting Monty on the shoulder.

“ Hey Mister, I don't know what you are talking about. My name is not Valentin. I am Monty....Monty Pearce!”

"Come on man, stop screwing around now. You are Valentin you've always been Valentin!"

"And I am telling you, I am not. I am not who you think I am. You must have me confused with someone else. My name is "Monty Pearce!" he replied getting irritated with ponytail Tony.

“Maybe you are, out there, but in here you are Valentin Hart and consequently the star of our show. You are “Monique" Tony said emphitcally, pointing to a life size cardboard cut out at the far end of the club.

Monty walked towards it and stood staring at it with his mouth open in disbelief.

"Oh my God!" was all he could say.

It was him or at least a life size cardboard cut out of him with over the top make up, fake eyelashes, and that damn blonde wig. He was wearing a long white sequined dress with a knee high slit on the side and pink stilettos.

Those flashy and eyepopping "hot pink stilettos!"

THE END