Midsummer Voyage: Chapter 3 - Bon Appetit
I walked in to the restaurant adjoining the hotel, dressed up all pretty, to order some takeout before it closed for the night. I gave my name for the order at the reception, picked up the healthiest entree from the menu, and just then I saw a two seater table which just offered enough privacy to not be face to face with a couple of other guests at the restaurant, and asked the server if I could dine in instead. This was the first first for me. It was also an impulsive decision. I had a good reason why I had decided earlier in the evening to order carryout at the end of the night. There were more than a hundred attendees staying at the hotel for the same business event I was there for and I had talked to or at least said hello to half of them in the previous two days. Also, as I had walked towards the restaurant, I saw a guy sitting at the table by the window videochatting with his fiancee. I met him earlier in the day and everytime I had seen him at the venue in the last two days, he was videochatting with his fianc?e. Oh, the young love!
The server was courteous but everytime she came to the table, she wanted to look at me for a few seconds while taking her time to finish the short conversation. Through my time there, she sit have asked at least ten times how was I doing, if everything was alright and if I wanted something else. I was feeling good about my look that night and was able to converse without trying to look away. Her coworker who was finishing up her shift soon too brought a big tub full of washed cutlery to wrap the spoons, forks and knives in the cloth napkins in preparation for the next day and sat two tables away from me, one of the two tables from where she could see me. That table was closest to the kitchen entrance so while it was obvious why she chose that table. I did see her looking at me a couple of times but just like one looks at anyone else casually, without amusement or disgust. My back was facing the restaurant entrance. As I took the first bite of my bland but healthy superfood based entree, I heard a familiar voice, Jen's, asking the greeter (same person as my server) about Louise. Jen used to be my coworker a few years ago, and during the day I had talked to her for about 20 minutes and Louise came from the same town as me and was incharge of the attendee registrations for the event. There was not a chance they wouldn't recognize me had I been facing the entrance. I ate slowly, enjoying my very healthy and very bland meal, until Jen left and she and Louise came back together for a drink and left again. I paid with my card for the dinner but by that time I had a couple of glasses of water, most of it in nervousness, that I really had to pee, a situation I try to avoid when pretty, and couldn't wait to go to my room. I asked if there was a restroom nearby and I was pointed to the women's around the adjoining hotel's entrance. I walked up there only to find it closed for cleaning. I 'ran' upstairs and followed signs to the pool and fitness center hoping to find one there and eventually ended up in one on the second floor. Just as I was about to leave the bathroom, the girl wrapping wrapping cutlery in the restaurant ran into the one of the stall and dealt with the same emergency I had!
I went back to the hotel lobby to take the slowest elevator to the 9th floor where my room was all the while hoping for the elevator to not stop on any other floor. I took some photos in the hotel room and then sadly and slowly took off the accouterments that create the cherished illusion.
My outfit was a multicolored embroidered midi dress with three quarter sleeves, paired with a denim jacket , low heeled sandals, a short haired wig, a cotton hat matching the denim jacket and a small shoulder purse matching my sandals, some jewelry and a heart full with happiness.
In the past year, I have had four different makeup sessions with different artists/stylists, ranging from 'meh' to 'wow' depending on their experience with doing makeup for trans clients. I learned a little along the way. The inspiration came from the responses to one of my earlier posts and from a 7 years old reddit post called 'A Primer' by a user Shelli_and_Page. On this trip I was carrying a makeup bag, complete with mirror, brushes and setting spray. The ability to put apply corrector, primer and foundation to my satisfaction was one of the reasons for my newfound confidence in being out and about that evening. The downside is that I don't like looking at myself in the mirror when enfemme without the makeup on.
