Lindsay held her clipboard up to her chest and adjusted her glasses with her free hand. She sat on a stool besides Frank who was busy reading the lights with his little meter. She checked the story-board and adjusted the shape of a few letters and numbers with her pencil. She was a meticulous girl. Perhaps a bit too much. Frank had told her once.

One of the men finished buffing up the car's exterior, while Frank reordered the lighting once more.

Lindsay got up and stood behind him, like most assistants would do. She liked him in clean, professional way, and she knew he liked her too. After all she was a nice, clean girl. She adjusted her white blouse, tugged at her skirt and smiled as Frank turned around.

"Don't get in my legs like a love-sick puppy !" He said, seemingly annoyed.

Her smile melted and she took two jerky steps back. Holding the clipboard to her chest like it was bullet-proof and she was about to get shot.

"Hey ! Is that five-hundred bucks an hour bimbo of a model here yet ?" Frank said holding up his hands in desperation. "She's fifteen minutes late !"

"And why are you still buffing up this car ?" He asked the two men wiping the car's exterior with their soft buffing mops.

"A camera won't record the other side of the car you know !"

Certainly, Frank was a nice man. A bit demanding perhaps, but nice.

"Lin ! Get me a coffee and something for my headache !"

She almost threw the clipboard into the air in surprise. "Yes, sir." She said, putting the clipboard down on the stool.

"And move your ass !"

She might have wanted to look up "Nice" up in a dictionary, she wasn't really sure what it meant anymore.

Lindsay turned around just as he shouted at her about her behind when she collided with something. She felt and heard a metallic clanging, like a collection of pots and pans falling to the ground.

She fumbled with her hands over the floor to find her glasses.

"Look out, will you, you stupid girl !" Said a rather strange sounding woman's voice, as if it was muffled. Lindsay could only see vague shapes and peered to see something. She heard a metal scrape and saw something silvery move in front of her.

"Oh my god !" Frank grabbed Lindsay's shoulders and dug his fingers into her.

"Look at that !" Lindsay tried to see something.

"The whole suit is ruined !" Frank said, releasing her.

"What happened ?" Lindsay finally managed to ask.

"Can't you see it ?" Frank's voice suddenly rang out right besides her ear. She cringed, took a step back and heard a crunch sound. She froze and looked down. Lifting a foot from her crushed glasses, she smiled bitterly. "Sorry ?"

After another ten minutes of shouting, Lindsay was taken back to the trailer to get her something to look with.

Dennis sat, sleeping in the make-up chair when Lindsay was brought in by one of the buffing guys.

"Can you help her, she lost her glasses ?"

"Huh !" He barely woke up.

"Do you have some glasses for her or something."

"I'm blind as a bat." She said. Focusing on the blur she hoped was Dennis.

Dennis yawned and rubbed his lips with his middle finger, the others preciously lifted in the air. "I have some coloured contact lenses that might help."

"Here's my prescription card." She pulled it out of her wallet it was the only thing she could find, even if she was almost blind.

"A few points less and you could sit besides Stevie Wonder at the piano, darling." Dennis said jokingly. "Sit down." He pulled the chair up to her and guided her in.

Lindsay stared at a blur and saw colour which might relate to her clothing. She was looking at a mirror.

"These are the strongest I could find, darling." He popped one in her eyes.

"I've never worn lenses before." She said. On the right everything was suddenly sharp, but the left eye still saw only rough blobs of colour.

"How's that, darling ?" He asked.

She closed her eye and saw the lens adding a touch of purple to her already deep blue eyes. Dennis popped in the other one and for the first time in years she saw her own face without glasses.
"Now that you're no longer squinting like a mole, you do look better." Dennis said, pulling her long straight hair out of her face. He tied it together. Then began rubbing and playing with it.

"I can't stand bad hair. And you look like you have bad hair days 365 days a year ! Ooh !." He cringed and bared his white teeth in horror, holding up his hands and limply shaking them.

He reached for the conditioner and shook the can while Lindsay covered her head with her hands.

"I like it the way it is !" She said, cowering like bombers were coming over.

"You like the way it is ? Fine, but I think I've seen better hair on bald people." He slapped her from a distance and shook his head, holding his throat. "Oh, my !" He said.

"What ?"

"The way the light falls on you now, darling !" He glided over to her. "Give me half an hour and I'll make a goddess out of you." He said, holding his hands over his cheeks.

"I HATE MODELS !" Frank walked past the trailer's window and kicked the side of his trailer several times. He screamed and kicked the trailer once more.

Lindsay and Dennis opened the trailer door and looked at Frank who was fuming. Strangling an imaginary model.

"Is there something wrong ?" Lindsay had the misfortune of asking.

She was greeted by a barrage of sound, forcing them back into the trailer and almost knocking it over.

"MISS, I CHARGE FIVE HUNDRED BUCKS AN HOUR TO WIGGLE MY ASS IN FRONT OF A CAMERA, WALKED OUT ON US !!!!"

Suddenly, he seemed to see something and threw his head to the left and stared at the woman that quickly stepped into a car.

He stared at her intensely, and if stares could kill she would've been a deep crater by now.

"How are we going to shoot three commercials without a model ?" He suddenly said to an imaginary bystander.

A beeping went off in Lindsay's pocket and she pulled out her phone. "Hello, Mr Claiborne's assistant ? Uh-huh ... uh-huh ... uh-huh ? ... okay, I'll tell him."

"More bad news ?" Frank grinned almost demonically.

"Uh, the people from the car company told us they were coming to get the cars tomorrow."

Frank smacked his lips, sighed and looked up at Lindsay and Dennis.

"I think I'll have my coronary right now if I may ?" A tear almost ran down his cheek.

Frank slammed his hands together in a dry whack and smiled demonically at the assembled team.

"We ... are on the verge of ... CATASTROPHY ! Forget the Titanic, forget earthquakes or the end of the world ! This situation is much worse ..."

Most were looking at Frank with a pained expression on their faces

"Suicide might be the only solution left." He said sighing and dreamily looking up at the lights above him.

"Excuse me !"

Frank looked down and zeroed on Lindsay who pointed a hesitant finger halfway in the air and cringing at the same time. He smiled like a rabid hyena and nodded to her to let her speak.

"Couldn't we get someone to replace the model. ?"

He remained silent and steepled his fingers, thinking hard, and remaining strangely calm.

"And who do you suggest ? YOU PERHAPS !" He lashed out with the force of a cruise-missile.

Lindsay almost ducked and wished she had a bullet-proof clipboard.

"Why not ?" Dennis suddenly said.

Frank looked up and stared at Dennis who raised a proud eyebrow in response. He spent some time looking at Dennis and Lindsay. His eyes went back and forth for some time.

"We'll need a miracle." He said surprisingly calmly.

"You've got one, darling." Dennis grabbed Lindsay by the shoulders and took her along, glancing triumphantly at the people around them.

Frank sat down on his director's chair and looked at the trailer door. He almost wanted to take his megaphone and order them out of it like a SWAT-team officer at a siege.

The door opened and Frank thought the model had returned. A tall, blonde woman with deep blue eyes stepped out the trailer and stood before him. She wore a white evening dress which looked like it had been painted on her gorgeous body.

He remained frozen, and the looked up at the sky, putting his hands together. "I thank thee, oh Lord, for this miracle !"

"Okay people, we have one night to film the three commercials. So I want to see you sweat ! This will be SWEAT, TOIL, TEARS and BLOOD !"

He crossed himself and called Lindsay. She almost stumbled onto the set, not used to high heels and leaned on the car.

"Now try to look good !" Frank said biting his lip. "Wind !" He shouted and the machine hummed to life.

The silver car with the dark-blue sky background and the blowing wing rushing through Lindsay's hair and clothes was a picture of perfect elegance and beauty.

...

Frank rubbed the sweat from his forehead and fell back in his chair.

"And that makes two."

Lindsay slid down the car's hood and tried to land as well as she could on her high heels. She looked incredible in her shiny black leather dominatrix outfit, but lacked grace when the camera finished rolling. She shuffled over to Dennis who held a bathrobe out for her.

"I'm glad it's over." She said, removing her short black wig. Dennis gave her a surprised look and stared at her heavily made up eyes.

"No, we still have to do the last scene, darling."

"But I read in the scrip they would use a robot or something."

"Yes ?"

"So, I'm not needed anymore ?" Her statement became an embarrassed question.

Dennis paused and looked at her. "Didn't you see her when you knocked her over ?"

"Who ?"

"The model, she was wearing the costume."

"What costume ?"

Dennis slapped the air at her. "Oh that's when you lost your glasses, right ?"

She nodded.

"Oh, but let me show you then."

"Tadaaa !" Dennis opened the large almost coffin-shaped box. Lindsay gasped and cupped her mouth.

Dennis smiled proudly at her.

"I have to wear this ?"

"Yeah, why not ?"

"Because I wouldn't fit in it."

"You fit in the other clothes ?"

She looked down at her leather corset and top and back at Dennis.

He smiled at her distraught face.

Light was dawning when Dennis rubbed the sweat from his face and gave Lindsay a triumphant smile. He could see himself reflected in her.

Lindsay looked at her metal hands and felt something deep inside her break loose. She rubbed her chrome thighs and felt different. Her usual quick and hesitant moves became slower and more sensuous. She put one leg over the other and leaned back in the chair looking at her new metal face. She looked into her own golden eyes. Her lips and her fingernails were gold as well.

She got up with a flowing movement and looked at Dennis who bit his lip in surprise. She quickly rubbed the lip with her finger and walked towards the door.

Frank's mouth opened when he saw her enter. The sounds of busy mumbling and frantic activity ceased as the robot woman walked in. Her pace was slow and sensuous. A few men who sat down crossed their legs almost simultaneously. She leaned against the car and rolled out her hand over the roof, hugging against it as if it was a soft pillow. She wore a transparent silver veil-dress which flowed faintly in the breeze that blew in from outside. She got up and walked round it, rubbing it with her golden fingernail. She leaned on the bonnet showing the cleavage of her well-formed chrome breasts. Light reflecting between her and the car.

Frank was still speechless, like everybody else.

"Are we going to shoot or what ?" A smooth voice came from the robot.

"And cut !" Frank fell back in his chair and everybody started to clap.

Lindsay slipped from the car with unusual grace and skill. She stopped and watched her audience. She tossed her head back and strode off.

Dennis held something behind his back and showed the flowers; "You were marvellous, darling !"

She took the flowers and sat down before the trailer. Enjoying her new appearance.

Frank appeared. "You saved us all !" He kneeled before her and kissed her metal hands. "I'll name my firstborn daughter after you." He said, holding up his fists in complete ecstasy. "I salute you."

Lindsay merely stared at him from behind her metal mask.

Back in the trailer Lindsay couldn't stop watching her new form. It was like she'd gotten more than a full metal jacket, Dennis thought and reached for her head.

She stopped him by grabbing his hands. "I'd like to hang on to it for a while..."

Dennis raised an eyebrow and took a step back.

She swiveled the chair around. "I don't know, but I want to ..." Pausing for a moment.

"Party all night !"

For a moment Dennis wanted to take off her mask and check it for drugs or something. Or perhaps somebody had taken her place inside the robot ?

Lindsay got up and pushed the door open and stepped outside. It was about the time most people would go out to dance and have a good time.

Without a second thought she jumped into her car, followed by an incredulous Dennis, who barely managed to pull the passenger's door open before she drove off.

"Where the heck are you going ?" He asked, eyes wide open.

"To party." She said with a wicked velvety voice.

Danny swallowed a lump and decided to jump in just as she drove off.

She drove her subcompact through the streets like she was at Indianapolis. Danny noticed her car was small, but quite fiery. Especially the way she drove.

She parked straight in front of the aptly named Club Future and tossed the key over to doorman. "Park it." She said seductively.

The big doorman just stared, holding the key in his hand. And most of the people in the queue had lost all interest in getting into the club, staring at her until she just waltzed in. Then there was a panic to get in.

The doorman regained his senses just in time to hold his huge beefy hand over Dennis' chest to stop him from going inside.

"But I'm with her." He said.

"I don't care if you're with the Queen of Sheba. Just queue up like the others !"

Inside the loud music almost paused on cue for her entrance. The colored lights reflected off her skin and shone brightly, blinding some people. Even the most jaded customers took a second look.

She pranced through the crowd up to the highest point of the leveled dance floor and just stood there waiting for the music to resume.

The DJ realized what was going on and quickly put the next record on.

The dancing resumed, but a lot of people kept one eye on the mysterious apparition.

One girl, bodypainted silver with a silver wig left in tears since her date had lost all interest in her.

Lindsay began to dance. She explored the limits of her movements inside her new shell. Somewhere in a deep sub-basement of her mind, tied up and gagged behind a filing cabinet filled with forgotten memories, the quiet withdrawn Lindsay tried to get loose and take her back home before she could make a scene.

Growing bolder with each move, the wild Lindsay that was now in control began to dance in the most graphic way she could, her inspiration and skill growing with each second.

By now a lot of people had stopped dancing and were just watching her.

Her moves were a mix of dance and robotic. A hidden talent somehow Lindsay thought for a second and reveled in her daring. And if she'd make a scene, who would know it was her ?

The music changed and so did her style. She jumped and pumped her legs to the R&B music dancing, music which until a few hours ago meant nothing to her.

Outside Dennis was leaning, arms crossed against a wall, listening to some people coming out of the club, telling stories about the robot. Everybody was now drumming to get in.

Dennis got back to his feet and went to the doorman.

"Can I at least have the keys back ?" He held out his hand, giving the man a good staredown.

The doorman went into his pocket and held out the keys. "We don't have valet parking, you know !"

"Like it's my fault ?" Dennis said and grabbed the keys.

Inside, one guy made his move. He wanted to step onto her level, but she jumped over to him and still moving her body in tune with the music, waved her finger at him. No way buddy.

Another one tried, by dancing onto the level, crouching almost to his knees. But Lindsay was too quick and pushed him back by pushing her foot and heel against his forehead and making him fall on his butt. People laughed.

She put her hands above her head and shook her body around, exploring the limits of the suit. Hidden behind the mask, she blushed hard and realized what she had done. The wicked Lindsay went to look, but nice Lindsay was gone. She turned around and saw nice Lindsay just shrugging and then embraced wicked Lindsay...

Now she got the hang of it. And began to entrance people with her striking appearance and smooth dancing.

Dennis woke up as he heard the door of the car open. Lindsay stepped in and breathed a sigh of relief so deep that Dennis who wanted to give her a lecture just stopped dead in his tracks.

"How did you ..."

She could just moan and faintly nod. Dennis could see her head was already sagging.

He looked outside and saw it was daylight already. A quick look at the clock which said 11:07. She'd danced all night. And people were tapping the window for her autograph or something.

Dennis started the car and drove off.

He went back to her place and stopped in front of the house. With much difficulty, he pulled her out of the car and carried her up the stairs.

"No keys !" he remembered she had left her clothes and purse in the trailer.

On a off chance, he lifted the doormat and surely enough there was a key. He unlocked the door and carried the still sleeping Lindsay inside, dumping her in her bed while two curious cats came over to see what was going on.

He undid her mask. Dennis stepped back when he sniffed the sour smell of sweat.

Lindsay was practically in a coma by the looks of it, snoring ever so faintly.

A headache getting the better of him, Dennis just dumped himself in a sofa and just dozed off.

Lindsay woke up, wanted to roll over and <Twang> she felt her back and neck ache. Her body hurt badly. She tried to get up and realized her body was being held by something. She caught a glimpse of shiny metal and blinked a few times. Every time she moved, a piece of the suit that had been digging into her skin peeled itself off, initiating some more discomfort. Sighing and yawning, she looked around the room and saw Dennis on the couch with her two cats sitting in his lap. The black one opened its yellow eyes and stared at Lindsay faintly meowing.

Yawning even more, Lindsay began to struggle out of her suit, discarding pieces all the way to the bathroom. She rubbed her aching body under the shower and looked at the red marks on her body. In addition, every muscle in her body hurt, including a few she didn't even knew she had.

She popped the contact lenses from her eyes, returning them to a more common shade of blue and fumbled to her nightstand where she expected to find her glasses. But then she remembered they were still in the trailer with the rest of her clothes.

Holding out her hands to avoid bumping into walls, Lindsay went over to a cabinet where she had a spare pair of thick-lensed glasses

Dennis heard the noise and slowly woke up.

"You look like a truck drove over you." He said looking at her red-rimmed eyes and bruised body.

Lindsay flushed red. "I don't know what came over me." She said, shuffling around on her fluffy bunny slippers.

Dennis shook his head and got out of the couch, feeling his back packing up on him. "Oww !" He went.

"I feel like a wreck !" He said, stretching himself.

"I know one thing. I'm not getting into that tin can again !" She said, shuffling towards the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

But the next weekend, eyes strained again at the Club Future. And ever since. So if you happen to be in the neighborhood, just go and see her, she's quite ...

Well you know what I mean ...

Return back to Robo-Lover's Fiction Archive

©1997-2000 The Robo-Lover