It was a wonderful party, that´s for sure,” Saul began. In addition to having a great time, did we learn anything from it, as far as Virtual Jewelry goes?”
I figured out one thing, Saul,” Anne said, I´m not going another New Years without a swimming pool.”
Well, I agree, but we can´t do anything now, and when spring comes, we´ll think about it as an improvement project. Now, what about Virtual Jewelry?”
Mary said, I think it was a great success, everyone enjoyed it, used it, had a great time playing around with it. Several folks wanted to know when we´ll be on the market with it. Heather, most of the credit goes to you.”
Thanks, Mary. I did get one new idea. Don´t know why I didn´t think of it sooner. Anne´s mother asked about it: Virtual Clothing. I´m going to see how we can make transfers that would go on large areas and end up looking like a dress, or a shirt or something like that. As long as the technology holds up, our costs won´t change and this stuff is cheap to produce. But we should be able to get a lot more money for a virtual dress.
We didn´t have any technical problems at New Years, thank God. Nobody got The Itch, the stuff performed as advertised. I have notes about how some colors don´t look too wonderful, but that´s about it. Thank you all for all the help you gave me.”
Heather, there is one thing I want to bring up,” Anne said, obviously speaking as president of Still Waters. It´s the business of pubic hair. Let me tell you what I think, then let´s talk about it. We´ve been fussing about how to cover the pubic area. I say let´s stop. Let´s forget about it, let´s stop talking about it. I´m up to here with pubic hair.”
And you don´t have any. What´s the problem, or rather what´s your solution?” Heather asked.
* As I see it, it simply isn´t a problem. One, not very many people will want to use VeeJays as clothing. Mainly for emphasis, teasing, or something like that. Second, if they really want to be as close to bare as possible without showing pubic hair or shaving, let them wear a G-string with, for example, mono-filament fastenings. Men could wear posing straps. We could even sell them. Third, men or women can wear regular underwear, if they want. It comes in so many styles and colors.
Heather, the real issue is that no one, women in particular, should feel that to use VeeJays they have to expose themselves. I know you choose to, it´s your choice, and that´s not a problem, you look great ... Well you know what I mean.”
You´re right, Anne, we need to avoid putting pressure on the user. Especially sexual pressure, though God knows just about anything more than the most trivial use of VeeJays Damn, you´ve got me saying it of Virtual Jewelry is going to be sexy as hell. I hereby quit fussing about that.”
Saul said, Heather, VeeJays is a word we should trademark. I´ll get on it.”
Better see about VeeCees, too, for Virtual Clothing, Saul,” Anne said.
.oOo.
Two weeks later, Heather appeared wearing a raincoat. I have great news,” Heather announced. Two breakthroughs.”
First, look at this.” She threw her raincoat on the floor. She appeared to be wearing a suit of long red underwear. It even had buttons down the front from her neck to her crotch. Two buttons at the neck were undone, and her skin shone white where the material seemed to be folded back. She turned. Her back was evenly covered with red, except that the division between her buttocks was very real and just as red as everywhere else.
Wow! Is that a paint job?” Sigrid asked.
No, except a little in my crack. They´re virtual long-johns. I used six pre-printed sheets front and back torso, two arms, two legs. Look more closely.” It was true, her skin was simply colored red.
I can do prints and patterns, I just didn´t have time.”
Great, Heather, what´s the other breakthrough?” Anne asked.
Brace yourself, Anne. I promised not to use the forbidden word, so follow my finger.” She drew her finger from her neck to her groin, following the row of buttons. There was no sign of pubic hair.
It´s the backing. The regular paper backing lets the color cure to the skin because it´s porous, and the adhesive´s solvent evaporates through it when it gets warm. If I use a different backing, I can pre-cure the adhesive so it´s a color and not sticky ...”
She reached between her legs and pulled upward. The buttons pulled away from her skin and her pubic hair reappeared.
It´s just a button band and a little extra material with the color behind it. I can take this off over my head, or I can put it back again.” She smoothed the buttons back in place. Now, I agree with what you said a couple of weeks ago, Anne, it´s just that now, it´s really no longer a problem.”
How soon can we get on the market?” Saul asked.
My guess is six months. We need to design the clothes we´ll offer and go into production.”
We´ll need that long to get advertising and marketing under way, and set up an introduction.” He paused thoughtfully. Wait until my mother sees this.”
Heather, you are a wonder. You deserve a prize,” Anne said. And I´m not a bit upset about having solved the unmentionable problem. It´s really a relief, even though the points I made are still valid.”
Thanks, Anne. Can I choose my own prize?”
What did you have in mind?”
I´d like to have two straight weeks of Quickies. Starting Monday.”
You´ve earned it.”
.oOo.
Oh, thank you for being here this morning.”
How do you feel?”
Awful. I hurt all over.”
Take these two aspirins and drink the rest of the water. Did you sleep?”
Some, once I stopped coughing. Did you?”
Pretty well, considering.”
Considering I was tossing and turning. But, it felt good.”
What?”
Feeling you next to me. Knowing you were there. Holding me.”
That´s what we´re here for.”
When you feel good, it´s great to be together. When you feel bad, it´s special.”
Even though we take turns?”
Especially. I know everyone cares. And I don´t feel bad because I´m keeping one person awake all the time ... Hold me close. No, wait, I´m going to cough.”
Okay? Here, take one of these cough drops. Just suck on it. You ready for something to eat?”
Can we snooze a while? You in a hurry?”
No. It´s early yet. Come here, I´ll hold you. We´ll sleep some, maybe.”
God, it feels good. Just put your hand here. Why are you doing this?”
You know why. You´ll do the same for me.”
Yeah.”
Sickness and health. That´s what we said.”"
Umm.”