I disclaim. Roy Orbison's song, my ridiculous imagination.
Pretty Woman
Pretty woman walking down the street
There she was. The most beautiful girl - woman he had ever seen, and of course, he only glimpsed her. Clinging red dress, blonde hair, bright blue eyes like sapphires, the body of a goddess, the face of an angel, and a blond handsome man by her side, striding along happily down the high street in the warm sunshine of springtime.
Pretty woman kind I’d like to meet
It was his usual luck, he figured. He saw the girl he knew he would love until eternity ran out, and she’d already found her one true love before he came. Pretty typical. However, the saying was ‘the course of true love never runs smooth’, and if she was his true love, he was going to make very sure the course of that true love ran very smoothly indeed.
Pretty woman
It was his usual style to give up if things got tough, and by the look of the guy, if he went near her, they would be very tough. However, maybe she would be the one to change all that. Then again, as she walked across the road and completely ignored his presence, maybe not.
I don’t believe you, you’re not the truth
How could anyone look that beautiful and live? She didn’t look arrogant, but she must know that she was that good looking, that everywhere men fell at her feet. Or perhaps she didn’t, perhaps he was the only one who saw as her so extraordinarily beautiful. The blond guy was walking away from her now, taking a brunette in his arms, and Shawn wondered how anyone could abandon such a beautiful girl for such an ordinary looking one. She didn’t look like a complete bitch.
No one could look as good as you
He heard the old Roy Orbison hit playing over the café’s hi-fi system, and remembered the movie with Richard Gere - who his mother simply adored - and Julia Roberts - who was the only woman alive his father occasionally preferred to his mother, and only when she was in a really bad mood. That film made his mother cry, he had never really been sure why that was, but it was so. He liked the bit at the race meet. It was something to do with all those horses.
The blonde woman, lovelier than he could ever have dreamed, passed his seat and he caught her eye. Electricity sparked between them, and he was immediately on his feet. Damn his luck. He was a fool if he didn’t even try to say something to this creature of beauty beyond compare.
Pretty woman, won’t you pardon me
"Hello," she said it first, a voice sensual and melodious. Who knew even her voice was lovely? Did this girl have a physical fault? Not from where he was standing.
Pretty woman I couldn’t help but see
"Hello," he tried to make his voice into a sexy growl, but he wasn’t sure it worked. She was just standing there smiling. He needed to say something before she said goodbye, anything. "I was just wondering," he took a breath and glanced down her side to see the shopping bag, a pink one with ‘Mme Greta’s’ written on it, and went on, "well, I couldn’t help but notice your bag, and if you’d pardon me, I wondered if you could tell me where Mme Greta’s is as my mother asked me to pick her something up from there."
Pretty woman
What utter rubbish had just spewed from his mouth, he wasn’t sure, but suddenly she was laughing, and when that melodic sound had finished, she was smiling and was suddenly even more beautiful because she was smiling at him. "Of course. It’s about two blocks over that way." She pointed.
That you look lovely as can be
"I know this isn’t very politically correct," Shawn gasped between the words, preparing himself for a possible slap, "but I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you looked in that red dress. Is it Versacci?"
She laughed again, better pleased than before. "Yes, and the shoes are Christian Dior. Fascinating, a man who not only shops for his mother but also knows dresses." She gave him an appraising look, and in her head added, ‘and is damn fine looking.’ Out loud she asked, "You’re not gay, are you?"
Are you lonely just like me?
It was Shawn’s turn to laugh, though he did look alarmed for half a second. "No. Actually, I was wondering…"
She gazed into his big brown eyes with sparkling blue ones and asked with rose pink lips and perfect white teeth, "Wondering what, exactly?"
Rrrrr
He might have to see a doctor after this. She was doing things to his heart he didn’t care to think about. His vision was foggy, his mind was racing, and worst of all, his palms had begun to sweat.
"Wondering if you wanted to have coffee with me?" He finally said, not quite as smoothly as he had intended.
"When?" She was still smiling, a good sign.
Pretty woman stop awhile
"How about now?" He tried his trademark grin on her, hoping it would have the desired effect.
Pretty woman talk awhile
She looked a little unsure.
"Please?" The grin got a little wider, and he could almost hear his muscles creaking with the effort. He didn’t think he’d ever smiled so broadly in his life before he’d met her.
Pretty woman give your smile to me
"OK," and that was it. She sat down next to him, and ordered a latte. His heart went through his chest as she aimed that smile right back at him.
Pretty woman, yeah, yeah, yeah
"I’m Shawn," he put out a hand, and she shook it gently but firmly. Electricity ran between their fingers, and she looked hastily down, half spilling her coffee.
Pretty woman look my way
Suddenly embarrassed, he let go. It was stupid, but he felt hurt that she was embarrassed in his presence. He was an embarrassment to her. She probably didn’t even want to be sitting there with him and had only done so out of kindness.
She lifted her head, and those blue eyes caught his again, like sapphires meeting amber. "I’m Belle," she said it almost shyly.
"Nice to meet you, Belle," he told her.
"Hey Belle!" It was the blond guy, and Shawn would have done anything just to be able to hit him once, knock him out, and keep him away from Belle while he talked to her. "Are you coming?"
Pretty woman say you’ll stay with me
"I guess I’d better go," Belle said softly, lowering those beautiful eyes again, and Shawn felt a sudden tremor of fear course through his body.
He took her hand again, gently. "You don’t have to, do you?"
‘Cause I need you, I’ll treat you right
She gave him that smile again, and his heart did the tango for one in his chest, longing for hers to be able to do it properly.
"My friends are calling to me." She looked almost reluctant.
"Please don’t go," he was standing now, as she stood up slowly, drawing back her chair for her. "Please."
Come with me, baby, be mine tonight
He didn’t care if he sounded like an idiot. This was his one shot at true love, and he wasn’t going to let it pass him by.
"I have tickets for the Grigorovic ‘Nutcracker’ tonight. Won’t you come with me?" He blurted it out, quickly, afraid that she would leave before he could win her heart.
Pretty woman, don’t walk on by
"Say you’ll come," he pleaded, but she shook her blonde head gently.
"I think I’d better go." She picked up her bag, and glanced at the now empty coffee cup.
Pretty woman, don’t make me cry
"That’s OK," Shawn smiled, a little sadly at her leaving. "It’s my treat."
Pretty woman
She smiled a little at him. "You’re very sweet."
Sweet, he had always hated that word. He was a rebel, tough and dangerous, not a sweet little boy, but in her mouth it sounded… perfect. She was his perfect girl.
Don’t walk away, hey
She was walking away from him. This was it. He was about to watch the love of his life leave and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
OK, if that’s the way it must be, OK
"Goodbye, Shawn," she said softly, the words a caress.
I guess I’ll go on home, it’s late
His heart breaking in his chest, he answered her, "Goodbye Belle. Have fun with your friends."
She walked away from him, and all he could think was that he had better go home and find someone to come to the ballet with him, or to take the tickets. JT was always ready to impress a girl with his sophistication. Maybe he’d want them.
There’ll be tomorrow night, but wait
There was always another day, and another girl, and if she wasn’t the beautiful Belle, well, that was his own fault. He watched her go, that red dress fitting her to perfection, and the kitten heels of her shoes clacking down the pavement, and felt himself about to cry.
What do I see?
Then something so strange and wondrous happened that he could barely believe his eyes. In fact, he didn’t believe them, so he grabbed a waiter and asked him.
Is she walking back to me?
"Is the girl in the red dress really walking back over here?" He was desperately in love already. God only knew what he would be like tomorrow. The waiter patted on the arm and assured him it was the case.
Yeah she’s walking back to me
Every word in the English language deserted him simultaneously. She smiled at him.
A
"Do you still want to take me to the ballet tonight?" She asked him prettily, smiling up at him with rose pink lips, big blue eyes and blonde hair tossed over her shoulders, the prettiest girl he’d ever seen.
"I would like nothing better in the world," he finally answered, trying not to stare too hard.
Oh, oh, pretty woman
"You know, this could be the beginning of a very beautiful friendship," he murmured into her ear as they walked down the street together.
"Really?" she smiled, and their hearts beat in time, "I was hoping it would be the beginning of a very beautiful relationship."
Guess what? It was. No one can resist the power of Roy Orbison.
Fini
Song Credit: 'Pretty Woman', Roy Orbison, Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits.