Frauleinstein

Chapter XII "I must remember to forget that...", Part I

Chapter XII

"I must remember to forget that..."

Fräulein Stein slept in late the following morning. By the time she was awake, the building was already quite active. Numerous people worked at the facility, involved in its daily operations or in some way connected with Valeria's cosmetic empire. Very few knew of the operations occurring in the laboratory and tunnels directly beneath their feet.

On waking, the Fräulein found a pair of slippers and threw on a short, printed silk robe over her nightgown. She stumbled to the bathroom to brush her teeth, then made her way unsteadily to the dining room. On her way she passed several people she didn't know.

"Hey doc," Fräulein Stein said groggily on meeting Dr. Pretorius. "What do I have to do to get some breakfast around this place?"

"Don't call me doc," the doctor replied automatically before taking in the sight that was Fräulein Stein. And what a sight she was. Her makeup from the previous night was smeared across her face, and her French Twist now looked like a perfectly sculpted loaf of bread perched on top her head that had been mashed and flattened on one side.

"Did you sleep in your hair and makeup?" Pretorius asked dumbfounded.

"Yeah," replied Fräulein Stein as she yawned and collapsed into one of the dining room chairs. "I figured it would save time in the morning."

"Well I suppose it might if you could prevent yourself from wiping it all over your pillow," Pretorius suggested. "Again, I am not the expert in this area, but I expect that most women wash their faces before going to bed!"

"Okay, okay!" replied the Fräulein, shielding her eyes from the bright morning light which streamed through the windows. "Live and learn, right?"

"They also tend to get dressed before showing up at the office in the morning," Pretorius continued. "This is a place of business, in addition to your temporary residence. Your staff is not used to finding young women running about in their nighties."

Fräulein Stein gathered her robe self-consciously, pulling the sash tighter. "Alright, already! Sheesh, I'm just, used to coming down for breakfast in my pajamas is all. So can I please get something to eat now?"

"Perhaps you would like to return to your room to wash and dress, while I have the staff prepare your usual breakfast for you."

"Yeah, yeah," sighed Fräulein Stein as she stood and shuffled zombie-like toward the hallway (which had nothing to do with the fact that she was, technically, a zombie). At the doorway she turned. "What's my usual breakfast?"

Dr. Pretorius shrugged. "Sliced bratwurst with sauerkraut and brown mustard? Toasted rye bread? A selection of cheeses: Limburger, Roquefort, Camembert. Portobello mushrooms. The usual."

"Gag," the Fräulein said, looking slightly green. "Just get me a cup of coffee. A big cup of coffee. If you can find a box of Cap'n Crunch I might have a bowl."

Fräulein Stein returned to her room. Having found that things tended to go much better when she watched a video, she brought up YouTube on her computer and searched for various things she still needed to know. However, after spending twenty minutes twerking and singing into her hairbrush she realized, there are no serious videos on the internet about how women get dressed.

Left with only her wits to rely upon, as well as the few skills she had taken to heart the day before, Fräulein Stein managed to do a reasonable job of preparing herself for the day. She washed her face, and somehow managed to wash, dry, and brush out her hair. After reapplying her makeup she found a light summer dress in her closet, white with a bold red floral print and a pleated A-line skirt. By the time Dr. Pretorius arrived she was ready for whatever this day might bring. (Well, not really, but then she had no idea what was in store for her on this particular day.)