Mel Goes To Hell

Just a Skirt

Mel checked the weather forecast before she hopped into the shower. It said cool with the chance of a shower and lengthy fine periods, but outside it looked like a perfect day that was heating up the way it always did in summer. She put out pants and a skirt and resolved to check the sky once more before she dressed.

The fine sky and dark forecast hadn’t changed. Trying to decide between the slim fitted pants or the light skirt that flared nicely as she moved, Mel gave in and chose both. The pants first, the skirt over the top. If it was still hot when she got to work, she’d stick with the long skirt, but if it had cooled a bit, she’d take the skirt off and show off her new pants. She vowed not to give the people on the plaza another view they wouldn’t forget – not as long as she had the desk by the window, anyway.

She set off for the train station, the skirt swirling a little in the light north-westerly. The clouds for the promised shower had appeared on the horizon behind her, but Mel had an umbrella so she ignored them and kept going.

Mel was perhaps five minutes from the train station when the skies opened in a brief drenching downpour. She opened her umbrella and kept walking, knowing the downpour would end soon, as it always did.

The umbrella kept her hair dry, but the light breeze had grown and the water came at her sideways. Mel's lovely skirt caught the wind and rain with equal greed. By the time Mel reached the train station, her skirt was soaked through and it was clinging to her legs. Her pants were drinking the water in her skirt like a man determined to find a cure for his hangover.

Bedraggled and damp, Mel thought about heading home for a change of clothes, but that would make her late, so she made her way to the platform and caught the next train into the city. The other passengers avoided her as she fanned her dripping skirt out, trying to dry it.

By the time the train had arrived, she was no longer dripping, but Mel was still very soggy, her shoes squelching with each step between the station and the office.

On the plaza and the street in front of the office were hundreds of construction workers in fluorescent shirts, protesting about the lack of local labour employed on a particular mining construction project. She squeezed her way through the angry men, wishing her pale pastels didn’t stand out so much in a sea of fluorescent yellow and orange.

Once in the office, she breathed a sigh of relief as she sank into her desk chair, switching on her computer. It was a few seconds before she realised the water in her skirt and pants was quickly wicking into her underwear. She stood up in a hurry and headed for the toilets so she could do something about it.

Gerry saw her hurry past and commented. “You look wet. Did you get caught in the rain?”

Mel stopped and nodded. “Soaked through.”

“Didn’t you bring an umbrella or a change of clothes?” Gerry asked sympathetically.

“I had an umbrella, but it didn’t do much, and I didn’t plan on needing a change of clothes…” Mel began, blushing.

Lili’s head popped up above her partition. “Oh, I keep a spare pair of pants, for after work parties, in case I…” she trailed off and flashed a bright smile. “You can borrow them if you like.”

Mel smiled at Lili. “Thank you, but I’ll be all right.”

Inwardly, she shuddered at the thought of wearing Lili’s pants without her underwear. That would be terribly rude, she felt.

Gerry looked worried. “Now, if you’re soaked, you know you’ll feel better if you take all that wet gear off.” He smiled kindly. “You really should take it all off and take up Lili’s offer.”

Lili nodded vigorously. “You really should.”

Mel managed a sickly smile in response as she shook her head. “Thank you, but…”

Gerry grinned. “I’ll just keep telling you to take your skirt off till you do.”

A shriek had all three turning. Mephi stood with both hands to her mouth, staring from Gerry to Mel. “That’s sexual harassment. Don’t you give in to him and take your skirt off, dear. I’ll report him directly!”Mephi hurried off in the direction of HR, then ducked into the ladies’ loo on the way.

Gerry followed Mephi, protesting his innocence, as Mel turned and walked as quickly as she could back to her office, shutting the door behind her. She shared it with three other people, but they weren’t in yet. Resigned, she knew the ladies’ loo was out, so she was glad she had the office to herself.

Her eyes fixed on the door to make sure no one came in, she shimmied out of her wet pants and underwear, leaving just a skirt clinging damply to her skin. She fanned it out, trying to dry it as much as possible.

A loud cheer went up from the protesters outside and she turned around to see what had happened. They all looked like they were staring at her building. She shrugged and spread her skirt out to its fullest extent as she sat down, turning her computer on and staring at the screen.

Down below, the protesters made unhappy sounds and started to move away from the plaza. She stood up to watch them go, pleased at the good view offered by her window. When the men had marched out of sight up the Terrace, she looked down at her skirt to see if it had dried at all. Silhouetted between the office lights and the window, she realised the lavender skirt was transparent. 

“Oh, hell,” said Mel. She really wished she’d worn stockings today.