Picking up first one jar then another she scrutinised the contents label, looking to see if the hand creams, body creams were of the oil continuous or water continuous types. She knew roughly the formula she wanted but not exactly what mixture. Choosing several of the more expensive brands, assuming their scents and ingredients would be of a better quality, she moved to the shelf offering a range of basic products. There she removed a jar of Vaseline, the largest on the shelf, and turned to check out. As the products passed through the checkers hands, she smiled quietly, wondering if the woman ever thought of the end use for some of the products.
Arriving at the hardware store, she moved into the sheet plastics display, her hands feeling the gauge, the drape of each roll. Her roaming, testing, attracted the attention of an assistant who immediately questioned,
"What do you want it for?" She wondered why males assume all females were ignorant when faced with the contents of a hardware store - sometimes, they know what they're looking for. The corners of her mouth lifted when she wondered if she should tell him. She did, in a matter-of-fact voice, watching his face pass from startled, to canny disbelief. She smiled and continued her search, knowing that deep inside him she had left a worm of disquiet...
Deciding on a heavy, clear plastic, purpose unknown to her, she had the assistant cut enough for several experiments. At home, she laid the packages on the bed and continued with the preparations for dinner, checking that her two men were busy, one in the darkroom and the other rebuilding a lathe.
Later that evening, she returned to the packages. Taking up the hand cream and the Vaseline she mixed them together in a bowl, testing the consistency, noting its spreadability. Adding one or the other until satisfied. Then turning to the plastic, she unrolled it, covering the king sized bed from top to bottom with the excess hanging to the floor. Pressing on the surface, she was pleased it draped well, clung heavy to the bed, unlikely to move. Lighting candles on the side tables, she turned off the electric light and checked that the illumination was low but rich in detail.