She opened the door before I knocked. "I knew you'd be early," she purred.
Her voice, familiar from her CD, Dance Babys Dance, was nonetheless shockingly low and smoldering a la Marlene Dietrich, yet giggly and lilting, like Jayne Mansfield.
The top she (barely) wore prominently displayed a part of a tatoo on her left breast which I could make out as a heart with a lightning bolt through it. I couldn't take my eyes off it. The vibrant blues and reds were burning through my retina and I believe my laser surgery, scheduled for later that week, occurred at that moment.
Her unusual combination of masculinity and femininity had me riveted to the sidewalk and with great effort, but at her invitation, I stepped into Chez Lips or
ALL THINGS LIPS
"People give me Lips items all the time. I love it--and them. My fans are my family," she explained.
She picked up and showed off to me various items on the grand piano: sunglasses, furry telephones, mints, shot glasses, and beads, and then various clothing items from a chair, fondling them like a kid at Christmas.
"I never thought that something that caused me embarassment as a child would turn into a calling for me as I got older."
She showed me around her pad and I was agaga at her rich yet comfortable surroundings. She didn't really walk from room to room, she flowed like Steen's Molasses and I flowed with her--I was compelled to--I knew it would take me somewhere I wanted to go...
We sat at her kitchen table and she fed me chocolate, champagne, bananas and wedding cake.
"My friend Liz was supposed to get married this weekend," she mentioned, without expounding...
Feeling at ease, yet enthralled, I laughed like we were old friends, reuniting after a long absence. She was sweet yet to the point, poetic yet not frilly, like a really great robust yet heady wine that you can't completley define: all the fruity, tart, woodsy, excellent flavors; blended to perfection, mellow and rich--21% by volume...
Woodsy and very, very aromatic.
I don't remember anything specifically about her life, her upbringing, how she got into performing, what she'd done lately, and/or why, but I went home feeling uplifted, inspired and enchanted.
And I knew I'd come back for more.
By the way, did I thank her?
I will.