Satisfaction Guaranteed

      "We guarantee full satisfaction", she said with a smile. Arnav returned her smile with a tight one of his own. That hadn't answered his question. Before he could repeat it again, she raised a pale green arm and gestured to the hallway on her left. "Please proceed to the end of the hall and we'll begin your fitting. Thank you for choosing DermaTru." The clear glass between them began to shimmer, darkening as she stepped back from the console and moved to greet the customer waiting at an adjoining window.

      Arnav blinked, wondering if he should knock on the now blackened glass and demand she give him a clear response. Another moment passed and he decided not to bother. The blatant way she'd avoided answering his question had told him what he needed to know. There wouldn't be any going back.

      The flickering screens aligning the hall portrayed a rainbow of beautiful people advertising the joy the company had brought them. The last one had a lovely blue skinned woman tearfully thanking DermaTru for giving her back her life. "After my accident, I had to hide away." Low, sympathetic music played as photos of a crumpled car and a woman's face mottled with burn scars flashed across the screen . "People would stare at me in stores, avoid me on the sidewalk." Her perfect face crumpled with emotion, "I was ugly and they made sure that I knew it!" The music swelled into inspirational notes as she continued, "Then I found DermaTru." Azure hands clasped over her heart as she stared from the screen, "They gave me more than the skin of my dreams, they gave me hope."

      The door next to the screen slid open with a pneumatic hiss. Arnav rallied himself with a deep breath, then stepped through into the silver and white surgical room.

      I rush toward the back room stumbling down a step and grabbing at the wall to steady myself. These damn headaches were getting worse and the injections to stop the rippling under my skin weren't lasting as long as advertised. My DermaTru consultant would be hearing from me in the morning. Removing the lid from my bottle on the desk, I made a note to make sure they covered the cost of refilling my meds as well, seeing as I had to take twelve a day now. No way was I going to let pain wrinkle my brow and mar the perfection of my skin. Not after what I'd paid.

      Back in the kitchen, I glanced at the clock. He was late. Again. I pulled the hens from the oven, their cripsed skin the picture of perfection. He was going to ruin our last dinner together if he didn't return soon. How long did it take to pick up wine? Leave it to the idiot to muck up a simple errand. The meat was cooling and the finishing sauce was going to taste bland. I finished tearing the romaine for the salads, admiring how the green contrasted with my carmine skin.

      It had been a bold choice. Most weren't daring enough to choose to live with such a passionate shade. Most people were dull. They chose soft baby-hued tones to fit their bland personalities. What a waste. I had taken the opportunity to have my new skin be as exotic as I was. Better than those subdued nothings that liked to fade into the crowd. Like Arnav, still holding on to the skin he'd been born with. I was happy that I'd be rid of him after tonight. His pale tones looked sickly when he stood next to me and he refused to apply the cosmetics I'd given him. My next husband wouldn't be as selfish.

      The sound of the front door closing had me rolling my eyes as I placed the salad on the table and removed Arnav's insipid yellow pepper grinder. I was sure I had thrown out yesterday, that man had NO sense of style. "You better have picked up a merlot," I called out. Rushing footsteps approached the dining room room, the heavy thud of boots telling me he forgot about our talk over marring the finish on the floors.

      Opening my mouth to remind him, I was barely able to hold back my scream at the sight of the tall, forest green man in the entrance way. He held out his arms, spun slowly in a circle, then stepped forward. I shuffled back, readying myself to run. The man stopped his advancement, held up his hands and grinned, the whites of his teeth bright against the deep green of his face.

      "It's me, Alexa."

      Arnav wanted to laugh at his wife's expression. Her gaping mouth and widened eyes were worth some of the itching and rippling that he felt under his new skin. He'd surprised her enough to make her forget about getting wrinkles. That was a first. It had been over a year since he'd seen anything but placid perfection upon her face with flashes of disappointment and disgust in her gaze. No longer would he have to stand away from her in public or listen to her endless lectures about makeup.

      Alexa came forward and shakingly drew her index finger up along his arm, contemplating. Her eyes narrowed, careful to keep it to a simple fractional movement, and she commanded, "Take off your shirt." He hastily gathered the material up and over his head, dropping the orange fabric to the floor. Her warm carmine palms pressed against the green of his stomach. Slowly, Alexa assessed him, feeling and rubbing, comparing and contrasting as she circled her her husband and ran her hands over his, in her mind, improved skin.

      Finished with her perusal, his wife wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed! Her silvery bells of joy penetrated his heart and made him shudder in want. Her laugh! When was the last time he'd heard that beautiful sound? He had assumed it was gone forever, like the natural dermis they'd both discarded. She nestled closer to him, nuzzling her nose underneath his ear and cooed, "Meet me in the bath after you burn that atrocious shirt."

      It was Arnav's turn to stare. "Wha...," he paused, cleared the lump from his throat and tried again, trying not to sound as shocked as he was. "What about dinner?"

      Her voice floated back to him from the stairs. "It's cold. You've already ruined it." Her words paused and he waited, expecting her to lecture him about wrecking another of her perfect meals. "But," she continued, "Considering that you smartened up and finally made a change, I'll forgive you. This once."

      Unable to stop the grin from splitting his face, Arnav kicked the offensive shirt up from the floor, grabbing it as it fluttered it's way back down and hurried to the backyard. His heart was pounding with excitement, wanting to get on with burning the shirt and up to his delicious wife. Plus, the headache pulsing behind his eyes was beginning to make him dizzy. Surely it would improve after a hot bath.

      Once the flames had died down, he rushed into the house and up the stairs. He hobbled and kicked his way to the bathroom, leaving behind his boots and his pants. Pushing the door open to the bathroom, he beheld his vision of a wife. Her glorious red skin glistening with drops of silver water as she waited for him in the warm steam. She smiled and held up a perfectly manicured finger, summoning him forward and giving him permission to join her.

      Arnav's boxers hit the floor. Eagerly, he stepped into the hot water, holding back his wince at the temperature. It was too warm for his taste but he wasn't going to complain, wasn't going let anything mar his moment of perfect happiness. He reached out his forest green leg to slide alongside hers, marveling at how good they looked together when her leg jerked away. Worried, Arnav raised his eyes. She was staring at his leg, her thoughts clearly giving her pause. His heart began to fall when she stopped, met his eyes and smiled. A full, happy, wonderful smile.

      "I'll take you back to DermaTru tomorrow." She stood, the water whooshing around her as she rose. "I'll have my consultant make sure that they'll fit you in." Stepping from the tub, she wrapped a fluffy white towel around her. "Your green is lovely but, it's a shade too dark." Alexa leaned down, placing a kiss upon the furrowed brow of her husband. "Don't do that. It'll wrinkle." Arnav didn't move. She turned leaving the bathroom and the man who loved her behind.

      "Once you're perfect, we'll finish our bath."

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