Broken Pretty Things
By Grant Faulkner
She changed her name to Simone when she moved to New York City. She changed it to Dallas when she moved to LA. Now she’s back to calling herself Cheryl since she moved to San Francisco, or Brisbane actually, although she’s trying to think of something better.
She sometimes likes to think of herself as the woman in the song, “Pretty Woman.” Some handsome, yet shy, man is watching her walk by. He yearns for her, and wonders if, as beautiful as she is, she might be lonely like he is. “Pretty woman, don't walk on by…”; And at the last minute, she turns back and joins him.
Or that’s the way she thought of things when she was younger. Didn’t matter if he was rich or poor as long as it was true love. Now she just wants him to say, “Come on baby, I'll put you up in a great condo. Swimming pool and jacuzzi.”
I should have studied harder in high school, she thinks. I should have gone to college, majored in something.