‘He actually remembered you from the party!’ Yvonne told her. ‘That’s not like Luca. You must have made a big impression on him.’
Claire cringed inwardly. She knew exactly the sort of impression she’d made on Luca. At least he’d had the decency not to fill Yvonne in on what had happened between them. But she’d thought she’d seen the last of him. ‘Please call him back and tell him not to bother,’ she begged.
‘Too late. Here he comes now,’ Yvonne said. A bell rang as the door swung open, and Yvonne beckoned him over.
He strode across the shop and threw himself onto one of the sofas in front of the changing area. ‘Hi, Claire. I hadn’t expected to see you again so soon.’
‘So, what do you think?’ Yvonne waved at Claire with a flourish.
Luca folded his arms and looked her up and down slowly. Claire kept her eyes on the floor, squirming under his scrutiny. Her skin prickled as his eyes ran over the length of her body, as though they were physically touching her.
‘Obviously she’d be wearing heels,’ Yvonne told him. ‘You have to use your imagination.’
‘It’s a very sexy dress,’ he said finally.
‘Yes!’ Yvonne punched the air with a triumphant smile. ‘That’s what I said.’
‘But it doesn’t suit you,’ Luca said, ignoring Yvonne and talking to Claire. Her eyes shot to his before she could stop them.
Yvonne gasped. ‘That’s a horrible thing to say.’ She frowned at him.
Claire felt her cheeks burning. Damn him – had he come here to humiliate her?
‘Hey, I didn’t mean it like that,’ he said, his eyes widening in horror.
‘It’s fine,’ Claire said. ‘Itoldyou,’ she said to Yvonne, wishing she could hide in the changing room and not come out until both of them had gone.
‘You said it’s a sexy dress, and then you said it doesn’t suit her. What exactlydidyou mean?’ Yvonne demanded.
Oh God, please just drop it, Claire begged silently.
‘Itisa sexy dress. And she’s a sexy girl. You were right about the legs.’
‘Well, then…’
‘But you don’tfeelsexy, do you?’ Luca said, eyeballing Claire.
She certainly didn’t feel sexy now. She felt silly andpathetic, as if she was trying to be something she wasn’t – like a child tricked out in her mother’s cocktail dress.
‘Well, she will when she’s got her makeup and heels on,’ Yvonne said. ‘And no underwear, of course. No one could feel sexy in bare feet and M&S knickers.’
Sweet Jesus, could this get any worse? Now Yvonne was sharing with Luca what kind of knickers she had on.
‘I willnotbe wearing no underwear.’ She fidgeted, tucking her hair behind her ears.
‘Back me up on this, Luca,’ Yvonne said.
‘Jesus, do you want to give the poor girl a coronary?’ He shot Claire a sympathetic look. ‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘No way.’
Maybe Luca wasn’t so bad after all, Claire thought.
‘The key to being sexy is feeling sexy,’ he said. ‘How do you feel in that dress?’ he asked her.
‘Exposed,’ she said. ‘Self-conscious. Ridiculous.’
‘Right. And that’s how you look?—’
‘Luca!’ Yvonne gasped in outrage, while Claire wished she could evaporate.
