After an hour of trailing round high street shops with no luck, Sarah was feeling despondent.
‘Let’s try in here,’ said Hattie, striding into a large charity shop.
‘But if I buy something from here, I won’t be able to wash it first,’ said Sarah.
‘Don’t worry, they wash everything before they put it out for sale,’ said Millie, winking then grimacing at Hattie over the top of Sarah’s head.
Sarah trawled through the rails, feeling a creeping sense of panic that she wouldn’t find anything and would end up in jeans at the event.
‘Come here,’ called Hattie, pulling a black dress from a rail.
‘Hmm,’ said Sarah, ‘I’m not sure it’s me.’
‘You won’t know unless you try it on,’ said Hattie, thrusting the dress into Sarah’s arms and pushing her towards the changing room.
Five minutes later, Sarah emerged. Millie gripped onto Hattie’s arm and let out a dramatic sigh. ‘You look gorgeous,’ she said.
‘I’m not sure…’
‘Not sure about what?’ asked Hattie. ‘Sarah, you look stunning. It’s a perfect fit. Come on, give us a twirl.’
Sarah obliged, turning around in the black, 1950s-style halter neck Hattie had picked out for her. The hem skimmed her knees, the boned bodice making her feel curvy rather than lumpy.
‘Come on,’ said Millie. ‘You can’t deny you look good.’
Did she? Sarah studied herself in the full-length mirror. She didn’t lookbad, and perhaps that was good enough.
*
By the time they reached the hotel, Sarah had been forced to sit at a makeup counter while a teenage girl painted her face with products she’d never be able to afford, and hustled into a shoe shop to buy a pair of heels she’d never be able to walk in.
‘Looking good,’ said Felix as they walked towards him in the bar.
‘Wait till you see her outfit,’ said Hattie, flopping into a chair beside him.
Millie checked her watch. ‘We’ve got two hours till we need to leave. How about a quick drink, then we’ll go to our rooms to get ready?’
‘Good plan,’ said Felix.
One drink turned into two, and by the time they headed to their rooms, there was only an hour before they’d need to meet back in the hotel lobby. Sarah located her room, grateful to find a clean, bland space. She paused by the mirror, startled by her reflection. She’d never had so much makeup applied, and yet the young girl had done a good job of making it look natural. It accentuated her features without being garish. Sarah smiled and flicked on the kettle.
It was only as she climbed into her new dress that the nerves hit. What was she doing prancing round in a posh dress and high heels? She’d look ridiculous. With an undignified dance, Sarah did up the zip on the back of her dress. She slipped her feet into her high heels and practiced walking back and forth across the room. She only twisted her ankle once, and decided that as long as she took tiny steps, she’d just about manage.
A knock on the door made Sarah jump. She swore under her breath and gave her twisted ankle a quick rub before hobbling towards the door.
‘Hi,’ she said, feeling heat rushing to her cheeks as she took in the sight of Felix in a suit.
‘Hi,’ he said, his cheeks matching Sarah’s as he stared at her, his mouth hanging open. ‘You look…’
‘We’d better get going,’ said Sarah, throwing a handbag over her shoulder and stepping out of her room.
It was a quiet ride down to the lobby, both Sarah and Felix feeling tongue tied and out of place in their finery. Millie and Hattie were waiting on a sofa for them.
‘Oh my God,’ said Hattie when she spotted them. ‘You two look like you’re a Hollywood power couple on your way to the Oscars.’
Sarah gave a tight smile, desperate to be out in the fresh air, which she hoped would douse her flaming cheeks. ‘You both look lovely,’ she said, admiring their outfits. Hattie wore a flowing silk tie-dye dress, and Millie looked gorgeous in a figure-hugging green velvet trouser suit.
A horn beeped outside. ‘That will be our taxi,’ said Millie. ‘Come on, we’ve got a free bar to make the most of.’
