Nemmie looks worried. ‘You’ll have to make up your mind soon or it’ll be too late!’
Tia laughs. ‘Thanks for reminding me. Once we decide on your dresses and mine, I’ll take my inspiration from them.’
Nemmie is studying the rail. ‘Come and help, Zara. Nothing net, because we wear that most days, sequins are more for the disco, and we’d be sure to mess up those plain ones if we’re on the beach.’
Tia is used to their strong opinions. ‘We have lots of different colours and patterns for the cotton print dresses. We can make those up in any style and any fabric.’ The one she pulls out has layers of frills in pinks and blue flowers, with alternating frills in a darker yellow colourway. ‘This one has practicality and the wow factor!’
Nemmie wrinkles her nose. ‘It’s too fancy for the beach though.’ She purses her lips. ‘The skirt with the separate top looks comfy, but a shorts-skirt would be even better. We could zhoosh it up with sequinned Converse, and have fabric bows in our hair.’
Tia’s staring at me in disbelief. ‘So that’s it?’
I’m nodding at Nemmie. ‘Can you see a print you like and then you can try things on.’
She goes straight to a dress on the rail with a sludgy green background and pale blue, white and pink flowers, then pulls on a pale taupe with large white spots a couple of dresses along. ‘These two are cool. Which do you think, Zara?’
Zara rolls her eyes. ‘The flowery one. With extra frills everywhere you can for me please.’
Tia jots in her notebook and pulls a tape measure out of a drawer by the changing rooms and takes a handful of outfits from the rail. I’m about to herd the girls across to her when I hear the creak of the landing floorboards, and turn to see Jess coming through the door, waving her arms.
‘Excellent judgement, very forward-thinking choices, girls! Our designer Sera will get to work on the variations straightaway.’ Jess beams down at Nemmie and Zara. ‘It’s wonderful to see young minds in action. I confess, we all listened in from across the landing in menswear.’
Tia frowns at me as she asks, ‘Oliver didn’t mention he had a booking?’
Jess beams. ‘It was a last-minute “friends and family”. I’ve been advising our groom of the year on his future outfits, and he’s been offering us his tipis for our next photo shoot!’
My stomach drops and hits the floor. ‘He’s here now?’
Of all the days and all the places for Lando and Nemmie to accidentally come face to face, it can’t be here. It can’t be today! I know I need to do something major, but I’m so appalled my legs won’t actually move.
Then Tia steps forward and a second later the girls disappear behind the changing room curtain.
Tia reappears and turns to me calmly. ‘Whenever you’re ready, we’ll take the dresses in to them!’ She turns to Jess. ‘Anythingelse we can help with before we get on?’
There’s another creak and Lando appears behind Jess on the landing.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude on… whatever it is you’re doing.’
His mortified expression gives me the strength to smile. ‘Just Nemmie and Zara looking at dresses for Tia’s beach hut wedding.’ I make sure I get that one in.
‘Zara?’ His eyes narrow. ‘You have two daughters?’
I take pity on his confusion. ‘Zara is my much younger half-sister. Nemmie is ten months older, but she’s Zara’s niece.’
He shakes his head. ‘You may have lost me there.’
‘No one said gatecrashing was easy.’ I laugh. ‘Thanks for the offer of your tipis. The first sunny day, we’ll look forward to sizing up the competition.’
Another instance where I’m sounding like honey and tasting vinegar.
His voice rises in surprise. ‘What happened to local venues pulling together?’
I look at the ceiling. ‘You get the ice creams, I’ll bring Angel, and we’ll take it from there.’
I turn to see Tia looking at the changing room. ‘Sorry, we’d better get back to the bridesmaids.’
I listen to the sound of their feet clattering down the stairs, then I turn to Tia.
‘No knowledge of weddings, and he’s already got his tipis up! Right on the beach! I may as well give up now!’
