“Saab?” I bleated, dodging Blaise’s fingers pinching my cheek. “What’s Saab?”
“You know what, I’ll go right now,” Lando said. “I have an idea.”
“Please, no ideas needed!” I yelled after him as he sprinted out. “Sol, I don’t do fancy dresses and all that. It’s not me!”
She giggled. “Now it is.”
Blaise grabbed my shoulders and all but threw me into the chair at the make-up station, turning on a ring light. “You don’t exfoliate,” he said.
“Actually, I use this stuff—”
“Ugh. Stuff.” Blaise whipped out ultra-slimy wet wipes and began swiping manically at my face. “I’ll do what I can, but don’t expect miracles.”
Less than an hour later, Lando was back, bearing an ivory garment bag emblazoned with the wordsElie Saab. I was still in the make-up chair, having just had individual false lashespainstakingly glued to the corner of my eyelids. It felt like spiders were crawling above my eyes and I did not like it, but Blaise had threatened to stick my lips together with eyelash glue if I didn’t stop complaining so I’d let him get on with it. Sol’s hairstylist had also attacked my hair with various heated instruments and what felt like an entire can of hairspray to tame my normally truculent waves into what they assured me was a red-carpet-ready style.
Sol jumped up at the sight of Lando and clapped her hands. “Show me, show me!”
“You’re all going to die,” Lando said. “I am literally murdering you with excellence.” He unzipped the bag. His assistant, Kylie, jumped forward to help and soon they were holding up the most exquisite gown I had ever seen. It was floor length, with long fitted sleeves and low back, covered in a geometric design of forest-green sequins that descended in a flared tulle skirt.
“That’s for me?” I was no expert on fashion; Bex had always been the stylish one of the two of us, whereas I had never comprehended the point of blowing silly money on clothing. But in that moment, I understood why people spent a fortune on their wardrobes – this wasn’t clothing, this was art. “Will it even fit?”
“It won’t just fit, it’ll transform you,” Lando said. “Trust me, I know what I’m about and, girl, you were made to wear this.”
I reached for the dress hungrily. “Well, if you’re sure.”
“Put it on!” Sol urged.
“Okay, okay.” I felt like I was in a dream, better yet, a movie. How was this my life? I held the dress aloft, like it was baby Jesus made of glass, and headed towards one of the suite’s multiple bedrooms.
“Wait.” Lando handed over another bag, this one smaller.
“Jimmy Choo!” I felt my stomach drop. “No, I can’t.”
“Well, you can, and you will,” he said.
“Consider them a gift,” Sol said. “I’m a spokesmodel. I can’t move for Jimmy Choos.”
“Lando, you don’t know my size.” I lifted the shoebox out of the bag.
Lando’s eyes fluttered shut, impatiently. “Size 5, UK, on the narrow side?”
I gaped at his accuracy. “Are you an actual wizard?”
“I prefer the termvisionary.” He grinned.
I peeked inside the box. Delicate strappy sandals covered in tiny green gems with a high thin heel, nestled among a bed of tissue paper. There were no words. I looked between Sol and Lando. “This is too much,” I said.
Sol folded her arms and raised her diminutive frame as tall as it would go. “Get dressed,” she said. “That’s an order.”
In the privacy of the bedroom, I shucked off my work clothes and slid into the Saab gown, followed by the heels. The dress felt incredible. Nude silk gave the illusion of bare skin peeking out from behind clusters of sequins and the tulle skirt billowed gently as I moved. It was possibly the most beautiful thing I’d ever had on my body, and I was desperate to see how it looked. I glanced around the room. “There’s no mirror!” Then I recalled the mirrors in the main room; Lando must have moved the one from in here.
Sol tapped at the door. “You ready?”
“Yep.” I made my way to the door, a tricky thing to do on thick carpet in such spindly heels. I opened the door to her.
“Oh my God.” Sol’s eyes widened. “You look phenomenal. Lando!” She grabbed my arm and pulled me along to where everyone else was waiting.
Lando preened in satisfaction as Sol dragged me to the mirror. “I am so good,” he muttered.
