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She had a feeling that she would, too.
Rambo sat watching Meg, his tail wagging.
‘It’s all very well telling me to wear whatever I have in my wardrobe, but I don’t have anything in my wardrobe. One dress. That’s it.’ Meg pulled it out and hung it on the outside. She brushed the dust off it. Her mother had bought it for her years before when the mountain rescue team had thrown a party to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. Frowning at the plain black dress, she shook her head. She had absolutely no idea what to wear to a Christmas ball, but she knew she wasn’t looking at it. She didn’t own anything suitable, which meant that now she needed to go shopping and she absolutely loathed shopping for clothes. Buying a new pair of hiking boots was easy, but endless rails and racks of different dresses turned her brain to useless mush. She didn’t know which colours or styles were in fashion. She didn’t know what looked good on her. All she knew was that Dino Zinetti was going to take one look at her and wish he’d never invited her.
Daunted by the prospect of trying to find something to wear, Meg picked up the phone and rang Ellie. ‘You’re taking me shopping. Since you’re the reason I’m going to this stupid ball, the least you can do is help me choose a dress that doesn’t make me look awful.’
The fact that Ellie agreed immediately confirmed Meg’s suspicions that her friend and colleague was matchmaking.
They met in the shopping centre a short drive from the hospital.
‘This is going to end in tears, you know that, don’t you?’ Meg scowled as Ellie virtually danced up to her, a smile lighting her whole face.
‘It’s not going to end in tears.’ Ellie slid her arm through Meg’s. ‘It’s going to end in romance. And great sex.’
‘Perhaps you should speak a little louder. I don’t think those toddlers at the far end of the shopping mall quite heard you.’
‘What do you have against sex?’
‘El, you’re doing it again. A few octaves lower would be good here, otherwise we’re going to be kicked out before we’ve bought anything.’
‘Sorry. I’m just so excited that you’re going to the ball!’
‘That makes one of us.’
‘You’re not excited? Seriously?’
‘I’d rather sing the “Hallelujah Chorus” while standing naked on London Bridge in the rush-hour.’
‘Gosh, you are weird.’ Ellie bounced up to an exclusive boutique. ‘It’s a good job I’m excited enough for both of us.’
Meg took one look at elegant dresses in the window and stepped backwards, narrowly missing a mother with a pushchair. ‘If you’re even thinking of this shop, forget it. I can’t afford it.’
‘Look at the sign. Early sale. This is your lucky day.’ Ignoring Meg’s protests, Ellie tugged her through the revolving glass doors into the daunting hush of the upmarket designer boutique. ‘You’re going to look perfect. This is going to be a real Cinderella moment.’
‘Are we talking about the moment where her clothes fall off or the moment where she loses a shoe?’ Meg muttered, but Ellie was already sifting through dresses. Envying her confidence, Meg stood awkwardly, waiting for someone to ask her to leave.
‘What colour do you look good in?’ Ellie squinted at her and Meg shrugged, hideously embarrassed.
‘No idea. My thermal top looks OK on me—that’s a sort of emerald green.’
Ellie rolled her eyes. ‘Stop talking about thermal tops. On Saturday night you are not Meg, wolf-girl, you are Meg, sex-girl.’
‘We are definitely going to be arrested.’
‘You should be thinking silk and satin.’
‘I’m thinking get me out of this nightmare.’ Meg caught the eye of one of the shop assistants. ‘Ellie—can we go somewhere more anonymous? We’re the only people in this shop and those women are looking at me, wondering what on earth someone like me is doing in here.’
‘Rubbish. You’re their only customer and they’re thinking, I hope she buys something.’ Ellie was rifling through the rails. Occasionally she paused and narrowed her eyes before moving on. Finally she pulled a dress out and held it up. ‘All right. This is the one. It’s stunning.’
‘It doesn’t have any straps. How does it stay up?’
‘It’s fitted at the waist and your boobs will keep it up.’
‘That’s not reassuring. Ellie, I really don’t think—’
‘Try it. It’s really sexy. You could wear your hair up. Do you have a necklace of some sort?’
