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‘No.’
‘Well, what do you normally wear around your neck?’
‘A wool scarf.’
‘I meant when you go out.’ Ellie was laughing. ‘What do you wear around your neck when you’re not trudging through mountains?’
‘Nothing.’ Meg shrugged awkwardly. ‘I don’t really wear jewellery. Where would I wear jewellery? If I’m not in the mountains, I’m with my son.’ She frowned. ‘Actually, I do have something, now I think about it. Mum gave me a gold necklace that used to belong to my grandmother but I’ve never worn it. It’s been in my drawer for seven years.’
‘Sounds perfect.’ Ellie thrust the dress towards her. ‘Try it. Changing room is over there.’
‘But—’
‘Go. I’ll find you some shoes to go with it.’
‘Make sure they’re flat.’ Meg threw an embarrassed glance at the sales girls and gestured to the changing rooms. ‘All right if I—?’
They waved her in and she slid into one of the cubicles and closed the door, cursing Ellie for getting her into this mess. It was one of the coldest winters on record and she was about to strip off and try on a strapless dress for an evening she absolutely didn’t want to attend. Rolling her eyes, Meg removed her coat and pulled her sweater over her head. Pulling on the dress, she stared at herself sulkily. ‘I look stupid.’
Ellie opened the door of the cubicle and looked at her. ‘That’s because you’re wearing boots on your feet. Take them off and try these.’ She held out a pair of gold stilettos. ‘They’ll look really sexy. The dress is completely gorgeous. Meg, no kidding, you look stunning. Is your cleavage real?’
‘Of course it’s real. You think I got a boob job when no one was looking?’ Snappy and irritable, Meg toed off her boots and wriggled her feet into the gold shoes. ‘Ouch, ouch, ow! They hurt. Do people seriously wear these things?’
‘Yes, because they look fantastic.’ Ellie stared down at Meg’s feet. ‘They also look tight. I’ll fetch you a bigger size. Wait there. Don’t go anywhere.’
‘Trust me, I’m not going anywhere wearing this totally embarrassing dress with these things on my feet. There’s half a metre of snow on the ground. I’m going to get frostbite.’ Wincing, Meg dragged off the shoes and flexed her toes. ‘Why do women do this to themselves?’
Fortunately the next pair Ellie brought her was an improvement. ‘How do they feel?’
‘As if I’m tipping forwards. I’m going to fall on my face.’
‘You just feel like that because you’re not used to heels, but you’re going to be fine. Now, hair…’ Ellie pulled a clip out of her bag and twisted Meg’s hair into a knot at the back of her head. ‘Looking good.’
‘Looking weird.’
‘It looks weird because you’re just not used to seeing yourself like that. Meg—you’re really beautiful. Why do you hate the way you look?’
Meg thought for a moment. ‘Actually, I don’t hate the way I look. Not really. It’s men who hate the way I look.’
‘You’re talking about one man, Meg, not men in general.’ Ellie’s voice was tight and there was a flash of anger in her eyes. ‘One man didn’t like the way you look. And if I ever bump into him I’ll break his nose and reposition his features.’
‘You won’t bump into him. You have two kids and he’s allergic to anything remotely domestic.’ It pleased her that finally she could talk about him without feeling as though she was going to fall apart. ‘Last thing I heard, he was living it up in Ibiza. Dancing on the beach every night with women who spend most of the day getting ready for the night.’ The sort of women she’d never understood.
Ellie pulled her into a tight hug. ‘With any luck he’ll catch some vile disease and his vital organs will drop off. He’s history, Meg. It’s over and done. And you’ve protected yourself for long enough. Get out there. Have fun.’
Meg stood frozen in her grasp. ‘It isn’t fun for me. I can’t make people understand that. To me, a ball, a dance, a party—whatever—just isn’t fun. It’s non-stop stress. Am I wearing the right thing? Is everyone staring? Is everyone laughing at me? The answer to the first is almost always no, and the answer to the second two is almost always yes.’
Ellie sighed and tightened her grip. ‘You’re as rigid as my cat in a temper. Hug me back. It will make you feel better.’
Knowing when she was beaten, Meg hugged and instantly felt better. Friendship, she thought. Friendship was good. ‘For a girl who straightens her hair and wears make-up
, you’re all right, Ellie.’
‘I’m more than all right. And you’re going to be more than all right, too. Dino isn’t taking you because of your hair or your make-up, Meg. He’s taking you because you’re you. It’s you he lo—likes. Remember that.’
Meg pulled away. ‘Stop turning this into a big romance. It’s one night, that’s all. El, this dress is too tight. I can’t sit down.’
‘It’s not tight. It’s perfect. And you won’t be sitting down, you’ll be dancing. Or kissing. I want to be there when Dino first sees you. I know you don’t wear much make-up, but this dress needs some make-up.’
