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‘You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.’
‘It’s not… or rather, it wouldn’t be…’ She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. ‘Ignore me, I’m just tired. It’s been a horrible week.’
The shop assistant returned, tutting disapprovingly when he saw Leah wearing the blue jacket. ‘These garments are expensive,’ he said, gesturing for her to take it off. ‘They’re not playthings.’
Beth must have heard him, because she said, ‘Where are you?’
‘Shopping for wedding outfits with my mum and sister.’ He moved behind a rail of coats in the alcove, discreetly watching what was going on in the fitting area. His mum was still resting in the chair, and his sister was hanging up the blue jacket, having been told off by the assistant.
‘That’s surprisingly nice of you.’
Beth’s voice drew him back to the screen. ‘It is? Why?’
‘Most men wouldn’t take their mum and sister clothes shopping.’
‘They wouldn’t? Why not?’
She seemed to consider this. ‘In my experience men don’t enjoy shopping, and they enjoy hanging around waiting rooms while women try stuff on even less.’
‘It doesn’t matter whether I enjoy it or not. We all need wedding outfits, and neither my mum nor sister drive – it would be selfish of me not to take them.’
Beth’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Fair enough.’
Matt glanced up to find his sister looking at him through a gap in the coats. ‘Who’re you talking to?’
He gave Beth an apologetic smile. ‘Sorry, got to go. Time for my suit fitting.’
‘Oh, okay, but—’
Matt ended the call.
Leah tried to peer at his phone. ‘Was that her?’
He pocketed his phone. ‘Who?’
‘The sister, Beth.’
‘I’m needed for measuring,’ he said, heading towards the assistant, who was now tapping his foot impatiently.
Leah wasn’t that easily dissuaded and followed him. ‘It was, wasn’t it? Why are you being so cagey?’
Matt positioned himself in front of the assistant and lifted his arms so the man could measure his chest. ‘I’m not.’
‘Yes, you are. Why don’t you want to talk about her?’
‘There’s nothing to say. I hardly know her.’
Leah perched on the arm of a chair. ‘But you’ve met her. What’s she like? Is she beautiful like Megan?’
The assistant visibly shuddered when he checked the reading on the tape measure. A reaction that did nothing to ease Matt’s self-consciousness about his size. ‘A bit, I guess.’
Matt conjured up an image of Beth. Grey business suit. Thick-rimmed glasses and an uptight attitude. And then he remembered those wide full lips and found himself swallowing awkwardly. Who was he kidding? Conservative clothing aside, she was stunning.
The assistant held out a jacket for him to try on. ‘This is our largest size in store.’
It was like squeezing into a wetsuit. The stitching around the shoulders audibly creaked as he tried to button up the jacket, but it refused to meet in the middle and his confidence took another hit.
Oblivious to his humiliation, Leah tapped her lip in contemplation. ‘What does she look like?’
