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She always came back to the same dress, a stunning floor-length formal gown in the richest shot-silk jade, the strapless bodice embroidered with tiny emerald crystals designed to capture the light and draw attention to the bust.
The gown was a stand-out, the type of dress to make a statement, the type of dress fit for a princess, the type of dress to turn an ugly duckling like her into a rare swan.
But she’d baulked at trying it on, a small part of her terrified she wouldn’t live up to a dress like that no matter how far she’d come in the confidence stakes.
She heard Mavis flicking hangers at a rapid pace, and knew the exact moment she caught sight ofthedress.
“Oh my.” Mavis clasped her heart, and drew out the jade sheath with reverence. “I swear if you say no to this one I’m marching out of this cabin right now.”
Lana gnawed on her bottom lip, and twisted one of the few curls left hanging from an elaborate up-do Mavis had mastered with a few bobby pins and a squirt of hairspray.
“Well?”
“I like it, but—”
“No buts. This is the one.” Mavis held it up to her and sighed. “Perfect. You should see what this color does to your eyes. That young man of yours won’t know what hit him when he sees you in this.”
That was all that mattered, really, what Zac thought, and the anticipation of seeing his expression when he first caught sight of her all dolled up and wearing this dress was incentive enough to make her reach for it with gentle hands and slide it off the hanger.
Mavis smiled her approval as she unzipped it with fumbling fingers, stepped into it and turned around. “Help me with this, please? I’m all thumbs and the last thing I need is to ruin the zip on the one dress I like.”
As the metal teeth slid into place, Lana took a deep breath and glanced down, her eyes widening at her rather impressive newly created cleavage courtesy of the in-built bustier. If those didn’t make a statement, nothing would.
“Right, my girl, turn around. Let’s have a look at you.”
When Lana turned, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror behind Mavis, a second after her friend’s mouth formed a perfect O.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
Mavis reddened. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just I’ve never seen you look—I mean, you don’t usually wear—uh—”
“It’s okay.” Lana patted her arm. “I’m not a clothes horse, never have been, and I rarely wear makeup because I can’t be bothered.”
Mavis nodded emphatically. “Well, you’re lovely without it.”
Lana stepped closer to the mirror, and turned her head side to side. “Though I have to admit, you’ve worked a minor miracle with this gunk.”
The glittering moss-green eye-shadow and dark kohl elongated her eyes to catlike, the foundation created the illusion of perfect skin, and the whisk of bronzing powder gave her razor-sharp cheekbones and a healthy glow.
As for her lips, she’d gone for a neutral nude pink, nothing too over the top considering whatever colour she wore wouldn’t last long if she had any say in it…
“All that goop has only enhanced what the good man in heaven gave you.” Mavis held out a pair of shoes. “Now, put these on and let’s get going before we turn into pumpkins before the night has begun.”
Lana laughed and slipped on a pair of Beth’s fabulous sky-high stilettos in a matching jade, took a final look in the mirror, and did a little twirl for good measure.
The emerald shot-silk sheath fit her like a second skin, the rich color bringing out the green flecks in her eyes, and for a girl who’d never felt beautiful in her life, it came close to describing how she felt at that moment.
“You’re going to knock his socks off, my girl. Just you wait and see.” Mavis patted her shoulder.
It wasn’t just his socks Lana wanted to knock off but she wisely kept that gem to herself, though by Mavis’s knowing look, she’d read her coy smile well.
This dress filled Lana with grit and determination, a woman ready to show her man how far she was willing to go, a woman with more than flirting on her mind, a woman willing to take a chance on an incredible man.
“Ready?”
Mavis held out her clutch and Lana smiled her thanks as she took it, before following Mavis out the door, knowing she was as ready as she’d ever be.
