Page 36 of Could It Be Magic?
‘Duly noted,’ Charlotte replied. ‘Er, do you want me to pick up anything for you?’
‘No, I’m all good.’ But even as she said it, her heart sank. Her makeup was at least ten years old, and she still didn’t have a clue what to wear. Somewhere, in the back of her wardrobe, was her old standby, a knee-skimming little black dress, but she hadn’t taken it off its hanger for so long, she wasn’t sure if it would still fit. It was too late to Amazon Prime something, and by the time she got to Taunton or Minehead, the two nearest towns, the shops would be shut. In desperation, she tried to think of where she could nip out to on Saturday morning. Saying goodbye to Charlotte, she ended the call and started googling for shops nearby that wouldn’t break the bank. Her finances were still precarious, and going to be even more so in January, so she couldn’t afford to splash the cash on something she wasn’t likely to wear again.
Then, she had a brainwave. It was a long shot, but sometimes, long shots paid off. And if she got there before it closed, she’d still have time to nip elsewhere.
‘Cora, Dylan, I’m just popping out,’ she called up the stairs. ‘I’ll be back in about half an hour. Call if you need me.’
‘OK,’ two voices, probably roused from watching things on their phones, called back. Grabbing her bag and car keys, Thea headed out again, hoping that where she had in mind might just save her bacon.
30
The Christmas party gods must have been smiling as Thea pulled up outside the shop, into a parking space that had just been vacated. She was well used to finding solutions under pressure: fifteen years in the primary school classroom had taught her that, and she was hopeful that she’d be able to find one now. Locking the car, she hurried towards the front door, where the staff of the Purrfect Paws Rescue charity shop looked as though they were beginning to wind down for the day.
‘It’s an emergency!’ Thea panted as she pushed open the door to see Mollie Wakefield straightening shelves and putting things away tidily after another day’s trading.
‘What can I do for you?’ Mollie asked. ‘I’ve got those Pokémon cards for Dylan, if you still want them.’
‘Thanks, Moll, but I think it’s probably best if he comes in himself tomorrow and takes a look at them – I never know which ones he has and hasn’t got these days!’ She smiled at Mollie, before adding, ‘I’m actually here for myself. I need a posh frock for tomorrow night, pronto.’
Mollie smiled. ‘Let me guess… the Midwinter’s Eve Ball up at Cherry Tree Court?’
‘Yup.’ Thea began to browse the racks of dresses that lined the right-hand side of the wall. ‘I, er, had a last-minute invitation, and by last minute I mean literally an hour ago, and I haven’t got anything to wear.’
‘Well, I’m sure we can find you something.’ Mollie started to bustle around, glancing back at Thea now and again, as if gauging what would suit and fit her. After a minute or two, she came back with an armful of possibilities. Thea, who was feeling overwhelmed by the rows of densely packed dresses, felt grateful. Mollie prided herself on being the personal shopper of the charity shop world, and she had a great eye for it.
‘Why don’t you start with these?’ Mollie said, handing Thea the hangers. ‘And don’t rush – there’s plenty more out the back that haven’t made it to the shop floor yet!’
‘Thanks so much, Mollie,’ Thea replied, hurrying to the small changing room in the corner of the shop. She trusted the woman’s judgement, ever since Mollie had found her the perfect dress for her job interview at the primary school a couple of years ago. That was what had triggered her desire to move back to Lower Brambleton, and the pleasing circularity of this logic made her smile. Perhaps Mollie’s keen eye would lead to something new this time, too?
Slipping off her clothes, Thea stepped into the first of the dresses that Mollie had found for her. Sadly, the red chiffon number was the wrong length for her, its waist sitting too high up to be flattering, so she put it carefully back onto the hanger and onto the ‘rejected’ hook. Several others followed, one a close contender with its black velvet, fitted shape and sultry silhouette, but the zip wouldn’t go the final inch, so regrettably it had to join the others.
Finally, there was one option left. Feeling her heart sink that, perhaps this time Mollie couldn’t work a miracle, Thea slipped the dress over her head and pulled it down carefully. The midnight blue velvet slithered down to just above her ankles, encasing her body voluptuously with just the right amount of stretch. Its Bardot neckline skimmed her collarbones and, as she reached behind her to pull up the zip, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Even in the harsh light of the changing room, she had to admit the dress looked great.
‘Any luck, dear?’ Mollie called from the other side of the curtain.
Thea smiled. ‘I think so. I don’t suppose you’ve got any heels in a size seven I could take a look at?’
‘Give me a sec, I’ll see what I can do.’
Turning back to the mirror, Thea gave her reflection a smile. Not bad for an eleventh-hour purchase. She wondered what Nick would think of the dress and then shushed that thought. As she stood there, double checking the fit of the dress and making sure it really was the one she wanted, her mind drifted back to the kiss they’d shared. It had drifted in and out of her mind ever since, and every time she remembered it, her lips tingled a little at the memory. When he’d asked her to the ball, she’d wanted to give him a sign that she did like him, but even now, she was second guessing herself.
The kiss, right next to a bag of spuds and a load of shopping, had seemed more natural, like the right thing to do. So she’d done it. And now she couldn’t get the sensation and taste of his lips out of her mind. Something inside her had woken up that, apart from an ill-advised two-week casual thing with a colleague in her old job, had lain dormant for a long time. Kissing him felt natural, right, and all sorts of sensations had run through her body when she’d initiated it. As if it was something that she should have done a long time ago.
Thea shook her head. It was likely that she was investing too much in a single action. She’d always had the heart of an incurable romantic, and after Ed had let her down so badly, she’d guarded herself against ever being put in that position again. For years she’d been content to put her children first, pouring all of her love and energy into them, and then, later, her job. But now, after spending time with Nick for the first time in years, and that kiss, she felt as though she was ready to start exploring something new again: something just for herself.
‘I’ve got these, if you want to try them with the dress.’ Mollie’s voice came from the other side of the curtain again. Thea reached out a hand and grinned as Mollie gave her a pair of glitter-encrusted silver high heeled pumps. ‘They came in as a job lot from the Shallowcombe Amateur Dramatic Society,’ Mollie added. ‘I believe the actress who played the Fairy Godmother in their production of Cinderella wore them for the production, but they haven’t been worn since.’
‘Oh wow!’ Thea began to laugh. ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve worn a pair of heels this high.’ She couldn’t resist slipping them on, though. Although a rather outlandish choice with the dress, she figured that, for this event, she’d get away with it.
‘There’s this, too, if you’re in the market for the full look.’ Mollie handed her a silk scarf shot through with silver thread. ‘Buy the shoes and the dress, and the shawl’s on the house.’
‘Mollie, you’ve dressed me in her shoes, but you really are the Fairy Godmother,’ Thea said, wrapping the shawl around her shoulders. ‘You’re a miracle worker.’
‘Always happy to help.’ Mollie’s eyes twinkled. ‘It’s nice to be able to sprinkle a little Christmas magic around, and, of course, buying from here means you’re helping the poor little mites that’ll doubtless be abandoned after Christmas to the tender mercies of the animal shelters.’ The woman looked serious. ‘And we’re full to bursting as it is.’
‘Cora would love another cat to keep Lupin company.’ Thea looked sympathetically at Mollie. ‘Maybe in the new year we’ll come up and take a look.’ She tried not to think about the financial woes she’d be facing in January.
‘You’re always welcome,’ Mollie said. ‘Now, why don’t you slip out of that lot, and I’ll put them in a bag for you.’
