A Summer Fling (46 page)

Dawn, firmly back in her hairdressing mode, curled and pinned Anna’s hair into the most beautiful tower, leaving loose tendrils around her face. She made it look so easy, even easier than Maria actually. They didn’t know that Dawn was glad of something to concentrate on that didn’t involve weddings or guitars or giant inflatable penises. To be fully focused on Anna’s hair was exactly what she needed.

‘I was all fingers and thumbs to start with, then Tony turned up and made my nerves even worse!’ said Anna. She had filled them in on the details of her recent visitor.

‘Have you decided what you’re going to do about him?’ asked Raychel.

‘I’m trying not to even think about it,’ said Anna. ‘I need to concentrate on Vladimir’s ball first. Then when I come home I’ll give Tony some head space.’

‘You’re very wise,’ said Grace. ‘This is an important evening for you and you deserve a wonderful time.’

While Grace popped the kettle on, Christie set to work on Anna’s face. Raychel took over when it came to her eyes. She had the very steady hand needed for the dramatic wings she was going to give Anna. When she was finished, she stood back and beamed.

‘Wow!’ she approved proudly.

‘Let me have a look then,’ pleaded Anna.

‘Wait, impatient Mary,’ said Raychel. ‘Lips first.’

‘I’ve got five minutes left,’ said Dawn when Raychel had sealed Anna’s scarlet lipstick. ‘Please put the frock on and let me see.’

‘Have you tried it on already?’ asked Christie.

‘He said I hadn’t to. He said it would fit.’ Anna dropped her voice as if Vladimir was in earshot. ‘I know it sounds daft, but I thought he’d be able to tell if I did.’

‘Right, well, fingers crossed, everyone,’ said Christie. Grace brought the dress in. It really was the most beautiful shade of blue. Like a twilight sky in the heat of summer.

‘Your hooks and eyes are all skew-whiff,’ said Christie, as Anna slipped off her robe to reveal the corset Vlad had made for her. ‘How the heck did you think you’d manage on your own?’

‘I know, I’m useless,’ said Anna.

‘No, you’re not. You’re just nervous,’ said Dawn. ‘I would be as well, everyone looking me up and down all night, no doubt. I bet there will be loads of professional models sticking their noses up at you.’

‘Dawn, please shut up,’ said Raychel.

‘There, you’re sorted!’ said Christie with a triumphant note in her voice. ‘My goodness, how long did it take him to stitch all those beads on?’ She smiled at Anna and Anna beamed. Christie knew why he had worked so hard on that corset too.

‘It’s
so
Cinderella, isn’t it?’ said Raychel, clasping her hands excitedly.

‘I don’t know,’ huffed Anna. ‘If it is, it’s a bit of a twisted version. Christie and Vladimir are both fairy godmothers and there’s no Prince Charming. Well, there is but he’s run off with the teenage Ugly Sister with the tiny arse.’

They all laughed because it was impossible not to, the way Anna had said it. Then she stepped into the dress which Grace and Christie lifted upwards. It skimmed over her hips and rested perfectly on her bust as she threaded her arms into the sleeves.

‘Bloody hell,’ said Dawn, her eyes as wide as the full moon hanging outside the window. ‘I take it back. Those models won’t be sticking their noses up at you, they’ll be too busy turning lime-green with envy.’

A taxi beeped outside and Dawn’s delighted smile dropped. She stood to go. ‘That’s got to be mine. I ordered one to take me down to the bus station. Can I leave my gear here?’

‘Yes, of course you can. Go and have a great time,’ said Anna.

‘You’ll have a better one,’ she replied. ‘You look gorgeous, Anna. Like a totally different woman to the one you were before your birthday. You’re like a little bud in a vase that’s suddenly become the biggest bloom of the bunch.’

‘Good grief,’ said Christie, making them all laugh. ‘You’ve managed to say something right for once!’

Dawn gave Anna a small peck on the cheek. It was a sad little kiss, Anna thought.

‘Now we’ll let you see yourself in the mirror!’ said Grace.

But Anna surprised them all. Tempting as it was, she was remembering the last photoshoot in Darq House, when Leonid and Maria started dropping things.

‘No, I don’t want to see myself,’ she said.

‘But you look gorgeous, Anna,’ said Grace.

‘You
feel
gorgeous, don’t you?’ said Christie with a knowing smile, handing her the blue bag that was a present from her beloved husband when his heart was still strong and beating. ‘And you’re savouring that feeling, aren’t you?’

‘Yes, Christie,’ nodded Anna. ‘I couldn’t possibly look as good as I feel at this moment.’ It was so wonderful to be understood. By friends.

‘Here are your shoes,’ said Raychel, guiding Anna’s toes into them. ‘You are so stunning, Anna. Dawn’s right. You’ve blossomed before our eyes.’

For once, Anna didn’t bat back the compliment; she accepted it wholeheartedly and said thank you. She didn’t feel like Anna, the ordinary Barnsley sparrow. She felt like a golden, gorgeous Phoenix, rising from the ashes of her former rubbish self-worth.

‘Chuffing hell, I’m scared!’

‘Don’t be saying that tonight in illustrious company,’ said Christie, packing her make-up away. Their job was done and now it was time to leave Anna to be picked up by her pumpkin coach.

‘I hope I don’t cock anything up,’ said Anna, grabbing Grace’s warm, steady hand.

‘You won’t, don’t worry,’ said Grace. ‘Remember, you were chosen to show off your inner siren. So let her out, girl. Oh, and, obviously, we want to know every last detail on Monday.’

‘We will hold an emergency meeting in the canteen,’ said Christie. ‘Let Malcolm try and report us. James is baying for his blood as it is. Goodnight, darling Anna. Have a ball.’

The car arrived, and when Anna stepped out into the night she saw the usually impassive chauffeur take in a second and a third glance as he opened the door to let her in. It empowered her to think she might have cracked Mr Impenetrable and she grinned to herself. She saw him taking a couple of extra glances in the rear view mirror too. He didn’t smile at her, obviously. That would have been just too freaky.

Her new-found confidence bobbed temporarily right down to her bowel and made it spasm as they turned into the drive at Darq House, for there in front of them was a line of posh cars, Rolls Royces, Porsches, Bentleys, Limos . . . She half expected to see a helicopter landing.

As the Merc came up to the designated dropping-off point, Anna looked at all the stick-thin women emerging from the cars with their creations on. They almost disappeared when they turned sideways. But they wore the most gorgeous, beautiful dresses, although she couldn’t have recognized the designers in a million years from one glance at a button like they did on the telly. A small part of her almost wanted to tell the chauffeur to keep driving and take her home. It was suddenly all very serious. Then she saw Vladimir wearing the most exquisite black suit and a moon-white shirt with an extravagantly tied white cravat at the neck. His hair was loose, a magnificent midnight mane which made him look more vampiric and untamed and romantic than ever before. Was he waiting for her? She didn’t know. But then he made it plain that he was as he came forward to open the door for her and he presented his hand for her to take. She pictured it on her breast, above her heart.

‘Anna,’ he said, ‘good evening. You look . . . beautiful.’

Do I?
she was about to say, until a stern voice stopped the words coming out of her throat.
Ah ha – yes, you do. Don’t insult the man by inferring that his creation makes you look any less than fantastic.
‘I feel wonderful,’ she said. ‘It all fits like a glove.’

‘Of course,’ he said with haughty surprise. ‘How could you expect anything less from me? You found a purse, I see.’

‘And shoes,’ said Anna. ‘I didn’t think I would, but I did.’

‘But you cared enough about yourself to try,’ he said, nodding, with an amused smile playing on his lips. ‘I hoped you might.’

He led her inside as if he were a crown prince and she were his chosen bride. She was aware of being watched and stared at and talked about, and she tried to stop blushing in case it melted her foundation. Then, as she entered, she realized why she was drawing so much attention, for, as well as being escorted in by the man himself, there – hanging from the gallery – was a
huge
poster of herself in a grainy film-noir type shot. It was black and white, the corset picked out in red, and underneath the words:
Every Woman has a Darq Side
. It was amazing.

‘What do you think?’ said Vladimir.

‘I . . . er . . . I’m stunned,’ said Anna quietly.

‘That’s because it is stunning,’ he said. He turned to her, his gold-flecked eyes directed on her like million-watt light bulbs. ‘E
ti amet
itoare! You
are stunning, Anna.’

Leonid wafted over with two glasses of champagne and pecked Anna on both cheeks.

‘E
ti o regin
!
My God, you are a Queen!’ he said, which was funny coming from him.

Someone grabbed Vladimir’s attention and he clicked his heels in that military way of his to be excused.

‘So, do you like the poster?’ said Leonid.

‘I think it’s . . . it’s . . .’ Anna struggled for the word. Would it be too big-headed if she said what the first word was that came to her?
Sod it.
She went with it. ‘It’s gorgeous, Leonid.’

‘Vladimir – he wants to show you off. Like Pygmalion.’

‘Well, he’s done that all right.’

Anna looked around. There was a woman in a gold dress who must have weighed less than Anna’s left earlobe. Everyone looked fabulous and beautiful. And she was amazed to feel one of them.

‘Anna Brightside,’ began Leonid, with a kind softness to his voice she hadn’t heard before, ‘you make me so proud. You are a real woman. A lady. Vladimir will owe the success of The Darqone to you.’

‘I hope it is successful for him,’ smiled Anna. ‘But the success will be down to his design alone. It’s miraculous.’

‘Yes, his order books are very full. I think he is not worrying. But you underplay your part.’

Anna’s attention was diverted by the back of a woman whose shoulder blades jutted out further than her bum did. She waved away the tray of canapés being proffered. There was probably her whole week’s intake of calories in one tiny bruschetta. Tony didn’t like ultra-thin women. He said real men might lust after them in magazines but where was the fun in feeling tits that were flatter than his own?
Tony
. In less than three hours he would be sitting outside her flat, waiting for her to let him in. And she would take off this dress, wipe off her make-up and her cloud nine would let her down to earth again where she would do her best to fit into normal life. Although she felt her new normal life might be slightly different from the old one – with or without Tony’s inclusion in it.