The ringing on Claire’s doorbell was so insistent that she sprinted down the stairs to open the front door. When she did, she found Abby there, party dress on, make-up half done and a large brown stain spreading across her cream skirt. Abby couldn’t say anything, just shook her head and looked as if she was about to burst into tears. Claire quickly leapt into action and ushered her upstairs to her flat where she let Abby borrow her dressing gown while she tried to scrub the stain out of the dress.
‘What on earth is this?’ she asked. ‘It just won’t budge!’
‘Coke,’ Abby said glumly. ‘I had some on my dressing table while I was getting ready and I knocked it over when I was trying to put my mascara on myself.’
Claire stopped scrubbing and looked at the stain in despair. It had faded a little, but not enough, and even if she did manage to get it out, she didn’t know how they were going to get the dress dry again in time for the party. She didn’t have a tumble drier – which would probably have ruined this vintage dress anyway – and Abby was due at The Glass Bottom Boat in under two hours.
‘I thought Kitty and Grace were going to help you?’
Abby nodded. ‘They were, but it was hard enough to stay calm as it is, and they get so giggly and … girly.’
Claire smiled. She knew exactly what Abby meant.
‘I asked them to show me how to do some simple make-up and I’ve been practising all week. Getting dressed on my own wasn’t a problem. Or, at least, I didn’t think it would be.’
‘Come on,’ Claire said, leading Abby to her bedroom, where she threw her wardrobe doors wide. ‘There’s got to be something in here that will work. My style’s a lot less …’ she searched for a word that wouldn’t sound rude ‘… well, a lot less than Kitty’s.’
It turned out that style wasn’t the problem, but length and fit were. Abby was taller than Claire and much more up and down where Claire went in and out. The bits that were supposed to be filled with curves were baggy and the bits that were supposed to skim were stretched tight. After three dresses, Abby looked as if she might really cry this time.
‘It’s fine,’ Claire said, giving her a quick hug. ‘I’m going to call for reinforcements.’
She prayed silently as she dialled, hoping the magic could happen once again.
Ten minutes later, Kitty was knocking at her door with a familiar blue suitcase at her side. Claire almost didn’t recognise her at first, because her face was scrubbed of make-up, her hair in a loose ponytail and she was wearing jogging bottoms and T-shirt. Kitty rolled her eyes. ‘I know … But I was having a slobby afternoon at home while Grace is at work. Anyway, what I look like doesn’t matter.’ She tapped the suitcase. ‘I came prepared for Plan B,’ she added, with all the seriousness of a general going into battle. ‘Where is she?’
Claire nodded upstairs and they both rushed up to her spare room, where Abby was waiting. ‘Right,’ Kitty said, looking her up and down. ‘I haven’t got anything as good as the white dress, but I’ve got a few things in here that might work. I borrowed a few pieces from my vintage shop owner friend when we were looking for that one …’
‘Oh, Kitty,’ Abby said, a tear leaking down her face as she ran up and hugged her. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you!’
Kitty who was momentarily – and rather surprisingly – silenced by Abby’s unexpected display of affection just mumbled, ‘That’s what friends are for, isn’t it?’
‘I can’t wear this!’
*
Claire and Kitty stood behind Abby and joined her as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. ‘I admit, the other one suited you better, but it fits,’ Claire said helpfully.
Abby twisted her head to look at Kitty. ‘I really appreciate your help, I really do, but it’s … it’s …’ She turned her head back to stare in the mirror.
It was a bit, Claire thought. While a similar shape to the cream dress that was now soaking in Claire’s sink, this one had a large white collar and cuffs and the main fabric had a dark red background and was covered with polka dots as big as golf balls.
‘We’ll have to go more dramatic with the make-up, of course,’ Kitty said, pulling a tube of lipstick out of her bag. Abby looked as if she was going to bolt.
‘Kitty, why don’t you go and put the kettle on and make us all a cup of tea,’ Claire said, sitting down on the bed and gesturing for Abby to do the same. For a moment it looked as if Kitty was going to argue, but then she put her lipstick down on Claire’s desk and slid from the room.
‘I know this isn’t what you envisioned,’ Claire said to a clearly terrified-looking Abby, ‘but it’s a dress, and you’ll only have to wear it for a few hours.’
‘I—I c-can’t walk down the road like this.’
‘I’ll give you a lift. You just have to go in and out, if you like, just let your mum see you. I’m sure she’ll just be pleased you made the effort and, for what it’s worth, although I know you think it’s not your style, I actually think you look very pretty in it. Not many people can pull off that red, but you’ve got just the right skin tone.’
Abby’s lips crumpled and she shook her head. ‘I don’t know …’
While Claire’s heart squeezed with sympathy for Abby, she decided it was time to get a little firmer. Abby would kick herself later if she bottled out now. She waited for her to look her in the eye and then she simply said, ‘I suppose it depends how badly you want those tickets.’
Claire would have offered to lend her the money to pay for them, but she had a feeling that this showdown between Abby and her mother had been a long time coming and that it was something she really needed to see through.
Abby nodded and Claire could see her mulling those words over. They sat there in silence until Kitty came back with three cups of tea on a tray. ‘No offence,’ Kitty said to Abby, ‘but could you take the dress off before you drink yours? One vintage disaster a night is about as much as I can take.’
Abby stood up and reached for the zip at the back of her neck, but then she stopped and her hand fell to her side. ‘No,’ she said. ‘I’m not going to take it off. I’m going to wear the bloody thing.’ She looked up at Claire, a new fire in her eyes. ‘Everything else in my life might be messed up at the moment, but I am flipping well going to that match!’ She looked at Kitty. ‘Hand me that lipstick.’