by Sophie Hart
‘Yeah, it is,’ Debbie nodded thoughtfully, realising that she agreed with Sasha. She was proud of her body, and all the hard work she’d put into its transformation. Okay, so she might not have reached the magical size ten, but what she had achieved was immense. Not only had she lost weight, but she was now fitter, stronger, healthier. She didn’t get out of breath when running up the stairs or walking Scamp and, to her surprise, she’d found herself looking forward to her weekly Zumba classes, feeling sluggish and lethargic if she had to miss a session. Not to mention the way all that extra energy had been spicing things up in the bedroom…
‘The pictures look amazing by the way,’ Marcus called through, from where he was shifting equipment across the studio.
‘Oh, can I see?’ Debbie pleaded.
‘Not until we’re finished. But you’re going to love them, I promise. Now Sasha, are you nearly done with our Debbie, as it’s time for her to give the public what they want.’
Sasha spritzed Debbie’s hair with spray, and declared that they were good to go.
‘All right, Mr DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up,’ Debbie purred as she tottered back through to the studio, making Marcus roar with laughter.
This time the pictures were being taken with Debbie positioned on the bed. After a moment’s hesitation, she removed her robe, lying on her stomach on top of the luxuriously soft faux-fur throw.
‘Now this is entirely your call,’ Marcus said, as he fussed around, arranging the throw so it draped flatteringly round her body. ‘We can go with or without the bra. Obviously it will be tastefully done – you’re on your stomach, so we won’t see anything, but it just means your bra straps aren’t in shot, and it gives the illusion that you’re in the altogether.’
Debbie thought about it for a moment, then decided not to think too hard.
‘I’ll take it off,’ she agreed recklessly.
‘That’s my girl,’ Marcus cheered, modestly averting his eyes as Debbie reached round behind her to unhook her bra. ‘Now cross your arms in front of you to make sure everything’s covered, and push yourself up ever so slightly on your elbows to elongate your neck, just like that. Now look straight at the camera… Gorgeous!’
For the first time in a very long time, Debbie actually believed that she was gorgeous. She certainly felt like it – sexy and strong and womanly. What did it matter if she hadn’t hit her target weight, she told herself, as she posed and pouted for Marcus’ lens. She hadn’t had a body like this for years! Probably not since she was in her mid-teens, almost a decade ago. Stevie was going to explode with excitement when he saw these pictures.
‘And that’s a wrap,’ Marcus announced finally, as he and Sasha broke into a round of applause, Sasha helping Debbie discreetly back into her robe and picking up her discarded bra.
Debbie stood uncertainly for a second, wondering what to do now that it was all over. She’d been so confident up there, in her own little bubble, and now it was over she felt lost.
Marcus was over by the computer, scrolling through the pictures. ‘Would you like to see?’ he asked, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses.
‘Yes, please!’ Debbie squealed, running over as quickly as she could in the enormous heels. ‘Oh my,’ she gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth. She almost welled up as she gazed at image after image of her displayed on the screen in tiny thumbnails. The pictures were elegant and tasteful, and Marcus had taken many of them in black and white, or sepia, giving them a classic feel.
Marcus clicked on one particular shot, enlarging it; Debbie’s chin was resting lightly on one hand, her hair curling softly around her face, as her other arm covered her breasts, revealing creamy skin and just a hint of cleavage. Her eyes were clear and sparkling, her mouth full and glossy. She looked stunning.
‘Do you like them?’ Marcus asked softly.
Debbie simply nodded, unable to speak. She couldn’t stop staring at the pictures. ‘I never knew I could look like that,’ she managed finally.
‘Of course you can,’ Marcus gave her a little squeeze. ‘It’s you. That’s what you look like, and don’t you forget it.’
Debbie smiled in disbelief. ‘I love them,’ she said quietly.
‘I’ll edit them down to the best ones, then send them over to you,’ Marcus explained. ‘There’ll be around a hundred and fifty by the time I’ve finished, then you can choose your favourites and I’ll retouch them.’
‘Retouch?’ Debbie repeated uncertainly.
‘Nothing major. I’m certainly not going to be Photoshopping you until you’re unrecognisable. It’s what I like to call “improving on perfection”. I can get rid of any little blemishes, make sure your skin tone’s even, that kind of thing. But to be honest, there’s very little that needs doing in this case.’
Debbie was glowing with pride, unable to take her eyes off the screen. She couldn’t wait for Stevie to see the pictures.
‘You’re pleased with them then?’ Marcus asked smugly, knowing what her answer would be.
‘Oh yes,’ she gushed, finally tearing her gaze away from the photos and smiling at Marcus. ‘You’re a miracle worker. I’m going to recommend you to everyone I know!’
‘Well that calls for a celebration,’ Marcus smiled. ‘I’ll finish up here while you get dressed, then I’ll get Sasha to pop a bottle of fizz and we can all have a cheeky drink.’
‘Deal,’ Debbie grinned happily.
31
‘There’s only one way to have a happy marriage and as soon as I learn what it is I’ll get married again’ – Clint Eastwood
‘So are you feeling excited about today?’ Julia asked, as she stepped onto the escalator in the department store.
‘I guess,’ Kelly shrugged, trying to play it cool, but Julia could tell she was looking forward to it. There’d been none of the usual attitude or sarcasm, and she’d even made an effort to be nice to Paige, letting her borrow her phone when hers had run out of battery.
‘How about you, Paige?’
‘Yeah, definitely,’ Paige grinned, showing off the braces she’d recently had fitted. At first she’d been devastated that she’d have them for the wedding, but Mike and Gill had reassured her that she still looked gorgeous and it would all be worth it in the end. ‘I was looking online last night, and there’s this one I really like that’s purple with spaghetti straps.’
‘What have I let myself in for?’ Mike groaned, shaking his head as the girls laughed.
As Kelly and Paige were to be Gill’s only bridesmaids, they’d asked if they could pick their own dresses and surprise Gill on the day. Gill had initially been hesitant, worrying about what they might choose, but Mike had offered to take both girls shopping. As back up for him, and to cast an expert eye over the proceedings, Gill had asked whether Julia might like to go along too, and Julia had readily agreed. Nick had immediately said he would look after Jack, and the two of them had plans to go to the park for the afternoon, to play on the swings and then feed the ducks at the pond.
‘I thought we could look at ordinary dresses first,’ Julia suggested. ‘Before we head to the bridal department. You can often get bridesmaid dresses that are just as nice from high street shops, and that makes it a bit cheaper so we can spend more money on the reception.’
‘Cool,’ Paige agreed, as they stepped off at the womenswear floor where the branded concessions were.
Julia could see the panic in Mike’s eyes, as he took in the clusters of teenage girls, the posses of mothers and daughters all fervently browsing the rails. Pop music was blaring and the labels had their summer ranges out, all soda pop colours and sparkle, denim shorts and crop tops.
‘Wow, those shoes are awesome,’ Paige exclaimed, gravitating towards a pair of incredibly high floral-print wedges.
‘Let’s try and stick to dresses,’ said Julia. ‘We can do accessories later, once we know what we’re pairing them with.’
Kelly, meanwhile, had picked out a loose-fitting white jumpsuit, and was holdin
g it up thoughtfully. ‘This is so cool,’ she mused. ‘Maybe we should get something like this, instead of a traditional dress. It would look really chic with some chunky jewellery, or even a big floppy hat. Very Bianca Jagger.’
‘How do you even know about Bianca Jagger?’ Mike wondered incredulously. ‘She was way before your time.’
‘Duh, she’s, like, a style icon,’ Kelly retorted. ‘She was on my “Top Ten Wedding Dresses” feature on my blog, between Kate Moss and Grace Kelly.’
Mike raised an eyebrow, exchanging glances with Julia. ‘I think your mum would prefer it if you stuck with something traditional,’ he advised. ‘A pretty dress in a normal colour that’s not too revealing.’
‘Snoozeville,’ Kelly murmured, putting the jumpsuit back.
‘What about this?’ Paige was pointing at a pale lemon maxi dress, with a white lace trim around the hem and neckline.
‘Now that’s more like it,’ Mike nodded approvingly. ‘As long as the neckline doesn’t come down too low.’
‘Daaaad,’ Paige rolled her eyes.
‘What do you think, Kel?’ Julia asked. ‘Should I get a couple of these to try?’
‘Mmm hmm,’ Kelly said distantly, as she picked up a knee-length, strapless, bright coral dress with a tulip skirt. ‘This might look cute.’
‘Yeah, I like that,’ Paige agreed immediately.
Julia looked across at Mike, both of them surprised at how amenable the two girls were being.
Twenty minutes later, and the small group had armfuls of dresses which they carried over to the changing rooms.
‘Do we have to wear the same one?’ Kelly wondered, eyeing some of Paige’s choices with a critical eye.
Julia turned to Mike, who shrugged. ‘I don’t know. You’d have to check with your mum, but probably not. I’m sure she’d want you to feel relaxed and happy in whatever you choose.’
The answer seemed to satisfy Kelly, who disappeared into a cubicle to get ready. Mike sat outside on a pink chair shaped like a giant shoe, looking somewhat self-conscious.
‘I’ll go in and help the girls get ready,’ Julia offered. ‘Then we’ll come and show you the ones that we like.’
‘Fine with me,’ Mike nodded, doing his best to look inconspicuous as a group of giggling teens surged past.
A few minutes later, both girls emerged excitedly with Julia, eager to show off their outfits.
‘Well, what do you think, Dad?’ Paige twirled around, the ice-blue A-line dress flaring out as she span.
Mike sucked in his lips, his forehead wrinkling. For a moment, he looked overwhelmed, as though it had suddenly hit him that his little girl was growing up. Paige was almost a teenager now, and she’d been through a lot in the past few years, with her mum leaving, and Mike struggling with being a single parent. It had been a massive readjustment for them all when he’d moved in with Gill and her family, but his daughter was turning into a wonderful young woman and she was making him proud.
But all he said was, ‘Yeah, it’s nice.’
‘Dad, you’re useless! What about Kelly’s dress?’
Kelly looked at him with something akin to shyness, and Mike was taken aback once again. It was an entirely new phenomenon to have Kelly wanting his approval.
‘That’s very nice too,’ he said, which for Mike passed as overwhelming enthusiasm. ‘You both look very grown up.’
‘Hey, do you mind taking a photo?’ Kelly asked, handing him her phone. ‘I might do a bridesmaid feature on my blog.’
‘No problem,’ Mike said casually.
She struck a pose outside the entrance to the changing rooms, one hand on her hip to show off the bell-sleeved, boho-style mini dress.
‘Cool,’ she said, after Mike had taken a couple of different shots. ‘And now get one of me and Paige.’
‘Am I going to be on your blog?’ Paige squealed, sounding awed, as she moved in beside Kelly for the photo.
‘Maybe. I haven’t quite decided yet.’
The two girls disappeared back into the changing room to try on outfit number two, and this time Julia stayed outside with Mike.
‘They seem to be getting on really well,’ she remarked.
Mike shook his head in disbelief. ‘I’ve genuinely never seen them like this. They’re usually at one another’s throats. I daren’t say anything in case I jinx it, but long may it last.’
‘They’re both lovely girls. A real credit to you and Gill.’
‘I don’t think either of them have had the easiest time, but they’re both doing well. Hopefully now we’re getting married, they’ll finally have some stability.’
‘You’re such a sweetheart,’ Julia smiled, seeing that he was getting choked up. ‘Gill’s lucky to have you.’
‘I’m the lucky one,’ Mike insisted. ‘I was a bit of a mess before Gill came along. She’s sorted me out good and proper. And she’s amazing with Sammy. I think he completely considers her to be his mum now. He doesn’t even remember Tina.’
‘Do you ever think that—’ Julia began, but broke off as Kelly and Paige appeared once more, beaming from ear to ear. ‘Oh, you both look gorgeous,’ she gushed.
The two of them were wearing the coral-pink strapless tulip dress that Kelly had picked out and, although they were different heights and had different colouring, the dress miraculously seemed to suit them both. It was absolutely perfect for them; fresh and young, but formal enough for a wedding.
‘Photo, photo,’ Kelly called, as she and Paige instinctively put their arms around one another, grinning as Mike took another round of pictures.
They each had three more dresses to try, all of which were photographed for posterity (and Kelly’s blog) before it came to crunch time.
‘Have you made a final decision, or do you want to go elsewhere?’ Julia asked them.
Kelly looked at Paige, biting her lip.
‘If you both like different ones, that’s fine,’ Mike told them. ‘We’ve already got Freddy and Finlay, so we don’t need another set of twins.’
Paige giggled. ‘You say first,’ she told Kelly.
‘No, let’s say together.’
‘Okay then, after three. One… two… three…’
‘The coral one!’ both girls burst out in unison, before clasping hands delightedly.
‘Well, that was a lot easier than I expected,’ Mike remarked, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.
‘You ought to come shopping with us more often,’ Paige told him.
‘Especially if you’re paying,’ Kelly added cheekily, and for once Mike didn’t mind a bit.
* * *
The foursome were wandering down the street, Kelly and Paige clutching their carrier bags and browsing in the shop windows. As they passed The Body Shop, Paige suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth.
‘I totally forgot. It’s Stacey’s sleepover tonight and I need to get her a present,’ she panicked, looking up at Mike.
‘Come on then. Do you want to get her something from here?’
‘Maybe,’ Paige looked torn. ‘Although I wouldn’t mind looking in the Apple Store, to see if I can get her a cool phone cover. Or maybe I could get her something from Pandora…?’
‘Fine, let’s go,’ Mike sighed, no doubt thinking of the battering his credit card was taking today.
‘All of us?’ Kelly asked, pulling a face. Julia heard the defiant tone in her voice, and knew that her positivity had been too good to last.
‘We won’t be long, will we?’ Mike asked, looking at Paige for confirmation. ‘Then we can all head home, or look for shoes, or whatever it is you girls want to do.’
‘Well I don’t want to trek from shop to shop while Paige makes up her mind about what to buy her lame friend,’ Kelly retorted. ‘Maybe there’s some paint drying somewhere that I could go watch instead.’
Mike looked torn, but then Julia had an idea.
‘Why don’t you and Paige go and look for the present?’ she suggested to Mike. ‘And I don’t mi
nd going somewhere with Kelly – wherever she wants to go – then we can meet up with you a bit later.’
‘Really? That’d be great,’ Mike looked relieved. ‘Is that okay with you, Kel?’
‘Sure,’ she shrugged. ‘Anything as long as it’s not shopping for Stacey. I’ll see you later.’
Julia waved goodbye, and the two of them walked on. ‘So where do you fancy going?’
‘Dunno.’ Kelly was suddenly back to the taciturn teenager.
‘We could go to Miss Selfridge, or Office, or Accessorize?’ Julia began naming shops in the immediate vicinity, but Kelly didn’t jump at any of them. ‘Or there’s a Häagen-Dazs cafe nearby,’ Julia suggested, with a sudden burst of inspiration. ‘We could go get ice cream?’
Kelly’s face brightened. ‘Yeah! They’re supposed to do amazing frozen yoghurt in there. And it’s fat free.’
‘Then let’s go.’
Five minutes later, the pair of them were sitting in a burgundy-coloured booth, two cardboard tubs of dessert in front of them.
‘Yum, this is amazing,’ Julia groaned, as she licked the salted caramel ice cream off her plastic spoon. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to try some?’
‘I’m fine,’ Kelly insisted, tucking into her frozen yoghurt. She’d opted for coconut flavour, with a topping of fresh strawberries. ‘I want to make sure I can still fit into the dress for the wedding.’
‘I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about there,’ Julia assured her, thinking of her own body issues when she was Kelly’s age, and how she’d trade anything to have her thirty-three-year-old, baby-ravaged body back to how it was in her teenage years. ‘So how are you feeling about the wedding?’ she asked casually. ‘You didn’t seem too keen on the idea the first time I met you.’
Kelly raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s up to Mum, I guess. It’s her life. She has to do what she wants.’
‘Well the plans for the reception are coming along brilliantly. You’ve been such a great help, sending me everyone’s suggestions and finding suppliers. I’d never have known where to hire those giant letters, or that sweetie cart, if it wasn’t for you.’