‘Well, I can’t if you don’t tell me what the problem is.’
He looked down at me, gave a little nod and took a deep breath, ‘I think it’s probably just better if you see for yourself.’
Turning he took the few extra steps to his door and pulled out a key from the back pocket of his jeans. Placing it in the lock, he turned it and stood back so that I could enter. Coming in close behind me, he put his arms around my shoulders to take my coat. I unbelted it quickly and slipped my arms out. Rob hung it up on the coat hook then took my hand again, and began to lead me into the living area.
‘Wait!’ I said, reaching down to pull off my heels. As much as I liked being closer in height to him, my feet were soaked and I wasn’t about to add mass scarring of his beautiful wooden floor to whatever other catastrophe had taken place. He waited, retaining my hand, holding it up a little to help me balance as I quickly pulled off the shoes. Rob began to move.
‘Hang on a tick.’ I said, stopping again. I felt my feet. Sopping. I knew Rob was in a hurry to show me whatever it was he had to show me, but I didn’t want to leave puddles with every step – or get trench foot, for that matter. I knew this wasn’t going to be elegant but I didn’t have much of a choice. Definitely not the best day to choose to wear a pencil skirt. I let go of his hand, leant back, put my bum against the wall and hoiked my skirt up a bit. Quickly, I grabbed hold of the lace top of my hold ups, and speedily peeled them off, one after another. I hadn’t dared look at Rob, and I hoped that, like a gentleman, he’d had the good manners to look away.
‘Ok. Better.’ I said, dropping my soggy stockings into my shoes and straightening away from the wall, ‘Sorry about that, they were a bit–’
I stopped as I looked up and saw Rob’s face. Ok then. Pretty sure he didn’t look away after all.
‘Not very gallant of you not to turn your back, but at least I made you smile, which is something.’
‘Sorry.’ he said.
I tipped my head at him. ‘As I said before “World’s Worst Liar”.’
He gave me the briefest of apologetic smiles, then took my hand again and led me from the entrance way into the living room.
‘Izzy?’ Jenny seemed surprised, and confused, to see me. Obviously Rob hadn’t included his sister on the plan to get me round. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Another woman, older but just as dark and elegant, sat next to her with one arm around Jenny and the other holding her hand.
‘Hi.’ I said, feeling unbelievably intrusive.
I was glad that Rob still held my hand as the silence and awkwardness that had now descended on the group of people in the room was palpable. Rob must have felt me tensing because he suddenly broke into action.
‘Mum, Dad, this is my friend, Izzy.’ I let go of Rob’s hand as my manners automatically kicked in and I stepped forward to shake hands. Rob’s dad stood to the side of his wife and daughter. Mike was sat in the armchair next to him, a look of uncertainty on his face. He stood when the introductions were finished and leant over, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
‘Hello. It’s nice to see you again.’
I smiled and nodded. Again, more because I didn’t know what else to do.
‘I’m sorry, Izzy. I didn’t know you and Rob had plans tonight. We’ll get out of your hair.’
Jenny leant down and began grabbing at the volumes of tissue paper that covered a good proportion of the living room floor.
‘No! No, it’s fine. We don’t. I mean, Rob… um…’ I looked at Rob, hoping that he was going to step in.
He didn’t say anything and Jenny looked from one of us to the other. She frowned, and then threw her hands up in the air.
‘Oh my God! Rob! You called her here?’
‘I thought she might be able to help!’
‘Look, Izzy,’ she turned to me, ‘I’m really, really sorry about this. My brother has completely wasted your time. I can only apologise–’
‘Why don’t you let her see, before you dismiss the idea?’ Rob’s voice was raised but a glance at his face showed it was more frustration than anger.
‘Oh for pity’s sake, Rob. Don’t be ridiculous! No offence to Izzy, but she’s not a miracle worker. And you should have asked me before you called her anyway!’
‘I tried asking you but you were too busy having a bloody meltdown to give me any sort of answer!’
‘Rob.’ his mother warned.
‘Oh excuse me for being upset that my wedding dress is a total disaster!’ Jenny was screaming at Rob now, tears flowing down her face.
‘Jenny.’ Her dad started.
‘It’s probably nowhere near as bad as you think–’
Rob! No! I kicked him to shut him up but the damage was done.
Jenny was red in the face. ‘Not as bad as I think? Rob, I’m getting married! People are supposed to look at the bride and think things like “beautiful” and “stunning”, not “it’s not that bad”!’
‘Jenny, just calm down–’
‘No! Rob, stop! You have no idea how I feel, so don’t try and pretend that you do. I know that you think you’re trying to help but dragging Izzy out here is not helping. All it’s done is get her soaked, and embarrassed me.’
I looked down at my feet, not quite knowing what to say or do.
‘Mike, I’d like to go home please.’ Jenny looked at Mike and it was clear that she felt the discussion was over.
Rob, it would seem though, wasn’t done.
‘Right, so what exactly are you going to do then?’
‘What?’ Jenny snapped at her brother.
‘About your wedding dress?’
‘Rob, darling. I think perhaps it’s best if–’
Jenny cut her mum off. ‘I don’t know yet.’
‘Well, I assume you’re going to need one and as you already spent months trying to find something before you ordered this one, it’s obviously not going to be that easy. Especially with Christmas coming up and your wedding being New Year’s Day.’
‘No shit, Sherlock.’ she bit back at him, grabbing the edge of her wheelchair to pull it closer, ready to hoist herself across from the sofa into it, ‘Thanks for pointing that out!’
‘So why don’t–’
‘Why don’t I what, Rob?’ The tears had started again now, and her hand was gripping the side of the chair, her knuckles showing white, ‘Just leave me alone! You don’t understand!’
‘Then tell me!’
I looked between them. Both their faces showed such pain and hurt. I’d seen the other day just how close Rob was to his sister. It was evident to anyone who spent time with them, but I also knew the background. About the accident, about her staying with him during recovery, about him giving her free rein to redesign his flat because she wanted something to do, hence the woman’s touch I’d sensed, as well as encouraging her in her dreams for her own beauty business. I knew that behind all the screaming and yelling currently raining around me, there was absolute love.
Rob was a man used to being in control. He was used to assessing a situation, finding the best plan to deal with it and getting it done. Jenny would always be his little sister, however old she was. As big brother, he felt it was his job, his duty, to take care of her when she needed it, and to fix things for her when they went wrong. I’d seen the pain in his face the moment I stepped out of the lift and I could see it now – it was killing him that he didn’t know how to fix this for her. He was trying, I knew that. And she knew that. But Jenny also had a point. He didn’t understand. He couldn’t. A man couldn’t understand just how special That Dress had to be for a bride. Because it was more than just a dress. It was The Dress. No man, no matter how empathetic they were, really got that. For the vast majority of women, their wedding day was the day in their lives when they would look their absolute best, at their most glamorous and beautiful. And having the Perfect Dress was part of all that. It had to be right, absolutely right. And the phrase ‘not that bad’ should have no part to play in the con
versation.
And for Jenny, there was so much more. She’d been told she’d never walk again – but she was going to walk down that aisle. Only the bridal party knew. And me. It had come out when she’d been explaining how difficult it had been to find a dress – it had to be beautiful but practical for walking in. Jenny had been training so hard, working with physios as well as with Mike and been so determined to gain the strength to wear those leg braces and walk down that aisle to Mike. She deserved to be walking it in the most beautiful dress she could imagine. She should be wearing it right now, never wanting to take it off after that first try because it made her feel so damn wonderful. Instead, she was sat there with red eyes and tears streaking down her face, in a shouting match with the brother she loved so very much.
‘Just leave me alone!’ Jenny yelled back, ‘leave me alone and stop butting into my life!’
The shock on Rob’s face said it all. Everyone saw it. Including Jenny. She flicked her eyes away and yanked the wheelchair up close to the couch, manoeuvring it into the best position for her transfer.
The air was so thick with tension, I was surprised anyone could actually move at all. Jenny knew she’d gone too far, and I was pretty sure, from their previous interactions and from the look on her face when the words tumbled out, that she hadn’t meant what she said. But now she didn’t know how to unsay it. I surreptitiously looked around the room. Mr and Mrs Winchester looked distraught, and Mike looked bewildered, his cheery features now clouded and sad. I felt so sorry for him. He and Rob were obviously extremely close, more like brothers than many blood relations. And now he was caught right in the middle. Nobody spoke.
‘Right!’ I piped up, ‘Here’s what’s going to happen.’
Chapter Nine
I was completely aware of the five incredulous looks I was now getting as I stood there, drawing myself up to my full height, which at a smidgen over five feet one, probably wasn’t all that impressive, but I had to work with what I’d got.
‘Jenny. First of all, you’re going to show me this dress.’
‘Izzy,’ she sighed, ‘it’s really not worth it.’
‘Jenny. It wasn’t a request. Now, where is it?’ I turned around, looking through the acres of tissue paper that littered the floor. I had no idea where my boldness had come from, or what exactly was ‘going to happen’. I just knew I had to do something.
She paused, then pointed to the left hand side. ‘Over there.’
I followed the line of her finger and bent down, feeling about in the paper until I felt fabric under my hand. Nasty fabric. Oh dear. This didn’t bode well.
‘Here we are!’ I stood up, bringing the dress with me. I shook it out and held it up, before clamping my lips together tightly to stop the cry of horror escaping. Jenny was spot on. The dress was a disaster.
‘Hmm’ I said, buying myself time in which to think of what the heck to do next. I was very good at what I did. It was the one thing in my life where I had absolute confidence. But I knew immediately that there was no hope for this monstrosity. The fabric was cheap, the seams were twisted and the “diamantés” were falling off even as I moved it.
‘Do you have the picture of what you ordered?’
‘It’s on the table.’
Rob walked across the room and picked up the sheets of paper lying on his dining table. Returning to the rest of us, he handed them over to me silently. He looked at me as he did so and I could tell that, for once, he had no clue as to what I was thinking. Which made two of us.
‘Thank you.’ I said, taking the print-outs off of him.
I placed the dress back down on the floor, and took a look at the paperwork. One of the sheets was an invoice. It was for hundreds of pounds. These people made me so mad! Hadn’t they heard of W B Yeats and his warning ‘Tread softly because you tread on my dreams’? Con artists like this weren’t just treading on people’s dreams, they were stamping all over them with bloody great hobnail boots!
I turned over the page and saw the picture Jenny had printed out from the website. The image showed the model looking beautiful, stunning, and all the other words that Jenny had said she wanted people to think of when they saw her walking down that aisle. I peered at the design, then down at the dress now lying abandoned on the floor, then back at the design. At the most, it bore a passing resemblance to that shown in the picture, but there was no way it was from the same fabric. I knew fabric and it was hard, if not impossible, to change its properties. The dress on the floor was a slinky nylon, and there was no way on Earth to make it fall like the skirt on the dress in the picture was doing. I glanced up and saw several pairs of eyes watching me, everyone on tenterhooks. I had to do something. I could see in those looks that I’d given them all a glimmer of hope, the possibility that this was fixable. Taking that away now would just make them all feel even worse than before. Turning round and saying, ‘Yep. You know what? There really is no hope for this. Sorry about that,’ just wasn’t an option. Except that was exactly what I was going to have to say.
‘I’m sorry, Jenny. You’re right. There really is nothing that I can do with this.’ I lifted up the dress with my toe.
Jenny let out the breath she’d been holding and swallowed. ‘No, that’s fine. I know. It’s bad. I would have told Rob that if he’d given me the chance, and saved wasting your time.’
‘Look, it was worth a shot.’ Rob interjected.
‘I’m not finished.’ I said.
Everyone looked at me. After all this was done, I really needed to sit them down and explain I’m really not normally this bossy. In fact, I’d never been this bossy in my life. Great time to start. God knew what Rob’s parents thought of me. Although I wasn’t sure why that suddenly bothered me. I pushed it out of my mind and turned my attention back to the matter in hand.
‘Have you spoken to the company you ordered it from regarding return?’
Jenny shook her head. ‘I thought it was better if I calmed down a bit first.’
‘Yes, that was probably a good thought. Ok, so Monday morning you give them a call and explain that as it’s nothing like the image you made your decision on, you are returning it for a full refund.’
‘I have to say, I don’t have a lot of faith in their returns procedure if they’re happy to deceive people with rubbish like this in the first place.’ Jenny looked so dejected, it broke my heart. I took a seat next to her.
‘You’re probably right, which is why, once you’ve spoken to them, you’re going to call Rob who, if they’ve refused the refund, is going to write a very clever, very scary legal letter threatening them with all sorts unless they return your money in full.’
Jenny looked at her brother warily. I imagined the words she’d thrown at him earlier were resonating in her head but I was going on the assumption that Rob planned to forgive his sister. I just hoped that I was right. I looked up, and met his eyes.
‘Yep, absolutely.’ he agreed, sounding almost relieved to have some sort of purpose in this situation at last, ‘Let me know what they say. Just don’t agree to anything they offer, until you get it in writing from them.’
‘No, of course not.’ Jenny replied softly, not quite meeting his eyes.
‘Ok good. Right, next.’ Jumping up from the sofa, I stood in the middle of the sea of tissue paper and began kicking it around like a child with autumn leaves.
‘The dress might be no good but their packaging is certainly thorough! Boys. I need you to clear all this out of the way.’
Without hesitation, Rob, Mike and Mr Winchester all started grabbing bits of tissue and shoving it back in the large box that the dress had been shipped in. Within a couple of minutes, the floor was clear once again and I was giving my next set of instructions.
‘Good. Now Mike, if you could pass your lovely fiancée her leg braces?’
Mike jumped in to action straight away, grabbing the braces I’d seen as I came in. I’m not sure whether it was the ex-soldier in him automatically responding to
the command, or whether he knew a woman on a mission when he saw one, and knew better than to ask questions in such circumstances. I had a sneaking suspicion it might be the latter.
Jenny took the braces off him but didn’t make an attempt to put them on.
‘Izzy?’
‘Come on.’ I chivvied her up, ‘You’re walking up that aisle so I need to take some measurements of you standing.’
‘Why would you need measurements?’ Jenny said slowly.
‘Because I need measurements to make a dress.’
Jenny’s eyes suddenly brimmed. ‘Oh Izzy. That’s so kind of you but I couldn’t ask you to do that.’
‘You didn’t ask,’ I reminded her.
‘No, but I know how gorgeous your dresses are, and how much time goes into each one. As beautiful as I know it would be, it’s just much more than I can justify spending on a dress, what with saving up for a house and trying to start the business. We can’t guarantee that Rob’s going to be able to get me the money back for that thing,’ she flapped her hand towards the box now tucked in the corner of the room, ‘and I know that you mean well and I really, really do appreciate it. I just can’t accept it.’
‘Ok, one, I’m pretty sure Rob is going to be able to get you the money back. This is child’s play to what he’s used to dealing with. Isn’t that right, Rob?’ I asked, turning to him for confirmation and hoping against hope that he was just going to go with this for me.
‘Child’s play.’ Rob nodded, not missing a beat.
Thank you, Rob.
‘Right, and two, Jenny, I’m not asking you to pay for this. Think of it as a wedding gift.’
‘Oh Izzy, no! I couldn’t.’
‘You can. And you will. So long as you let me put a picture of you looking beautiful on your day up on the wall in my studio, then that’s all the payment I need.’
This wasn’t strictly true. My profits would definitely be taking a hit doing this pro bono, but I’d had a few good months so I was pretty sure I’d be able to cover it. And right now, it really wasn’t about the money. I could afford to do it. Just about. And the tiny bit of hope that had glinted in the eyes of Jenny, and her mum, when I said I had a plan, was more than enough payment for me right now. I’d worry about the rest of it all later. As much as he wanted to, Rob couldn’t fix this for his sister. But I could. And I was going to.
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