bit familiar. The little shop at the end sold sparkly clubbing gear now but it had to be the place.
The place where she’d found the dress for the Drydens’ party. That dress had started everything.
***
Evie was fed up being the goody two-shoes little sister but she still had the scary feeling she’d agreed to more than shopping. When she got off the bus, she could see Joe Marsh sprawling on the clock tower bench and it gave her a little thrill to know he was waiting for her. He looked so handsome in jeans and a black T-shirt, wrists dangling between his open knees.
It was suddenly hard to breathe as he looked up and seemed to focus on the flash of skin between her jeans and the white blouse she’d knotted at the front. She wished she hadn’t tied her hair back with the scarf. Her face felt too exposed.
“Nice to see you look just as pretty with your clothes on.”
She looked nervously around her but nobody had heard. And how could she be mad at him when he was grinning like that, already pecking her on the cheek and tucking her arm into his?
She noticed people looking at them as he led the way along the street. Or looking at him, anyway. She just looked down at her feet, trying not to trip up. She wasn’t used to that sort of attention.
“You’ll be wanting a dress so you can get your legs out? Let’s try in here?”
The boutique looked expensive and she’d never have gone in on her own. She stood there feeling conspicuous as Joe charmed the salesgirl into picking things out for his approval. She was horrified by the dress he finally chose. It was a cream lace prom dress, lined in palest blue, the strapless top fastened by tiny pearl buttons.
“I was thinking maybe something longer and darker, with sleeves?”
“For a summer party? Trust me, try it on?”
The dress was boned and made her waist look tiny but it thrust out her boobs and made them look bigger than ever. Her bra straps looked silly so she had to take it off.
“Are you going to come out and show me, or do I have to come in?”
She snatched up her jeans to cover herself but he’d already slipped inside the curtain. He didn’t say anything but he nodded and touched her face, as soft as a feather as he traced the curve of her cheekbone. She bit her lip as he tugged off her scarf and her hair fell onto her shoulders.
“Wow! Look, see for yourself.”
He turned her around to face the mirror, his hands hot on her shoulders. She held her breath as their eyes met for a second. Then he laughed, breaking the spell.
“Yep, that’s the one.”
He disappeared back through the curtain and she quickly got changed, half expecting him to burst in on her again. When she came out clutching the dress, she found he’d already paid for it.
“It’s done now,” he said when she protested. “Can’t wait to see you in it at the party.”
The salesgirl wrapped the dress in tissue and when she handed over the glossy red carrier, she looked so blatantly envious that Evie wanted to pinch herself.
“You hungry?” Joe asked. “You okay for time?”
Time didn’t exist. There was no way she was going back just yet. So they sat in a beer garden eating platters of cheese with warm bread and pickles. The strong cider soon had her head swimming, not helped by the way he kept looking at her.
“You’re not like the other girls Steve seems to know.”
“You’re not like his usual mates.”
“We only hooked up this year when I moved into his flat. He’s usually good for a laugh but he’s different here, more up himself. The place is doing my head in. I’ll probably take off after the party.”
“Really? That soon?”
“Want to persuade me to stay?”
He got up to fetch another round. She should have asked for a soft drink but she didn’t want to keep reminding him she was under age. So she drank another pint of cider and when she stood up her knees had turned to
The place where she’d found the dress for the Drydens’ party. That dress had started everything.
***
Evie was fed up being the goody two-shoes little sister but she still had the scary feeling she’d agreed to more than shopping. When she got off the bus, she could see Joe Marsh sprawling on the clock tower bench and it gave her a little thrill to know he was waiting for her. He looked so handsome in jeans and a black T-shirt, wrists dangling between his open knees.
It was suddenly hard to breathe as he looked up and seemed to focus on the flash of skin between her jeans and the white blouse she’d knotted at the front. She wished she hadn’t tied her hair back with the scarf. Her face felt too exposed.
“Nice to see you look just as pretty with your clothes on.”
She looked nervously around her but nobody had heard. And how could she be mad at him when he was grinning like that, already pecking her on the cheek and tucking her arm into his?
She noticed people looking at them as he led the way along the street. Or looking at him, anyway. She just looked down at her feet, trying not to trip up. She wasn’t used to that sort of attention.
“You’ll be wanting a dress so you can get your legs out? Let’s try in here?”
The boutique looked expensive and she’d never have gone in on her own. She stood there feeling conspicuous as Joe charmed the salesgirl into picking things out for his approval. She was horrified by the dress he finally chose. It was a cream lace prom dress, lined in palest blue, the strapless top fastened by tiny pearl buttons.
“I was thinking maybe something longer and darker, with sleeves?”
“For a summer party? Trust me, try it on?”
The dress was boned and made her waist look tiny but it thrust out her boobs and made them look bigger than ever. Her bra straps looked silly so she had to take it off.
“Are you going to come out and show me, or do I have to come in?”
She snatched up her jeans to cover herself but he’d already slipped inside the curtain. He didn’t say anything but he nodded and touched her face, as soft as a feather as he traced the curve of her cheekbone. She bit her lip as he tugged off her scarf and her hair fell onto her shoulders.
“Wow! Look, see for yourself.”
He turned her around to face the mirror, his hands hot on her shoulders. She held her breath as their eyes met for a second. Then he laughed, breaking the spell.
“Yep, that’s the one.”
He disappeared back through the curtain and she quickly got changed, half expecting him to burst in on her again. When she came out clutching the dress, she found he’d already paid for it.
“It’s done now,” he said when she protested. “Can’t wait to see you in it at the party.”
The salesgirl wrapped the dress in tissue and when she handed over the glossy red carrier, she looked so blatantly envious that Evie wanted to pinch herself.
“You hungry?” Joe asked. “You okay for time?”
Time didn’t exist. There was no way she was going back just yet. So they sat in a beer garden eating platters of cheese with warm bread and pickles. The strong cider soon had her head swimming, not helped by the way he kept looking at her.
“You’re not like the other girls Steve seems to know.”
“You’re not like his usual mates.”
“We only hooked up this year when I moved into his flat. He’s usually good for a laugh but he’s different here, more up himself. The place is doing my head in. I’ll probably take off after the party.”
“Really? That soon?”
“Want to persuade me to stay?”
He got up to fetch another round. She should have asked for a soft drink but she didn’t want to keep reminding him she was under age. So she drank another pint of cider and when she stood up her knees had turned to
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