Page 63 of Our Secrets and Lies

Lucy ran into Kelly’s room and shook her awake. ‘I need your help.’

‘What’s going on?’

Lucy filled her in and Kelly threw on a tracksuit and hoodie and followedher up to the salon.

‘How much exactly am I getting paid for slaving on a Sunday?’ Shannon asked, as soon as they stepped through the door.

‘If you do a good job, I’ll give you fifty quid each,’ Lucy said.

Shannon smiled. ‘Fair enough, I can buy those boots I saw in Office.’

I can buy new school shoes that won’t get photographed and slagged, Kelly thought.

‘Right.’ Sarah clapped her hands.‘Ideas?’

It was going to take a bit of creative thinking to make it wedding worthy.

‘I think we should drape all the mirrors with tulle and white ribbons and fill the place with lots of flowers and candles,’ Kelly suggested.

‘Great idea,’ Sarah said, nodding.

‘Most people will have to stand, but we’ll need chairs for the older guests. I have six in the kitchen at home, and with your six, thatshould be enough,’ Lucy noted.

‘We can dress the kitchen chairs up with tulle and bows too,’ Kelly suggested.

‘Yeah, and we should get white balloons and a congratulations banner.’ Shannon was warming to the plans.

‘Great ideas. Let’s get to work,’ Lucy said. ‘The brides will be here at midday, so we’re on the clock.’

‘Brides?’ said Shannon, cocking her eyebrow. ‘Sorry, what?’

‘It’s a gaywedding,’ Lucy said. ‘We’ve two discerning women to satisfy, so chop-chop.’

‘What’s discerning? Is it a new LGBT word? A new weird type of gay?’

Lucy laughed. ‘No, they’re just regular lesbians.’

Shannon shrugged. ‘Cool. It’ll be my first gay wedding. Wait till I tell the girls at school. I’m going to get a selfie with the brides.’

Sarah rolled her eyes. ‘Less selfies and more work.’

Sarahpersuaded Darren to drive Shannon and Kelly into town to buy tulle and ribbon, balloons and banners, while she gave the salon a thorough clean. Lucy went home to get Dylan to help her carry over the chairs before he headed to training.

Within an hour the girls were back, laden with all the materials.

‘The only tulle they had was pink. I know the lezzers are probably more into blue or black orwhatever, but it’s all they had. They were sold out of white,’ Shannon said.

‘Everything else is white, so that should tone it down a bit,’ Kelly added.

The girls set to work blowing up balloons. Kelly then sewed white ribbons onto the tulle and dressed the mirrors and chairs.

‘Great job.’ Lucy admired her daughter’s handiwork.

‘She’s so creative,’ Shannon said pointedly. ‘She has a gift.’

Lucy nodded but said nothing further. She went back to flower-arranging with Sarah. They made mini bouquets from white roses and lilies and tied them to the chairs with ribbon.

‘Bloody hell, it’s like Barbie’s grotto in here.’ Jenny had arrived. She laid her huge make-up case on a chair.

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