Page 9 of Wrapped Up at the Vintage Dress Shop
When neither of them could eat any more, although Phoebe always stopped when she was eighty per cent full, they cleared away what was left. Then Freddy stretched out with his head in Phoebe’s lap so she could wind his curls through her fingers, even though he complained that she was messing up his hair. Coco Chanel settled on Freddy’s chest, her face smooshed into his neck, her fulsome snores competing with the television.
It wasn’t how Phoebe had expected things to pan out when she’d finally agreed to go out on a date with Freddy, but she wasn’t mad about it. In fact, though she’d never admit it to anyone, especially not to Freddy because it would make him unbearably smug, she thought that their Friday evenings might be her favourite time of the week.
It was all so lovely. Peaceful in a way that Phoebe rarely experienced until Freddy had to ruin it by opening his mouth and saying words. Very unwelcome words.
‘So, you’ve got that fashion influencer coming in tomorrow, haven’t you?’ he asked nonchalantly. Far too nonchalantly.
‘I think so,’ Phoebe said, though she knew for a fact that it was so and just like that, she was instantly fuming. ‘To be the so-called face of the so-called rental business.’
She’d been so relaxed and now every muscle was tensed. Freddy was unbothered, though many lesser men were petrified when Phoebe went stiff with rage. He reached up to pat her arm.
‘Play nice, Pheebs,’ he said lightly. ‘You promised.’
Phoebe looked down at him even though she knew it wasn’t her most flattering angle. Not that Freddy seemed to mind. He had the nerve to wink at her.
‘I don’t remember promising anything,’ Phoebe insisted, which was a lie and they both knew it.
‘You did promise and I said I’d make it up to you,’ Freddy reminded her as he swung himself round to sitting then stood up.
Phoebe folded her arms. ‘And just how are you going to do that?’
Freddy held out his hand. ‘Let’s move this to the bedroom and I’ll give you a hands-on demonstration.’
When Freddy wanted something, he was very determined about getting it. If he wanted Phoebe to be nice to some shrieking girl with questionable fashion sense and 330,000 followers on Instagram, then he was going to have to work really hard for it.
Afterwards, with Coco Chanel scrabbling at the bedroom door from the hall outside where she’d been banished, Phoebe put a hand to her heart, which was still beating very fast, and stole one last kiss from Freddy.
He’d definitely earned a Phoebe who would be on her very best behaviour the next day.
Chapter Four
Despite her feelings about renting frocks and Instagram influencers, the next morning Phoebe promised that, as agreed, she would be charming and gracious.
‘I mean, this woman has a lot of Instagram followers so she has to be doing something right,’ she told Freddy before she left for the day.
‘I love this new positive attitude,’ he said with a grin as he opened the door for her and Coco.
Phoebe might have been full of good intentions but she was also realistic. ‘Don’t expect it to last for long,’ she warned him. Freddy’s grin grew wider.
‘I live in hope,’ he said but then his grin faltered and he sounded a little melancholy. As if he hoped that Phoebe’s positive attitude might extend to other aspects of her life. Such as the life that had Freddy in it. Lately, more than ever, he was gently but constantly pushing her to make them official. They had been seeing each other for quite a long time, but it still wasn’t long enough for Phoebe to know if she could trust him with her most precious things.
After all, the one time that she’d left Coco Chanel with Freddy unsupervised, she’d eaten a kebab that Freddy should have placed somewhere high up. The consequences were not pleasant for anyone involved.
Would Freddy be equally careless with Phoebe’s heart? Her secrets? She wasn’t ready to find out. So now she kissedhim on the cheek because shewasvery fond of him and said she’d see him after work.
It was a gorgeous day, a crispness to the air that signalled winter was coming but the sky was blue. The sun was bright enough for Phoebe’s cat’s eye sunglasses but not emitting much warmth, so she was wearing a very plush black velvet cape jacket. It had been quite a few months and Phoebe wasstillin her cape era. Even Coco Chanel, in midnight blue velvet collar and harness, had an extra sass to her wiggle as they walked the short distance to the shop.
It wasn’t hard to prolong her good mood when Phoebe saw that Cress and Sophy were already waiting outside for her, even though it was ten minutes to ten. They were both clutching coffees and greaseproof-paper-wrapped bacon rolls, but Phoebe decided that she could overlook that just this once.
‘Morning!’ she said brightly. ‘Has there been a shift in the time-space continuum that has made you both early for work?’
Yes, she was in a good mood, and yes, she’d promised Freddy that she’d be on her best behaviour, but she couldn’t help her innate Phoebeness.
‘There wasn’t a queue at the caff,’ Sophy muttered. She seemed quite out of sorts. Usually she loved to clap back at Phoebe but not today.
‘She’s nervous about the influencer coming in,’ Cress explained as Phoebe unlocked the door. ‘Not that there’s any reason to be nervous. It’s going to be fine.’
‘I’m sure it will be,’ Phoebe agreed, then she had to rush to turn off the alarm and also to take a moment to gather herself because being this understanding was exhausting.
