Opposites Attract

Shopping With The Girls

"Honestly, it's actually good to be off the island right now," Kayo sighed, breathing in the aroma of a hundred different national dishes all in one place, "even if it is to come shopping."

Camden Town, Selene's stomping ground, boasted a large and wide ranging street food market and they were planning on making good use of it before they got down to some serious decision making.

Kayo was right, it was nice to be away from the tense atmosphere of the island for a little while. It was giving them both a little time to breathe.

"It really is rather charming," Penelope agreed, her eyes travelling across the stalls, taking in everything they had to offer.

Kayo and Penelope were both comfortable with London, although they didn't usually venture to this city of the city, Camden being a little more bohemian and eclectic than they were used to, but they had been more than willing to accommodate Selene in any and all requests, it was for their special day after all. Although Selene was still insisting that it was a lot of fuss for what should be a very simple ceremony, and had been driving John to despair by ignoring the carefully crafted binder he had put together to store and categorise everything they had organised.

The joy of the market was that you could find almost any type of food and have it packed up ready to take with you within a few minutes, there was no waiting for a table or for waitstaff to take your order and bring drinks, it was instant, it was hot and it was authentic.

Kayo had said she was in the mood for Char Kuey Teow a traditional noodle dish that Kyrano had often made for her when she was a child, one that Penelope had agreed sounded delicious. Selene hadn't been keen, not being much of a fan of fish in dishes, so had moved to a nearby stall selling Cantonese food and picked out a simple chicken chow mein with a drizzle of a delicious smelling sweet and sour sauce.

They all bought bottles of water to go with their food and soon found a bench table beside the canal where they could eat. Selene loved this area, loved the people and the more laid back way of life. She and John liked to wander down to the market to pick up something for lunch or take a walk along the canal, although their lazy days were few and far between. Her little flat, or theirs as it was now, was abandoned more than it was occupied, with her spending more and more time on the Island, feeling like the family needed her more than she needed her own space.

Selene would say one thing for Penny, she was always willing to give something a try, even if it didn't immediately appeal to her and over the course of their friendship, Penny had continued to surprise her with her acceptance of her crazy ways.

Selene knew that eating street food from a stall with wooden cutlery, drinking water out of a bottle and sitting beside a bustling canal was not something Penelope would ever have chosen to do, but she did look like she was enjoying herself.

They chatted about nothing much as they ate, watching the world go, the sun shining brightly, it being an unseasonably warm Saturday, taking their time, their appointment wasn't until two and it was barely one.

Once done they carefully gathered up their cardboard boxes and wooden forks and put them in a nearby recycling bin, taking their bottles with them to use again.

The wedding and evening wear shop was probably nothing like what Penny would have picked, it not being designer, but was everything that she should have expected from Selene who never conformed if she could help it. It was tucked out of the way down a side street from Camden Market and promised one of a kind, unique dresses in a wide range of styles. Selene just hoped they lived up to their promise.