Love Letters

Love Letters (Part 38)

Just a few days later I received a reply from Jem, though I didn’t have a chance to read it until later on in the day. I’d just picked up my letter when Fudge grabbed my arm and I was hoisted into the car. They were taking me dress shopping. Obviously, not for myself, but Fudge didn’t want to have to spend excessive time alone with Cass while they shopped so I was dragged along, literally.

There was the other obvious reason for taking me with them; I was left to carry the various bags and boxes they collected throughout the day.

When we walked into the boutique the woman behind the counter looked me up and down and wrinkled her nose, and then looked at Fudge in horror. Clearly this woman had an irrational phobia of young girls wearing jogging bottoms and crop tops. I could’ve sworn I saw her shudder when her eyes caught sight of Fudge’s trainers. Her gaze lingered on Cass who was dressed conservatively in a skirt and cardigan and she smiled approvingly. She strutted towards Alex and embraced her in a hug as though she were embracing one of her own children.

‘Alexiane, you are looking more beautiful by the day.’ She said, her voice reminded me of an old Italian teacher’s but I was pretty sure her accent was French. ‘I am still remembering when you came for the bridesmaids dress for your friend Sophia’s wedding. I always knew you would make a beautiful bride, but of course you would, you are beautiful, like your mother.’

There was an awkward moment when she mentioned our mum but Alex managed to handle it smoothly, ‘Thank you Mrs Desmarais, a pleasure to see you too.’

‘Ah, but I am no longer Mrs Desmarais.’

‘Oh dear. What happened?’ Alex asked politely.

‘He’s gone.’ She replied, waving her hands around casually.

‘Oh. Well I’m sure he’s in a better place.’

‘No, no dear, he is gone, with some stupid Swiss model.’ Ms Desmarais said, ‘but never mind, how can I help you today?’

‘Well, I’m going to need some bridesmaid dresses, like I said on the phone when I called earlier, but we’ll need three as opposed to the two we talked about.’

‘Three?’ Cass asked, ‘but it’s only me and Fudge, isn’t it?’

‘Not anymore. Aunt Martha’s sending Kaia and Luke for the wedding.’

‘Kaia? But Martha’s not even our real aunt, and Kaia’s such a brat.’

‘That was ten years ago Fudge, she’s just a little older than Tyler now so she’s hardly going to be so much of a brat now, is she?’

We all shrugged but I knew everyone was thinking of the time Kaia broke her arm by falling off the bed but told everyone that Luke and I had tied her up and snapped her bone because we wanted to play pirates. That girl was a sadist if there ever was one.

Ms Desmarais pulled Fudge into the middle of the room and started taking down measurements, muttering to herself as she did so. We watched as her short, stubby form circled Fudge as she pinched and prodded at Fudge’s body, shaking her head in disproval as she worked.

‘Freya, the last time I saw you, you were wearing a dress and dressed like such a pretty girl, what happened?’

‘It’s Fudge actually, nobody calls me Freya anymore.’

Ms Desmarais muttered some more and then said, ‘But Freya is such a beautiful name, what is Fudge?’ She asked rhetorically, her mouth pursed as she read the measurements from the tape measure.

Fudge pretended to yawn as Ms Desmarais continued rambling like an old aunt, ‘why are you dressing like a boy these days huh? You have such a beautiful figure, perhaps if I have your figure, Mr Desmarais wouldn’t have left me, she has a beautiful figure, no?’ she repeated, turning to her assistant who nodded encouragingly and smiled up at Fudge.