The sequins spelling out “Justin Bieber” across the woman’s crop top were in a shade of silver that exactly matched her hair. But this dubious fashion statement was lost on the two teenage girls who were staring at her from within the cosy confines of the bus shelter. Their gaze was transfixed by her bare, white, blue-veined thighs. Combined with the scarlet mini skirt, the effect was that the components of the Union Jack were waiting to be properly assembled.
Stumbling on too-tight wedge-heeled red sandals, this spectacle approached the bus stop. The darker of the girls pulled a tasteful lavender cashmere wrap more closely about her shoulders, although it was not cold that had made her shudder.
The woman juddered to a halt before them, as if she’d inadvertently put her shoes into neutral. From behind bifocals, she flashed a smirk at the cashmered girl.
“So, darling, now you know how it feels when someone borrows your favourite clothes without asking.”
Glancing sideways, the teenager clocked her companion’s dropped jaw. Then she sighed and peeled off the lavender wrap.
“Ok, Mum, I get the message. Now for God’s sake, go home and put your own clothes on.”
(If you enjoyed this story, you might like to know that it's included, along with 19 other similar short pieces, in my book "Quick Change", now available to download as an ebook for Kindle. Paperback and more editions to follow this autumn.)
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Quick Change
Short StorySample stories from my first flash fiction collection, Quick Change, published on 21st June 2014 - short, light-hearted tales about aspects of change in life, from cradle to grave. "Very subtle, very English, very clever" & "a delight to read" say...
