"So, where to first then?" Aunt Sally asked me as we stepped out the front doors of the hotel into the glinting bright sunlight outside. The street outside was busy, with bloggers and photographers turning up for fashion week.
"I was thinking Oxford Street." I replied, zipping up my jacket. Despite the sun, the wind is quite chilly. "If not, maybe One New Change. I've heard it's got good boutiques."
"Wow, you've done your research." Aunt Sally smiled, impressed, pulling her expensive sunglasses out of her sparkly clutch bag. "We'll start at the posh end of Oxford Street and work our way down, stop for lunch, pop to One New Change then make our way back here. That should take the rest of the day. And then we've got the after party tonight."
"Oh my gosh the afterparty!" I exclaimed, excitedly clapping my hands together. "I totally forgot!"
"Well, maybe you could get an outfit today." she suggests, expertly applying magenta lipstick as she waved down a black taxi cab.
"That's a great idea!" I gasped, climbing into the back of the car.
The driver pulled away and I watched the hotel slipping slowly out of sight, and we glided gently past tall white houses, red brick buildings and glossy offices. As we reached Oxford Street, I grew more and more excited to pick out an outfit for the party. After modelling Victoria's dress today, I felt so much more confident in myself.
"Here we are, then. Ten fifty please, m'aam." The bearded taxi driver turned round and held out his palm.
Aunt Sally handed over the cash and stepped her pointy booted feet out of the car, and I followed suit.
"Aaaaaah," Aunt Sally sighed happily, looking around. "This sure is my favourite street."
"Woah. It's busy." I breathed. The pavements were lined with bustling shoppers and tourists, crowding into stores and theatres. Screens and lights flashed from the walls of buildings, and the sounds of traffic and chatting filled the air. A lump rose in my throat and I began to feel anxious.
"Busy?" Aunt Sally laughed. "You're seeing it on a good day, while everyone's at fashion week." We walked to the traffic light crossing to get to the shops. "You should see this place during the Boxing Day sales." She said, effortlessly clearing herself a route in the crowds. "It's like the London riots all over again."
I laughed aloud too, smiling now, despite my panic about the crowds.
We crossed the road to a packed retail street.
"Oooh look, there's Banana Republic!" Aunt Sally exclaimed, pointing with one of her long pink nailed fingers. We went inside and I was surprised to see that it was three storeys high. But then again nothing is too much of a shock when you're in a city as vibrant as London.
The next hour passed in a flash. Aunt Sally tried on countless garments in Banana Republic (her favourite shop), Gap, Zara, and Jigsaw. Each time she tried something on she would strut out of the changing room (not dissimilar to my catwalk this morning) and show me, asking a different question each time.
"Do my hips look too hippo in this?"
"Does this shade of mustard suit me?"
"Do you think this would look better in pink?"
Aunt Sally has a nice figure, she's a big lady, but she's more curvy than fat, and broad shouldered to make up for it.
We left Whistles with her staggering in her heels under the weight of the bags. She'd bought shoes, a clutch bag, four jumpers and a bikini, but unfortunately I still hadn't found my outfit for the afterparty.
Not to worry, Lola." She said kindly, as we sat down to lunch in Costa Coffee.
"I'm sure you'll find something soon. We haven't even done half the shops yet."
"I hope so." I said, sipping my mango iced cooler through the straw. Ouch. Brainfreeze. Shaking my head to rid myself of it, I continued. "I mean, the fanciest thing I packed was my white skirt and I wore that today!"
"Well just look at how much I've bought!" She gestured with her sandwich at the bags scattered around her feet, sending bits or tomato flying out of the sandwich, but she didn't seem to notice it.
"If I can find all these jumpers and whatnot after about five shops, then you can find the perfect outfit after a whole day of retail therapy." She grinned at me through her cappuccino.
After lunch, we made our way to Topshop, which was my favourite shop. I walked inside, expecting it to be the same as Topshop in my home town, but it wasn't. There were glamorous looking ladies with personal shoppers, and little sections with some of my favourite brands in, like Jaded London, and Hot! Mess.
I nervously hung around, not sure where to start, until Aunt Sally grabbed my hand and lunged towards a section.
"Lola!" She cried, blonde curls flying. "This dress is so you!"
I looked at the section she had dragged me to. It was Motel Rocks, a brand whose clothing I liked but was way too expensive for me. Mum had only given me £50 to spend, and that was for the whole week.
The dress was a black bodycon style dress, high necked, with little flecks of all different colours in it.
"Oh, you just have to try it on!" She grabbed one that she thought looked my size and clicked her fingers for an assistant, who scuttled over in an instant.
"How can I help you?" Asked the ginger shop assistant, who was wearing far too much make up.
"Hi, yes, my niece here would like to try this on." Aunt Sally boomed.
"Certainly, did you book a personal shopper for today?" The assistant said.
"No, but I'd like to." Aunt Sally replied, already halfway to the changing rooms with the shop assistant scurrying behind in her wake.
She handed me the dress and I walked into the fitting rooms, feeling so much déjà vu from this morning.
"Oh!" Aunt Sally gasped as I stepped out of the fitting room cubicle, wearing the dress.
"It fits really nicely." Our personal shopper said in a nasally tone.
"It does!" Aunt Sally clapped with delight, pulling out her croc print purse. "We'll take it!"
"Great! I'll just go and get you a receipt." Our personal shopper darted towards the till.
"But I'm not sure if I can afford-" I began, but Aunt Sally cut me off.
"Nonsense, Lola. I'll pay! You deserve it after how much you helped Victoria out. Plus, it's been years since I've seen you, I have to treat my favourite niece!"
I smiled gratefully as I walked back into the changing room cubicle.
"Thank you so much!"
"It's fine, honestly." she said as I changed behind the silky black curtain.
"Plus," she added in a whisper, once I was changed and headed for the till, "I bet Brooklyn will love you in that."
"I hope so." I said without thinking.
Wait. What was I thinking?!
"Aha!" Aunt Sally grinned triumphantly. "So you do like him!"
"No!" I cried, way too quickly. "No, yes, I don't know." I finally said, truthfully.
Hey all! Thanks for all the great comments and votes, and also thanks for 10k reads! I can't believe it!
So here's another chapter, so close to the last one, but I go back to school tomorrow so there might not be another one for a while.
Thanks for reading 'Stop Me', and feel free to tell me what you think!
Love you all,
Fluuctuate
Xx