Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy) by Aoife Marie Sheridan Page A

her late
    eighties and isn’t able anymore. She hasn’t handed the shop over
    to Christine yet, but lets her run it. The woman just couldn’t
    let go.
    “Josh is taking me to the ball.” I raise my hand before she
    can say anything. “As a friend.”
    “I wasn’t going to say anything, only that Susan is going with
    Max too.”
    “Oh, well, we’ll just have to get along.”
    Christine looks skeptical. Honestly, I don’t feel too optimistic
    myself.
     
    When I arrive home, I change into something more
    comfortable for shopping. “Jessica, Jessica?”
    She pops her head in my bedroom door. “Yes?”
    “Will you come dress shopping with me?”
    Her eyes light up. “Yes. Where are you going?” She sits down
    on my bed as I tie up my hair.
    “Josh is taking me to the ball and it’s tomorrow night.”
    “You’re going to marry Josh.”
    I look at her through the mirror and laugh. “He’s my friend,
    Jessica.” I turn around. “Boys and girls can be friends.”
    Parking on the main street is easy as there are no cars around.
    Jessica and I enter the Red Ribbon dress shop. It’s the only shop
    that sells ball gowns in town, and it is still open. The owner
    must have been aware there would be last minute shoppers. The
    bell rings overhead as we make our way inside. A glamorous
    woman in her late sixties, with short blond hair, approaches us.
    “Hello, can I help you and your friend with anything?” she
    asks.
    “She’s my sister and it’s just me looking for a gown.” I can
    see why she wouldn’t think we were sisters. Jessica has dead
    straight, jet-black hair and green eyes, and she is very petite. My
    five foot seven inches is tall compared to her five foot three. My
    hair is curly and my eyes are a grey, unlike both my father and
    mother. So basically, we look totally different.
    “Okay, any colour or style in particular?” the lady asks. I
    give her an apologetic smile and shrug. “That’s okay, dear. With
    your figure, you will look beautiful in any dress.” She ushers
    me forward and starts picking up several dresses. “The fitting
    rooms are to the back.” She hands me the pile of dresses, which
    I have to push down with my chin in order to make it to the
    fitting rooms without falling over. I look at Jessica as I pass her
    and mouth HELP!!! She starts laughing.
    The first dress is red in a boob-tube style that goes out in a
    poof from the waist down. When I come out of the fitting room,
    Jessica is lounging on a black leather sofa. There are mirrors
    around me and I can see myself from every angle, which is not
    good, as I look like a big red cake. Jessica starts laughing and
    can’t stop. The owner gives her a sharp look that shuts her up
    quickly.
    I walk straight back into the fitting room and try on four
    more dresses. They are nice, but none of them really stand out.
    The last dress is black, which is my favourite colour. I slip it
    on over my head and tug it down, adjusting it until it falls to
    the ground. The material is heavy and tight against my upper
    body, showing off every curve. Then it swirls just at the thigh
    and flows to the ground. It is stunning. I walk out of the fitting
    room, and Jessica sits up straight.
    “Sarajane, it’s amazing.”
    I smile. “I think so too.”
    The owner comes over with black high heels with a simple de
    Monte design on the front of them. I slip my feet in. “Now you
    look perfect, dear” she says.
    I pay for the gown and shoes, three hundred euro for all, but
    I have to say it’s worth every penny. I take Jessica out for food
    afterwards to thank her for helping me. It’s after eleven o’clock
    by the time we arrive home, and Dad is in bed already.
     
    The next day at work goes by quickly, as Susan and I
    talk about our dresses for the ball. Christine listens
    enthusiastically, but I feel sorry for her. “Are you sure you
    won’t come with us?”
    Christine gives me a look. “Really, I prefer some wine and a
    good romance novel.