for Perry to find his way down the stairs, as there he was. Talking to an honest-to-goodness genuine customer. And the tall man with the tattoos on his neck wasn’t the only one in there. A girl with long pink dreadlocks was slowly making her way through a rack of dresses. The place was positively heaving compared to what Mas had seen so far. He took a deep lungful of mothball-scented air and called up his best menswear sales persona. Hopefully it would work on customers of both genders.
Mas caught Perry’s eye and gave him a grin before moving over to the girl with the pink dreads. “You know, the jade satin would look lovely with your colouring,” he said, reaching for a dress she’d just frowned at and pushed to one side.
“It’s too small,” she said, in a forbidding tone. “All this stuff’s too bloody small. I hate it when shops only stock petite sizes. Do you want to make us all feel like bloaters or what?”
Mas took a quick glance down, noting the slight muffin top and the jeans stretched tightly over her ample thighs. Okay, so she was probably carrying a few extra pounds, but she was hardly obese. “It’s not by choice,” he soothed. “It’s just difficult with vintage clothing. Women back then were malnourished and laced into corsets. It’s no wonder most healthy modern women can’t fit into their clothing. But perhaps there’ll be something here…” He flicked rapidly through the rest of the rack. There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to the organising, as acid-toned ’60s babydoll dresses hung next to sumptuous jacquard evening gowns, but it was clear Perry was sitting on a retro treasure trove right here. “You’re what, a size sixteen?”
She coloured but smiled shyly. “Actually, I’m usually an eighteen.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed. You carry it beautifully with your height. Now, are you looking for an outfit for anything specific? A posh do, or something more everyday?”
“It’s for a wedding. My sister’s. I know she’d probably be happier if I went and bought something boring and flowery at M&S, but that’s just not my style. If I have to wear a dress, I want it to be interesting. I thought maybe something a bit Victorian.”
Finally, Mas located a dress that might just work. “I’m thinking you’d suit something a little more twentieth century. With your curves, you could rock the ’50s look.”
“I don’t know.” She gazed at the mauve polka dot halter-neck with the circle skirt with something akin to lust, but she was holding off. “I don’t think I’ve got the figure for that. It’s very…low cut.”
“You don’t normally show off your cleavage?” Now that he thought about it, she was very well covered up in her long-sleeved, high-necked T-shirt.
She shook her head.
“Baby, how about you try it on. See how you feel?”
She hesitated a moment.
“Come on. What have you got to lose? If you don’t like it, you just take it off again, and we work on finding you something else.”
“How much is it?”
“We’ll talk price once you’ve tried it on, but I’m sure I can work out a special deal for you.”
“Where’s the changing room?”
Mas mentally cursed Perry for not actually having a proper changing room set up, and thought fast. “This way.” He motioned her to follow him. “I’m Mas, by the way.”
“Oh. Layna.”
“Gorgeous name for a gorgeous woman.”
Layna turned scarlet. “Now I know you’re lying.”
The compliment might have come automatically, but when Mas took a really close look, he stood by his assessment. “You have beautiful grey eyes, and when you smile, you’re gorgeous. Now go and try on that dress, and let’s see if it’s going to do you some justice.”
He hustled her through the curtain into the next room of the shop, relieved to see there were no browsers through there. It seemed like Perry was using it purely as a stockroom. It was ridiculous the way he was only using half the available space,
Mas caught Perry’s eye and gave him a grin before moving over to the girl with the pink dreads. “You know, the jade satin would look lovely with your colouring,” he said, reaching for a dress she’d just frowned at and pushed to one side.
“It’s too small,” she said, in a forbidding tone. “All this stuff’s too bloody small. I hate it when shops only stock petite sizes. Do you want to make us all feel like bloaters or what?”
Mas took a quick glance down, noting the slight muffin top and the jeans stretched tightly over her ample thighs. Okay, so she was probably carrying a few extra pounds, but she was hardly obese. “It’s not by choice,” he soothed. “It’s just difficult with vintage clothing. Women back then were malnourished and laced into corsets. It’s no wonder most healthy modern women can’t fit into their clothing. But perhaps there’ll be something here…” He flicked rapidly through the rest of the rack. There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to the organising, as acid-toned ’60s babydoll dresses hung next to sumptuous jacquard evening gowns, but it was clear Perry was sitting on a retro treasure trove right here. “You’re what, a size sixteen?”
She coloured but smiled shyly. “Actually, I’m usually an eighteen.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed. You carry it beautifully with your height. Now, are you looking for an outfit for anything specific? A posh do, or something more everyday?”
“It’s for a wedding. My sister’s. I know she’d probably be happier if I went and bought something boring and flowery at M&S, but that’s just not my style. If I have to wear a dress, I want it to be interesting. I thought maybe something a bit Victorian.”
Finally, Mas located a dress that might just work. “I’m thinking you’d suit something a little more twentieth century. With your curves, you could rock the ’50s look.”
“I don’t know.” She gazed at the mauve polka dot halter-neck with the circle skirt with something akin to lust, but she was holding off. “I don’t think I’ve got the figure for that. It’s very…low cut.”
“You don’t normally show off your cleavage?” Now that he thought about it, she was very well covered up in her long-sleeved, high-necked T-shirt.
She shook her head.
“Baby, how about you try it on. See how you feel?”
She hesitated a moment.
“Come on. What have you got to lose? If you don’t like it, you just take it off again, and we work on finding you something else.”
“How much is it?”
“We’ll talk price once you’ve tried it on, but I’m sure I can work out a special deal for you.”
“Where’s the changing room?”
Mas mentally cursed Perry for not actually having a proper changing room set up, and thought fast. “This way.” He motioned her to follow him. “I’m Mas, by the way.”
“Oh. Layna.”
“Gorgeous name for a gorgeous woman.”
Layna turned scarlet. “Now I know you’re lying.”
The compliment might have come automatically, but when Mas took a really close look, he stood by his assessment. “You have beautiful grey eyes, and when you smile, you’re gorgeous. Now go and try on that dress, and let’s see if it’s going to do you some justice.”
He hustled her through the curtain into the next room of the shop, relieved to see there were no browsers through there. It seemed like Perry was using it purely as a stockroom. It was ridiculous the way he was only using half the available space,
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