LOVE PROBABLY

25.

My goodness… How can I tell you? I don’t quite know where I just set foot. While the facade looked huge, the store is pokey. There are funny display cases with things that look like hairbrush handles if you know what I mean. There are busts of models with super weird, very sexy outfits, naughty costumes and other gadgets that I don’t know the use of. It’s obvious that I’m not in a classic women’s ready-to-wear store. Everything is special and between us, I don’t know where to turn. A certain panic came over me. I have nothing to do here, but before I can escape, the woman, who holds Romeo firmly in her arms, blocks the way and calls a colleague to help:

“Pamela! Pamella! Come see, my dear, we have a client. Take off your coat, miss, so I can see what you’re wearing under there. We’ll turn you into a princess if you don’t mind.”

Her calm and warm voice invites me to comply and the idea of being a princess seduces me outrageously. After all, I need someone to take care of my look and I can’t. This lady seems to have all the skills. She’s super pretty: perfect hair, neat make-up, well-dressed, she surely has clothes made for me in this shop.

A young mixed-race girl, whom I presume to be Pamela, comes out of the backroom and approaches us, probing me from head to toe. She’s of rare beauty. Her green eyes pierce me. She has endless eyelashes. She’s absolutely beautiful.

“Hello. What would you like?” she asks me, with a slight Caribbean accent.

Not really knowing what I want, her boss answers for me:

“We’re going to give her a makeover.”

“Good, Miss Daisy but... there’s work, anyway…” she whispers, moderately discreet.

“Nothing insurmountable,” replies Miss Daisy. “You have enormous potential, young lady. You’ll come out of here transformed. You agree?”

“Yes, I would love that,” I hear myself say, hypnotized.

Both revolve around me. One of them smiles when the other seems distraught. For sure, they have their work cut out for them. Luckily everything is minus fifty per cent, I thought. They would ruin me if they have to redo everything.

“Pamela, close the store! We’ll take good care of you, young lady. But maybe we could call you by your first name? It will be more user-friendly, what do you think?”

“Um, yes. My name is Madel… Maddie.”

“Maddie. That’s nice. Pamela, tell Kelly to come downstairs, she’s going to do the hairdressing. Undress from head to toe, please.”

“Uh... I remove everything?”

“No, not everything! You keep on your underwear, anyway. We’re not at the gynaecologist!”

I obeyed her orders as if she were a genie out of a magic lamp. She’s there in front of me waiting for me to strip. When she discovers my underwear, she opens her blue eyes wide and lowers her small glasses to better see the damage.

“Oh, my God. But how long have you been wearing these… things?” she said, looking disgusted.

“I don’t know... Long.”

“Okay, remove everything!”

“Not here!” I say, raising my voice. “You exaggerate! Don’t have a fitting room in your store?”

“Okay, come... Let’s go to a room,” she said, mimicking the quotation marks.

She leads me to the back of the shop and knocks on one of the doors.

“It’s a habit. Well, there’s no one. Would you like tea, coffee, juice or water?” she said as she opened the door.

“A tea, why not? Thank you.”

“We’ll bring it to you. Sit in front of the dressing table.”

When I walk into the room, I almost have a heart attack. It’s not just a dressing room, but a dressing room of another kind. I’m now certain of it. This is a room for roguery. Oh, my God. I’m in a... br… I dare not even utter the word. It’s a sin! The room is small. Red predominates. The bed is heart-shaped, in burgundy velvet. There’s a small dressing table and in the corner, a walk-in shower. Everything is spotlessly clean. It smells like detergent. This should rather reassure me but on the contrary, I begin to tremble.

“Relax, Maddie. Everything will be alright. Here’s your tea. You have goosebumps, this will warm you up. Please stand up, let me look at you. Are you an 8?”

“8? No, I’m a 6, sometimes 6 and a half depending on the shoes.”

“I’m not talking about your feet, although you’ll not leave with these sneakers, it’s out of the question! I’ll find you a decent pair of shoes. We have what you need! Your used sneakers have earned an eternal rest. Is this understood?”

“Okay, but you don’t throw anything in the trash. I’ll hold on to my old stuff,” I say, pleading.

“Oh, yes, the underwear will go in the trash!” she’s indignant. “You won’t leave with it! They lived well, even too much. Plus, they’re not your size. Look, it’s yawning everywhere! I can confirm it, you’re a size 8. Pamela, my darling, bring the black lace outfit, size 8, the one with the little bow in front, please.”

“Good, Miss Daisy.”

“Let me look at you,” she continued. “You have a great figure. Why are you hiding with a 14?”

“I never knew how to dress. My mother and I wore the same clothes.”

“Well, you have to stop, your size is an 8 or even 9, but no more!”

“Good, Miss Daisy.”

Pamela returns with the underwear mentioned and hands them to me with a kind smile. But… they’re very small. My ass won’t fit in there, I thought as I see the panties.

“It’s a thong,” says Miss Daisy. You know?”

“No... Sorry, I don’t know anything. But I can’t wear this underwear, it hasn’t been washed!”

“It’ll be better than what you were wearing. I’ll go out. Put them on, please. Then you’ll put on these.”

She puts on the bed tights, a black bra, a skirt perhaps, very mini indeed and a fitted red sweater with a V-neck. Then she leaves the room. I put on the panties, a little reluctantly, but at the point where I am, I can’t turn back.

I just have a small technical problem. No… I hesitate. I can’t tell you everything… I’m embarrassed. Come on… I don’t have any more secrets for you since the story of the brush… things go a little beyond, below.

“I suspected,” says Miss Daisy who came back without me hearing, making me jump. “Kelly will take care of it. Kellyyyyyy! Bring the hot wax!”

“Are you also a beauty salon?” I ask, surprised.

“We do absolutely everything in house,” she says, leaving no doubt about the many skills of the house.

Kelly arrives with all the paraphernalia, wax and hairdryer. In three minutes, I find myself completely waxed, reddened, but soft as a baby’s skin. My armpits are no exception. It hurts really bad but it’s fast so I’m not complaining. The bra is my size. It’s very pretty and highlights my plump breasts. The panties, sorry, I meant the tanga briefs, are perfectly fitted to my size. I spend an indefinite time looking at myself in the small mirror of the dressing table before putting on the pantyhose. I struggle a little because I rarely had to put them on. As far as I can remember, I don’t even think I’ve worn any. I thought I heard the team say that I wasn’t ready for the stockings yet, let alone the garters. They are very insightful. Finally, I put on the skirt and try on the top. Wow, I’m fine! I don’t recognize myself. The result is magnificent. These little clothes are nothing like what I’m used to wearing. Indeed, my sneakers won’t go at all with my new outfit.

“Do you like it?” asks Miss Daisy.

“Oh, yes,” I said, delighted, turning on myself.

“Perfect. Put on these boots, you’ll see. They’re both elegant and comfortable. We thought you would be more comfortable with this small heel than with a twelve-centimetre pair.

“Definitely!” I agree.

“Now, it only remains for us to do your make up and hair.”

“I need a new coat too.”

“You’re getting a taste for it, it seems…”

“Maybe…” I said.

Pamela and Kelly came back. One of them does my makeup while the other takes care of my hair. They look like butterflies foraging around the same flower. I hear Romeo barking. Gosh the dog, gosh Rosie! She must be worried about not seeing me back. I realize that I don’t have my cell phone on me, nor her number for that matter to warn her.

“What’s going on? You seem tense all of a sudden,” Pamela asks.

“Yes... I’ve been gone for a long time. The dog’s owner will be worried.”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost done. As for your dog, he’s having fun with the landlady’s little dog.”

“If he is, they’ll make us little bastards these two,” laughs her colleague.

Laughter being contagious, we laugh together. A few minutes later, I’m finally ready. I have my back to the mirror so that I cannot see myself. Miss Daisy and her two workers are standing in front of me, with a smile on their lips and tears in their eyes, visibly proud of their work.

“You look very beautiful, Maddie,” says Miss Daisy. “Are you ready?”

“Oh, yeah!” I say, enthusiastic at the idea of finally seeing myself.

I feel like I’m on America’s Next Top Model. All that’s missing are the my darling, magnificent and other exaggerated exclamations from Tyra Banks. Kelly swivels the seat I’m sitting on and I find myself facing the mirror. My first instinct is to look behind me to make sure it’s my reflection and not someone else’s. I jump up and almost stick to the mirror.

“Wow,” I said, touching my face. “It’s me!”

“Yes, I told you there was potential. I don’t know if there’s a man in your life, but what’s certain is that they are all going to be after you now.”

“My God, how beautiful I am!” I say, stroking my hair which has never been so soft.

Kelly gave me beautiful curls with the straightener. In a few minutes, the hairstyle was done. Me, I never knew how to do my hair. I’ll be unable to reproduce this masterpiece. It’s decided, I’m not washing my hair anymore until further notice. As for the make-up, I have nothing to complain about, it’s almost surreal. My eyelashes have doubled in size and look much longer. My hazel eyes look more sparkling with this light beige glitter eyeshadow. My even complexion gives me a perfect look. The dark circles of the last days have evaporated. Finally, my glossy lips, fuller than usual, are just waiting to be kissed. I can’t believe it. I feel like I’m ten years younger.

“All you need is a pair of earrings and you’d be perfect,” remarks Miss. Daisy.

“I’ll have to get my ears pierced first,” I admitted.

“Do you want to do it now? The neighbouring business is a tattoo artist. He’ll do this for you in two seconds,” she suggests.

“No, not today. I really need to get home.”

“So hold on! These are on the house,” she said, handing me a little red velvet box.

I open the box and discover pretty earrings. Looks like two small diamonds. Of course, it’s only zirconium, but they are very chic.

“Thank you! You spoil me. I can’t believe it… I don’t know what to say.”

“Wait until you pay to thank us,” she said with a wink. “We can go to checkout.”

The hour of sorrow has arrived. I fear bankruptcy, but the transformation is worth it. I would never have dared. If I had been given the choice, I would have opted for jeans and a sweatshirt, all in size L.

Pamela brings me a bag containing my old clothes. Miss Daisy scribbled the list of prices on a piece of paper and read them aloud:

“So we start from the underwear. The set is £20 instead of £40. At this price, I suggest you buy the same in white, what do you say?”

“Yes, good idea! I’ll take them.”

“Pam, go get me the same underwear in white, please. The top in 90B and the bottom in 8. Then we had the skirt, on sale at £19, the sweater at £15, the tights at £3, the boots at £35 and the little down jacket at £24.50. You are dressed from head to toe for the modest sum of £136.50,” she said, showing me her calculator. “Do you want to add this little handbag? It only costs £12. Look how pretty it is. It’s leatherette of course, but it has its little effect and above all, it’s very practical.”

“Well, yes, that’s true, it’s so pretty,” I say, passing it over the shoulder.

“Then that will make it in all: £148.50.”

“Great! I didn’t think getting dressed from head to toe would cost me so little,” I said as I prepared my money.

“Wait... It’s not quite finished, there’s hair and makeup.”

“Sure! That’s normal. I’m listening!”

“So: it’s £20 for hair removal of both areas. Another £20 for styling and the same amount for makeup. Which makes a total of £60 more, or £208.50.

Determined to spend more, I say:

“Okay... No problem! And are the products you used to do my makeup also for sale?”

“Oh, but of course! How stupid I am… I didn’t even think of offering them to you. The day cream costs £10, the mascara £10, the kohl pencil £5, the foundation £10, the powder £9, the lip gloss £7 and finally, the eyeshadow £9. Well, it’s all there this time. And the earrings, they are a gift! We, therefore, arrive at £268.50. Is that okay for you?” she worries.

“Very good! I’ll take it all. And keep the change!” I say proudly giving £270. “You have largely fulfilled your mission of making me a princess. I’m so happy.”

Pamela and Kelly are there, smiling. They wouldn’t have bet on my transformation when they saw me enter the shop. Miss Daisy accompanies me to the door and gives me back the dog she held firmly in her arms. She looks at me tenderly and says:

“Here’s our card. Come back anytime, okay? I’m sure you could find other items that might work for you. It’s a kind of cave of a thousand wonders, here.”

“I saw that. Thank you for stopping me in the street. I probably never would have entered if you hadn’t been there.”

“When I see you so radiant, I tell myself that I did well! Goodbye, Maddie. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Goodbye, and thank you.”

I leave the shop limping. I’m not used to walking in such high boots. I try to give myself a certain allure. For the first time in my life, I feel like a woman. Mr Chambers, Simone and Gerard would be proud of me if they saw me like this. What would mom think? It may well be that I impress the young Jacky in this outfit. Well, doubt will always persist about the somewhat bizarre activities of this shop but regardless, the result is prodigious and I am HAPPY, that’s all that matters.