Skinny Dipping

Going Blonde

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You can buy this book SKINNY DIPPING and the sequel SKINNY CAPPUCCINO on Amazon.

Chapter 16 Continued

Sophie ran to the tube station, darting through the heavy traffic of Highbury. She glanced at her watch; time was of the essence. Then a force jolted her to a stop, pulling her shoulder back. Sophie whirled round, clenching her fists. A fairy floss dress thrust at her face. Sophie stepped back with caution as the coat hanger almost poked her in the nose.

"You forgot it. You can't be late tonight, and I know how caught up you get."

Sophie grappled to hold the garment steady, away from her body. Peeking over the ruffles, Carol stood in her bright pink pig slippers, a silk pink nightgown wrapped round her shoulders and last night's mascara smudged over her face. A glow of triumph exuded from her face, but her grin slowly faded, as she tugged a wisp of Sophie's carrot hair from under the baseball cap.

"Oh Jeeeeezzzee," Carol hissed.

Sophie shrugged Carol's hand away. "It's fine. What are you doing awake? I heard you come home after four." Sophie noticed circles under her friend's eyes and wondered whether Carol had gone to visit Josh, or whether something urgent had come up at the theatre.

"Oh Soph, I had no idea it would turn orange." Guilt spread across her friend's face. "Keep the dress. Please keep it."

"No. It's fine."

"What are you going to do? Did you want me to dye it again?"

"No, no, I've got a plan. Why are you awake so early, running around the street like this?" Sophie indicated the dressing gown, noting that the silk hung only to her mid-thigh.

"What's wrong with this? No one cares about me. I live in London, millions of people come to this tube station every day." Carol put her hand on her hip, tapping her slippers on the pavement, the fluffy, pink pig's head nodding in agreement as Carol's foot went up and down. "Besides, you're the one in my cap and sunglasses." It was true. Sophie had borrowed one of Carol's many hats – a black baseball cap – the most understated one in Carol's collection.

"Well, can I borrow it?" Sophie shifted the dark sunglasses over her face feeling somewhat like a celebrity hiding from the masses, large oval circles covering half her face, lenses coming down to the middle of her cheeks.

"'Course you can borrow them. I think the glasses look better on you anyway."

"Thanks." Sophie supposed that was a compliment. She wrinkled her nose. The circular, goggled frames, although fashionable, made her feel like a fly. But if she took her cap off and left the sunglasses on, she supposed she'd look like a bee. It was a pity it wasn't closer to Halloween, as she had the perfect headgear. At least no one would recognise her.

"Why didn't you tell me? You should have rung or texted. I could have asked some of my friends to come over after the show and help."

"I'm going to my hairdresser, she'll sort me out."

"Do you have an appointment?"

Sophie shifted on her feet, thanking the shade of the lenses, almost black, to hide her expression. "No." She hoped her hairdresser could help her, but it had been too late to make an appointment last night.

"What if you can't get one?"

"Someone will do it."

"You're not going to race into work are you? This is an emergency; you've got a date tonight."