Then There Was You

X

Later on that afternoon, I was summoned to wardrobe and measured for my costumes.
The stylist who was buzzing around me had introduced herself as Alanna. She was tall and slim, her unnatural blonde hair cropped short to her head. She studied me closely with her small, icy blue eyes, as she held up various garments next to my face. "Yes... This matches your eyes just nicely," she said thoughtfully, holding up the skirt of a green dress. She absently ruffled my hair and brushed it behind my shoulders.
"It's going to very hard to dress you without clashing with your hair," she said dismally, "Would you consider dying it?"
Over my dead body! I was horrified but I made my face pleasant and shook my head. "Uhm no, my mum would kill me," I explain.
She simply arched her slim eyebrows and shrugged.
I had to admit, the costumes were fantastic. I was a bit nervous about being thrust into a corset, but I couldn't wait to get fully dressed tomorrow.

Erica invited me to dinner again with her friends, we just ate in the hotel tonight. I was surprised by the amount of people that sat at our table. There was another three people I hadn't met before, in addition to our usual party of four. I smiled and greeted them politely and tried not to forget their names, as Erica introduced me. Everyone loved Erica. She made friends very easily and she kept the conversation flowing; asking everyone questions without being invasive.

I excused myself early and head up to my room. I spend the next hour on the phone to my mum and James. My mum assaults me with a thousand questions. How am I feeling? Am I getting enough sleep? Have I made friends? They seemed to go on and on. I answered them as quickly as I could.
James on the other hand, hardly asked me anything at all. He was still acting strange. Usually, conversation flowed easily between us but we barely spent more than five minutes on the phone. We'd spent time apart from each other before, but only ever for a week at most. Six weeks without seeing each other was going to be tough. And I was hoping that this was the reason behind his new attitude.
"Goodnight James, I love you." I say down the receiver.
There's a long pause. I'm worried for a minute that he isn't going to say it back.
"Me too. Night Lara," he says, but his voice is still off. Then he hangs up.
My heart drops. Me too? He always says 'I love you more.' What the hell was 'me too'?

I sigh sadly and get myself ready for bed. It's only 9pm but I need to be up for 7am for make up and hair. Once in bed, I'm plagued with anxious thoughts of James, which only adds to my nervousness of what tomorrow will bring. I toss and turn for hours, unable to relax.
It's 3am before I finally fall into an exhausted, restless sleep.

I'm like a walking zombie as I make my way sluggishly to the dressing room.
Thankfully, I'm the first one there, excluding the two make up artists who look up at me as I enter. The smaller of the two; a round plump woman in her thirties, looks at me with a horrified expression.
"What on earth have you been doing all night?" She gasps, taking in the dark circles around my eyes.
"I couldn't sleep," I mumble sheepishly. She tuts and gets up to inspect me.
"What am I supposed to do with you now? I'm a make up artist not a miracle worker!" She exclaims, as she frowns distastefully at my face.
I blush furiously and look at my feet.
I need a coffee.
"Oh Janet! Stop being so dramatic," the young, flamboyantly dressed man scolds. I look up and he rolls his eyes at Janet. This makes me smile.

"Step into my office," he says energetically, motioning with a sweeping hand to the well lighted make up table. Janet tuts again, loudly, but moves away from me.
"Good luck with that," she says under her breath, as she moves to her own station, picking up make up brushes randomly, and setting them back down again.
I sit down heavily on the soft armchair in front of the mirror, giving him a shy smile.
"I'm Alex," he says to me, he's standing behind my chair, looking at me in the mirror. His blue eyes sparkle brightly; the blue eyeliner around his eyes making them look massive and terrifyingly awake. "And I'm going to make you so beautiful, that even Janet is going to be jealous."
Who has that much energy at this time in the morning?
I hear Janet scoff at his remark but I don't look at her.

"But first... Would you like a coffee?"
I almost cry with joy.
"Oh yes please," I say, not hiding the desperation in my voice. He laughs and gives my shoulders a friendly squeeze. His hips swish in an oddly graceful manner, as he hurries to the other side of the room. I watch him in the mirror as he fixes two cups.
"Sugar?" He calls loudly.
"Just one please!" I say, my voice straining, trying to match his volume.
He sashays back over with two steaming cups.
"Thank you," I say gratefully, as he hands me mine. I take a big scolding sip and sigh loudly.
"That'll bring a bit of colour to your cheeks in no time!" He says confidently.

I'm a bit hesitant at first, but he manages to coax some conversation out of me. We chat amiably as he works on my face.
More girls start to file into the room, and within thirty minutes, the dressing room is bustling with activity. I smile politely at the girls I recognise. When Erica comes in, she looks at me, and does a double take.
"Lara! You look lovely!" She gushes, her brown eyes popping wide. I realise I haven't properly looked at myself in the mirror since Alex began his work. I take a good look now.
My skin is glowing and flawless, the evidence of my sleepless night has vanished. My eyebrows have been filled in, arching artfully, drawing attention to my eyes. Framed with long sweeping lashes, green eyes glow brightly back at me. I turn my head experimentally, my cheekbones defined and lightly blushed.
I hardly recognise myself. He's managed to make this transformation look natural somehow. I don't know what to say.

"Just wait until I've done her hair. She's going to look breathtaking!" Alex says proudly to Erica. Erica sits down at an empty table, looking at me in the mirror. I smile warmly back at her and wiggle my eyebrows.
"Now..." Alex says, stepping back and looking at my face and hair. His eyes linger on my throat, and an idea lights up his face. "We'll put your hair up. It would be a shame to hide such a lovely neck." I don't know how to respond, so I simply smile and keep quiet as he works away on my hair.

I shut my eyes and enjoy the feeling of my hair being constantly touched. His hands are soft and light and I'm suddenly trying to fight to keep myself awake. I open my eyes with a start and Alex laughs at me.
"I think someone needs another coffee..." he says it so quietly that I think he's talking to himself.
"Right. I'm done!" He says finally and with a flourish.
I look up at him and he motions for me to look in the mirror. I do as I'm told and I'm not disappointed with what I see.
He's curled my hair and pinned it up on the top of my head, a careful mass of gold and red. Some curls have been left loose at the front, framing my face. It's lovely work.
"Thank you," I say genuinely.
"My pleasure," he says shrugging casually, but I can tell he's proud of himself.

There's a loud knock on the door frame and Alanna pops her head in, her eyes searching the room and then coming to land on me.
"Come on," she says, "We need to get you in costume."
My legs are sore and stiff from sitting still so long, but I get up and quickly follow her out of the room.
It takes two people to get me into my dress and corset. It felt more like a military operation, rather than a small girl being dressed.
The corset was the worst part. Just when I thought it couldn't get any tighter, they pulled the laces in even further, forcing the air sharply out of my lungs.
"Jesus Christ," I gasp. They ignore my outburst, and carry on with their mission.

However, the finished look was exquisite.
I couldn't believe the creature I was looking at in the mirror was myself.
The dark green dress was floor length, the bodice elaborately embroidered with gold leaves and flowers. It made me look graceful, even though I wasn't moving. My already small waist looked ridiculously tiny, drawn in like a sharp V. The sleeves were long and billowing. The neckline of the dress curved enticingly around my shoulders, drawing attention to my neck and collarbones. I blushed as I noticed how far up my breasts had been pushed by the corset. Experimentally, I gave them a poke, they were rock hard. Wow.
If I was struggling to keep my eyes off them, then how were the men going to manage?
Because they're professionals Lara.
I gave myself a firm shake and turned away from my reflection.

It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't seen Henry yet. The thought of him made my already restricted stomach, squeeze even tighter. I wonder what he'll make of my costume. I'm torn between what would be worse; if he does indeed like it or if he thinks I look stupid. Stop this pointless fretting, I scold myself. I try to take a deep breath but I can barely suck anything in. Damn this contraption, I think, gritting my teeth.
I square my shoulders, stand as tall as possible, and leave the dressing room to join the rest of the cast.
Here goes nothing...