Chapter Four – If Somethings to Good to be True…

Three o’clock rang through the store on the old grandfather clock near the entrance, Stephen was settled in one of the arm chairs with a book, Clara was reading the same series but a few ahead of him. Danielle skipped into the front from the backroom, a giant cup of tea in her hand as she yawned and stretched out her arms.
Stephen got up and joined them at the desk. “Danielle, have you been asleep this whole time?”
Danielle looked at Clara for support. “Noooooo, I was…doing paperwork”.
Clara intervened. “Danielle needs her lunchtime nap after she eats, or she gets grouchy”.
Danielle whined. “Clara don’t tell him that”. She turned to Stephen. “I just get sleepy after I eat and there’s not a lot to do and…” Stephen looked at her, eyebrows raised. “Ok, you caught me, I like sleeping, sue me”. She stuck her tongue out and sat beside Clara at the desk. “So, what’s the plan, we shopping or you gonna go with what you’ve got?”.
Clara jokingly twiddled her thumbs as she thought . “Erm, ahhh, well, I don’t know…Shopping! lets go shopping”.
Danielle jumped up excitedly. “Goodie, right I’ll lock everything away, you change the sign and clean up and Stephen…stand and look pretty”.
Stephen laughed. “Aye aye captain”.
Danielle emptied the till and logged the sales for the day before heading out back to the safe, Clara turned the sign to closed and began cleaning up and re-organizing the books.
Clara called over to Stephen while she put away the books that had been left out. “So how was your day at work?”
Stephen laughed. “Well, I can honestly say its been the easiest, most enjoyable day of my life, and this book you recommended, I love it! I mean, I’m gonna have to buy the series if you don’t mind adding it to the sales”.
Danielle came back into the room. “Rubbish, you helped us out today, just take it. Think of it as payment and help yourself to the rest of the series”. Clara went to collect the rest of the books.
Stephen looked shocked. “Are you sure? I’ve honestly had a great day. I’d be more than happy to help support the store”.
Clara handed him the books while she got him a bag. “Whatever the boss says goes. Trust me, you won’t win”. She winked at him.
Stephen smiled. “Well thank you both, and if you’re all done with my services I’ll make my way home and probably be up all night reading these”. He shook the bag and made his way to the door. “Thanks again girls, call me anytime, well, apart from tonight. I’ve got a lot of reading to do”. He waved as he left. Clara and Danielle followed shortly after.

Danielle locked up the store then turned to Clara. “So where do you wanna start? Shoes, dresses, lingerie?”
Clara turned wide eyed. “Lingerie? Isn’t that getting a little ahead of myself, I mean I only just met the guy. I don’t wanna jump straight into bed with him”.
Danielle looked puzzled. “Why not? He’s hot”.
Clara burst out laughing. “See, this is why you attract the creeps”.
Danielle thought for a moment. “You know, you could be onto something there, but I want to feel sexy again seeing as two guys have flirted with you in two days and I didn’t even get my stalker eyeing me up”.
Clara laughed again and pushed Danielle towards the shopping center. “That first guy was probably interested but you hid under the desk, what did you expect him to do?”
Danielle looked at her like it was obvious. “Jump under the desk and have his wicked way with me of course, that’s what I would have done”.
“Again, this is why you attract the creeps”. Clara prodded her.
Danielle rolled her eyes. “We’ll address my problems later, sooo, do I get sexy undies or not?”
Clara sighed in defeat. “Fine, yeah I’ll buy you one piece of underwear”.
Danielle made puppy eyes. “Sexy lingerie two-piece set?”
Clara rolled her eyes. “Alright, alright, ONE, two-piece lingerie set. I really need to learn how to say no to you”.
Danielle circled behind Clara and began pushing her along. “That’s a no on that one, otherwise I won’t be able to get what I want, now scoot, scoot, we’ve got shopping to do”.

Over two hours passed. Clara had bought two new dresses, three new tops, some jeans, new boots and against her better judgement a leather and lace corset. Meanwhile Danielle went all out and bought a lace thong and bra set, a leather corset, a short skirt, and more lingerie than one woman could wear in a lifetime.
“I still can’t get over how much you spent on lingerie”. Clara chuckled as they left the last shop to head home.
Danielle was ecstatic about her purchases as she skipped out of the store. “What can I say, I know what I like and there was a hell of a lot that I liked. To be fair, there was other stuff I wanted as well that I didn’t get, so least I have as little self-control”.
Clara laughed again. “Yeah, but only because the price tags weren’t so little, I mean does anyone seriously pay that much for so little material?”
Danielle put on a posh accent. “Ah well you see my dear, it’s all about the quality and this masterpiece leaves nothing to the imagination. It’s connected by pieces of curtain torn straight from the Royal Albert hall and did I mention it’s hand crafted by the finest minimum wage workers and takes at least an hour to make, therefore the two hundred and forty nine pounds and ninety nine pence is actually quite the bargain”. Clara could not help but laugh as Danielle continued her impression of the saleswoman. “So, madam, would you like it gift wrapped for only a mere twenty pounds more?” She gestured towards Clara to respond.
“Oh, I’m playing you?” Clara cleared her throat. “Well, as much as it’s a fabulous piece of dental floss I’m afraid I must decline as it’s a little out of my price range at the moment”.
Danielle looked shocked. “My goodness, this is out of your price range? Why it’s one of our cheapest items! What are the likes of you even doing in our establishment? We don’t do charity here! Shoo. Shoo, out with you before you poison the atmosphere. The very nerve of you thinking you belong here!” Danielle shooed Clara forward as Clara got caught up in laughing.
Clara calmed herself before responding “Oh come on, she wasn’t that bad”.
Danielle laughed. “Ok maybe she didn’t shoo us out, but you saw her reaction when I said it was overpriced considering what it was, I thought she was going to call security or stab me and post me in the window as a warning”.
Clara coughed in shock. “Jesus, that got dark fast, got some demons you need help with?”
Danielle looked at her blankly. “What? Oh, come on, she was a right bitch, but anyway at least we found all of this in that last store at a tenth of the price, and most of it’s much nicer too”. She hugged her bags to her chest and breathed deeply. “Ahhhh I love the smell of fresh shopping in the evening”.
Clara laughed again. “You’re so weird”.
Danielle responded cheerfully. “But you love me”. She hugged Clara tightly almost hitting her in the face with the all the bags.

They made their way home to try on their new clothes or in Danielle’s case model her new lingerie collection. Clara tried on her tops and jeans combos before trying the two dresses with some of her own clothing and makeup to decide what she was going to wear. While Clara repeatedly changed her makeup to match her dresses Danielle jumped in and out of all her lingerie, posing in the mirror next to Clara in attempts to gain her attention.
Clara sighed after the fourth attempt. “Yesssss you look amazing in that one as well, now come on, come help me already, I’ve redone my makeup like three times already”.
Danielle pouted. “Fine, let me get something less distracting on then, if I keep seeing myself in the mirror looking as good as this I’ll never get anything done”. She slid back into the bedroom to change as Clara cleaned off her makeup for the fourth time.

Clara was in the middle of applying eyeliner when Danielle returned wearing the leather corset and lace underwear. Clara raised her eyebrow at the in the mirror.
Danielle shrugged “What? We always share our stuff. Besides, like you said, you don’t want to get him into bed on the first night”. She posed in front of the mirror, checking herself out. “Now, stop what you’re doing before you wreck it again”.
Clara handed over the brush and turned towards Danielle so she could take over. After a long period of orders from Danielle, multiple brushes and colours and a lot hair pulling and spraying Danielle backed away, double checked her work, gave a few quick sprays, then smiled. “You…look…gorgeous”.
Clara’s long dark green leather boots reached up to her knees flowing perfectly with her green velvet dress with a slit up both sides, a V neck plunge joined to a thin black lace covering that fell loosely down her arms from the shoulder. Her makeup was perfect with a glimmering green eye shadow and thin black cat eyeliner. Danielle had styled her hair to fall gracefully down her back and shoulders, accentuating the full natural beauty of her hair and keeping the vibrant red colour alive.
Danielle watched Clara gazing at herself in the mirror. “Well, are you ready?”
Clara turned to look at Danielle. “Yes, yes and a thousand times yes, I think you may need to reconsider what you do for work”.
Danielle flicked her hair back and blew her a kiss. “Thanks gorgeous, but we both know you couldn’t afford me if I went professional”. Danielle winked at Clara.
Clara shook her head. “I hope you never change”. Danielle returned a smile. “So, how long do I have before he arrives? I can’t fit my phone anywhere on this dress”.
Danielle glanced down at herself. “You think I can in this corset, I think I’m going to struggle to stand to be honest. I may have tied it a little tight”.
Clara laughed and shook her head as she went to collect her phone from the sofa. The time pinged on her screen, it read 07:27, relief swept through Clara as she sat down on the sofa and Danielle struggled back to her feet to join her.
Danielle dropped down beside her and loosened the cords of the corset gasping, with relief. “Sooooo what’s your plan for tonight?”
Clara thought for a second. “I think I’ll just see how things go, maybe arrange for another date if it doesn’t end in disaster and see where things lead”.
Danielle yawned. “You and your romance, still say you should bring him home, show off that corset and he’ll be at your mercy. You can be exclusive, wed him or whatever it is you want from him, blood maybe?”
Clara looked at her in complete dismay. “What the hell goes on in that head of yours?”
Danielle shrugged. “I get bored easily. Anyway I’m going to put on something more casual. I’ve been outshined by you enough this week I may as well look the part of the disappointed roommate with nothing to do”. Danielle winked as she went back to her room.
Clara shook her head. “You can always join us if you’d like, nothing says romance like a surprise third wheel”.
Danielle called back. “I may be desperate but don’t make me a crazy cat lady just yet”.

Clara checked her phone again. It read 07:55. She was nervously tapping her foot. “Where is he?”.
Danielle called from her room. “What?”
Clara got up and went into Danielle’s room. She had changed into a long t-shirt and pj shorts and was in the middle of painting her toenails.
“You’re doing your nails? At nearly eight at night?”
Danielle looked up. “Yeah, why not? Am I not allowed to look attractive for myself, it’s not like anyone else cares to look”. She dramatically flopped onto her bed.
Clara sat on the end of her bed. “Well, its nearly eight and he’s not here yet, do you think he’s got lost, or not coming or maybe he realised how skittish I was?”
Danielle sat up. “Maybe he’s being fashionably late or fashionably on time, he’s still got like…” Danielle reached for her phone. “Two minutes”.
Clara groaned loudly. “Eurghhh I just hate waiting and not knowing. Why the hell didn’t I get his num….” A loud buzz interrupted Clara mid-sentence. They both shot up off the bed and ran to the door. Clara hit the intercom. “Hello?”
A voice chimed through the intercom. “Hi, its Jacob, I’m here to pick up Clara?”
Clara paused in panic while Danielle stared at her waiting for her to reply. The intercom crackled again as Jacob spoke. “Hello? Sorry I might have the wrong room”.
Danielle pushed Clara a little harder than she’d planned causing her to fall onto the button of the intercom. “Ow! what th…Shit, hi sorry yes it’s me, I’ll be right down”.
Danielle began giggling excitedly. “Well, I hope you’re going to be as chilled as that on the actual date because that was smooooth girl”.
Clara gave her a dirty look. “Shut up, I panicked ok, I’ll be fine”.
Danielle waved her hands. “Oooo hot guy said hello, quick, call the army we’re under attack”.
Clara viciously pointed a finger into Danielle’s face as if she was about to say something important. “Shut up”. Was all she managed as Danielle laughed at her and hugged her tightly.
Danielle released her from her grip and turned her towards the door. “Go get him tiger”. Clara was about to leave before Danielle grabbed her arm. “Wait you’ll need this too”. She disappeared back to her room and brought back a small green leather bag. “Take this too, that dress doesn’t exactly have pockets or anything and with that V cut you’re not gonna be able to store it in your bra”. She winked as she handed it over.
Clara laughed as she took the bag and placed her phone and purse inside. “Thanks Mom”.
Danielle chuckled. “You’re welcome hunnie, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do”.
Clara took in a deep breath and exhaled as she left for her date.