Chapter 15

We had to stand around for an hour while we were questioned, and a million pictures were taken.

A tow-truck turned up. The driver told us we would need a forklift first. Siebel had to call a builder and her insurance agency. Most of the merchandise near the window was covered in glass and got stomped on while they worked out how to remove the Linger.

One of the ladies, who was called Penny, went and got us coffee, and we three girls sat down the back at Siebel’s counter and got to know each other. The lady who had been in the change room had left to pick up her kids before the coffee came. I didn’t get her name.

Penny did hair and nails, so I got told that I was to come to her shop once we were free to go, and she’d do my hair for my big date. We got bored watching them trying to get the Linger out of the window, so Siebel showed me a couple of dresses, and the girls got me to try them on.

They also repatched my leg, so I didn’t bleed on the dresses. They all agreed on the dark maroon dress. It was a knit, with three-quarter length sleeves and came halfway down to my knees. It showed a modest amount of cleavage and hugged my butt. The skirt was cut in at the thighs, and I deemed it sexy enough for my date.

The girls teamed the dress with a wide white belt and low-heeled evening shoes. Tracy found a short, nicely styled jacket, also in white and an evening bag. When I protested the bag was too small for my pistol, they rolled their eyes and let me select a slightly larger one.

We had a couple of tight words about the lingerie and garters versus stockings. The girls got me kitted out, and then they wished to inspect the items altogether. I got dressed as if I was going out.

Apparently, I passed muster. It did feel a bit weird to be wearing a dress, but even I knew that I did look good in the dress the girls had picked for me.

We finally got all of the items boxed up.

Siebel refused to let me pay for the clothes.

She said most of the clothes would be replaced by insurance, and it was sheer luck that the better clothes that fitted me were down the back of the store. I thanked them all for helping me. I didn’t have many female friends, so it was nice that they treated me like I was one of them.

We stopped at the florist’s on the way to Penny’s shop so I could send a big bunch of mixed flowers to Siebel to say thank you. Penny thought it was a lovely gesture and help me pick out the flowers.

I was then primped out by Penny and her girls. They did my fingernails with a dark red nail polish and commented on how hard my nails were. I then got a pedicure with matching nail polish, and the girls even did my make-up. I had let my hair grow a bit since I had posed as Danny, and it did need cutting and restyling.

I was a bit shocked by the new me that I saw in the mirror.

When I got home, I had a quick shower, being careful not to muss my hair or face.

I got dressed in the new clothes and headed out to the lounge. I’d heard James turn up, but I was running a bit late. Dad and James looked up, and both of them gaped at me. I looked down and made sure I hadn’t caught the skirt in my garters and looked back at them.

“What?” I asked.

“Damn,” they both said together, making me grin.

“So, do I scrub up okay?” I asked the obvious.

I wasn’t really fishing for compliments; I was just a tad nervous being in a dress and heels instead of shorts and boots. I wasn’t used to the draft up the skirt either.

James gulped while Dad said, “He is so fucked.”

I chuckled and walked up to James and put my arm through his, “I’m ready when you are.”

“Wait,” said Dad, and he rushed to find his tablet.

Dad took several pics of us before he finally let us get out of the house. I had to admit that James and I made a striking couple and that James looked kinda hot in his dove-grey suit.

To my amusement, his tie matched the colour of my dress. I think someone told him about the dress as James kept looking at me sideways as we headed to the restaurant he had chosen. I just don’t think he expected what I’d look like in one. I guess I had surprised him.

He knew enough about me that he knew a surf-and-turf restaurant would be my pick, so I was happy with his choice. He even came around and helped me out of the Linger, ever the gentleman, and we were soon seated in the restaurant with our drinks ordered.

“Did I spill something on myself?” I asked him after one long look, he gave me.

“No, I’m just a bit shell-shocked. You look amazing, Dusty,” he told me.

“You do know the whole precinct knows we have a date,” I told him.

“Yes, I got collared by a dozen people as to where we were going, and I got a lot of amazed expressions when I said it was our first date,” he told me with a big smile.

I chuckled at that comment. “So, we are the talk of the town,” I replied.