Free The Exciting Life by Karen Mason

Glass had lots of showbiz contacts and had
persuaded the actress Veronica Owen to wear a pair of Holland's
shoes to the premiere of her new film the following week. Veronica
Owen was the new big thing and was guaranteed to attract a lot of
attention. Annie had designed a couple of pairs for her, and
Eddie's dad had knocked up prototypes for Iris to model. But
because they'd been done in a hurry, one was in a size four instead
of a five, and pinched her toes as she paraded around Annie's salon
at the back of the building, while Annie and Veronica sat and
watched, oblivious of her suffering.
    ‘ The trouble with them ones,’ Veronica said in the strong
Lancashire accent that belied her porcelain doll features and
glossy red hair. ‘Is that they're a bit high. I'm not too good with
heels.’
    ‘ Go and change into the other pair will you' Iris?’ Annie asked
with a fake smile.
    Iris
turned and hobbled out of the salon, into the 'dressing room' which
had once been the broom cupboard when it was a hotel. On one of the
shelves was a 'Glass of Whitechapel' box and in there lay the other
shoes - a black court shoe with purple jewels running along the
side. Iris slipped them on and they were far more comfortable. The
heels were lower and they were a size five. She was glad it wasn’t
too warm today and she could wear a long sleeve blouse. Leo had got
quite rough the day before and she had bruises around her wrists
that were testament to it. She didn’t know how she was going to
explain it to Patrick. In fact, she didn’t want to think about the
two men at the same time. She felt slightly ashamed of what she’d
got up to the previous day and it tainted her relationship with
Patrick.
    She left
the changing room and walked into Annie’s salon. She almost wobbled
over in shock when she saw Patrick standing between Annie and
Veronica and sharing a joke. Iris subconsciously pulled her sleeves
even further over her hands.
    ‘ Hello Patrick,’ she said – he hadn’t even noticed
her.
    ‘ Hello Sweetheart,’ he smiled, coming over to her and kissing
her on the cheek. ‘You left a message with Stewie, saying you
wanted to talk to me about Bruno’s. I was in the area, so I thought
I’d drop in and talk to both of you.’ He looked at Veronica and
laughed. ‘I didn’t realise you had company.’
    ‘ Oh don’t mind me luv,’ Veronica said with a wave of the hand.
‘I’ve got to be at the Garrick in an hour. I’m just choosing me
shoes.’
    ‘ Why don’t you wait in my office Patrick?’ Annie suggested.
‘Iris will be with you in a while.’
    ‘ Will do.’
    He
kissed Iris once more and left the room. Iris could see the wonder
on Annie’s face as she tried to work out what he was up to. But she
didn’t say a word, just continued walking up and down in the room
that Annie had had decorated like some sort of tart’s boudoir; with
a chaise lounge, drapes and Turkish rugs.
    ‘ Aye they’re lovely,’ Veronica said. ‘I’ll take a
pair.’
    ‘ Fantastic!’ beamed Annie. ‘I’ll take your measurements and
we’ll get to work.’ She looked at Iris. ‘That’s all thanks Iris,’
she said. ‘Why don’t you go and see what Patrick wants?’
    Iris
almost felt like doing a little curtsey and walked out of the
salon, and as soon as the door was shut, she kicked the shoes off
and returned them to the dressing room, slipping into the ballet
pumps she liked to wear when she was working. Annie’s office was on
the next floor up. It was the only occupied room on the whole
floor, and Iris often wondered what the hell she expected to do
with the rest of the space.
    Patrick
was sitting on the window-sill, looking out at the back of Regent
Street, and the unglamorous back yards containing discarded
cardboard boxes and massive dustbins – the part visitors to London
never saw.
    ‘ I didn’t realise Veronica Owen was common like that,’ he said,
standing up.
    ‘ It astounds me how she hasn’t been made to go to