Free Never Mind The Botox: Rachel by Penny Avis Page B

asked.
    ‘Oh, you know, not bad − tight deadlines, lots to do, the usual,’ said Rachel.
    ‘Any good celebrity spots yet?’ Shali asked.
    ‘No, none, not even a sniff. Very disappointing. It seems like just the sort of place they’d go to. Anyway, I’ll keep at it.’
    ‘Summer party next week,’ said Shali.
    ‘Don’t remind me. Harry has just about agreed to come, under protest.’
    ‘I don’t have anyone to take yet,’ said Shali.
    ‘I thought you said you were spoilt for choice?’
    ‘Not as spoilt as I thought, it would seem. Ooh, I know, do you think your brother might come? I’m sure he’d enjoy a night out with us and he’d make great arm candy.’
    ‘Shali, my brother is not arm candy!’
    ‘Er, what I meant to say is that he’d be great company,’ said Shali quickly. ‘Anyway, would you ask him? Pretty please.’
    ‘Yes, okay, as it happens he could probably do with a great night out. He’s finding the whole new baby thing quite hard work.’
    ‘Ah bless,’ said Shali. ‘A night out would do him good.’
    Rachel hung up and rang Rowan. As she suspected he jumped at the chance. She rang Shali back.
    ‘All sorted,’ she said. ‘Rowan will come with you to the summer party.’
    ‘You star, thank you. I’m really looking forward to it,’ said Shali.
    Rachel wished she could say the same thing. At least Rowan would be there now. He could help her keep Harry in check.

Chapter 7
    A couple of days after the all-party meeting, Rachel headed out of Beau Street in the direction of the suit hire shop. The previous evening Harry had reluctantly allowed her to take his measurements so she could get him a black tie suit for the summer party. He hadn’t been exactly helpful as she did it, hardly standing still and continually asking if she’d finished. Her efforts to cheer him up while taking his inside leg measurement had had no effect at all. He’d decided the evening would be rubbish, he was grumpy about it and that was that.
    She entered the slightly musty smelling shop and a man with large glasses and a bulbous red nose appeared from the back.
    ‘Can I help you?’
    ‘Yes, I’d like to hire a man’s black tie suit, please,’ said Rachel.
    ‘We do prefer to fit them ourselves to make sure they’re right. Is the gentleman able to pop in?’
    ‘No, I’m afraid he isn’t, but I’ve taken all the measurements I think you’ll need.’
    Rachel took out the used envelope on which she’d written Harry’s measurements. The man looked at the random list of numbers suspiciously.
    ‘Do you know which is which?’
    ‘Oh yes,’ said Rachel. ‘I started at the top and worked down.’
    ‘Hmm, I see, so this is the chest measurement?’
    ‘Yes, that’s right.’
    The man looked at the envelope carefully and started going through the rails of jackets. He picked out a jacket and then looked again at the measurements.
    ‘Where did you measure the inside leg from?’ he asked.
    ‘Er, from the top of the inside of his leg, where else would I measure it from?’ Rachel felt herself starting to go red.
    ‘You’re meant to measure it from the crotch of a pair of trousers. If you measured right to the top of his leg, I’ll need to take a bit off this measurement otherwise his trousers will be too long. Are you sure that’s where you measured from?’ The man looked at her impatiently.
    Rachel suddenly wasn’t exactly sure where she’d measured from. She hadn’t been paying that much attention.
    ‘Yes, I think so, pretty much the top of his actual leg.’
    ‘Look, I’ll take an inch and a half off this measurement. That should be about right. But do ask the gentleman to check them, and if they’re not right, just bring them back.’
    ‘Great, thanks, I will,’ said Rachel, glad to get away.
    Later that evening when Harry came round, she showed him the suit.
    ‘Looks good, doesn’t it? What do you think?’
    ‘It’s a black tie suit, what do you expect me to say?’
    God,