Chapter 9

Ryan had arranged to meet Graham in central London at a shop to tell him why he would like Graham not to style Dave and Julia. Ryan was surprised that Graham had agreed to meet, as he'd expected him to flat out refuse. When Graham had asked why Ryan was so hung up on this, Ryan said he needed to tell him face to face. In reality it was because he knew he couldn't say – because I think I want to see you naked and touch your body parts. So, Graham had agreed.

Graham said he may still be with his client, so if Ryan could please let him know he'd arrived, then sort of fade into the background, that would be great. Ryan wasn't sure how he was going to do that, but he thought he'd pretend to be shopping a few metres away.

Ryan arrived at the shopping centre on Oxford Street. It had a first floor full of places to eat, and the ground floor had high street shops selling clothes, shoes, perfume and gadgets. A quick look told Ryan there was nothing for him there, he already owned all the latest Apple gadgets, and didn't really shop high street for clothes.

Slipping into the mid-range department store, he checked where Graham had said they were: womenswear, second floor.

The problem about blending into the background was about to get harder because Ryan wasn't sure how he'd fake buy a dress for someone when he knew less than nothing about women's clothes.

Graham was standing near a woman in her mid to late forties, dark hair with grey streaks, shoulder length. She wore a baggy hoodie and loose fitted leggings. She did, Ryan admitted, need some help with her look.

Ryan leaned against a wall a short distance away, pretending to look at a blouse.

Graham was saying, ‘If you want to really get out there, back into the dating game, rebuild your life, I think a new wardrobe and a new look will give you the confidence you need.'

‘This was a present from my girlfriends. They said I needed it. I think I'm better off doing what I did before.'

‘We talked about that,' Graham said carefully. ‘I'd like you to try on the dress I picked for you, please?'

‘I told the girls this wouldn't work. Don't get me wrong, I know you're trying to help. It's your job. But I'm not putting that dress on.'

‘Why not?'

She sniffed. ‘Because my legs aren't for dresses or skirts. They're not fit for public viewing.' She shook herself briefly, like a shiver ran down her spine.

Graham stepped closer, looking into her eyes. ‘Is that something somebody told you?'

‘Yeah. But it's true. Doesn't matter who said it.'

‘Was it your ex-husband who said it?'

‘What if it was? He was right.' She squeezed her thighs. ‘Thunder thighs. Noone wants to see these.'

‘You seem to have your ex-husband still in your head. I'm not a counsellor, but if you haven't, I would suggest you might want to talk to someone about that. But here, now, I want to tell you I can help you. Not with him being in your head, but with you dressing in ways to make the most of your assets.'

She laughed. ‘What are they?'

‘Your hair, your well-shaped face, beautiful blue eyes, you're well blessed up top, and your bottom is proportioned perfectly for your height. You have, what we call, a pear-shaped figure. Many women do. And there's so many clothes designed specifically for that.'

‘Blessed up top,' she said, giggling slightly, ‘you mean my tits?'

Graham nodded. ‘I don't use words like that about clients' bodies.'

‘Well, I have, so now you can.' She rolled her eyes. ‘He said he was a breast man, used to like them. But three kids and fifteen years later, they're not what they were.'

‘Fifteen years later, and nothing's what it was. Not clothes, a car, a computer, or anything. And if you consider you created three actual humans and carried them in your body, before giving birth to them, how can anyone expect you to look the same as fifteen years earlier?' Graham shook his head and pursed his lips, some men, really did have a lot to answer for. He turned to the client. ‘Which is why you need to be properly measured for a bra. This shop has a service and I always come here to use it. I should be on commission. I'm not by the way.' He held a cream dress with bright floral prints in the air. ‘Trust me, you'll look amazing in this.'

She took it, then left for the changing room.

He followed her. ‘I want you to see you have so much good about yourself. You shouldn't be hiding yourself away in baggy shapeless clothes. Maybe when you're slouching around at home, but not when you're out. And definitely not when you're out out.'

Shouting from the changing room, she said, ‘Did the girls tell you?'

‘Your friends told me a great deal. What specifically?'

‘They took me to a health spa as a birthday present, weekend with us four. They had day wear, swimwear, eveningwear, stuff to wear if we went for a walk in the grounds.' She left the changing room. ‘I packed three pairs of leggings, three hoodies and some vest tops for underneath.'

She looked as if she should be standing on the red carpet next to Ryan's mum. The dress wrapped across her breasts, crossing over, it was fitted on top, and baggier below, with a skirt that widened, with scalloped edges.

She walked to a mirror, put her hands over her mouth. ‘I can't believe it. What has it done to me?'

‘Didn't you look at the mirror in the cubicle?' Graham asked.

‘Not since twenty-ten, no.'

Ryan's heart squeezed for her.

She twirled; the skirt floated outwards. ‘How does it do it?' she asked Graham.

‘It's the cut. Do you want to try some casual stuff too?'

‘No. I'm going to live in this day and night.' She skipped back to the changing room. Shouting, ‘Maybe I'll try some casual stuff too.'

Graham exchanged a look with Ryan, then retrieved hangers of clothes he'd hidden behind a rail nearby. ‘As if by magic!' he said to Ryan quietly. ‘Meet you in the café, seventh floor, is that okay? I don't want her to know you've been watching, all right?'

‘Take your time.' Ryan left. And he didn't mind waiting, because he'd arrived early and had wanted to see Graham doing his thing. And, begrudgingly as it felt, he admitted to himself, Graham was very good at what he did. Not that Julia would need that level of confidence boosting, rebuilding after a shitty man had knocked everything out of her. But she would need to adjust to being seen with someone who wasn't Ryan's dad on her arm. To helping the man, she supposedly loved, get used to being photographed all the time, simply because he was married to Julia Lopez.

Ryan had been in the café for a short while when Graham arrived.

‘Sorry to make you wait. She arrived late, then rejected everything I suggested. Then refused to go in the changing rooms. Said she hated seeing herself in the mirror, particularly with the lights. That ex of hers has really done a number on her. Shouldn't be allowed. Knocking someone's confidence like that.'

‘Was she happy in the end?'

‘Armfuls of new clothes. Plus, I showed her how to shop for her shape. I have one more session with her, but she's going to buy some stuff herself first. I told her, she's not plus sized at all. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But she isn't. She's a fourteen to sixteen. Average sized British woman. And her ex made her hate herself. Her body. They saw a play of Moby Dick, one of their kids was in it. Guess what the husband said? This was while they were married.'

Ryan shrugged.

‘Didn't realise the play was about you.' Graham stared at Ryan. ‘Deadpan.'

‘What did she do?'

‘This was the worst part of the story: nothing. She did nothing. I told her any man who treats her like that doesn't deserve her. He divorced her. Not the other way round.'

‘People, eh?' Ryan said, rolling his eyes.

‘Sorry. Enough about me, how are you?'

Ryan could see his mum and Dave would benefit from Graham's expertise. Ryan shrugged. He wasn't here to talk about himself, he was here to discuss his mum and Dave.

‘Sam said you asked him to ask me if I could not do the personal shopper job for your mum's boyfriend. Is that about right?'

It sounded convoluted when he put it like that. ‘Yes.'

‘I never refuse a client, unless we can't get on, which is very rare. Your mum is delightful. So personable, charming. And Dave is very easy, I think he'll go along with whatever I suggest. He seems to want to make your mum happy. Which is adorable.'

‘It's all very fast. Dave and Mum. And I don't think he's right for her,' he blurted it out. If he didn't say it, he knew he'd back out and let Graham get his way. Which he mustn't do.

‘I thought they'd been dating for a year.'

‘I mean, relatively fast. For someone of their age.'

‘Isn't that ageist? Are you telling me your mum doesn't know what she wants after keeping this relationship secret for a year, deciding to come clean with her family, because she wants to marry the guy? Doesn't sound rushed to me.'

Ryan, unfortunately, agreed, so he changed tack. ‘This Dave, he's not right for her.'

‘Have you met him? He dotes on her. Held doors open, carried her bags, bought the drinks, she didn't lift a finger the whole time I was with them.'

‘He's used to that. Comes with the job.'

‘What?' Graham frowned.

‘He used to be Mum's driver. Took her to the TV studios.'

‘And?'

‘He's used to scraping and bowing around her. He doesn't know any different.'

‘I think you're searching for reasons to dislike him. Excuse me for prying, but can I ask, what's this really about?' Graham narrowed his eyes.

Money. And Marriage. Or the pointlessness of it, and any long-term relationships.Ryan sighed, rolled his eyes. ‘Can't you just walk away and let someone else do the job?' Ryan stared at him with as much pleading as he could manage without giving himself away.