Fire by Deborah Challinor Read Free Book Online

beneath her.
    On the first floor she saw that Allie was already there, and made a quick detour across the ladies’ dress department.
    ‘Hi, Allie.’
    ‘Hi, Irene. Busy day ahead?’
    Irene nodded. ‘Huge pile of typing waiting for me, as usual.’
    ‘At least you can sit down all day.’
    ‘Yes, but in ten years’ time my backside will be twice the size of yours,’ Irene said, sounding as though she really didn’t find the notion amusing at all. ‘See you at morning tea, then, eh?’
    She was walking away when Allie blurted, ‘I’m going out with someone tomorrow night. What do you think I should I wear?’
    Irene stopped in her tracks and turned back, her eyebrows raised in delight. ‘Well, that’s interesting news, isn’t it?’ she said, knowing that Allie hadn’t been out on a date for ages. ‘Who’s the lucky bloke?’
    ‘It’s that Sonny Manaia. You know, the one—’
    ‘—who’s been ogling you for the past fortnight in the caf? Really? When did he ask?’
    ‘Yesterday afternoon. In front of Miss Willow and everything. I nearly died.’
    ‘I told you he was a smooth one!’ Irene said gleefully, pleased that her assessment of Sonny Manaia had been accurate. ‘Where’s he taking you?’
    ‘To the pictures.’
    Irene crossed her arms and frowned in mock concentration. ‘Well, let’s see. How far are you planning to let him go?’
    Embarrassed, Allie exclaimed, ‘I’m not planning to let him go anywhere! It’s only the flicks, and it’s a cowboy film. High Noon , apparently.’
    ‘Gary Cooper, though,’ Irene said appreciatively. ‘That’ll get you hot under the collar.’
    Allie laughed. ‘I doubt it. Gary Cooper’s not my type.’
    ‘Ah, but Sonny Manaia is?’
    ‘Actually, yes,’ Allie admitted, feeling herself reddening.
    ‘In that case, wear something a bit special. What have you got?’
    ‘Well,’ Allie said, ‘there’s my good dress, the claret nylon, and a satin skirt, but they’d be too flash just for the pictures. I’ve got a few other skirts, though, and I’ve just finished paying off my new pale pink crêpe de chine blouse. I could wear it with my cream skirt. What about that?’
    ‘Pencil or full?’
    ‘The skirt? Full.’
    ‘No, you’ll look like Doris Day.’
    Allie frowned. ‘My navy cotton shirtwaister?’
    Irene looked as though Allie had just suggested wearing her father’s winter pyjamas. ‘You’ve got a pencil skirt, haven’t you, a dark one?’
    ‘A grey one. It’s a bit tight, though.’
    ‘Sounds just the thing. You can borrow my kingfisher blue sweater to go with it, if you like. It’s snug on me so it should fit you perfectly.’
    Allie glanced at Irene’s generous breasts, then down at her own rather more modest ones, and they both laughed.
    ‘And my black heels?’ Allie added.
    Irene nodded enthusiastically. ‘To put just enough wiggle in your walk. I’ll bring the sweater in tomorrow.’ Then, sounding thoughtful, she asked, ‘Are you going out at lunchtime today? No? Good, we’ll grab something to eat, then have a bit of a practice with your make-up. How does that sound?’
    It sounded like an excellent idea to Allie, who seldomwore much more than lipstick and a quick dusting of face powder.
    Irene felt very pleased with herself. If she couldn’t get dressed up and go out with someone exciting, then at least she could help Allie do it. And Allie really was rather pretty, with her gold-blonde hair, big cornflower eyes and turned-up nose, though in Irene’s opinion she never did much to enhance her looks. Not that she could at work, because Dunbar & Jones salesgirls weren’t allowed to wear much make-up, not even on the cosmetics counter. Still, Allie could at least get rid of that awful tangerine lipstick that made her skin look so sallow and try something a little more…sophisticated.
    Irene waved out to Louise as she dashed past lingerie then skipped onto the escalator, resisting the temptation to take the moving