BUTTERFLIES FLY AWAY (20 page)

“I’m looking forward to it Carrie”

They spoke a little more before finally hanging up.

This was crazy.  What had she agreed to
tomorrow?

After her call with Nico she phoned home and spoke
with her Mum. 

“How did everything go?  Is Claire okay?”

“Claire is so happy with the move.  Harry has
been playing in the garden with his new toys.  Your neighbour at number
ten has already been over to set up a play date with their kids and
Harry.  This is just what Claire has needed.  Some neighbourly
spirit.  She was never going to quite experience it like this living in a
flat.”

“I’m glad Mum, really I am”

“The new room for the babies is lovely Carrie, you
decorated it so well. We’ve swapped the beds around in the guest room. 
Your old one is now stored in the garage and Claire will be using her own
bed.  Especially with her pregnancy.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, Mum it makes sense to do that, better for them
to sleep in their own bed.  I hope she hasn’t been overdoing things”

“I have left her with her feet up and a promise not
to do anything else until tomorrow.  Having a well-deserved break but you
know before long she will be up and about, not happy until every box has been
unpacked or stored away!  I’ve warned Ryan to keep an eye on her not that
it will do much good”

“I think when I am back home I will have a battle on
my hands trying to stop her over doing things”

“Your sister has a stubborn streak”

“Yes, she does Mum, I wonder where she gets that
from?”

“Oh it will be from your father’s side of the
family, she is as stubborn as your Nana Reynolds!”

Carrie laughed for Claire was very like their mother
in temperament but also like their Nana.

“How is Nana?”

“She is fine.  I thought we could all go and
visit when you are home, it must be a while since you saw her.”

“I saw her last month; I’ve had time to visit during
the week whilst I’ve been off work but it will be nice to see her when I get
home.”

“Oh that’s good; you know she loves a visit from the
family”

“Well there are certainly enough of us!”

“Yes there are 8 children not to mention wives,
husbands, grand-children and even great-grandchildren.  The Reynolds
family have left their mark on the planet!”

“Has Dad signed the retirement papers yet?”

It had been on hold for so long now that Carrie
wondered if her Dad could let go of the practice he had built up. 

“I know he has a meeting at the lawyers next week
and they will be going over the offer again.  But I think it’s the right
time for your Dad now Carrie.  I even picked up a few brochures from the
travel agent for a cruise.  I left some in his study too so he can’t
escape looking at them!”

“Oh Mum, you know Dad will be happy with wherever
you book.  A cruise will be lovely.”

“Well I’ve circled some suggestions and left a
brochure open at one I like.  I can’t book anything until I know when he
is definitely retiring.  I would like to get the holiday booked soon if
not for the retirement at least as part of your father’s birthday.  So
let’s wait and see what he decides to do.”

They finished their call with Carrie promising to
phone again in a few days.  Cowardly she had not mentioned a word about
Nico.  She didn’t think her Mum would understand might even think it too
soon or a betrayal of Rob.  Carrie didn’t want a confrontation with her
Mum at that precise moment.  There would be plenty of time to tell her
when she got home.  It wasn’t like she was going to see Nico after she
left the Cape.  They moved in very different circles as she had already
told him.

When Carrie woke it was slightly after six. 
She dressed and went for her usual normal pre-breakfast walk along the beach.
It was a nice way to start the day and one that Carrie would miss on her
return.  No sign of Beau or Jay in the absence of Nico. 

Back at the Inn the doors to the parlour were closed
over.  White sheeting added to the glass panels behind the double doors
shielding the room from anyone passing by.  A notice had been added that
the room would be closed but that guests could use the garden room for
refreshments as usual.  Walking back from the beach she noticed that a
white van had been parked outside the inn and large steel boxes were being
rolled into the parlour.  What had Nico planned?  She retreated to
the breakfast room for some much needed coffee.

It was a day for sustenance and she ordered cinnamon
French toast and bacon.  The staff brought her a large pot of coffee and
some toast to begin with, already knowing her morning preference.  She
browsed the paper and her attention was drawn to the article on the upcoming
chamber of commerce dance.

“Tonight the best of the Cape will be out in force
to lend their support for the chamber of commerce dance.  This year the
event will be hosted by the Devanti family so expect the good and the gorgeous
to be out in force.  Remember it’s all for a good cause and we will be
returning in the next edition with an update from Monique Tremont on her new
home.  We will also have a full fashion review of what was hot and what
was not!”

Yikes.  How was that for a warning?  Hot
or Not?

Her appetite had now gone.

She closed the newspaper and returned to finishing
the pot of coffee.

Time to retreat back to her bedroom and to try to
think of an excuse to back out of this evening’s festivities.  She didn’t
think she was ready to be in the spotlight; who was she trying to kid. 

Walking through the hallway, the parlour doors where
still blacked out but there was a hub of activity as various people began to
assemble.  Panicking she headed back to her room.  She was having
flashbacks when she was in Newquay and had to leave the beauty salon when she
panicked.  Back in her room, she lay on the bed and tried to even her
breathing.  Breathing slowly in and out she began to calm down.  Her
body relaxed and she fell asleep.

A knock on the door awoke her from her slumber. 
There again a rap on the door.  She looked at her wrist watch it was
11.15am.  She had slept for two hours!

“Just a minute,” she called out.  It must be
housekeeping. 

She opened the door, knowing her hair was in a
tumble around her face and she probably had crease marks from the pillow.

“Oh Hello,” it wasn’t housekeeping.  A young
woman, mid 20’s in age Carrie guessed.  Not the familiar sight of the
Captains Rest Inn staff uniform.  Petite in build with short brown hair
that framed her face and she could see subtle highlights of red that caught the
light.  She wore thick black oversized glasses that were assessing Carrie
she was sure from head to toe.

“Hi, I’m Robin, you must be Carrie.” Dumbstruck
Carrie nodded.

“I am Nico’s assistant.  He asked me to give
you this”

She must think I am a complete idiot as Carrie could
only nod again and took the envelope from her hand.

The envelope contained a large white card.  A
gold letter D embossed on the front which she opened to reveal the handwritten
note.

“Carrie,

 I would be delighted if you would
join me this evening. 

I have arranged with the help of Robin
for your every whim to be taken care of today. 

The team will help you select a dress,
shoes, bag, everything that you may need and if it’s not there let Robin
know.  She will take care of it.

Robin has assured me the best team will
be there for your hair and make-up too.

Terri is in full support of using the
Inn for your day so don’t worry about that.

Enjoy every minute and call me if you
need anything.  Anything at all.

Nico X”

“Wow,” she said aloud.  The first words that
Robin heard her mutter.  He put a X on his note.  The first X in
their communication.  The she re-read the note again aware that Robin was
waiting in the hallway.

“Sorry, let’s start again.” She apologised.

“That was very rude of me.  I’m Carrie,” she
said holding out a hand.  “Nice to meet you Robin”

Robin summed her up in those few minutes and guessed
her boss had made the right choice, this time.

“Hi” she returned, “I’m Robin, delighted to meet
you.”

“Great, can you give me a minute just to get my
phone?  Come on into the room, excuse the mess, housekeeping haven’t been
yet.”

Robin stepped into the room.  What mess? 
Apart from an unmade bed the room was tidy.  She had left her apartment
that morning in a far worse condition.

“Oh look at the state of me.  I’m surprised I
didn’t scare you away!”  She said as she caught sight of her
reflection.  She put the card from Nico securely away in a drawer out of
sight.

“I’m just going to tidy myself up before I meet
anyone, if that’s okay?”

“Carrie, this is your day, the clock isn’t
running.  We have until 7.45pm when Jay will be collecting you.”

“Thanks, I won’t be long.”

Within five minutes Carrie had changed into a long
sleeve shirt over a pair of leggings and black ballet pumps.  She tied her
hair back in a pony and managed to brush her teeth.  Phew.

“That’s me”

She picked up her phone, surprising Robin
again.  She had expected still to be in the room waiting on her boss’s new
friend for a lot longer.

“Great, let’s get started.” 

They walked downstairs to the parlour and Carrie
passed one of the house keeping staff.

“Sorry, Rona, my room is ready whenever you are; I
hope I haven’t kept you back today.”

“Hi Carrie, no problem, thanks for letting me
know.  Heading over there now.”

Surprise number three for Robin.  Talking with
the owner of the Inn earlier Robin had surmised that Carrie was well thought of
for a guest and now Carrie was chatting away with the staff.  She was very
down to earth and her opinion was growing the more time she spent with her.

They stopped in front of the parlour. 

Carrie held her breath and Robin found herself doing
the same.

“Are you ready?”

Carrie nodded and Robin opened the double doors.

Carrie gasped.  The room was transformed. 
Although it was still the parlour where she had enjoyed hot chocolate and
cookies a few cosmetic changes had been made to alter the room to a
salon.  Yards and yards of white chiffon were draped across the doorway
for privacy.  The aroma of a beautiful large bouquet of white roses and
gardenias greeted her along with several scented candles.   White
panels were positioned blocking off the room into separate areas.  A large
rack had a multitude of dresses hanging along with a table which had shoes and
bags which normally she would be salivating over.  There was a beauticians
table set up with an assortment of nail varnish and equipment for a
pedicure.  The next table a mirror hung next to a hair dressing station. 
She counted five people excluding Robin.

“Oh My” Doris Day strikes again. 

“This is amazing.  Thank you everyone for
taking the time to do this today.”

Robin sensing that Carrie was beginning to feel
overwhelmed took over.

“As you know everyone, Carrie needs to be ready for
19.45hrs.  Its 11.30am now.  Let’s get started.  We’ve a lot to
get through.  Carrie are you ready to shop?”

Carrie nodded her head.

“Let’s have a look at some of the dresses and we can
work your hair and make-up around that.”  Robin guided her over to the
clothes rail.

“Okay, sounds great”

Beautiful dresses in a multitude of fabrics and
colours greeted her.  She ran her hand over the edge.

“I don’t know where to start” she confessed.

“That’s okay Carrie, that’s why everyone is here for
you today.”

“Hi Carrie, I’m D’von, that’s D’von without an E,”
he spelled, “And I will be showing off your best assets!  Let’s look
through what you like and what you don’t like on offer” Carries eyes followed
the voice that boomed across the room. 

“Hello D’von, nice to meet you”

D’von was very sharply dressed.  Tailored
trousers, a white shirt rolled up and bright red braces.  His hair closely
shaven to perfection along with his trimmed goatee beard.  He shook her
hand which felt tiny in his palm.

“We are going to make you look POW!”

With his help slowly Carrie began to relax and
discarded the dresses that she felt were too short or that didn’t suit her body
type. 

“Mmm, I understand, you have a tiny waist, knock out
legs but we don’t want your Ta-Ta’s out on show!”

Carrie began to laugh.  Her Ta-Ta’s wobbled too
as she laughed.  It broke the ice in the room.

“No we can’t have that, it just wouldn’t do”

Thirty minutes later they were ready to start trying
on some dresses.  Carrie found it difficult to stick to the brief as most
of the dresses she liked were less formal for the occasion but just as
stunning.  D’von joined by Robin and some of the team insisted she try
them on.  Egged on her confidence growing she tried on a beautiful silk
Balmain designer halter neck dress in soft shades of grey and pink.  The
dress was fitted at the waist with a front split that made her legs go on
forever.  She picked up a pair of strappy black heels to try on with the
dress.  A curtained area had been sectioned from the room offering her the
privacy to change.  D’von helped her with the side zip.  Pulled her
hair from the pony tail and told her to shake her head to give the hair volume.

“Come on Carrie, show them what you got” He
encouraged.

“Wow, that’s beautiful Carrie,”

“Yes it is a lovely dress Robin, even the Ta-Ta’s
are hidden!  But I don’t think its right for tonight”

“I agree, shame though!”

The dress was added to the reluctant discarded
pile.  Carrie pulled on a dressing robe and returned to reviewing the
dresses with D’von.

Time for dress number two.

A Dolce and Gabbana gold lace mini dress.  It
was fabulous, sexy but for Carrie too short.  This she tried on with black
lace and suede pumps. 

A wolf whistle sounded.

“I love it D’von but again it’s a bit short for me.”

“Carrie your legs look amazing in that dress” But
sadly it too joined the discarded pile.

Dress number three had a similar response to number
two.   It was too short.

It was a vibrant fuchsia colour Marchesa mini dress
with lots of embellished jewelled beads and crystals on the neckline. 

“Hold it there Carrie, I have just the dress”

Carrie was beginning to panic none of the dresses
seemed suitable enough although they were all lovely in their own unique
way.  She was tempted to buy them herself but didn’t think she would have
much use back home for them.

She stood in the little changing area waiting for
D’von to return and overheard a couple of the team talking.

“She’s different, not like that Lea bitch ordering
us all around!  Dropping clothes everywhere, fix my hair, fix my
make-up.  Fix it or get fired!  Where is my coffee?  Get me my
coffee.  Ya ya ya.  Enough already.”

“Yeah, glad that one’s been kicked to the
curb.  Who knows how long this one will last?”

“Yeah who knows?  At least she isn’t bossing us
around to get her some coffee!”

Their chat pierced through Carrie.  So Nico had
done this before?  Was this part of his seduction routine?  Send in
the ‘Pretty Woman’ team?  She had felt like a character in a movie. 
Transformed from plain to pretty well she wasn’t going to class herself as a
prostitute if she was true to the story!

She discarded the robe and put on her clothes. 
Fury raging through her.  She pulled aside the curtain to the back of the
room and made a quick exit.  Walked through the back of the parlour away
from everyone behind the partition and out onto the veranda. 

As Carrie marched into the gardens of the Inn, D’von
pulled back the curtain at the changing area.

“I have found
the
most perfect dress for you
Carrie.  You are going to love it!.. What?  Where are you?”  He
was still holding the dress when he returned to the open area.

“Where did Carrie go?”

Robin was working on her laptop and looked up. 
“What?  I thought she was waiting for you in the changing room?  She
didn’t come back out here” They searched but Carrie was not in the room.