Excess All Areas (5 page)

‘
Sorry about that. Go on, I have about fifteen minutes before I have to speak again,’ Emma said, sinking into her seat and turning to her friend.

‘
Well, I thought I would have some of those gorgeous rolls from the bakery for breakfast and just as I was leaving, this forty something Miss Moneypenny, only American not English, starts offering me money for them. I think she got up to two hundred Euros at one point,’ Freya started to explain.

‘
What? For some rolls? What happened?’ Emma asked, intrigued.

‘
Turns out she’s something to do with Nicholas Kaden. They were
his
rolls,’ Freya continued.

‘
Oh my God! Nicholas Kaden’s secretary or something and you spoke to her!’ Emma exclaimed in awe.

‘
I didn’t just speak to her. I gave her a piece of my mind,’ Freya told her.

‘
You mean you didn’t sell the rolls! Not even for two hundred Euros?’ Emma said in disbelief.

‘
No I didn’t. It was the principle of the thing. They were mine and I bought them, end of. I’m not having someone with a super-sized ego dictating to me. I had enough of that with my father,’ Freya announced, screwing up her face as she cast her mind back.

‘
Well good for you, but I think I would have been tempted to exchange them for an autograph or something,’ Emma told her.

‘
Oh please! You’re as bad as those people taking photos of him last night,’ Freya replied.

‘
Now that’s something you could have bargained with. You could have suggested a session to photograph him,’ Emma said.

‘
I can think of a hundred and one people I’d rather photograph - at least. What is the hype with this guy? A couple of his films are OK-ish but he’s nothing special. Easy on the eye I admit, but hardly Bruce Willis,’ Freya spoke.

‘
Well I think it’s the fact that Kassiopi doesn’t get Hollywood actors visiting very often and the film he’s shooting is set predominately on mainland Greece, so he’s only here for a month or so. As for people going crazy over him, you have to admit he is totty,’ Emma said with a giggle.

‘
I’ll tell Yiannis you said that. If I ever get to see him that is,’ Freya remarked.

‘
You’re going to see him tonight because its his night off and he’s booking us a table at Banas, the table you like best where you get the best view of the sunset. I’ve decided tonight’s going to be your thirtieth birthday all over again and hopefully it will be a lot more successful than yesterday’s,’ Emma announced excitedly.

‘
That sounds fantastic,’ Freya admitted with a smile.

‘
So all we need to do now is fix you up with some outfits,’ Emma told her.

‘
Mmm, can’t see Corfu Town having an Evans but we’ll give it a go,’ Freya responded as enthusiastically as possible.

When they arrived in Corfu Town it was already busy and the temperature had risen dramatically during their journey southward. Freya decided that a sun hat was another essential item she should purchase, together with some sunscreen of at least factor fifteen. She had quite fair skin and although she loved being in the sun it didn’t always love her.

Emma had already given her instructions for her coach party to be back on board no later than 2.00pm and that gave everyone four and a half hours in the island’s capital.

As Emma helped some of her party with directions Freya looked across at the Paleo Linmani (the old fort) and remembered her first visit to Corfu Town. She had been impressed by the architecture, the buzz in the town and the way the whole place was magnificent without appearing boastful. She had taken lots of black and white shots that holiday, of the two forts, the Venetian style buildings and Emma larking about in front of all of them. She still had the picture of the view from the top of the old fort hanging in her hallway at home.

‘
Come on daydreamer, we’ve got shopping to do,’ Emma said, breaking Freya’s thoughts and linking arms with her.

The two women strolled through the streets laughing and recapturing their youth, remembering the times they had spent drinking too much and making fools of themselves.

‘
Remember that awful waiter who kept being rude to us because we couldn’t stop laughing?’ Emma asked Freya as they walked.

‘
Because he thought we were laughing at his stupid moustache - which of course we were,’ Freya answered.

‘
But we were his customers and he should have remembered that and we might have left him a tip,’ Emma said.

‘
I did leave him a tip. I told him if he treated any other customers the way he treated us, he could expect a sparse summer,’ Freya reminded her.

‘
I wonder where he is now,’ Emma mused.

‘
Selling pitta
gyros
probably,’ Freya remarked.

‘
Right, here we are, our first stop for clothes,’ Emma told her and she indicated the boutique in front of them.

Freya looked into the window and saw lots of, what looked like, designer outfits. All of them appeared only big enough to fit on one of her arms.

‘
Are you sure they’re going to have something that fits me? I hate being trussed up in things that don’t even meet where they’re supposed to, let alone do up,’ Freya said with a sigh.

‘
Don’t be silly, of course they’ll have things to fit you. Come in and meet Agatha. She’s nearly sixty and has great fashion sense,’ Emma said and she pulled Freya towards the entrance.

As they entered the shop, Freya was taken aback by how much bigger it was inside than it appeared from the exterior. It was like a cavernous labyrinth with winding aisles all packed with rails of clothes as far as the eye could see. Emma looked at Freya’s surprised expression and smiled.

A short Greek lady with greying hair appeared. She immediately let out a scream and greeted Emma excitedly in the native tongue while kissing her on both cheeks.

‘
Please! A very rusty and limited Greek speaker here. Could we converse in English?’ Freya asked as Emma and the lady continued to talk in Greek.

‘
Sorry Freya. Agatha, this is my best friend Freya. Remember I told you about her?’ Emma introduced.

‘
Nice to meet you,’ Freya replied.

‘
And you my darling. Emma has told me much about you,’ Agatha replied and she embraced Freya, kissing her on both cheeks.

‘
I’m sure she has - all bad I expect,’ Freya answered.

‘
Not all. Most, but not all,’ the woman joked and winked at Emma.

‘
Agatha, Freya’s come to stay with me for a while, a few weeks, possibly more I hope, but she travelled light and we need outfits, lots of them. Day wear, night wear, beach wear, club wear, you name it she needs it,’ Emma explained.

‘
Well hang on, my Visa might melt if you overload it,’ Freya exclaimed.

‘
Fantastic! A challenge I love! Lots of choices, come, come, this way,’ Agatha ordered and she led the way down one aisle of the shop.

‘
I’m not sure I like being called a challenge,’ Freya replied as she followed Emma and Agatha.

‘
Agatha sees everyone has a challenge. Until she’s dressed somebody they’ve never truly known style,’ Emma recited.

‘
Blimey, you’ve certainly swallowed her mantra,’ Freya said.

Agatha was rifling through the rails, pulling garments out, hanging some of them over her arm and rejecting others.

‘
I know she has red hair now Agatha, but by the end of the day it’ll be blonde, so I don’t want you to let that put you off,’ Emma informed as she began looking through the clothes as well.

‘
Blonde? Since when?’

‘
Since I bought a hair colour at the pharmacy this morning on the way to the square. Don’t worry, you’ll have help to do it,’ Emma told her.

Freya watched the two women parting outfits and discussing the colours that would best suit her skin tone. She hated shopping for clothes back in England because she always had to try things on and inevitably they were too small. Lately she had bought a lot of things on the internet. No embarrassing changing rooms and you could send it back if it didn’t fit. There was no going red at the counter when you exchanged it for a larger size.

‘
Here are the first outfits. Go try and let us see each. Then we see how things look yes?’ Agatha spoke handing Freya a pile of clothes.

Parading around in front of them like she was a plus-size catwalk model suddenly filled Freya with dread. But she looked at Emma’s eager face and Agatha, with her stylish floaty clothes, waving her arm towards the dressing room and could see they were going to get a lot of pleasure out of it. Who was she to deprive them of it?

Freya pulled the curtain of the dressing room and disappeared behind it.

‘
I want no looking until I’m dressed. I have two day old underwear on and it isn’t pretty,’ Freya called to them.

‘
She left England in a bit of a hurry,’ Emma explained to Agatha.

The first item was a pair of black trousers. Freya pulled them up her legs and was surprised to find that they were indeed a good fit. The button and the zip both did up with ease. That was a novelty and the cut of the material even made her thighs look less rugby player. She put the emerald green top that went with the trousers over her head and tied up the halter neck. She observed herself in the mirror. She looked almost slim - well perhaps not slim - but definitely better and with a more defined shape. She looked feminine. Seeing herself look so different she couldn’t help but let out a shriek of pleasure and she drew aside the curtain.

‘
Will you look at me?! I have a waist!
A waist!
And my boobs don’t look like they’re going to take over the rest of my body,’ Freya announced, hardly able to contain her excitement.

‘
You look amazing!’ Agatha said, clapping her hands together in delight as Emma hugged her friend.

‘
I
do
look amazing don’t I? So what outfit’s next?’ Freya asked eagerly.

She dived back into the changing room now ready to parade around like a plus-size catwalk model in front of anyone.

Six

An hour later Freya had purchased no less than seven outfits, plus three pairs of shoes, two handbags, two sarongs, three swimming costumes, five tops, four pairs of trousers and two cardigans. Emma had even managed to persuade her to purchase a bikini that Freya knew she would only wear with a suitable t-shirt over the top.

‘
I’m going to need to speak to the bank about my overdraft after buying this lot,’ Freya announced as Agatha put everything in bags for her.

‘
You deserve it, a birthday treat. Besides, you work hard enough, why shouldn’t you spend some of your hard earned cash?’ Emma pointed out.

‘
Don’t speak about work! I’m supposed to be doing school photos next week. I’ll have to ring Simon and get him to rearrange. He’s probably wondering where I am,’ Freya spoke, suddenly being reminded of her responsibilities of running a small business.

‘
He’ll cope. I mean it isn’t like you haven’t disappeared before,’ Emma reminded her.

‘
That’s true enough. She knows me too well Agatha. We’ve been friends for too long now and she knows all my secrets,’ Freya told the Greek lady.

‘
That is not a bad thing. Everyone need someone to tell everything to,’ Agatha replied.

‘
Yes they do,’ Freya agreed, looking at Emma.

‘
Now Freya, you listen to an old lady yes? These clothes, they make you look wonderful, but that is only half the mountain we climb. You must learn to
feel
wonderful. I sense this is something you no find easy, yes?’ Agatha began, looking seriously at Freya.

‘
There isn’t much about me that’s wonderful. Well, apart from the apparently sexy eyes and of course the sparkling wit,’ Freya responded.

‘
I know from Emma and I feel you are a very special person. I warm to you the minute I meet you. You have a spark - a light inside - no everyone has a light inside of them, but you do. Now, you take these wonderful clothes that make you look so pretty and promise Agatha that when you wear them, you let the light out and make it fill the room,’ Agatha ordered and as she said ‘fill the room’ she waved her arms about as if filling the room herself.

‘
I promise I’ll try and thank you for all your help Agatha. You and your clothes are amazing,’ Freya told her.

Agatha leant across the counter and kissed both of Freya’s cheeks.

‘
You meet special man soon I think. One who sees the light inside,’ Agatha told her in a serious voice.

‘
I’m kind of off men at the moment, but if he’s tall, dark and devilishly handsome I might be persuaded,’ Freya joked with a smile.

The women finished their goodbyes, packed themselves up with Freya’s bags and headed out of the boutique.

‘
Well, I really didn’t think we would have finished our search for outfits by quarter to eleven,’ Freya admitted as they started to walk down the pavement away from the shop.