Dressed To Impress

Pulling her pale blue dress further up, Clare awaited the arrival of her friend, nervously checking herself.

She adjusted her feet in her heels, crouching down to ensure they filled the black shoes. Standing up, she pulled her dress again, unaccustomed to its lack of shoulder straps.

Eventually, as she fidgeted, Mel turned up, looking pristine as usual, unworried by anything.

“You look incredible” said Clare, comparing her own image to the startling red dress before her.

“So do you” Mel smiled back, “although you need to let your hair down.”

“You think?” asked Clare, feeling her tight bun, that she had decided would keep her wavy locks out of the way.

At Mel’s nod, she tugged the knot loose, her blonde bob falling just below her bare shoulders. Curling it behind her ears, she grinned at the improvement.

“And you can’t wear those either” said her friend, gesturing to the thick black glasses resting on her nose.

“I do need these to see” Clare argued, pushing them up her nose.

“It doesn’t matter who you see, we want the men to see you, and they won’t while you’re wearing them. Take them off” Mel commanded.

Reluctantly, Clare slid them off her face, blinked as her eyes became unfocused, folding them and placing them in her handbag.

“Let’s go!” Mel beamed, taking her friend’s arm and leading her into the party hall.

On arrival, they found a small crowd lingering around an enormous room, decorated with bright lighting and ornate curtains. Clare’s heels clicked against the wooden floor, and she squinted at the people she passed, their faces indistinguishable.

“Oh hey!” Mel exclaimed, instantly letting go of her arm and vanishing into the sea of men.

Stumbling blindly, Clare made her way over to a buffet table, struggling not to bump into the other tables, blinking in a useless attempt to make her eyes see clearly.

Apologizing for the last time, she finally reached the table, pretending to look at the food while her red face returned to its natural hue.

When it did, she gathered her bearings, soon finding the list of food on offer, picking it up to determine what the foreign dishes were. Squinting hard at it, she held it closer and closer to her face, her eyes crossing as the words drifted in and out of clarity.

“You OK?”

She started as she found a man standing next to her, looking down at her. She squinted more, but his face remained a blur.

“I’m fine” she said quickly, turning away as the blushing began again.

“That’s a very unusual way to read a menu” he chuckled.

She laughed with him, “I can’t see a thing without my glasses.”

“Then put them on” he replied casually.

“I can’t. They make me look…” she said, turning away in embarrassment.

“Get them out” he said, and she hesitantly rummaged in her tiny handbag, pulling them out.

Taking them from her, he unfolded them gave them a quick wipe on his shirt. Then he reached forward, slowly sliding them onto her face, resting them on her nose.

As he did, his face came into focus, and she blushed when she saw one of the most attractive men she had ever seen.

“Much better” he smiled at her, and she giggled nervously.

“So how you finding the party?” he asked, admiring the crowd around them.

She turned to face the room, seeing it clearly for the first time. She shook her head when she spotted Mel dancing with three men at the same time, doing the most seductive moves she knew.

“Is that your friend?” he asked.

“Unfortunately yes” she grimaced.

“Want to go show them up?” he asked, offering his hand.

Pushing her glasses up, she smiled at him, taking his hand.

“I’m yours” she laughed, and he led her on to the dance floor.