"Hello?" Pt. 2

Hen

For DayDreamer_Vinnie who asked... 

The past two days had been quiet, which is the last thing I ever thought my eldest sister's Hen Party to be. Seeing as Evelyn had been the mastermind behind it, it was typical of her but it wasn't Sophie in the slightest. I never imagined my sister getting married but now that she is, I kinda thought she'd have a mega blowout as her last hurrah before settling down. A dance class, followed by a West End show, and then shopping and a spa day was all well and good, but it was... boring. And Sophie Evangeline Clément Delaney is the furthest thing from being boring.

I suppose that's why Charlotte, Keira, Jenna, Noelle and I had put our heads together to come up with a more fun day of activities. Admittedly, this morning was subdued, mostly due to the fact that we had some older members in the party, but I think the bakery masterclass with Arnaud at La Petite Pâtisserie was the perfect start to the day, especially when we all sat down with glasses of Champagne as we enjoyed the rest of the early afternoon. 

After that, I had arranged for us all to stop by a friend's boutique so that we could all choose outfits for tonight. We hadn't told anyone what the plan was, but they were all instructed to wear something that would be suitable for a club. At the mere mention of 'club', a few of the older members of the party frowned but they were adamant that they were coming as this Hen Party was an 'All for One and One for All' deal. Or so Aunt Helen said as she barged past me to coo over a sequined number.

"Hey, Emma!" I heard Sophie call out at me as I watched Mum cast a discerning eye over the clothes on offer. Turning to the direction Sophie's voice came from, I saw her still stood at the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed. "I thought I'd made it clear that I did not want to go to a club for my Hen Party. Tuesday and yesterday were fun, so let's leave it at that, yeah?"

Overhearing the conversation, Keira scoffed and decided to voice her opinion. "No offence to Evelyn because she's a really nice lady," Keira managed to say. "But I feel like a ninety-year-old. Everything we've done had been so... old, you know? You're young, you're about to sign your life away, so let's go out with a bang. But don't actually bang anyone. I may not be Daniel's biggest fan- although he's not that bad, I guess- but shagging someone behind his back is an offence punishable by death à la Keira Delaney style."

"Thank you for that, Keira," Sophie says, her eyes rolling around in their sockets. "But I wasn't planning on banging anyone else. I take it this whole 'club' thing is non-negotiable?"

Keira and I nod. "Sorry, it's really not," I confirm. Looping an arm around my sister's shoulder, I waved my other hand across the room at all the available dresses. "It's not a club in the sense that everyone else thinks it is. There'll be music, yes, but none of that party island crap that no one sane likes. Would it help if I gave you a clue?" When Sophie gives me a grateful smile, I say, "Kink."

Just like that, Sophie's eyes light up and she soon slips out of my hold, on a mission to find something suitable to wear. When Mum holds up a demure dress, Sophie quickly tears it away from her and shoves an eighties inspired sequined dress in her hands instead, insisting that it would be perfect for where we were going tonight.

We spent over an hour in the shop as Sophie went about dictating what everyone should wear. I knew she'd be excited bout where we were taking her, but I never thought she'd be this excited about it. Evelyn, along with Aunt Helen and Aunt Moira, were insisting that they weren't coming but with Keira and Noelle on the case, the two aunts were won over pretty soon. Evelyn, however, was a different kettle of fish. 

"I'm far too old to be at a club," she said when I approached her about her outfit. "I'm closer to fifty than I am forty and I'm a mother of two. I cannot go to a club. Plus, I won't find anything that suits me."