The intensity of the rain began to increase making Sarah wish that her friend had listened to her when Sarah had suggested that they should have given up their shopping day and just headed to the pub. But Helen had been determined that they should visit this 'very special' place. Sarah just wondered why, if it was so special, they had not ventured to this place at the start of the day rather than slowly work their way across the City and be arriving at this late hour.
Sarah was even more of this belief now that they found themselves in a heavy rain storm. Sarah's raven hair was drenched and she could now feel the rain running down over the end of her nose and her feet were now beginning to feel very damp indeed. Helen continued to scurry along the open walkway with Sarah following a few wet paces behind. She looked down at the designer bags in her hands hoping that the paper handles would not surrender to the elements before Helen got them to their destination, which was hopefully warm and dry, and soon.
Sarah's fringe was matted across her brow and her light jacket was proving no protection as the rain now began to breach her inner clothing layers and onto her skin. She was about to call out to Helen when she suddenly noticed her motion towards a shop entrance before disappearing within. Keen to get out of the rain herself, Sarah hurried after her and gratefully pushed hard against the shop's door and made her way into the dry.
In her rush to get in from the rain Sarah had not checked the frontage of the shop and was surprised to be suddenly surrounded by a vast array of lingerie. As Sarah closed the door behind her she scanned the shop for Helen and noticed that she was stood by the counter beyond several racks of garments. Sarah noticed that Helen was having a friendly and animated conversation with an older woman, slightly shorter than Helen, and who was dressed in a smart lilac business suit.
Sarah walked towards the two women, their voices becoming more audible as she did so.
"Oh my dear," said the older woman, "you are drenched through. You were lucky that Helen knew her way here so quickly." Sarah offered a faint smile which became even fainter as she made direct eye to eye contact with the older woman. Sarah suddenly felt very uneasy and uncertain and quickly averted her eyes.
"So you know each other?" Sarah asked of Helen, hearing a wobble in her voice as she spoke.
"Oh yes. You will too before long." Sarah did not question the statement made by Helen, but was puzzled by her word use. "Miriam, this is Sarah."
"Ah, Sarah. Yes. I've been looking forward to this one. Hello my dear," said the older woman as she moved toward Sarah, "My name is Miriam." Sarah felt herself being scrutinized like a bug under a microscope. Sarah did her best to meet the other woman's gaze with a review of her own.
She placed Miriam as being in her late forties which made her about twenty years older than either her or Helen, yet her attire was hardly matronly. The high hemline of her skirt exposed stunning legs encased in nylon and her full breasts were perfectly presented within the confines of her white silk blouse. Sarah's uneasiness returned as she realised that she was checking out this older woman, and she felt both a thrill and revoltion at what she was doing.
As Miriam approached Sarah became very aware of Miriam's perfume which did nothing to help with Sarah's feeling of uncertainty. Her head began to feel heavy and her mind was beginning to lose reason. Sarah began to panic and started to gain her senses by looking around for the door to the high street.
"I'll just close up the shop. I doubt we'll get many more customers in this weather anyhow." Sarah watched as Miriam sashayed past her. Part of her wanted to follow but Sarah's mind was muddled and she merely shuffled her feet a few paces in no certain direction.
Sarah looked to Helen. "I want to leave."
"Hush now. It's raining. We'll have a warming drink and you'll forget any of your worries." Sarah looked at Helen, her friend. They had become firm friends since Helen had joined Sarah's place of work six months previously and yet Sarah now felt as if she was with not one, but two strangers.
"But I want to go." Sarah could hear her voice sounding almost like a whine.
"Isn't that rude? Miriam is offering us some comfort from the rain. Just give it a chance and you will see things much more differently in a while."
"This was always a planned visit, "Sarah said, a firmness returning to her voice. "You had wanted to come here from the start. And now you won't let me leave. It's almost as if you're kidnapping me." Sarah could feel tears of fear welling in her eyes.
Helen laughed at Sarah's comment which made Sarah even more estranged from her one time friend. "I'm not kidnapping you. We were in the area and the weather presented a wonderful opportunity to make your introduction. I've told Miriam all about you and she was very keen to meet you."
"Why? What's so special about me?"