The Woman in the Pyjamas

by Sarah Pond

  'Well, I have a studio at home. You can pop over here, and we can find out which colours suit you, and which styles of clothing.' They chatted a little bit, Helen asking a few questions and explaining what she did.

  'Great. When can I come and see you?'

  A date was arranged for a couple of weeks' time, and Daisy was feeling excited that she was doing something proactive. She was looking forward to having a change, and maybe a little bit of Cheryl's confidence to go with it. For the office, Daisy often wore trouser and skirt suits, as a manager she was expected to dress in a certain way. At home she didn't really have any particular style. She would mostly wear clothes that were comfortable, and she'd tell herself that if Audrey Hepburn could rock chinos and polo shirts, it was good enough for her... Anyway, she didn't go out that much, other than with Jess, so comfy clothes were the most practical.

  When Daisy had dressed up in the past, it was usually for one of Stephen's work dos. She remembered back to one particular occasion, a black tie event. Getting ready, she had thought to herself how much easier it was for Stephen. He just put on a crisp white shirt with a black suit and tie, and he was sorted.

  ~~~~~

  As she stood at the entrance to the party, she pulled her short black dress down over her hips, trying to make it longer than the mid-thigh it actually was. And these heels, why on earth had she worn them. Yes, they were meant to make your legs look longer, blah, blah. My legs are long enough anyway. Who am I doing this for, I don't even like dresses. This is the last time I'm going to do it. But of course, it wasn't the last time. Still, now she wasn't with Stephen, she didn't have the fancy dos to go to any more.

  ~~~~~

  Daisy dropped Jess at school by car, and drove to Helen's house. It was a beautiful day, and with the window half down, it felt wonderful having the warm breeze flow through her hair. She smiled to herself as she drove along, feeling excited.

  Having rung the doorbell, she started to feel some nerves mingling with the excitement. Once the door was opened, an attractive lady with a warm smile welcomed Daisy in. Helen was beautifully dressed, and the thought crossed Daisy's mind that it was obviously a good sign. Imagine if she had been wearing a velour lounge suit. The thought made Daisy snigger to herself, and at the enquiring look on Helen's face, she managed to turn it into a cough, and cleared her throat.

  Helen invited her to the garden studio, a beautiful summer house on a spacious lawn. She explained that everyone has a colour palette that suits them, based on the seasons. Summer and winter are cool colours, with a blue undertone, and spring and autumn are warm colours, with a yellow undertone. Having gone through the silk swatches, Helen said that Daisy was a summer. At work, she had been wearing a lot of black with the occasional splash of colour, red often being a favourite. It turned out that navy would be a softer look for her, as the black was too draining. Helen also went through the styles of clothes that would suit Daisy, too. They discussed types of neckline, length of clothing and footwear. Daisy realised that a large proportion of her wardrobe contained styles and colours that didn't really flatter her. It was a very interesting morning, and gave Daisy a lot to think about. 'I think I'm going to be having a wardrobe sort out this afternoon!'

  Helen smiled, 'Thank you for coming along, it's been lovely to meet you. I really appreciate Cheryl recommending me.'

  'Thank you. This has been so helpful.' She beamed at Helen as she said goodbye.

  As Daisy walked back to her car, she was feeling excited about refreshing her wardrobe. She looked at her watch, noting that she would have a couple of hours that afternoon before she had to pick up Jess.

  Back at home, Daisy opened her wardrobe, and stood back to assess it. Where to start? There were a lot of clothes, she hadn't gone through them in a long time. Maybe not at all, come to think of it. This might be more of a challenge than she first thought. Okay, maybe a cup of tea first, then get on with it.

  On Saturday evening, Daisy was looking forward to Eve coming round. They had been best friends since college, and Daisy loved spending time with her. Her personality was as warm as her bright auburn hair, which cascaded in long spiral curls over her shoulders. When Eve arrived, her hug as warm as log fire on a winter's day, they made their way into the kitchen to make drinks and have a catch up. Daisy said, 'Look, I want to show you my wardrobe.'

  'Okay. I have seen it before though!' Eve had an amused expression on her face.

  'Not my new look one.' Daisy looked very pleased with herself.

  As they walked upstairs, Eve said, 'I didn't know you were buying a new one.'

  Daisy laughed at the cross communication, 'I haven't, let me show you.'

  She proudly opened the doors to her large pine double wardrobe, the colour of which had deepened over the years to a darkish yellowy brown. 'Ta dah!'

  'Oh my god, have you been robbed?' The wardrobe seemed almost empty.

  'No, silly. I had a sort out. You know I went to see the stylist.'

  'Are you sure you saw the right person? I'm not sure that you're meant to give away all your clothes!'

  'It's called a capsule wardrobe. I decided to just go for it. If it isn't a summer colour, it goes. Except for my work suits, I'm keeping them until I get some new things. It felt really good, some of my clothes were ancient.'

  'Did she tell you to do this?' Eve was a bit concerned. She knew that Daisy could be easily influenced sometimes.

  'No, of course not, it was my idea. It felt really good.' Daisy beamed at her friend.

  'Okay, well, as long as you're happy.' Eve looked at the smile on Daisy's face, thinking it was good to see her so happy and motivated.

  'Now Jess is in bed, is it film and wine time?'

  Eve smiled a wide smile at her friend, 'Definitely!'

  CHAPTER TWO

  Jess liked to take her scooter to school, which was all well and good for getting her out of the house in the morning, but it was becoming a bit of a nuisance. It had a mind of its own, like a supermarket trolley. The worst thing was when Daisy tried to lift it up, and it swung round, catching the back of her ankles. She had lost count of the amount of times that had happened. It was also the reason she always had a spare plaster in her purse. This morning, she decided that maybe scooting it would be easier. Stepping one foot onto the narrow metal footplate, Daisy tentatively started to push herself along with her right foot. Oh, great, I'm getting the hang of this. She began to move faster, a big smile appearing on her face as she gained momentum. This is amazing, I feel like a child again. Why haven't I done this before? The answer came sooner than she thought, when the small wheels caught on an uneven paving slap, twisting the handlebars one way, and throwing her off the scooter the other, so that she landed heavily on one knee. Ouch!

  Daisy tried to stand up with as much decorum as possible. Which turned out to be not much at all. Straightening her back, she began to walk home, but she could already feel a bruise forming, and the fall was causing her to limp rather. She used the scooter as a support. Seeing another mum walking past her, Daisy tried to give a cheery smile, which materialised as more of a grimace. So much for feeling like a child, surely falling over didn't used to hurt this much. As much as the scraped knee hurt, it wasn't quite as bad as the hurt pride.

  At work the following Monday morning, Cheryl couldn't help noticing the very large bruise on Daisy's knee. 'What on earth have you been up to?'

  Looking below the hem of her skirt, Daisy said, 'Oh, I should have worn darker tights. Or trousers.'

  'So what happened? Or can't you tell me?' Cheryl had a salacious look on her face.

  'Cheryl, for goodness sake.'

  'Sorry, boss. So, what did happen?'

  Daisy looked at her for a moment, before deciding whether she should tell her. 'Don't laugh.'

  'Of course not.' But Cheryl's smile had already widened.

  'I fell off my scooter.'

  A guffaw escaped from Cheryl, and she covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle t
he laughter erupting from her belly. 'Sorry. You have a scooter?'

  'Jess' scooter. I hit a bump.' Daisy looked crestfallen.

  Cheryl now felt bad for laughing, 'Oh. Are you okay?'

  'Yes. Just a bit of bruised pride to match the one on my knee.'

  Cocking her head to one side, Cheryl said, 'I have to say, the purple in the bruise does match your outfit nicely!'

  'You cheeky whatsit.'

  'Well, you may as well laugh, you know what they say.' Daisy didn't look impressed, so Cheryl changed tack. 'All joking aside, you do look really good.'

  Daisy looked at Cheryl through narrowed eyes, but realised she was being serious. 'Thank you. And thanks for recommending Helen. I've had a sort out of my wardrobe, and there were some really nice things that I'd forgotten about. There was also a load of stuff that didn't suit me, so my local charity shop had a field day!'

  'You know, wearing lighter, softer colours makes you look much younger, if you don't mind me saying.'

  'Thank you, I don't mind at all! I have to say, I do feel more confident. It's funny, I wouldn't have thought it would. Even though you said it had helped with your confidence.'

  'When you feel good in what you're wearing, it makes an amazing difference. You give off a different energy, somehow.'

  Daisy looked thoughtful, 'I suppose you're right.'

  Cheryl looked at Daisy for a moment, deciding whether to mention a thought that had occurred to her. She didn't want to offend Daisy.

  Daisy cocked her head to one side, 'Was there something you wanted to say?' Working for years in Human Resources had made Daisy quite astute with people. This skill hadn't quite carried over into her personal life, though. It was much easier seeing what was going on when you're not in the middle of it yourself.

  Cheryl looked momentarily surprised, then smiled. 'Well, it's just a suggestion. How long have you had your hair in a bob?'

  Daisy thought for a moment, 'Years, I think. I can't really remember, probably when I started working full time.'

  'I just thought that maybe a new style would be fun to go with your new look.'

  'I'll give it some thought. Funnily enough, Helen did mention something about that, you've just reminded me.'

  ~~~~~

  When Daisy had started her job after university, she filled her wardrobe with business suits, blouses and smart shoes. She could now afford a good hairdresser, and decided that a neat bob haircut would suit her professional look. Even on her first day of work, whilst at home looking at her reflection in the full length mirror in the hall, she wondered who was that woman standing in front of her, looking back at her so seriously. Ah well, she was a professional woman now, not a university student. She sighed, and forced out a smile at her reflection, which reluctantly smiled back.

  ~~~~~

  The next day at work, Daisy was engrossed in an email on her computer, when a sudden thud on the desk made her jump. She squealed, and Cheryl said, 'I'm so sorry, I thought you heard me walk in.'

  With her hand over her heart, Daisy said, 'That's okay. I was preoccupied. What's this?' She looked at the pile of glossy magazines on the corner of her desk.

  'I've brought in some hair mags for you to have a look at, for ideas.' Cheryl looked very excited.

  'Thank you, that's really sweet of you.'

  'We could have a look at them at lunch, if you fancy it.'

  The hair magazines were spread out in front of Daisy and Cheryl. 'Ooh, I really like this one. What do you think?'

  Daisy pulled a face at Cheryl. 'I think that's a bit young for me.'

  'I think it would look great. But you've got to have something you're comfortable with. Have you seen any styles you like?'

  'A couple. I'm not really sure what I want.'

  Daisy found that this seemed to be a recurring thought nowadays. She would often know what she didn't want, but not always what she did want. She had liked the feeling of relaxation that day when she had locked herself out of the house. The silly smile on her face, knowing she was still wearing her pyjamas, when no one would have had any idea. Still, the thought of it made her smile to herself. That day had stirred something inside her, and she knew that she wanted to make some changes, but she wasn't quite sure how to go about it. Yes, she was making changes with her wardrobe, and she could get her hair cut. But there was so much more that she couldn't change. She needed to work, and Jess was always going to be her priority. She couldn't just go swanning off down to the beach as and when she wanted. I don't know, am I kidding myself that I can make changes. She sighed heavily.

  'Are you okay?' Cheryl looked concerned.

  Daisy suddenly came to, 'Sorry. Yes, fine.'

  'You looked like you checked out for a moment, there.'

  'Sorry, my mind was wandering.' Daisy closed the magazine in front of her, 'Thank you for bringing these in. I'll have a proper look later, I'd better get on with some work now.'

  'Okay, sure.' Cheryl left Daisy in a thoughtful mood.

  That evening, Daisy answered the phone to a very excited Eve. 'Hey, how are you?' Not waiting for an answer, Eve continued, 'I've got some tickets from work for a weekend seminar. It's in London, we'd just have to pay for a hotel, what d'you think?' Eve's excitement bubbled over like an over-flowing champagne glass.

  'Um, what kind of seminar?'

  Daisy was thinking that a seminar on a weekend just sounded like work, and she loved having her weekends off. She would usually spend them with Jess, and when she was with her dad, she relished having the time to herself.

  'It's a success, life coaching type of seminar.'

  Daisy's heart sank. 'Will it be someone telling me how to live my life?'

  'No, of course not. Come on, it'll be fun. I'd much rather go with you, we can make a girlie weekend out of it. If the first day is awful, we can always bunk off the next day and go shopping!'

  Daisy could imagine the smile and hopeful expression on Eve's face as she waited for a response. Maybe a weekend away would be a bit of fun, she couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

  'Okay, then, why not.' Daisy found herself smiling, despite herself.

  'Yay! I'm so excited, we're going to have sooo much fun. I'll get the details and fill you in at the weekend. Speak soon, hun.' With that, the whirlwind that was Eve was gone again.

  Daisy put the phone down, and sat back in her chair, sighing. Still, she couldn't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm.

  Daisy packed her weekend bag on Friday. Stephen was picking Jess up from school, so she had three whole days to herself. She loved being a mum, and loved Jess in a way she had never felt love before. She also loved having time to herself, which was quite a rare thing.

  ~~~~~

  Stephen had once taken her along when he had a team building weekend with work. He had said that the days were quite short, and they would have plenty of time to spend together in the evenings, and have romantic meals together. In the event, the days were very long, and Daisy only saw Stephen when it was bedtime. Yes, admittedly it was a weekend away, and Jess got to spend the weekend with her grandparents, but still. This was quite a treat for Jess, as her grandparents lived a long way away, and she didn't see them as much as she would have liked. The weekend was in York, and although it was a long drive, it was only a slight detour to drop Jess off on route. York was beautiful, but Daisy would have rather shared the experience with Stephen. So it was the thought of Jess having a good time that stopped Daisy from saying much. Also, it was paid for by the company, so what was there to complain about, really. Stephen had apologised for not realising that he would be kept away, but what could he do about it now. He held her in his arms, and told her he loved her. And she told him she loved him too.

  ~~~~~

  The train from Hove to London only took about an hour, and Daisy and Eve decided to travel up Friday night so they wouldn't have to get up early Saturday and lug their weekend bags with them to the seminar. As the train rattled along, Daisy asked, 'So
how come you got free tickets?'

  'My company have been doing the advertising and marketing for the seminar, so the staff were offered free tickets. He's an American guy, very successful. He works with clients individually, as well as doing seminars.'

  'I wonder why he's over here, if he's so successful.'

  Eve looked at her friend, raising an eyebrow, 'You're not going to be mrs sulky pants are you? We're here to have fun, remember.'

  Daisy felt chastised, 'No, of course not. Sorry, it's just been a really busy week, and I'm tired, that's all.'

  'Don't worry, we're going to have a fun weekend, one way or another!'

  Looking at the grin on Eve's face, Daisy couldn't help but smile back.

  The hotel was one in a good value chain of hotels, so Daisy and Eve knew what to expect. They booked a twin room, as a single room was almost the same price. 'If we share on the cost of the hotel, that will give us a bit more spending money.' That was Eve's idea, and it suited Daisy just fine.

  After checking in, they headed to the bar to have a drink before bed. 'Let's get you loosened up for the weekend!'

  Daisy grimaced, 'I don't want to start this thing hung over.'

  'I wasn't planning an all-nighter, just a drink or two.'

  'That's about all it takes nowadays.'

  Eve burst into fits of laughter.

  The conference centre where the seminar was being held was just a few minutes walk from the hotel. Walking into the vast lobby, there were signs for the seminar, and Eve led the way to the registration desk. There was a part of Daisy that wished she could just have the weekend in London shopping and eating out with her friend. She hoped that the seminar wouldn't feel like work, free weekends were precious to her. Then she felt bad for having such an ungrateful thought, and pasted on a smile as Eve turned to make sure that Daisy was following her.