Sarah tweaked the front of her hair with her fingers, switching the dryer back on, taming the stubborn strands. Once happy with her hair she rummaged through her make up bag, finding mascara and eyeliner, applying both carefully, outlining her grey eyes with a neat black meticulous line, stroking the fine round brush over her long lashes, enhancing their length and colour. She located her favourite rich red lipstick, staining her lips with the flattering shade blotting the excess with a tissue.
Stepping back, she viewed herself. The scoop neck fitted grey top and slim jeans accentuated her toned, womanly shape, her auburn hair shone smoothly to just below her shoulders. She smiled at her reflection. “You’ll do,” she said to herself. While she adored Jane, she always felt a bit dowdy next to her. The extra bit of effort was worth it, she thought. The sound of the doorbell broke her thoughts.
“Will you get the door darling, I will be down in a minute,” she called down the stairs to Tom.
Tom pulled open the door and smiled as he saw the familiar smiling face of his aunt, he momentarily felt like he was a young boy again and felt a wave of nostalgia overcome him.
Jane cried out “Tom, my favourite god child, you look so grown up!” she held his face as she kissed his cheek. As a young boy he would have squirmed but now he knew the importance of this contact. She held him at arm’s length. “You smell nice,” she murmured and smiled, her eyes sparkled with genuine emotion.
He grabbed her overnight bag from her and stood aside to let her pass into the warmth and the welcome. Sarah’s voice was heard by both of them when she called “I will be right down.”
“Will you put that up in my room please?” Jane asked, nodding towards her bag. “I am in the usual I imagine. Unless of course it has been nabbed by that new girlfriend of yours” she teased with a wink.
He cleared his throat, “that didn’t quite work out, it sort of fizzled out. We split up last month.”
“I am sorry Tom. The silly girl, she will regret that. Anyway, plenty of fish in the sea, or so they say,” she said and squeezed his arm.
Tom took the bag to Jane’s regular room and placed it on the bed. He was curious to see the contents, what does she bring on an overnight he thought. The bag had two large handles and a zip, really an oversized hand bag. He had a peek inside. Nothing to see, as laid across the top was a large sponge bag. He lifted it aside, glimpsing the neatly folded jersey trousers and top, a small stark white roll of satin next to the pyjamas caught his eye. He put his free hand in and ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the knickers. For a moment, imagined Jane in them.
The sound of his mother’s feet descending the stairs brought him back to the moment. He quickly replaced the toilet bag and fastened the zip of the holdall before leaving the room to go and join them.
“You look amazing!” Jane’s voice, genuinely delighted, was loud with excitement to see her dear friend looking so vibrant.
“Thank you Janey” Sarah beamed, “you do too, but then when don’t you?!”