‘It must be hard to ask a girl out.’
‘I think it is, actually. Fear of rejection and all that.’
‘So when can we go shopping?’
‘Let me ring Violetta and see what she thinks,’ Carlotta said, as she pulled out her phone and dialled a number.
‘Hey Letty. No, I’m fine. Really. Sorry about before. Hey, a question, where would you go if you were shopping for a prom dress? Ah huh. Um, she’s very pretty, dark hair, green eyes, slim, excellent figure. About five foot three. Yep. And she’s in a wheelchair, so no bustle.’
Alexia laughed.
‘Really? You do? Well, I can ask her. All right, hang on.’
Carlotta put her hand over the phone. ‘She says she can think of lots of shops but she said she thinks she has the perfect dress for you at her apartment, some Zac Posen or something. She has never worn it. You want to see it before we spend your dad’s hard earned money?’
‘Zac Posen? I love his stuff. You sure she wants to let me borrow it?’ asked Alexia.
Carlotta spoke into the phone again. ‘She says that would be great. When? Really? OK, see you then.’
Carlotta put her phone away. ‘Tomorrow after school OK?’
‘Yes, yes, thank you so much,’ said Alexia, clapping her hands in excitement.
Chris came back to the table. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked, looking at Alexia’s flushed face.
‘Carlotta is getting me a dress for the prom.’
‘Really? Well, thank you very much,’ said Chris gallantly to Carlotta.
‘No problem,’ said Carlotta, filled with the affection that she usually reserved for her horses.
Alexia looked up at her. ‘I hope you two get married.’
‘Whoa, settle petal. A bit early for this, don’t you think?’ Carlotta asked.
Chris looked at her oddly.
‘Maybe, but nothing’s impossible,’ said Alexia. Chris and Carlotta laughed. ‘I mean, look at Jessica Berconi’s parents.’
‘What about them?’ asked Chris sharply.
Carlotta dug her fingernails into her hand.
‘Didn’t you hear?’ said Alexia conspiratorially. ‘Everyone talking about it down at the stables.’
‘What?’ asked Carlotta, frowning. Please let Alexia not hear the gossip about her and Berconi, please, she prayed to a god she had not believed in till now.
‘It’s Jessica’s mom, she’s run off with Jessica’s riding coach,’ said Alexia, proud to be the messenger of such salacious gossip.
‘No way,’ said Carlotta.
‘Way,’ said Alexia, crossing her arms.
‘What’s the big deal?’ asked Chris. ‘Who’s the coach?’
‘Anna Humbrel,’ said Carlotta, raising an eyebrow.
‘So Berconi has been left by his wife for a woman?’
