Tuesday 27 August 2013

A Tight Squeeze


Carol Bevitt

A Tight Squeeze

A Strawberry Flapper (cocktail)



From the window at the top of the stairs, Verity could see the pink stretch limo waiting at the kerbside; it was already occupied by half a dozen, perfumed, painted and barely dressed giggling girls.
               Linda swore they were her best friends and just had to be invited to her hen night.
               Verity glanced at her watch. If her sister didn't get out of the bathroom in the next two minutes they’d be holding the party without her.
               As she reached the bathroom door she could hear Linda’s mobile beep, and it kept on beeping.
               ‘Linda!’ Verity rapped on the door briskly, and then knocked harder. ‘Are you okay in there? Do you need help?’
               The mobile beeped again … and again.
               Verity shook her head in disbelief; she knew what Linda had done. She’d ignored her advice and bought the wrong size. ‘Linda. Say something!’
               She pressed her ear against the door and listened. There were noises. Sounds of huffing and puffing, then a muffled exclamation that sounded like, ‘Bugger!’ followed by a loud thump.
               ‘Right. I don’t care how little you’re wearing. I'm coming in!’
                Verity turned the handle and thrust open the door.
                Suspended over the bath was a pair of flailing legs protruding from a shiny white cocoon like a hyperactive squid, with red manicured tentacles. Somewhere inside was her sister.
                  ‘Idiot. You didn't read the instructions, did you? Stop wriggling; this is difficult enough as it is. I'm going to pull you up. Now don’t move until I tell you. Okay?’
               There was a faint gasp in reply.
               Legs akimbo, Verity hauled the body from the tub and stood it upright. It wobbled.
                ‘Next time. Remember. You don’t put Shapewear on over your head.’



About the author
Carol Bevitt lives in the East Midlands. She splits her writing time between creating short stories, and occasional flash fiction, while concentrating on historical romances, which she’s writing under her pseudonym, Serena Lake. Both had stories included in the One Word Anthology e-book published in 2012.




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