Almost a fortnight had passed since that humiliating afternoon inside Kensington Market. Evie had explained what had happened to Ruth, who upon hearing offered to go back and castrate the blonde stall owner herself (as funny as that was, Evie didn't encourage her in case she was serious). Nevertheless, the incident had left poor Evie feeling embarrassed and humiliated. I should never have gone in there in the first place, Evie had thought to herself, even though she knew she wasn't to blame. Still, it was safe to say she wouldn't be heading back to Kensington Market in a rush anytime soon.

As with most unpleasant experiences, Evie tried to put it behind her and focus on what was important - her outfits for the end of year project, and sure enough, after hours of grafting, she'd got them done. She finally finished the black and white blazer with velvet trousers to match. For Evie's third outfit, she decided to make something that would sum up the 'Black and White' theme perfectly - a sleeveless, sequined jumpsuit that was one-half black, and the other half white. After seeing Marc Bolan's performance on Top of the Pops, clad in all glitter and satin, it was clear to Evie that flamboyant, androgynous clothing was taking off. So inspired by this, she specifically designed a jumpsuit that could be worn by anyone of any gender identity. For many, clothes were a form of self-expression with no formal labels attached to them, even if society disagreed. So the idea of sticking your middle finger up at what people thought and doing whatever you wanted - and being whoever you wanted - was an exciting prospect.

With only the end of year fashion show to go in less than a week - in which her design project would be put on show - and no other exams to sit, Evie had completed third year and so began to think about her plans for the summer. For months, she had been searching for jobs, preferably ones that were relevant to her course. Although Evie and her father were in a much better place financially compared to when she was younger, she still wanted to help her dad out and pay her way whilst she was still living at home (not that she could afford to move out even if she wanted to). Evie already had retail experience in a local bridal shop she'd worked in for a couple of summer holidays, however, she gave it up when she and her father moved from Dagenham to Poplar a year ago. She just had to hope that someone would give her that kind of chance again.

It was Saturday morning and Evie was once again getting ready to go into town to hand out copies of her CV. Usually, she would check the newspapers for jobs beforehand or just hand them out to any business that would take one, however this time, she had one particular place set in her sights. The other day Ruth had told her about a sales assistant vacancy in Biba, one of the most popular fashion boutiques in London. It was a long shot, job openings in Biba didn't stay open for long and interviews were notoriously ruthless, but Evie wasn't going to let the shop's name or status intimidate her. If she wanted to work in the fashion industry, a job at Biba would get her foot in the door.

As soon as she was dressed and ready to go, Evie grabbed her bag and headed out of her tiny bedroom - made even smaller by the racks of handmade clothes and mannequins filling every corner - towards the kitchen. As soon she entered the room, Evie was met with the bright morning sun which shone through the large windows of the 19th floor flat. The high-rise building she and her father lived in was part of a social housing scheme built back in the mid 60s. It overlooked the rest of the estate, made up of three other similarly sized towers, and was close enough to the Thames that you could see Poplar Dock in the distance from the kitchen and living room windows. Whilst the estate was certainly not the prettiest or indeed safest place in the world, it was home, and its walls didn't hold the same bad memories like the house they used to live in back in Dagenham.

Evie walked into the room where her dad, Bill, was having breakfast and reading the morning paper, 'Morning, Dad,' the brown-haired girl dropped her bag at the door before coming up behind him and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Bill looked over his shoulder, 'Good morning, love,' he smiled brightly at his daughter as she made her way over the counter to make breakfast, the comforting sound of the radio emanating throughout the room. His joyful expression turned into one of concern, 'Heard you tossing and turning last night; more than usual. You alright?'

'Yeah, just a bad night. I'm fine.' Evie assured him with a smile as she put some bread in the toaster and made herself a cup of tea.

Evie suffered from chronic insomnia. Some nights were kinder than others, but at its worst, she could go for several days without a wink of sleep. It wouldn't be unusual to hear the quiet whirring of Evie's sewing machine coming from her room at 4 o'clock in the morning, the brown-haired girl having given up on a decent night's sleep after having stared at the wall for the previous five hours. Evie took medication to help relieve the sleepless nights, though she didn't think they did a whole lot of good when it came to regulating her sleep pattern - quite the opposite, actually. Needless to say, Bill had become quite accustomed to the sight of his daughter crashed out on the couch in the middle of the day, her body having finally succumbed from the exhaustion of being awake the whole night before.

'So where are you off to so early on a Saturday morning?' Bill asked, his eyes full of curiosity as Evie sat opposite him at the kitchen table.

'I'm heading into town to hand out copies of my CV,' she paused to take a sip of tea, wincing slightly when the hot liquid burnt her tongue, 'A sales assistant position came up in Biba, y'know the big one on Church Street?'

'You mean that swanky clothes shop in Kensington you've been talking about for God knows how long? Never heard of it.' Bill winked jokingly.

'Yeah, that one,' Evie chuckled, rolling her eyes, 'The position won't be empty for long and I know if I let it pass by, I'll regret it. I've been working up the courage to go for the past couple of days, but I'm just so nervous. What if I'm not charismatic enough, knowledgeable enough...or pretty enough.'

Evie's mind cast back to the first time she'd set foot in Biba's first boutique located on Abbingdon Road. Glamorous sales assistants that looked like they'd been pulled straight out of Vogue strode elegantly between the clothing rails, dressed in the store's latest styles and eager to assist customers with whatever they needed. Evie could recall her heart sinking slightly when she laid eyes on them, knowing that Biba would probably never think about hiring someone as plain or as boring as her.

'Now that's a load of nonsense and you know it,' Her father reassured her, 'You have every chance of being hired as anyone else that applies for that job. The amount of work, effort and time you put into making those clothes...I've never seen someone so dedicated to what they do. Who they choose to employ should be based on how suitable their skills and experience are, nothing else. You have nothing to be nervous about, Evie.'

Evie smiled warmly, grateful she had a parent who was so supportive in everything she did, 'Thanks, Dad.'

After finishing breakfast and washing her dirty dishes, Evie slipped on her jacket which was hanging on the back of her chair.

'Are you sure you don't want me to give you a lift into town? The Underground will be chaos, what with it being the weekend and all.' Bill asked.

The brown-haired girl shook her head, 'Nah, you're alright. You stay and enjoy your morning, I'm sure I'll make it there eventually.'

'Alright, love,' her dad gave in, as he looked up at his daughter - his little girl - with nothing but admiration, 'I'm so proud of you, y'know that don't you?'

A smile appeared on Evie's face, 'Of course,' Picking her bag up off the floor, Evie leant down and placed one more kiss on Bill's cheek, 'See you later, Dad,' she said before heading out towards the front door.

'Best of luck, and be safe!' she heard her dad shout from the kitchen. After shouting a quick 'I will' in response, Evie left the flat and made her way down the steps to the bottom floor of the high-rise building before heading to the Poplar tube station which would take her further into town.

༻༺

BIBA.

The sign loomed above Evie like a dark blue and gold shadow as she stood on the busy pavement outside the boutique's storefront, with her CV clutched tightly between her fingers. A poster in the window confirmed they were looking for a sales assistant and those interested were to apply within, not that this did anything to settle Evie's nerves. The courage the brown-haired girl had built up over the last few days was slowly starting to seep away now that she was here. She had been to a few other shops beforehand who were looking for staff, most of which happily took her CV to have a read over. However, the entire time Evie couldn't concentrate, her mind too preoccupied by the one boutique that truly intimidated her. As she stood on the street looking up at the shop's dark tinted windows, doubt gnawing away at her, Evie almost walked away. It was only when she remembered her dad's words from earlier that morning did she stop and think twice.

You have every chance of being hired as anyone else that applies for that job, you have nothing to be nervous about.

The loud blare of a lorry's horn brought Evie back into reality, almost making her jump ten feet in the air. Quickly composing herself, the brown-haired girl straightened out her outfit, brushing off a few stray breadcrumbs that had landed on her flared trousers from the toast she had for breakfast. Letting out an anxious exhale, Evie walked hesitantly towards the front door before opening it and heading inside.

If she hadn't stepped in from the busy Kensington streets, Evie could have sworn she'd travelled back in time. At a first glance, the 1900s decor could be mistaken for being old fashioned, however between the green and gold wallpaper, mahogany furniture and exotic plants were endless rails and shelves, filled with the latest garments and shoes for as far as the eye could see. The store was at least four times the size of the original, and it was necessary, what with the number of customers that filled the room. All around her girls fawned over Biba's newest designs, whilst sales assistants attended to their every need. A queue for the changing rooms stretched from almost one end of the room to the other, the sound of people loudly conversing drowning out the music that was playing throughout the shop. It was clear that they were extraordinarily busy today, the thought of having to bother one of the poor assistants filled Evie with so much guilt that she turned around and began heading for the door. However, before she could reach it a blonde woman appeared in front of her, donning a gorgeous chevron patterned skirt suit and an equally gorgeous smile to match.

'Good morning and welcome to Biba,' the woman greeted her politely, 'How can I help you?'

Evie stood there like a deer caught in the headlights. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Damn her social anxiety.

Noticing the confused look on the sales assistants face, Evie cleared her throat nervously and uttered, 'I'm sorry, you're obviously very busy. I'll come back another time.'

The brown-haired girl turned to leave, but the woman's words stopped her in her tracks 'Oh no, it's no trouble at all, miss. We want to help everyone that comes through our door, no matter how busy we are,' she assured her with a warm smile, 'So, how can I be of assistance?'

Feeling her nerves settle a bit, Evie looked down at the piece of paper in her hands as the woman in front of her waited eagerly to fulfil her request, 'Well, um, I was told by a friend that you were looking for a sales assistant,' she passed her CV to the woman in front of her, 'I was interested in the position so I thought I'd hand in copy of my CV.'

Looking down at the piece of paper in her hands, the smile on the sales assistant's face faded away as she glanced at the window, 'You don't mean the one advertised on the poster, do you?'

'I believe so.' Evie responded, though it sounded more like a question than an answer.

'I'm so sorry, miss,' the assistant told her in an apologetic voice, 'The position was filled this morning and we've been so run off our feet today we haven't had the chance to take down the poster in the window. I...don't know what to say.'

A wave of both disappointment and embarrassment washed over Evie. She didn't know what to say either, 'Oh, I see.'

An awkward silence ensued between the two women, Evie's face now a light shade of red. However just as the sales assistant was about to offer her words of solace, they were approached by a colourful individual holding a pair of maroon velvet trousers in the air.

'Mary, darling, do you know if you have these in my size? I can't possibly leave without a pair!'

No...it can't be.

'Freddie,' the sales assistant, known as Mary, replied through gritted teeth, 'I'm with a customer,' she gestured to the girl in front of her.

Fuck, it is.

'Oh, my apologies,' Freddie said with a joyful smile as his gaze shifted to Evie. She prayed he wouldn't recognise her, that a fortnight had been long enough for any memory of what she'd looked like had escaped his mind, however going by the fact the smile had dropped from his face and his eyebrows were now furrowed it was clear that that wasn't the case, 'Evie?'

All Evie wanted right now was to disappear. It was embarrassing enough that the job she'd travelled halfway across London to inquire about was no longer available, but running into Freddie, one of the owners of the stall she'd been humiliated in just two weeks ago in Kensington Market? It was like a horror film playing out in real life.

With her face now the shade of crimson, Evie turned to Mary and told her earnestly, 'Sorry for wasting your time.' before turning around and making a b-line for the door, ignoring the assistant's protests for her to come back as she quickly fled the boutique.

Evie walked down Church Street as fast as she could, trying to create as much distance between her and Biba as humanly possible as she weaved between the endless amount of people that strolled by. But her attempt to get away from the place turned out to be futile, as within minutes she could hear Freddie calling her name out from somewhere further back up the street.

'Evie, wait!'

She ignored him, her face still burning with embarrassment. The stall owner quickly caught up with the brown-haired girl, his long legs having a significant advantage over her much shorter ones.

'Evie, please I just want is a word with you.'

'Just leave me alone.' she finally responded, though she didn't stop as she had absolutely no intention of engaging in any further conversation.

Walking alongside her, Freddie continued to plead, 'Evie, I'm sorry. Really, I am. Please, if you could just stop and let me explain.'

Despite how annoyed she was, Evie wasn't made of stone and figured that perhaps Freddie at least deserved a chance to explain, not that it would change what had happened back in Kensington Market. Slowing down her footsteps, Evie finally came to a halt and looked up at the lad in front of her, an unimpressed expression on her face.

'I don't have anything to say to you.' she crossed her arms in front of her chest, avoiding eye contact.

'But I do have something to say to you,' Freddie told her in a honest tone. He sighed before saying his piece, 'Listen, Evie, I'm truly, truly sorry about what happened that day in Kensington Market. There's no excuse for it.'

Evie remained silent.

'The mirrors...I don't know what to say. It was a violation of your privacy and quite frankly I'm disgusted by it.'

The brown-haired girl's face softened, 'It wasn't you that was spying on me, Freddie.'

'Regardless, the point still stands,' he insisted. There was a short pause, before Freddie continued, 'Speaking of, Roger feels awful about what he did.'

'Awful because he's sorry or awful because he got caught?' Evie retorted, shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

'No, he genuinely feels terrible about it, believe me, he's told me enough times. Look despite everything, Rog isn't a bad guy - he's just an idiot and he knows what he did is unforgivable. But allowed the chance, he would like the opportunity to at least apologise to you himself.'

Evie was sceptical, 'What do you mean?'

'We've got a gig at the Imperial College student union on Tuesday night. Me and Rog - we're in a band called Queen. Perhaps you've seen our posters around,' Evie had indeed seen their posters before. She could recall seeing their name on a poster pinned up on the wall outside Ealing's student union a couple of months back, 'I know it won't change what happened and you're well within your rights to tell me to stick it, but why not come along on Tuesday night? You're more than welcome and that way Roger can apologise to you properly after the show.'

As much as Evie wanted to just walk away and forget all of this ever happened, something inside her made her pause. Freddie clearly felt bad about what happened and was trying his best to make amends. What his friend Roger had to say remained to be seen, but she appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

After a moment to think about it, Evie looked up at Freddie and asked, 'Can my friend Ruth come along too?'

'Absolutely,' he smiled, 'The more the merrier!'

Satisfied with that response, Evie nodded, 'Alright, I'll think about it.'

'Great!' Freddie beamed, almost jumping for joy, 'The gig is at eight. Just walk in the main doors and follow the signs, you can't miss it.'

'Sure.' Evie replied, a small smile appearing on her face for the first time since she'd run into him.

'Anyway, I won't keep you any longer and let you carry on with your day. See you later, Evie, hopefully on Tuesday night,' Freddie began to head back up the street towards Biba, leaving the brown-haired girl to wonder if what occurred in the last half an hour had truly happened or if she was dreaming, having fallen asleep and on the living room couch again. However, before he disappeared out of sight Freddie stopped in his tracks and turned to face Evie once more, a cheeky smile spread across his lips, 'Oh, I forgot to say - you were right, by the way.'

Evie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, not having a clue what he meant, 'Right about what?'

'Our stock; it is ludicrously overpriced.'

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hey everyone!

been a long time since i updated this. hope you're all well and staying safe. thank you for all your kind responses on the message i posted on my wall the other day, i was amazed by the amount of people that follow me that are still active on this website. apologies if this chapter doesn't make much sense as it's been so long since i last updated, i would recommend reading the two previous chapters to understand what's going on. anyway i'm looking forward to getting back into writing after taking over a year off, not that i intended to do that. please let me know what you thought of this chapter, i love hearing what you guys think!

much love,
anna x