Phase One Complete

"I've told you already. I am not taking you out wearing that thing."

Jasmine's protests fell on deaf ears.

"But we're going shopping."

She had deliberately changed into one of her brother's more worn huddys and a pair of comfortable, but frayed jeans.

"Exactly. We are going out into the public eye. Heidi was dressed in a Jennifer Lopez design summer dress with a diamante shawl and open-toed heels. She wouldn't have looked out of place on the red carpet, but as Jasmine was sick of pointing out, she would shopping on Chester High Street. You never know Jas. The paps get everywhere."

"And I am sure they are just as bored of dad's latest infidelity as we are."

She shot back as she stormed out of the kitchen.

"Just change, will you?"

SLAM was the only answer she received.

"Can't you give her a break? Carl sighed as he entered the kitchen, having nearly been ran over on the stairs by his fuming daughter. She's fifteen and definitely not a glamour model. You will just have to accept you like different things. You are never going to get Jas into clothes like you are."

"But she doesn't even try. She has a figure most girls would die for and she wants to wear football shirts, those disgusting jumper things and jeans."

"Most teenage girls prefer them nowadays. I hardly see any walking around in skirts or dresses, going to tea parties."

"But she could look so beautiful."

"She does anyway. That Bart or Homer…the McQueen lad obviously thinks she does."

"Yeah, well he's not the one who has to see her in those dratted things day in day out."

"And if you play your cards right neither will you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well if you pick your battles you could get her to go out with you and then you could to use your words 'pick something pretty' for her."

"She still wouldn't wear it. It would be a complete waste of money."

"Well use mine."

Flashing his most charming smile he handed her his Platinum Gold bank card.

"And what's the catch?"

Heidi couldn't help feeling slightly suspicious of her husband's motives, after all the supposed infidelity rumours had in fact been closer to the truth than she would have liked. Why was he so desperate to be nice all of a sudden?

"No catch what so ever. I'm just trying to keep the peace. Besides after a stressful couple of months you deserve a treat. But if you don't want it…"

Teasingly Carl tried to hold the card out of her reach, but he had forgotten she was wearing heels.

"Now I never said that."

Smiling, she dug her heal into his toe, grabbed the card from his hands and headed upstairs. This was going to be so much fun.

'And that is phase one complete. Carl smiled smugly at his own brilliance. Bitch.' She really had hurt his foot.