Jodie pulled a face as she surveyed her handiwork, a face that worried Christian. "I don't know, Syed. As makeovers go, I don't think this is one of my best."
"Nonsense," Syed said, as he looked on from over her shoulder. "I think it's brilliant."
She looked back at him and smiled and it immediately cheered her up and she looked back at Christian. "Please don't judge my actual skill on this though, Christian. It's just a bit of fun, right?"
"Right." Christian nodded. And once done he put his hand out for Jodie to pass him the small mirror she had in her bag. "Oh dear lord, I'm halfway to being a drag queen..." He looked up at Syed, "And that is NOT a suggestion."
"It's okay, I don't want you to wear a dress. Tonight."
"Thank God for small miracles." Christian put the mirror down. "So what's next then, eh? Cos right now, I'm winning."
Tanya appeared behind Syed at that moment and shared a look with him that seemed to Christian like they'd planned something when he wasn't watching. Over Syed's shoulder suddenly appeared a pair of furry handcuffs, and he took them from her with a look of glee in his eyes.
He grabbed one of Christian's wrists and slung one end over and tightened it up, then he took Christian's other hand and pulled him outside the pub into the cool of the spring evening. With a few others behind him: Tanya and Kat, he took him all the way to Arthur's bench and threw the other end of the cuffs round a thin piece of the wood on one of the arms.
"What was the point of that? Apart from me getting cold, in which case, if I get ill, it's your fault and you'll have to feed me lemsip and soup for the next week."
"Just wait and see." Syed high-fived Tanya. How on Earth did they have the time to plan anything? Unless this whole thing had been thought up during the day at the salon and Christian had just walked right into it.
And then Tanya handed Syed a strip of material that was then used to cover Christian's eyes. Blindfolded, half naked and cuffed to a bench in Albert Square. This had a distinct 'stag party' feel to it and he didn't like it one bit. He was coming very close to crying 'uncle' and giving in to Syed.
