It hadn't quite worked. The sleeves looked great but the back wasn't really working. She sighed in frustration, ran her finger over the neat little stitches. On the wrong side. She took another hour to painstakingly unstitch it without trying to ruin the existing dress but the crepe was done for.

The bell dinged as Hecate impatiently walked through the shop. The saleslady from last time wasn't there. Another one stuck her head around a roll of bright green chiffon.

'I'll be right with you.'

It wasn't until she had clambered down and slid behind the desk that Hecate recognised her. The woman with the pink cat face bag.

'Oh. Hello again.'

Her tone was warm and friendly. Hecate wasn't sure how to react. She thought one of them should feel mortified about last time. Probably the other woman for propositioning Hecate. But she didn't seem abashed. She was smiling at her. Hecate wasn't sure what to make of it.

'My colleague told me that you'd bought some of the trim from the window display and a metre of the black jersey crepe.'

'How did you know it was me?'

'Took a guess. Dimity described you well.'

Hecate froze and her eyes darted away. She was feeling uncomfortable with this much scrutiny.

'What can I do for you?'

Hecate turned to look for the roll of fabric. There it was, wedged on top of a garish orange polka dot. It called to her.

'Another metre perhaps? How is the dress coming along?'

'I screwed up the back' Hecate admitted.

'I know the feeling' the woman said with a smile. 'There's only the rest of this roll left and we'll not be ordering more.'

Hecate hesitated.

'I'll take it.'

'The entire roll?'

'Yes.'

'Good choice.'

The woman retrieved it and run the edge through her calloused hands. 'It's deadstock. We couldn't get much of it but as most people haven't had the eye to notice it, just as well. It's a gorgeous piece.' The slight shimmer in the fabric that had caught Hecate's eye seemed to amplify in those hardworking hands. She didn't know what she'd do with the rest of it but she decided that she needed it. The woman named a ridiculously low price for such a rare find and Hecate didn't hesitate to pay it.

'Let us know how the dress turns out.'

Hecate turned around and weighed up the question sitting on the edge of her tongue. As if reading her mind, the woman smiled.

'I meant what I said. My offer still stands.'