At work, Candy carried out all her duties as if she were in oblivion – meeting with Yvette had taken its toll on her. She was so beautiful… But the more miss White thought of Yvette, the worse she felt.
Candy, without noticing it, had this feeling of contempt that the girls, uninitiated in love affairs, have towards experienced women. She didn't like the way Yvette boldly and intimately touched Neil's face, and this languishing tone of hers when she said "Daniel" or "mon cher", this inviting glance through long lashes…
But how beautiful she was! Such well-groomed white hands, and long red nails. Candy sadly looked at hers – reddened after housework and work at the Hospital, short nails, – and she suddenly felt angry with herself. Why hadn't she cared about her hands? Of course, she was too far from such white and smooth skin, but nevertheless her hands wouldn't look so rough…
"Candy, you are a lady. It's time you started getting interested in dresses and makeup," Annie once said. Lady, shmady. Hell yes, she's a lady! And Annie was so womanly, too, her dresses so beautiful… She always wanted to be the best for Archie.
Candy looked in the mirror. Boy, there really is something to laugh at. Baggy dress, no hairstyle… For some reason, on this very day Candy's own appearance, which had always satisfied her, started to annoy her.
Freckles, hard hair! Is that all about her? She looks like this, when she is in the prime of youth and beauty! And how graceful this Yvette is! She moves so lightly, and if she runs, she certainly won't bump into someone and fall on her butt.
Candy felt even more upset and by the evening was completely depressed. It had always been a kind of a game with all these dinner invitations, but now for some reason she felt ashamed of going there in such a dress and with such hair condition, even with Neil. Or not Neil, whoever, what really mattered was that she looked like a beggar, like a "shepherdess"! What a shame!
And what long eyelashes that Frenchwoman has… She must be using a mascara, all actresses do. Her own eyelashes are, most probably, pale and short. But who knows… The nurses don't need makeup, but still Candy had never tried neither mascara, nor glow… She used to be fine about that, but today she understood it couldn't last longer. She looked ridiculous.
"Candy, are you okay?" Emily, a chief nurse, asked. "You look sad…"
Candy took a pause, and then suddenly decided to answer honestly:
"I have a date today, Emily, and I have absolutely no time to dress. Or, to be precise, I have nothing to put on!"
Oh, this eternal women's question – what to wear on a date! And women always come to help each other in such cases!
Ten minutes hadn't elapsed when a small office became a place for a council. Then, half an hour before the end of Candy's workday, they led her to that office and started dressing her. The nurses changed each other to carry out the duties of the others, so generally the work did not suffer.
During the break, Natalie ran home as she lived closer than anyone else and brought her best dress, and everyone decided it would suit Candy perfectly.
Miss White ceased to resist at the very beginning of the "operation", as the nurses called this event. They dressed her in a blue evening dress, so deep blue that her skin seemed to be glowing from the inside. Then, a silken scarf on her shoulders and Emily's charming shoes on her feet.
Judy was setting Candy's hair, raising it and fixing with hairpins, and Natalie was in charge of the makeup.
"He will be stunned!" the ladies exclaimed when they finally saw the result of their joint efforts.
They forbade Candy to look in the mirror, saying she should behave naturally, otherwise she would be shy and all their efforts would be in vain. That's why Candy felt a bit confused while going down the stairs.
Neil, as usual, was boldly honking the horn, and the car wouldn't shut up.
Candy came down, and then Neil saw her. His eyes widened, and he made a delighted sigh. Miss White smiled artlessly. As if having come to senses, Neil hasted to open the door for Candy, and she gently got in. For some reason, in this new dress all her movements were not sharp, but calm and even confident.
She put her hands on her knees and turned to her companion. "It's funny," the girl thought, "how the appearance influences other people's behaviour. Neil is always rude and impudent, but he's being so ridiculously quiet now." She giggled, but Neil remained serious and humbled.
Soft music was playing, and in the tender candlelight Candy felt like a princess from her childhood dreams. She must be so pretty! And the Prince?
Something must have happened, but now she was looking at him differently, and if they could be imagined as Prince and Princess, well… he would quite pass for a prince. His black evening suit advantageously set off his tanned face, and his brown eyes glowing with admiration were very suitable for the eyes of the Prince. Of course, casting aside his disgusting character, but what's the point of thinking about it if he was being so polite and gallant…
"I think you already know it, but anyway – you look stunning!" he uttered with such a deep feeling in his voice, which left no doubts – it was a compliment from the heart.
"Thank you," she smiled courtly and raised a glass of champagne. "To what shall we drink?"
The Prince's brown eyes became serious, and he spoke in a low voice, as if giving an oath:
"Let's drink to the Future. The Future, in which there is no place for disappointments of the Past!"
They clanged their glasses with a light sound, so magical and spellbinding…