Chapter 6

By Claire

"Guess!! No, wait don’t guess! We can do better than that!!

Si, I’m going out” – Becca heard her friend shriek to her husband and then the slam of a door.

“Meet me at Café Boho in 10” and with that, Pip was gone.

For a moment, Becca simply stood still in the void of the abrupt ending to the phonecall. She wasn’t quite sure what she was feeling. Excited? Frustrated? Puzzled? Or frankly, just tired and still slightly grumpy after her bizarre and fitful sleep.

Café Boho. That brought back memories. Becca hadn’t been there since … well, since she moved to her nana’s.

She, Josie and Pip used to have their design books and scraps of material sprawled over at least two tables, nursing a drink for hours after college (or more accurately when they were meant to be in college). The staff never seemed to mind them ordering one cappuccino between them at intervals over the course of a whole afternoon.

In her automaton daze Becca realised she’d already arrived and was pushing open the familiar russet red wooden door of Café Boho. She could still just make out the faded stencils of honeysuckle, that Julia, one of the art students had ‘kindly’ painted around the glass panelling …. without asking permission first.

Smiling to herself at the decadence, Becca ordered two cappuccini and took a seat in their favourite corner, a great spot for people and café watching.

As she glanced around, it appeared nothing much had changed, the mismatched tables and chairs complimented the mismatch of quirky student and yummy mummy customers, much as it had done before. Becca felt safe and comfortable here, as if time had stood still, before her world had been turned upside down.

Just as she was wondering why she hadn’t been back here sooner, Pip bounded into the café. Sunglasses perched on her head, whatever the weather, an overstuffed handbag slung on her shoulder.

“C’est magnifique! I’ve done it!”, Pip blurted out as she threw herself into the empty seat. “Oh, but what about the boys – how can I leave them! Do you think Simon will be ok while I’m gone? I feel like I’m finally following my dream and at the same time it feels like such a huge step!!  You’ve got to come with me!!”

“Take a breath Pip. For fuck’s sake! What are you going on about!!” cried Becca. “I don’t hear from you in ages and then all this drama!”

The stunned looks from the other customers set the two friends into a momentary fit of giggles before Pip said, “you don’t hear from me? Becca – we contacted you in every possible way and we never heard back – what else did you want us to do?”

“Anyway look, we’re both here now aren’t we! Josie was meant to be coming too, she was the one that suggested this whole thing in the first place, wasn’t she? I know you were never that interested before but I can just see us there now! It’ll be AMAZING.

And I couldn’t help it – when I never heard back from you – I filled your application form in and sent off a few of your designs, your nana thought you’d be ok about it. You’ll have to do an interview of course, that’s normal. Oh I’m so excited …. I had my interview today and I’m in. When’s yours?”

By now, Becca was completely lost.

Pip hadn’t always been this dramatic and impulsive, had she? Sure, at college they had both been in awe of Josie and her amazing creations – but Pip? What has got into her!

“You did read some of my emails didn’t you Becca?” asked Pip finally.

“erm, I guess I kind of shut off from things for a while, what exactly are you trying to sign me up to Pip?”

Becca’s curiosity was morphing into trepidation, at Pip’s mention of application forms and interviews…

Pip swept her hands up in a dramatic guesture and with a gallic shrug said, “Picture it - you & me – sitting on Île Saint-Louis sketching our designer collections … Si thinks I’m crazy Becca, I mean, I’ve got him and Leo to think of – but Paris Fashion School!! L’Institute De Couture. Who’d have thought it!!  Alors, on y va?”