From the salon on Kensington High Street, they traveled to Knightsbridge and Joanna was introduced to the first of many stores she had read about, but had never visited. With seven floors, if those below street level were included, Harrods was prestigious, opulent, and had all the glitter that came with gold.

Joanna came to an abrupt stop a few feet inside the entrance. She had never seen so much glitz and elegance in one place. “Wow,” she said under her breath.

“You okay?” Fran asked.

Joanna thought for a moment. “Is this really who I am now?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Taking a step closer, Fran touched Joanna’s sleeve. “Of course. Anything.”

“A long time ago I convinced myself that nice things...pretty things didn’t matter.”

“Okay?”

Chewing on her lip, Joanna turned to face Fran. “I really like pretty things. I just never could afford them.”

A dazzling smile spread across Fran’s face, and hooking her arm in Joanna’s, she said, “Well, you can now.”

***

Climbing out of the taxi, Joanna stopped and looked up at the house. It was the first time she had seen it at night, and it didn’t look any better. Insignificant lighting cast weak streams of illumination across the massive slate front porch, and if it wasn’t for the moonlight, Joanna doubted she would have been able to make out the stairs. As the cab pulled away, she carefully made her way up the steps.

As Joanna came into the light streaming out the opened door, Evelyn beamed. While Joanna’s clothes hadn’t changed, her appearance most definitely had.

Although minimalistic, it was clear to Evelyn that Joanna was now wearing makeup, and the result was subtle, yet stunning. Mascara and eyeliner now defined her eyes, enhancing their shape and size, and with the help of a hint of blush, her cheekbones had become prominent, making the dimples that appeared when she smiled even more pronounced.

While the length of Joanna’s hair had remained the same, the once lackluster reddish-brown hue had not. Being the masters of all things hair, the experts at the salon had used color intensifiers to return Joanna’s hair to its true dark cinnamon shade, and when they added volume, the natural waves she believed had disappeared years before, returned in force. The final touch was the addition of understated highlights one shade lighter, and the result belonged on the cover of a magazine.

“Well, I must say, you look absolutely lovely,” Evelyn said, standing in the doorway “I see the visit to the salon went well.”

“Yes, it did,” Joanna said with a grin. “Sorry, I’m so late.”

“No worries,” Evelyn said as they walked into the house. “Fran called to say you were going to be late, and by the number of deliveries we had today, I can see why.”

“What do you mean?” Joanna said as she took off her jacket.