Listening to Yvette’s song as the woman gave a last-minute practice performance, Mikaela nodded her head to the beat that played. Yvette’s bags of shopping were littered around the floor, and her sparkly dress glistened with every move the blonde made.

Watching her friend’s movements, Mikaela couldn’t help but notice the sultry element to her behaviour. Every movement of her hand, feet, hips, even eyes, was sultry in an overt way that even Mikaela couldn’t deny it.

Inspecting her friend’s dance, Mikaela was impressed. Her movements were sharp, and Mikaela couldn’t help but mirror her friend’s dance a bit. After all, they had been dancing together for years now.

Smiling, Mikaela assured her friend, ‘you’re definitely getting through. Do you know what you’ll be doing with your hair?’

Instantly, Yvette’s eyes lit up, an eager grin transforming her face, Mikaela couldn’t help but smile back. Her friend’s eagerness was always infectious.

‘Well, I’ll see how I’m feeling tomorrow. What about you, what will you be wearing?’ Yvette asked, arching an eyebrow as she looked sternly at Mikaela.

Feeling her cheeks warm, Mikaela hesitated. She knew that no matter what she picked, Yvette would probably be displeased, but she didn’t want to go on stage feeling stiff and uncomfortable.

The truth was, she’d recently had an encounter that meant she wasn’t ready for any kind of over-exposed clothing, which was usually the type Yvette preferred.

With a sigh, Mikaela considered her own audition the next day. The song she’d be singing was hinting at the very event she still didn’t know how to deal with. Was it risqué to be singing about it? Yes. Did she feel like she had to sing about this?

Definitely.

Biting her lip slightly, Mikaela knew how uncomfortable the song alone would make her. Glancing at her fashionista friend with apprehension, she considered her options before saying, ‘I was thinking something comfortable.’

Hearing Yvette’s gasp, Mikaela winced. Yvette’s whole life had always been fashion, to the point where she’d been commissioned to make custom pieces by some of the upper echelons of society.

‘No, Mikaela, you can’t be wearing anything comfortable! You need to impress them at your first appearance! What are you thinking? Honestly, show me your wardrobe!’ Yvette hissed before storming forward and pulling the doors open to reveal Mikaela’s wardrobe.

The blonde’s eyes fell on Mikaela’s denim collection and her face turned sour.

‘Don’t tell me that you think your basic jeans are suitable for your debut stage,’ Yvette began, and Mikaela winced at the dangerous tone entering her voice.

Shrugging, Mikaela muttered, ‘it’s not like I can just wear a dress when I’ll be playing the guitar.’

‘I don’t care if you’re strumming a guitar on a chair, playing the trumpet or just bashing drums and shaking your head. Your debut stage deserves a great outfit, not a comfortable one! You want people to remember you and acknowledge the effort you went to, not think you put in zero effort!’ Yvette gasped, and Mikaela stared at her friend in disbelief.

Shaking her head, Mikaela considered her words carefully before she replied, ‘but we’re literally creating this whole performance from scratch. How could they not realise that we’re putting effort in?’

Rolling her eyes, Yvette said, ‘they’ll think you didn’t care enough to see it through completely. Now, let me see what you’ve got in here.’

Watching Yvette pull random parts of her wardrobe out, Mikaela sat speechless as Yvette looked at each item and shook her head.

Pulling out a soft, faux leather jacket, Yvette muttered, ‘this could be useful.’

The blonde kept working her way through Mikaela’s wardrobe as the brunette stared, watching piece by piece be discarded by her friend.

‘Do you have any interesting pants?’ Yvette asked, sending Mikaela a knowing glance.

When Mikaela simply shook her head, Yvette turned to her own wardrobe.

She rifled through her clothes before pulling out a dress.

Seeing it, Mikaela scowled, ‘no. No dresses.’

Their brown eyes met and Mikaela pressed her lips together, hoping that Yvette would understand.

With a sigh, Yvette muttered, ‘fine, we’ll need to make some pants interesting then.’

Riffling through her clothes, Yvette’s eyes fell back on Mikaela’s leather jacket.

With a devious smile, she pulled out a black skirt with a zipper along its side, loose fitted dark black denim and a selection of white tops.

Seeing Yvette place them out on the bed, Mikaela faltered, her eyes going from the pants with a white bandeau to the skirt with a loose fitted silk white shirt.

Glancing at Yvette, Mikaela frowned, ‘I thought you said I couldn’t wear jeans.’

In response, the blonde sent her a devilish smile, ‘those won’t just be jeans if you pick them. If you pick them, you have to promise me you’ll wear them.’

Not liking the glint in Yvette’s eyes, Mikaela considered her options.

Did she want to wear a skirt like that, or wear pants?

Licking her lips, it took Mikaela a moment to consider her options before she muttered, ‘fine.’

Immediately, Yvette grabbed the scissors out and cut the pants near the top of the thigh.

Horrified, Mikaela let out a shriek, though Yvette simply continued rummaging, her inner designer coming out.

Feeling far from comfortable, Mikaela watched as Yvette rummaged in her pack for her designing utensils, her expression as serious as ever.