Damn, I would have given my eye teeth to go to that formal. Only the most powerful, beautiful people in the whole state were invited. I wanted so much...to be able to get all dressed up in a formal gown and rub elbows with the social elite. I would have so loved that.", Linda sighed and then quickly broke out of her imaginary vision. "Oh, my God, did you and Rachael get a job acting as hostesses or wait-staff for that party? Wow, that is amazing! I'm so proud of you two. To think my daughters are. I turned around and Cathy was there with Ruby. “Hello Ruby” I said and looked at Cathy who was smiling like the cat that got the cream. “I hope you don’t mind Neil” she said “Alf has gone on some seminar or something and will not be back until Monday night. I thought I would come and say hello”. I looked at Cathy. “I gave her my phone number” Cathy said. It suddenly became clear. The insistence about Sunday shopping, the large amount of food, Cathy had planned this.“Go into the lounge honey”. She stood as I entered and walked toward me. "Oh, please La... Aunt Helen." I corrected myself, "Don't get up on my account." She smiled and her proud face seemed to radiate a warmth I had never seen before in someone so much older than me. My mother always treated me with warmth and happiness but then, she was my mother. Most of the people of her generation, who had grown up under Queen Victoria, after whom I had been christened, seemed so dour and humourless. "My dear, I can see you have. How she managed to get the exact one I shall never know.At that time of the day I was still in my dressing gown. A black silky kimono with silver dragons down the sleeves. If Steve, as I later discovered his name, had arrived 5 minutes sooner I would have been still in the shower. As it was I was naked underneath. As I stepped back to let him in, I made sure the mid-thigh length garment swished open to expose an eye catching amount of thigh. OK, I was mid to late thirties then and Steve was a.