Carly parked across from the café just after 12.15 and sat for a few minutes. This would be the first time that she had seen Rachael in a long time. Rachael had been busy trying to save her business and Carly had been busy trying to find a job. It was a shame when the two of them and Michaela had gone to school together the three of them had been almost inseparable, well things can change as people get older she thought.
Older she was only in her mid-twenties it wasn’t as if she was really old well not yet anyway. It wouldn’t be long though she would soon be thirty that was when she would be really old she thought with a smile on her face as she got out of her car and headed towards the café.
Inside, Rachael sat waiting for her old friend to arrive. Her old friend who may have just come up with an idea to save her business. Carly walked in and saw Rachael sitting in the corner of the café.
“Hi Rachael, long time no see.” Was Carly’s opening statement.
“Hi, how's things?” Came the reply.
“Ok, I suppose. Sorry to hear about your shop. I know how hard you worked in getting that place up and running.” Carly said sincerely.
“We can talk about the shop in a bit I want to hear how things are going with you first,” Rachael said honestly.
“Only if you let me know what my great idea was before we leave here, I might want to use it again. It's not often I have a good idea these days you know.” Carly said smiling.
“That’s a promise after all it's why I asked you here but first how about a coffee?” Rachael asked.
“I thought you would never ask,” Carly said to her.
For the next half an hour or so the two old friends caught up on each other's lives well except what was happening with Rachael’s shop. It seemed as if all their old disagreements had been forgotten almost all of them. This had the two women feeling it had been a good idea to meet up in the first place.
“I know you have to go soon Rachael but you have to tell me about my good idea. I can’t remember it, I must have been really drunk when I came up with it.” Carly pleaded with her newly rediscovered friend.
“Why The Mannequin Challenge of course,” Rachael said to her.
“That idea,” Carly replied starting to remember some of the details of what she had said on that drunken Friday night in the pub.
“Yeah, that one. You said to Michaela that we could run a competition to have a customer find one person who was hidden in the shop amongst the Mannequins. Customers come in and try to guess where the person that was hiding to win a prize. “Rachael reminded Carly.
“I said that?” Carly asked
“More or less. I think it might work. Anyway, the publicity from it would help to advertise the shop and those who take part might come in and buy something even if they don’t win.” Rachael answered.
“I should write down my drunken ideas, I might make some money from them,” Carly said with a smile on her face.
“You might at that,” Rachael replied with an equally as big smile on her face.
“All you need to do now is find someone to be your human Mannequin,” Carly told Rachael.
“Oh, I might have already,” Rachael replied.
“You have who?” Carly asked
Rachael did not say a word she simply nodded towards Carly.
“Oh come on Rachael tell me who?” Carly asked once again.
Rachael repeated her gesture.
“Well if you are not going to say who then I am leaving,” Carly said as she got up to leave.
“Oh, Carly you can be so thick sometimes. I mean you Dumbo.” Rachael finally told the woman now standing in front of her.
“What! Me” Carly exclaimed.
“Yes, you. After all, it was your idea wasn’t it.” Rachael said to Carly who moved to sit back down.
“Well, I did study drama at university. This might be my big break. I’M in.” Carly said as she pulled her seat back under the table.
“Good all we need to do now is set things up. Design a few adverts for the competition for the papers and then pick a date and …..” Rachael went on to say without taking a breath.
At that moment Carly could not only see Rachael her old friend but Rachael the businesswoman. She hadn’t seen Rachael this excited since she had been put in charge of the prom committee back in high school. This was the Rachael she had missed, maybe she shouldn’t have been that angry with her for all that time. Maybe.
