I stepped into the shop, almost knocked over by the wave of heat coming out of the place. It was cool outside, but not so cool that the heat needed to be turned up that high. I pulled off my cardigan and draped it over my arm.

I waited for a few minutes to see if anyone had heard me enter, but it seemed like the place was empty. There were several mannequins with dresses in various states of creation. One wall was entirely covered in bolts of fabric, and little bobbins of ...