Just Buy The Whole Store

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After breakfast, where they successfully managed not to scratch each other's eyes, they returned to their room with Bella gone. She must be in a hurry to meet her editor.

They got ready to go out, scoffing at each other every time their eyes met. It was Andrei who raised the white flag, seeking truce when they were in the elevator, going down to the hotel lobby.

"Let's not do this anymore. I know you have a lot of things in your mind, and huffing and throwing daggers through our eyes are quite draining."

"Huh? I could do this all day!" she puffed her cheeks in indignation. She wasn't really angry at Andrei anymore, and she agreed with him that acting in this childish fight was just fun when they were in high school, and yeah — probably until university, but right now… it is indeed emotionally draining.

She released a deep sigh, and said, "I'm sorry I pissed you off and thoroughly enjoyed the process, but I never meant to hurt or invalidate your feelings. I also believe that there is no use really to continue blaming each other for what happened in the past."

"I am —"

"Just so we are clear, I will continue to blackmail you for what you did to me in the future."

Andrei was cut off without giving him time to respond because the elevator had opened into the lobby and a staff member was waiting to announce that a car had been waiting for them.

He ended up just rolling his eyes at Laurie.

***

"For someone who hates shopping, tell me, why are we here again?" Andrei asked, following Laurie as she plucked clothing off the rack and dumped them into Andrei's arms.

Store assistants were giggling and checking Andrei with a blush on their faces for the scene they are seeing is the perfect epitome of boyfriend and girlfriend on a shopping date.

And Andrei is the perfect boyfriend as he follows her around the store quietly, just giving some comments when he is being asked and only when it is absolutely necessary.

A good-looking man — Andrei, who let her pretty girl — that is her, allowed by his boyfriend who has a fat wallet to shop to her heart's content is the perfect image of a young couple in love.

They were like a perfect scene from a movie. Bella would be delighted if she was here. She could take notes for her future writing.

"I didn't bring anything decent to wear since I hastily got on the plane," she smiled at Andrei, answering his question.

She crooked her finger to him, beckoning him to follow her to the fitting room.

"I would like to fit these," she told the store assistant, pointing to the mountain of clothes that are in Andrei's arms, covering his face.

"Certainly, Miss."

The store assistant slightly bowed down at Laurie, gesturing for her to step into one of the fitting rooms that lined up the length of the room. She snapped her fingers to signal the two other assistants to get the clothes from Andrei's arms.

She entered the fitting room that has mirror walls so you could see how the piece of clothing fits you from every angle.

There is a round plush chair in the fitting room where she threw her clothes that she removed from her body.

She snapped her head on her left side when she heard a soft knock, "Come in," she said.

A panel of the wall opened and a store assistant emerged from the other side, pulling two clothing racks of all the clothes she picked for her to try on.

"What do you think of this?" she asked Andrei who was lounging on the sofa outside the door of the fitting room.

She is wearing a checkered black and white work coat with a skirt. It's a two-piece set where she wore a white blouse underneath the coat to complete the ensemble.

"It looks good," Andrei nodded. You look like an expensive CEO wife on her way to brunch with her friends who, like you, were pretending they have something to do with their lives when in truth they are just spending their family money.

"Well, ain't that a very appropriate representation. It seems like you have some emotional issues that you need to go through with." she scoffed. "I take your opinion as I should get this. Duly, noted," sarcasm laced her voice.

She returned to the fitting room where she took off the clothes and put them on the rack of things she would get.

"How about this one?" She asked when she came out of the fitting room again.

She is wearing a coral pinafore summer dress. The sleeveless dress has a lace accent on the midriff.

"It looks good on you," he took a deep sigh, cocking his head side to side, trying to get a read of what the hell was Laurie thinking, playing dress-up.

"That's it? Does it look good on me?"

"Well, the dress gives you an aura of timid sophistication. The color of the dress looks wonderful with your skin tone. With the right accessories, hairstyle, bag, and shoes, you can easily pull off the — 'I have enough money in the bank, I can afford to waste my Monday on brunching with my equally bored, but extremely rich friends, on a golf club when none of us play golf — look."

Laurie took a deep breath and turned to the store assistant who was standing a few feet away with her hands clasped together, folded in her stomach, waiting to be called.

"I'm going to get this one too."

The store assistant slightly bowed down, acknowledging what she just said.

"Bloody hell, Laurie! What the fuck do you think you are doing?" he spat with frustration.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

He pushed himself up the sofa and folded his arms across his chest, "This! All of this! What do you need it for? When did you do this tedious fitting — just buy the whole bloody store!"

"Oh! I thought you'd enjoy this kind of thing. Guess I was wrong. Fine!" she turned to the store attendant, and said, "Bag everything I picked up, I'll take all of them!"