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His eyes were bluer than October skies as he scanned the brand new clothing in his paper bags. The money in his wallet was dwindling and the numbers in his bank account were nearly double digits; he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a third number displayed on the screen of a cashpoint.
"Thank you." He praised the cashier, nodding in appreciation and flashing a whimsical grin. He dreamily exited the shop and stalked the pigeons on the pavement; his feet landing inches from their feathers.
Suddenly he became increasingly aware of the winter chill in the air. He tugged his coat around him tighter, clenching his teeth together to prevent them from chattering. His legs carried him hurriedly towards his car, his hands gripping the handles of the bags like his life depended on it.
He stopped.
He recognised that hairstyle.
Golden close-cropped hair shaved neatly towards the neck. Shiny; almost gleaming gold. It reminded him of Fredrick.
Perhaps it was Fredrick.
Jack wrestled with his mind, his face contorted into an unsure frown. The man was several shops away - there was no way of determining if it was Freddie for sure.
He sighed, raking a hand through his coffee-coloured windswept hair and pacing towards the man. His legs shivered slightly in the frosty breeze, his black skinny jeans barely shielding him from the icy gusts.
Advancing on the individual, Jack reduced his step to a delicate tip-toe. Fredrick was on his phone, completely oblivious to Jack inching behind him.
The ocean-eyed man braced his legs, bending his knees to pounce. He placed his shopping bags down gingerly behind him, preparing himself for impact.
Abruptly he leapt onto Fredrick's back, wrapping his arms around the taller man's neck and pressing all of his weight onto him. Jack cackled like a hyena as Freddie struggled beneath him, twisting them so that they both toppled to the ground.
Freddie's elbow collided with Jack's stomach, causing him to wheeze desperately between giggles. The duo rolled over each other, each trying to overpower the other.
It was fun.
Until it wasn't.
A clenched fist struck Jack's nose, the startled man holding his face in agony as he whipped his head round to face Fredrick with a look of betrayal.
But it wasn't Fredrick.
Jack felt himself shrink, his shameful eyes studying the stranger's angered expression.
"What's wrong with you?!" The man bellowed, his lips drawn back in a wolf-like snarl. Jack's face got impossibly redder.
"I thought you were someone else!" Jack desperately cried, pinching the bridge of his nose as he whined in discomfort. The stranger winced at him pityingly, which Jack felt was even more humiliating than the anger.
"Sorry." The stranger spoke sincerely, locking hands with Jack and tugging him to his feet. Jack tilted his head back, facing the sky in an educated attempt to slow the bleeding.
The man definitely wasn't Freddie, Jack realised as he analysed the stranger further. The face was completely different.
To make matters worse, a strong blast of wind had sent Jack's bags full of designer goods hurtling across the pavement, shirts and jeans flapping uselessly in the breeze, some landing in puddles.
"Sorry..." The stranger whispered again, regret etched onto his features clearer than graphite. Jack waved his hand dismissively, his glare still penetrating his strewn clothes that had become stained and filthy.
"You can just buy some new clothes, I suppose?" The stranger suggested as he strolled away. Jack felt his entire body erupt into embarrassed flames, his cheeks redder than the blood pouring from his broken nose.
"Is this some sort of financial prejudice?!" He screamed at the overcast sky.
He took his wallet from his pocket, ignoring the droplets of blood that landed on the leather. His wallet was completely empty.
Jack felt humiliated tears leak from his eyes as he scrunched his nose in annoyance.
