"The hotel's architecture is inspired by the golden age of ancient Egypt. You'll notice the ornate designs and opulent finishes all around the property," the porter explains as he leads us to our room. This is one of the biggest and most luxurious hotels I've ever seen. It's truly breathtaking. I can sense the attention to detail in every corner.
He leads us down the golden hallway and we pause in front of the sixth room. "This will be your room, Miss," the porter says to me. I turn to Levi with wide eyes. "What?" he asks. I honestly thought we were going to share a room. I can imagine how much he paid for just one.
The porter opens the door with the key card. The moment I step in I'm greeted by exquisite furnishings, tasteful decor, and attention to detail. The room has a spacious and plush king-sized bed with high-quality linens, a large-screen TV, and a well-stocked mini-bar. It even has a private terrace, creating an inviting outdoor retreat within the cityscape. "Cassi?" I turn to Levi with the smile I've had on my face since I walked into this room.
"Hmm, you seem so thrilled over a mediocre room," he mutters as he strokes his chin. Well of course you would say that Levi you've probably rented a room in Buckingham Palace once or twice. "Well, my room is across yours. I'll be right back," he says and leaves with the porter. I close the door and suck in a deep breath. This is amazing. This is so amazing.
I run to the bathroom and open the door. It has a deep soaking tub, a rainfall shower, and plush bathrobes and slippers. I need to take a shower right now.
Suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I groan and walk to the bed, falling face down. I think what I need right now is chocolate and a nap. I hear the door click open so I turn over and sit up. "Huh? How did you get in?"
He lifts the key card. "This is yours," he clarifies and comes to sit beside me. "We're going shopping now," he states.
"Shopping? For what?"
He shrugs. "Anything. Clothes, shoes, snacks..."
"Do we have to go right now?" I whine and flop my upper body down to the bed. "What's wrong? Tummy pain?" he asks and places a comforting hand on my stomach.
"No... it's... okay yes it is," I sigh. "You don't have to come if the pain is too much," he smiles. Like hell, I would miss out on an opportunity like this. I sit up and draw in a breath. "I feel better already," I reassure him with a forced smile.
He gets up and twirls the car key around his index finger, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Don't worry pooks, I'll help you feel better in the car."
•••
I decided to stay in the backseat for safety reasons. The last thing I wanted was Levi to harass me again.
He seems to be a huge fan of oatmeal and raisin cookies though. That's nearly everything in the cart. He said I could put in anything I want but I'm not in the mood for these snacks. "You seem bored," he says as he scans another box of cookies before throwing it into the cart.
I shrug. "There isn't much to do."
"You can go get something for yourself if you want," he offers. Don't smile Cassi. "Oh really? Things like what?"
"Whatever you want sweetheart... just make sure you're back after 45minutes."
"Thanks so much, Levi, I love you!" I chime in and kiss him on the cheek. Woah why did I just do that? A warm smile spreads across his face as he caresses the spot. "Okay bye," I make a beeline out of the aisle, inwardly cursing myself for making things so awkward. Usually, he's the one who makes the bold moves what in the world possessed me.
The first place I'm heading is the boutique. As the person I am, I'm not even supposed to be so excited about getting new clothes. But I feel myself slowly evolving out of baggy clothes, sneakers, and beanies. I mean I'll soon be off to college and I'll need a new wardrobe. So why not use this as the perfect opportunity?
This is such a big mall that I can barely navigate my way to the boutique. Isn't there a map here or something? I start wandering around like a lost toddler, unsure of if I'll be able to meet up with Levi's 45-minute limit or if I'll even be able to find my way back to him. I'm pretty sure I look so pathetic, playing with my fingers as I look around for any sign of clothes.
Suddenly someone places a hand on my shoulder making me release an unnecessarily loud squeal, startling people passing by. I turn around, confused to see an unusually busty lady smiling sympathetically at me, she has blonde curls, and- it's just really hard to focus on anything other than her curvy body. "Hey, there... sorry, you just looked a bit lost... are you looking for your mummy?"
Holy cow this is the biggest insult I've ever received in my entire life. I mean I know I'm 5'2 but is that enough for someone to see me as a kid that's looking for her mummy? "Uhhh I'm 17," I clarify.
"My days, I'm so sorry," she laughs. "You just look so adorable," she chimes and pinches my cheek. Stranger danger!
"A-Actually I was looking for the bou-"
"Boutique? I was just heading there too, let's go together," she declares and thrusts her arm underneath mine, dragging me along with her. Well, at least I'm not lost anymore. They could kidnap me in this mall and Levi would have no idea. That's a pretty big letdown after the promise he made to me that night at my doorstep. He honestly made me feel like he would be pushing me around in a baby stroller all day.
"So you came here all on your own?" she asks. Geez why does she make it look like I'm a kindergartner who just happened to stumble upon this large building? But still, should I tell her I came with someone and make her think it was my babysitter who I somehow got separated from? Nope. "Um yeah, I did."
"Okay that's good because we can take as much time as we want," she beams. "Well... yeah." Ugh, I just hope Levi won't be mad if I spend an hour more.
After a few minutes, I spot the boutique I was searching for and we step through its glass doors, greeted by the scent of delicate perfumes and the soft hum of trendy music playing in the background.
It's a visual feast, with racks of colorful dresses, blouses, and skirts adorning the walls, and neatly folded stacks of jeans and sweaters showcased on tables. A chandelier sparkles overhead, casting a warm glow over the space. "So where do we begin," she grins and clasps her hands together.
"That's okay... I can do my shopping on my own," I insist. "No, no, no you look like you have no fashion sense dear and I would love to help you pick out the perfect outfits," she chimes. Is she doing this on purpose or does she not know how to use words, politely?
Before I can reject her offer she begins browsing through racks, selecting random clothes. "Um excuse me..." I say as I try to keep up with her. "Oh this is pretty," she lifts a pink lace lingerie set and turns to me.
"I... I can't wear that," I mutter, slightly embarrassed that I'm discussing this with a stranger in public. "Aren't you 17? You'll be in college soon- gosh I wish I went to college," she sighs. "Anyway, this is the type of underwear you should be looking at now. I mean come on, you're about to have sex with your crush but he takes off your clothes to see..." she dramatically gasps. "Granny panties? Ugh, that would be such a turn-off."
I hope no one was listening in on that. I start scanning my surroundings cautiously but everyone is minding their own business. "No one cares okay?" She thrusts the selected clothes into my arms and gestures for me to follow her.
Reluctantly, I do so. She keeps adding clothes to the pile in my arms, not even bothering to ask what my budget is. Eventually, I can barely see where I'm going with my arms laden with clothes. "Okay let's go to the changing room now."
She comes behind me and begins pushing me towards where I will assume is the changing room. I pass through the curtains and relieve myself of the clothes. She takes a seat on the stool and removes her shades, showcasing her hazel-green eyes. "Now then, start trying them on."
"Huh? You selected all these for me?" I question.
"Sorry I just got so carried away that I forgot I came to shop for myself too," she chuckles. "I don't even know you," I state.
"Oh, where were my manners? Jessie Schneider," she holds out a hand for me to shake. I tentatively take it. "I'm just an ordinary lady who decided to visit the mall today... sorry if I rushed into things earlier... what's your name?"
"Cassi..."
"Well Cassi, it's lovely to meet you." She reaches into her purse and pulls out a pink handkerchief, wiping invisible sweat off her forehead. "Try them on," she insists, nodding towards the heap of clothes.
"Uhhh..." There's no way I'm about to undress in front of a stranger. I don't care if she's a female and she has all the body parts that I have, it just feels so wrong. "Oh, you're shy?" She turns the stool around, facing the wall. "Just tell me when you're done. Oh and try the lingerie first."
I select one of the many lingerie sets she picked out for me and lift it in the air. Would I look good in this? It's a mix of red and black lace with a garter belt and a robe. I don't know if I have the body to pull this off and honestly, I don't think I do. But I'll try it anyway, just to see.
I take off my clothes and begin putting on the set. Once everything is on I take some time to stare at myself in the mirror. Woah is this me? I hold my breath for a second, seeing how good I would look if I had a smaller tummy. "Okay, I'm looking now." She turns to me and gasps. "My word..." she gets up, raking my body from head to toe, causing heat to rise in my cheeks. "I see you liked this one huh? It fits you perfectly."
She drops her purse and comes closer to me, cupping my boobs and pushing them up. "W-What are you-"
"Just look at how this bra pushed everything up. When I saw you in that baggy cardigan I thought there was nothing but two peanuts behind it." Offense taken. "But just look at you now." She takes some steps back to admire my body. "Your husband will be a very lucky man." Okay, I'm getting very uncomfortable now.
"Um yeah, thanks. I should take it off now."
"Yes and try the rest of them, the gowns, the tops, the skirts... let's knock ourselves out," she chimes and returns to sit on the stool.
"Aren't you going to get anything for yourself?" I ask, hoping she'll leave for a while so I can at least get a bit of privacy. "Oh don't worry about me, I already have too many clothes anyway." Of course, you do. Seeing she's adamant on staying here I'll just have to ignore her presence.
Trying all of these clothes must have taken me well over 45 minutes. I've lost track of time. Gosh, Levi is going to kill me. Well, at least I learned some things. Jessie gave me a lot of fashion advice that I found surprisingly useful. I think I even started warming up to her a bit. Well, that doesn't matter because I'll probably never see her again.
After picking out less than half of all the clothes she brought I carry them to the checking-out counter with her trailing behind me. "Oops, I forgot to add a cute skirt I saw earlier. One moment." She immediately darts away. I wonder what the time is. I pat my pockets for my phone but I can't seem to find it. Oh, the dressing room. "Excuse me please," I tell the lady behind the register and run to the dressing room I was in. I spot my phone on the floor and swiftly retrieve it. That was so close.
"Um, sir you're not allowed in the changing room!" I hear someone yell. Immediately the curtain flips open and Levi's tall figure emerges. "L-Levi-"
"45 minutes Cassi. I gave you 45 minutes and this is the 46th minute," he sighs. "I can't tolerate lateness."
I'm not even listening to anything he's saying and I'm pushing aside the fact that this is just one minute after the time limit he gave me yet he doesn't mind barging into a lady's dressing room. "I could have been naked!" I holler.
He rolls his eyes and grabs my arm, dragging me out. "How did you even know I was in that particular room?"
"Cassi I've been tracking your every move since you left. Did you think I would let you wander around without any assurance that you're safe?"
"Tracking? What if I lost my phone smarty pants."
"I never said I was tracking your phone, I said I was tracking you smarty pants."
"What? How? Did you put something on me?" I start feeling my body for any odd activity. "That's left for me to know," he states. "I came to find you when I realized you can't buy clothes without money, so here." He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a large stack of cash, placing it in my palm. "Go pay and let's leave."
"Levi... I think this is too much... I didn't get that many clothes."
"Cassi I'm exhausted and I still have to drive us back in the stupid snow. Just give them the money and let's go."
Without a word, I head back to the checking-out point, approaching the lady who's packaged all the clothes. "Oh, you're back? That will be..." She pauses to stare at the money I'm holding out to her. "Miss it's just thirty-five hundred dollars."
"Yeah... keep the change." I drop the money and take the bags from her. "Thank you!" I run back to Levi who's already striding out of the store. "Wait up!"
Hold on. I forgot about Jessie. Seeing that Levi isn't wasting another second in this building I'll just have to leave. I feel really bad for not saying goodbye at least. But hopefully, fate will bring us together again.
•••
Immediately I walk into my room, I fall on the fluffy bed and release a sigh of relief. "So good." I turn over and smile at the many shopping bags sitting beside the door. I'm pretty sure I had only two bags of clothes but for some reason, there are seven over there.
I slide to the floor and crawl to the bags, opening one of them. Sweet biscuits. It's filled with chocolate to the brim. How didn't I notice this? I open the next bag and pull out the rectangular box in it, opening it up to reveal a heating pad. An unintentional smile spreads across my face and I hold the box to my chest. Levi is just the cutest person ever.