Mark had brought me to an exquisite store a little outside the city. Looking from outside the shop at the mannequins that were placed behind the transparent window, dolled up and adorned with fabric that costed even more than my monthly house rent, it felt like even a strand of my hair would defile the shop.

Despite my hesitation and refusal of entering the shop, Mark was still insistent and pushed me inside the shop where we were the only costumers. The price tags must have scared the customers away. I eyed carefully around the shop that seemed to sparkle as it was decorated with clothes of the latest trends and made of the highest quality.

Seconds after me being in awe of the shop, the store manager let herself be known by gracing us with her presence as she entered the shop from the back door, graciously wearing a smile that was reserved for potential customers.

Walking with her long high heels until she stood in front of us, she bowed her head slightly to us and introduced herself. “Welcome to my shop. I am Maria, the manager of this shop. How may I be of assistance to you?”

Mark placed his hand on my waist and flushed me against his side. “I would like to buy some clothes for the lady here. Do you have some clothes that would befit her?”

The woman raised her head back up, and her eyes darted to me. Her deep brown eyes gliding up and down as they took my appearance in and I felt a wave of shame wash over me as her eyes narrowed with judgment. I had worn the clothes that were covering my body multiple times, resulting in seams coming undone and loose threads sticking out of its hem. My whole appearance basically told the condition of my wallet.

The store manager shifted her attention back to Mark and with a polite smile she said, “Dear customer, the clothes here are a bit on the pricey side, but if you have made an appointment, I will gladly assist you.”

Then, out of nowhere, a wad of cash got placed on top of the woman’s hand. It was momentary, but her pupils shook in shock at the sight of the amount of money before masking her expression for being stoic again.

“No, I haven’t made an appointment, but I am sure that this should make up for it.” Mark answered the woman formally, not reacting to her doubt filled words. “I will give you double the amount if you help us immediately.”

Like a businesswoman, her face lit up, and she placed the stack of money away. “My, certainly Sir! Please take a seat while I take care of some stuff.”

Promptly she strides to the entrance of her shop and turned the sign that was hanging on the door from ‘open’ to ‘closed’, so that no one else would enter the shop while she would attend to us. She then disappeared into the backdoor to come back again with some measuring tapes.

I removed my coat to give the woman better access and hung it over the back of a chair. Mark leisurely took a place next to it, his legs and arms crossed over each other as his eyes were trained on me with a pensive look while the store manager of the boutique store was using a measuring tape to measure my waist.

I stretched my arms out to the side, aligned with my shoulders and the woman, after finishing with my waist, wrapped the tape around my arm, concentrating on the small lines with numbers next to it before freeing my arm again to dot down the measurements on paper.

“Okay,” the woman breathed out as she had written everything down that was needed to be written. “Luckily, we still have clothes of the lady’s size. Would you like me to show you what we all have in stock now or would you like for me to customize your outfit. In that case, I must add to it that it will take three days until its completion.”

Mark stared at me profoundly as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Do you have a mid-length black sweater dress, with brown knee-high boots and brown camel coat.” Letting the woman know that he had heard her, he responded to her with a detailed list of clothes that he wanted to see me wear. The woman was surprised but didn’t let it show on her face.

“I will see if we have what you are looking for. Please wait in the dressing area while I search for them.” The woman answered politely and led us to the dressing area. She and Mark conversed for a while as Mark listed out more different outfits. I said nothing and let Mark handle it. For the first time, I felt relieved that Mark took reign in something, as I had zero knowledge in fashion and style. As a person who had to bend her back, back and forth just to make ends meet, fashion was never a necessity but a luxury.

In the dressing area were the dressing rooms on the side; shrouded in white curtains to keep prying eyes away from the person dressing inside of it. There was a pink sofa couch in the middle that went with the cream-colored room. Opposite of it was a full body mirror against the wall.

Mark took a seat on the couch, his back leaned against it and his legs crossed over the knees as if he owned the place. The store manager excused herself and disappeared to appear again, pushing an elongated clothing rack through the door. Hanging on it were the clothes that would satisfy Mark’s wishes.

It was pretty daunting to witness so many brands of clothes. I could already feel the anxiety rise within me at the thought of me tearing one of them by accident. The woman brought the clothing rack to the middle and stood next to it. Bringing her hand up, she gestured politely at the rack, presenting it to us. “Here are all the clothes that fit your description.”

Mark gave her a small nod of appreciation. “Well then, I will excuse myself. Please call me if any help is required.” She said and was about to leave, but I thwarted her from moving any further by clasping both of my hands around her arm. She craned her head to look down at me, wondering if I needed something else. “If it is not too much of a bother, could you maybe stay here?” I asked pleadingly.

I haven’t forgotten Mark’s chilling words of him wanting to ravish me in the dressing room. And not being sure whether that comment was a joke or his true intentions, I would really prefer if the woman could stay here. There’s no way that Mark would try to do something with another person in the room, right?

“I have closed my shop for today to offer you my help. I will stay here if that’s what you want.” At her words I sigh relieved and glanced at mark worriedly, anxious that he would be against it and send the woman away. Mark shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Sure, it would be handy in case we have to make immediate adjustments to your clothes.”

A slow smile was released on my face and I took the first batch of clothes inside the dressing stall. Hanging the clothes up, I shut the curtains, praying that Mark wouldn’t suddenly waltz in when I am undressing.

…

Shoving the curtains open, I stepped out of the stall wearing a flowery dress. “How about this one?” I queried.

“It brings out your eyes.” The store manager said, giving me a subtle compliment. I glanced at Mark, waiting for him to say something, but he only stared at me- his chin resting on his hand as his elbow was placed on his knee.

Worry puckered my brows. This is the millionth fit that I have tried on and his expression is still the same as when I wore the first outfit- expressionless. The store manager, however, kept giving me compliments, which made me feel glad that I made her stay.

He must not like the clothes, I thought to myself. But that’s weird, how could he not like one clothes when he was the one who picked them out? Wanting to get this over with, I stepped back in the stall and changed in to the last fit.

I stepped out in front of the full body mirror and twirled around, staring pleased at my reflection.

“Young lady, you look perfect. It’s as if the clothes were made for you!” The woman exclaimed, clasping her hands together with a bright smile on her face.

Not being used to such nice compliments, I couldn’t hide the blush from decorating my cheeks as I stared at myself in the mirror. But the clothes do really look nice. I wore a black sweater dress that stopped just above the knee. Knee-high boots with the color of chestnut covered my legs and increased slightly my height and to finish the look, a brown camel coat cloaked my body, giving me an overall high class look.

I was so astonished that I couldn’t withhold myself from staring at myself in the mirror. I was in such a trance that I didn’t even notice Mark, who had taken the liberty of situating himself behind me. Letting out a startled yelp, I twirled around, leaning my back against the mirror to stare at the eyes that had darkened themselves in color. Despite my slight increase in height thanks to the boots, my head barely touched the underside of Mark’s chin. His unwavering dark eyes that peered down at me felt daunting that every word that I wanted to say got pushed back down my throat. 

“What?” I cursed inwardly at the sound of my voice that came out weak and flimsy.

With his eyes focused on me, he stretched out one of his arms in the direction of the store manager- pointing his index finger at the clothing rack. “Give me everything.” He said to have both the woman’s and my eyes bulge out of our skull from shock. “What!?” I exclaimed.

“S-Sorry sir, could you maybe repeat that?” Even the woman who had on a professional look this whole time couldn’t hide the shock in her stammering voice.

Mark finally retracted his eyes from me and turned his head to look at the woman with a bored expression. “I don’t like repeating myself. Pack them all in.” He instructed, and the woman wasted no more seconds and did was asked of her, taking the rack with her out of the room.

As the door closed and the air inside of the room changed, I felt worried as I was now alone with Mark. Mark's eyes met mine and his face expression softens blinding me with an affectionate smile. “You look beautiful, kitten.” He complimented me to have me purse my lips. What the hell? So after acting like an emotionless android for hours, he now says something. “I was sure that you didn’t like the clothes as you only gave a hardened look whenever I came out.” I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“Ah~,” He sang. “That’s me holding back from ravishing you.”

I choked at the blunt words that were spilled out of Mark’s lips. “What?”

“What can I say? You just looked so delectable in those clothes that my instincts and rationality were in a constant turmoil with each other. I was only trying to curb down my desires so that I won’t attack you in front of the store manager.” He placed his hands on the mirror next to each side of my head and leaned in closer.

“But now I see I shouldn’t have held myself back seeing how my kitten was feeling lonely.” Blue eyes that resembled the night sky filled with desires were drown to my lips as his voice turned huskier. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he inched closer. As I felt his shallow breath fanning on my lips, a shiver coursed through my body and I felt my body tense up. Not knowing what to do with my mind being in the turmoil of whether to rebel against him, I unconsciously shut my eyes and brazed myself for the kiss.

Seconds had passed but nothing happened and I was still tensely standing there with my eyes tightly shut. Not able to handle the silence anymore, I decide to open one of my eyes to take a look at the situation. With each of his hands still next to my head, the proximity between our faces wasn’t diminished in the slightest. I had to only exert the smallest movement and our lips would meet, but Mark had halted any form of movement and instead had on an enthusiastic smile; the corner of his lips reaching the bottom of his eyes.

“You want me to kiss you, don’t you?” He said teasingly as he wiggled his eyebrows.

My head became a red glowing stick. “No!” I screeched, my voice going an octave higher as I placed my palms against his chest and pushed him away from me. He pulled his face away from me, straightening his back, but didn’t remove his hands from my side; caging me in place.

“Then why didn’t you push me away like you just did now?” He questioned, raising his brows, amused.

“T-That’s b-b-because…” Sounding like the engine of a motor, I wasn’t able to get out my words as I was tongue-tied. My face was bright red and my eyes kept darting to different corners of the room as my mind was trying to figure out what to say to him, but the next sentence that flowed out of Mark’s mouth rendered my thought process completely.

“You like me, don’t you?”