Falling For The Playboy

Her smile fell, “But you-” she cut herself off, sighing, “Okay then. ”

How long was it before she grew tired of me?

“This one, definitely. ”

“Oh my God. Look at this color. ”

“This one would look good on you. ”

Mrs Lawson and the attendant finally managed to drown me in a heap of trousers. I could barely see past them. Why they hadn’t just loaded them into another cart, was a mystery to me.

“Go try them out. ” Mrs Lawson waved me away.

My eyes scanned the room, wondering in what direction the changing room was. When I couldn’t find it, I turned to the attendant, “Where is the changing room? ”

She pointed to the back of the room where I now saw a door was located, “Down there. It’s the same for all rooms. ”

I nodded, turned and marched towards my destination. I really didn’t need to try most of them out as I already knew they were my size, but I’d turned down Mrs Lawson enough for one day and I wanted to make up for it any way I could.

The changing room was a big plain space, with the only things in there being a couch, table and mirrors lining the wall in front and back.

I dumped the heap on the couch, locked the door, took off my joggers, then proceeded to try the new clothes out.

After successfully trying them all out, I figured three of them were several sizes bigger than I was. I flung them over my shoulder in order not to get them mixed up with the rest, then I made my way back outside.

Mrs Lawson looked up when she saw me coming. The twins, though, we’re nowhere in sight and the attendant was occupied with rearranging the hanged clothes, spreading them to fill the newly empty spaces.

“They all fit. ” I dumped the clothes into my already full cart, extending the oversized ones to her, “Except these two. ”

The shopping progressed from there, everything falling back smoothly into place. It turned out the twins were sitting by the entrance of the room and they got up when they saw us coming.

Underwears were next, then slides, then finally, my most dreaded clothings, gowns.

The doors at the entrance of the room slid open, my mouth falling open along with it. A group of people bumped into me, causing me to lose my grip on the cart for a few seconds before righting it.

“Good God. ” Mrs Lawson gaped, “Look how packed the place is. ”

“Exactly what I was going to say. ” Abi pursed her lips.

My body rejected the idea of having to squeeze past such amount of people and risk them bumping into me from time to time and maybe even do damage. Who knew?

“We don’t have to buy the gowns today. ”

“Don’t worry. We will. ” Mrs Lawson gave me a small smile,  that wasn’t even convincing in the slightest, before her face crumpled, “But the crowd. ”

Zoe’s light chuckle caught me off-guard and I turned to see her shaking her head, “I remember saying that coming here today would be a bad idea. But of course no one listened to me. ”

Mrs Lawson’s brows dove down, “I don’t remember you saying anything like that. ”

“She did, Mum. ” Abi said at the same time Zoe said, “I did. You just weren’t paying attention to me. ”Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

“Well, you can’t really blame me for not listening to you when you always tend to be pessimistic. ”

Oh, boy.

“You think I’m pessimistic. ” Zoe shot back.

This was starting to get uncomfortable. What was I supposed to do in a situation like this? Did I shut my mouth and let them argue until one of them grew tired? Zoe showed no signs of backing down and by the look on Mrs Lawson’s face, I knew she wasn’t going to too.

“Look, now is not the time, Zoe. ”

A bitter smile found its way to Zoe’s face, “When ever is it the time? ”

I glanced at Abi but I couldn’t read the look on her face. Oh, hell.

“There she goes again. ” Mrs Lawson shook her head, taking several steps inside the crowded room.

“That she is your daughter. ” her voice cracked on the last word. And for the first time since I met her, I saw an expression on Zoe’s face. Hurt. It made her….. Human.

“And that means your bad attitude should be pardoned? ”

I wanted to run. Just get the hell out of there.

Zoe’s face shuttered. Where hurt had been a second ago, a blank look now lived. What terrified me was the ease with which she hid her emotions. Masking one’s emotions was an art, and Zoe, I realized, was a master artist.

“Bad attitude? ” she cried, “I -”

“Have some respect, Zoe. ” Mrs Lawson cut her off, “If you’re too shameless to have any for yourself, have some for me at least. ”

Ouch.

“Mom, it’s okay. ” Abi finally spoke up. But she was too late.

Zoe turned to Abi, giving me her face in profile. She had that carefully constructed mask of indifference on and I almost believed I had imagined the look of hurt on her face. Almost.

“I’ll be outside. ” she made it very obvious she was speaking to Abi in particular before walking off.

It was perfectly normal for parents to get into fights with their children every now and then but witnessing Abi and Mrs Lawson argue, threw me off. There had been an underlying tension there, like they had been talking from a place deep inside them and those were bottled up feelings they’d been dying to let out.

I gazed at Mrs Lawson, wondering if my theory was right. Did they have arguments like this often? With the venom in her words and the bitterness in Zoe’s, I’d bet they did.

Now is not the time, Zoe.

When ever is the time?

It was definitely not the first time they hashed things out like this.

But….. Why?

Then I realized the oddest thing. They had never had a single conversation in my presence, none that I took not of anyway. Could it be that they had more going on between them than just a mere misunderstanding?

The impenetrable Zoe’s mask had skewed for a few long, uncomfortable seconds.

“Eva what do you think? ” Mrs Lawson raised a blue gown in front of her, showing me it’s full length and style.

It was pretty but, really? Now?

I shook my head, taking a step back from my cart, “I-I need to use the restroom. ”

She frowned, taken aback by the abrupt change in subject, “Oh? Well, it’s -”

I dashed out of there before she could finish her sentence.

The boutique was huge, the size of a whole mall. Finding the restroom without asking for directions wasn’t going to be easy. Although I didn’t specifically need the restroom. Any room would do. All I needed was to hide behind a wall. And breathe.

Granted, it was a cowardly thing to do, but that was the only way I knew how to deal with uncomfortable situations.