Chapter 31: Shopping For Three
Nathan pushed open the glass door and stepped inside. Cool air brushed against his skin as he entered the store.
The interior was spacious, with polished floors and rows of neatly arranged suits and other items displayed beneath warm lighting. a faint smell of fabric hung in the air.
A man in his thirties, wearing a crisp grey suit, approached him. "Can I help you find something?"
"I need a few suits. Something that fits well and is quite premium," He laid emphasis on the last word.
The attendant nodded then led him to a different section of the store that looked exclusive.
He pointed to a black suit." That one is two hundred grand." Then he gestured to another suit of the same colour but this one had a pocket square. "This one is three hundred grand."
He turned to Nathan. "Which one is fitting to your style, Sir?"
Nathan pretended to examine them as if to understand why they were priced like that but as far as he could see, they looked the same.
As long as I’m getting a rebate.
"I’ll take both of them and that one." he pointed to a plain random black suit.
"That one is five hundred grand sir." The attendant adjusted his glasses, studying Nathan’s weathered sneakers and the slight hesitation in his movements. . "You strike me as someone who isn’t used to buying items like these sir."
Nathan turned. "Is it that obvious?"
"Not at all sir. I simply wanted to let you know that you made good choices," The attendant replied with a small bow.
Nathan nodded.
What a chill guy.
A part of him had expected, he’d be looked down on with the way he was dressed but the attendant didn’t mind at all.
Both of them moved through various parts of the shop, picking items until he was satisfied.
In total, Nathan picked three black suits, three pairs of shoes, several shirts, belts and ties. Then they headed to the register
The cashier scanned everything and gave him the total which was around a million. Nathan’s eyes parted faintly in surprise. A few days ago, he would struggle to afford even a tie from a place like this. But now, things were different.
He pulled out the system card and inserted it into the terminal, typed the pin and the machine beeped.
[Payment Approved.]
The familiar ding and golden screen appeared before Nathan.
[Spent: $1,010,000]
[Rebate (2x): $2,020,000]
[System Balance: $30,968,300.31]
Nathan smiled, seeing the balance jump back to thirty. He noted buying items was slower for rebates compared to NFTs and TiikTuk coins. Guess I’ll have to become a heavy spender.
The cashier frowned at the screen, confused by the transaction details. Some of the information was strangely hidden.
Nathan noticed her expression. "If the details aren’t showing, don’t worry about it."
She nodded and printed the receipt. The attendant helped Nathan pack his items into bags then held the door as he left.
"Have a good day, Sir."
"You too."
Nathan made a mental note to visit the mall again.
—
Meanwhile, in the Ladies wear section
Veronica and Celine had barely entered the lingerie section before Celine started browsing through the racks with renewed enthusiasm.
Veronica followed behind, her expression becoming increasingly skeptical.
"I thought we were buying clothes to, you know, help?" Veronica asked, looking at the various pieces of lingeries surrounding them.
"We are." Celine held up a piece of lingerie. "These are clothes."
Veronica stared at it. The garment was mostly black lace material, with far less coverage than she expected. She crossed her arms in judgement. "Is that supposed to cover something?"
Celine laughed. "It’s lingerie, V. It’s not supposed to cover everything." She dropped it and picked up another one. It was red and had a slit in between the lower part.
"How’s this one? It’s crotchless."
Veronica took another look before frowning at the opening near the bottom. "Where is my...?" She hesitated then pointed at the slit. "...supposed to go?"
Celine grinned. "In someone’s mouth."
Veronica’s eyes widened. "What!" She looked around if someone was watching them.
"You asked." Celine laughed. "Besides, it’s good for other things, like easy access and...." she moved close to Veronica and whispered in her ear, causing her eyes to open in surprise.
The doctor immediately took both pieces from Celine and put them back. "I am not wearing that and what makes you think he’d do that?"
Celine folded her arms. "If you want to have a good first time then you should prepare. Also you can ask him."
"Ask him?" Veronica narrowed her eyes. "How was your first time?"
Celine shrugged. "Alright but could have been better. It was in a lab with a college professor."
She grimaced as she recalled a memory. "The man was a pro at eating coochie but was terrible at laying pipes. "
Veronica shook her head. "You have no sense of decorum."
Celine grinned. "Forbidden romance V. Besides, I was young and stupid. I never had sex with anyone until I met my sweet husband."
She picked up the items and handed them to her neighbour. "So trust me on this."
Veronica narrowed her eyes and reluctantly collected the items. She held them away from her as if they were radioactive then turned to Celine.
"Aren’t you going to get something for yourself?"
Celine shrugged and continued browsing while Veronica moved to another rack. A few minutes later, Celine stopped in front of a display of dresses.
She picked one up and held it against herself, examining her reflection in the nearby mirror. "This is beautiful."
Veronica glanced over. "You like it?"
"Of course." Celine checked the price tag and her expression immediately dropped. "But the price is... wow."
Veronica noticed her sad expression as she put it back. "If you like it, take it."
Celine sighed. "I don’t have money for it."
Veronica’s crimson eyes settled on her for a moment. "I didn’t ask you if you had money."
Celine blinked as she realized what Veronica meant. She did a dramatic run and hugged the doctor. "I love you so much."
Veronica scoffed. "I don’t. Now get your hands off me."
Celine stayed for a moment before she broke off. Veronica rolled her eyes, but there was a faint smile on her face as they both went to the checkout, paid and left.
But instead of heading to the entrance directly. Celine took her to a couple more stores before heading to the main entrance where Nathan was already waiting.
He stood with several shopping bags in his hands. Veronica’s eyes narrowed. "You bought all that?"
"Yes," Nathan replied. He noted she was doing her best to hide her shopping bag.
By the time the three left the mall, the day was turning to afternoon and moments later, they were back in the neighbourhood.
Celine thanked her neighbor and said goodbye to Nathan but not before whispering something to Veronica which made the latter frown.
"You disgust me," she muttered as her neighbor walked away smiling.
Nathan wondered what that was all about before opening the door and stepping inside.