Chapter 30: An Unexpected Offer
Nathan evaluated the woman in front of him. She had long lashes and glistening lips over a face painted with mascara.
Her pink dress contrasted against her dark skin and ended on her thighs. It had a cut out in the chest area which barely held her breasts that threatened to spill out.
"Hello," Nathan replied.
She flashed a smile, angling her body. "Sorry to bother you, but could you point me to the baking goods area?"
Nathan recalled passing it earlier. He gestured in a direction. "Third aisle on the left, past the canned goods."
"Thank you."
"You’re welcome," Nathan replied and went back to checking the cans.
The woman lingered for a moment, letting her eyes travel over him. She pulled on her dress. "So..." She tilted her head. "What’s your name?"
"Nath–" Nathan stopped himself, remembering he was supposed to keep a low profile but the woman had already picked it up.
"Nate? Pleased to meet you. My name’s Crystal." She offered her hand.
Nathan took it then returned his attention to the shelf. The woman frowned in confusion and moved so he could get a better view of her.
"Do you wanna hang out? Maybe go somewhere and have some fun?"
"Fun?" Nathan asked without looking.
"You know...Me and you alone, kind of fun." She said, pulling her arms together.
The action caused her breasts to push higher, giving Nathan a small view of her areolas. She flashed a grin along with the action.
Nathan looked at her for a moment. He couldn’t deny the offer didn’t interest him but things like that usually had something else attached. Besides, he had other things on his mind. "I’m not interested."
The woman’s smile faltered for a moment but she recovered quickly. "I don’t think you understand." She looked around then nudged him to get his attention.
When Nathan glanced, she pulled her dress up slightly to reveal she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. "That kind of fun."
Nathan met her gaze without fail. "I understand what you meant. But I’m still not interested."
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
Nathan frowned. "You are excused?"
Her voice dropped into a sweet but confused tone. "You’re telling me you’d rather walk away than spend a night with me?"
Nathan didn’t offer a reply immediately. "Yes. Offers like that usually have a price tag along with it." He moved to the next dye which had a green colour and examined it with a frown.
The woman crossed her arms. "You think I’m after your money?" She gestured at his clothes. "Look at you in your cheap shirt. What makes you think you can afford a woman like me."
Nathan didn’t react. "You’re right. I can’t." He set the green dye down.
"Then why are you acting like you have something I want?" Her voice rose slightly.
"I’m offering you a chance to experience what most men beg for and you’re throwing it away because...what? You think you’re too good for me?"
Nathan turned the question in his head. "Something like that."
He dropped the can he was holding and moved ahead. The women’s composure cracked but she wasn’t done.
She stepped closer, her voice becoming cold.
"Let me tell you something, pretty boy. I’ve had men richer than you begging on their knees for less than what I’m offering."
She gestured around them. "I could have any man here but I chose to pick you. You should be more appreciative."
"Then go find those men." Nathan replied with a tone of annoyance. "And stop bothering me."
Her jaw tightened. She wasn’t used to being dismissed. "You know what? You’re right about one thing."
She looked him up and down. "You can’t afford me. And you know what else?"
Nathan gave her a glance.
Her confident expression had returned. She tilted her head. "I don’t think you’re into women at all. That’s the only explanation for you turning me down."
Nathan picked up his basket. "Okay?" Then he walked away.
She didn’t follow. But he heard her laugh behind him. "That’s fine!" she called out. "I’ve seen better!"
Nathan ignored her and moved to the next aisle.
"Fucking bastard." she muttered, then looked at herself.
She moved to another aisle where a man in his twenties was inspecting batteries. She adjusted her dress, adopted her confident smile and strolled up to him.
---
At the register, Nathan paid for the items he got using cash.
[Spent: $170]
[Rebate (2x): $340]
[System Balance: $29,951,300.31]
Nathan grinned. He was impressed the rebate triggered even with cash.
But he had come here expecting to find good devices. He couldn’t leave yet until he got some stuff.
Shortly after he had that thought, Veronica and Celine came to pay for their items. He noted the glare the doctor gave the dye in his cart but paid it no heed. After they were done paying, they left.
Outside, Nathan considered checking elsewhere for what he needed. "Is there a mall around here? I didn’t find what I wanted."
Celine gave Veronica a knowing look then turned to Nathan. "We were thinking the same thing. There’s stuff we have to get." she said, nudging Veronica who let out a sigh.
The three made their way to the mall which took around fifteen minutes of driving.
The mall was much larger than Nathan expected.
Multiple floors stretched above them, connected by escalators and glass railings.
Bright store fronts lined the walkways while shoppers moved between them, their conversations blending with the occasional announcement from speakers.
Nathan had put on the face mask Veronica had given him. The doctor looked at the time. "We’ll meet back here in an hour."
Before Nathan could say anything else, Celine dragged Veronica away. Nathan watched both of them head into a store with mannequins wearing female clothing.
He used the mall map and found the tech section. He got various items he needed.
A high end laptop with a 5000 series GPU, a smart watch and a phone. The total was seven grand and he paid using the system card.
[Spent: $7000]
[Rebate (2x): $14,000]
[System Balance: $29,958,300.31]
He gave them a fake name for the receipts and walked away.
Seeing he had enough time, he decided to explore and found himself in front of a store that sold men’s clothing.