For Him

Chapter 5

Ezra

Dawn and I hit the mall the next day. We visited so many stores while meticulously going through every possible outfit. Hours later it seemed hopeless until we entered a small store that looked as though it had recently opened.

The store was called Maria's and as we surveyed the racks of clothing my interest was piqued. It appears that the store had cloths that were made by unknown designers. There were multiple sections with the names of people that I had never heard of. The variety of different colors and patterns brought a sense of calm to my body; judging by the relaxed expression on Dawn's face, she was right there with me.

"Can I help you?" A gentle voice asked, snapping us back to the present.

The owner of the soothing voice was the perfect image of a kind and caring person. She was on the short side, but she was rounded. Her hazel eyes were bright with care and a small but graceful smile adorned her lips. Her chocolate brown skin was complemented by dark curls that had been cut short. She had worn a white sundress that had rose patterns running along the sides of her body. I saw her raise an eyebrow and blushed when I realized that I had just been staring at her like a loon.

"Um... Yes, you can. He's looking for an outfit for a date." Dawn said as she pointing to me.

The lady didn't look all that surprised even though I, a boy, stood in front of her in short pants and high heels. In fact, she looked amused as a fiery red blush colored my cheeks. She chuckled softly, walked to the entrance's glass doors where she flipped the sign and clicked the lock. She then crooked a finger at us before she took off in the direction where the cloths came from a designer named Rio.

There was an abundance of dresses, shirts and skits in this section, but she took us straight to the dresses. The dresses on the rack were then pulled off and shoved into Dawn and my waiting hands. She shuffled us to the changing rooms where both Dawn and her stripped me of my outfit.

I was blushing through the entire experience. The girls dressed me and when they deemed it 'unworthy', they almost ripped it off me. The process was repeated so much times that I had lost count and I feared that the red stain on my cheeks would stay there forever.

We almost lost hope but then came the last dress. It was white with a black sash which would've made it simple but the design of black flowers that ran the only strap of the dress, covering half of the chest and along the same side of the dress. It was beautiful.

"You're stunning." The woman breathed, and Dawn bobbed her head in confirmation.

"It's perfect!" I exclaimed.

The three of us were excited but extremely exhausted. The woman took the dress and I got my cloths back on. She was waiting for us by the cashier's counter nut when I was about to reach for my wallet, she shook her head. The action made me tilt my head in question.

"I have a proposition for you." She said while smiling broadly.

"What?"

"How would you like to work for me?" She asked.

"What?" I asked dumbly.

"Well, my designs seen to fit you and I really like having you here. But I warn you, minimum wage."

It took me a few seconds to process everything but as it all clicked, a high-pitched squeal left my lips. I didn't even realize that Dawn and my fingers were laced together, and we were jumping up and down. It took us a few minutes before we could calm down and we found her smiling at us.

"What's your name." I asked.

"I was waiting for this question! My name is Rio."

"So-"

"Yes. I designed and made that dress."

"It's beautiful." I breathed.

"Thank you dear."

Ms. Rio closed the store and the three of us went to the food court.

"Is it always like this?" Ms. Rio asked suddenly.

"What?" I asked.

"The stares." She said while her head swerved left to right.

"Huh?" I replied unintelligibly.

"It's like he's immune to it Ms. Rio. He never seems to never notice." Dawn said as she laughed softly.

They must have seen my confused face because the both started laughing. We ate and made jokes while having a great time. Ms. Rio told me that I could start on Monday and that when I arrive, I'll be given the uniform.

We said our goodbyes, then Dawn and I parted ways as the bus station. When I made my way home, both my parents were there, and dinner was almost ready. We caught up with unimportant things in our lives and my heart was serene.

After dinner, I got ready for bed with excited thoughts about my date tomorrow.

I'm happy.