Chapter 11
1286 Words
“Asia.” She stopped in front of us, her voice warm enough to fool anyone who didn’t know her. “I almost wasn’t sure it was you.”
I looked up from the handbag Rachel had been trying to convince me to buy and returned a small smile.
“Jane.”
“I heard you were finally getting out of the house more.” Her eyes swept over me from head to toe before settling back on my face. “You look much better…Recovery suits you.”
Jane turned to the sales assistant standing nearby with several shopping bags.
“Could you bring the necklace I asked for earlier? The diamond one.”
“Right away, Miss TEX.”
She turned back to me with another easy smile.
“I’ve been here almost all afternoon.” She sighed dramatically. “Kelvin insisted I take the day off. He said I’ve been working too hard lately.”
Rachel looked at me while I looked at the handbags but neither of us responded.
Jane continued anyway.
“Honestly, I wasn’t even planning to buy this much.”
She reached into her handbag and pulled out a sleek black card.
“I told him it was unnecessary, but you know Kelvin.” She laughed, holding the card between two fingers before handing it to the sales assistant. “He practically forced it on me and told me to buy whatever I liked.”
The assistant accepted it with both hands.
“Thank you, Miss TEX.”
Jane gave an embarrassed little shrug.
“He always does this.”
Rachel’s eyebrow lifted.“Always?”she asked.
Jane nodded as though she hadn’t noticed the face Racheal made,”Whenever work gets hectic,He says shopping helps me relax.”
I could almost hear Rachel biting back a reply.
Instead, she picked up another dress from the rack beside us and examined it as though the conversation no longer interested her.
“I actually feel guilty using it sometimes.” She laughed again. “But Kelvin says there’s no point in leaving money sitting in the bank.”
She looked at me expecting a reaction.Maybe she wanted me to ask how often he gave her his card.
Instead, I simply nodded.
“That’s generous of him.”
The answer seemed to throw her off.
“Oh…”
She blinked.
Another awkward silence settled between us before the sales assistant returned carrying several velvet boxes.
“The necklace, the bracelet, and the earrings you selected.”
Jane smiled brightly.
“I’ll take all of them.”
The assistant carefully packed everything before placing the boxes into matching shopping bags.
“The total comes to eight million, four hundred thousand dollars .”
Jane barely looked at the receipt.
“That’s fine.”
She gestured toward the black card.The payment went through in seconds.
As the assistant returned the card, Jane slipped it back into her handbag with practiced ease before smiling at me again.
“I really should stop letting him spoil me.”
Rachel finally looked up.
“I agree.”
Jane’s smile stiffened.
Rachel continued in the same pleasant tone.
“People get used to spending money that isn’t theirs. It’s a difficult habit to break.”
Jane’s fingers tightened around the handle of one of her shopping bags.
“Oh?” she said with a small laugh. “Well, Kelvin doesn’t seem to mind.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t.”Rachel smiled sweetly.”My point wasn’t about Kelvin.”
Before Jane could answer, another voice interrupted us.
“Mrs. Richmore.”
All three of us turned.
The boutique manager was walking toward us personally, carrying a tablet with a wide smile on his face.
“It really has been too long.”
I smiled back.
“It has.”
“We’ve missed seeing you.” He glanced at the garments the assistants had already packed for me. “We’ve included the alterations you requested on the evening gowns. They’ll be delivered to your house tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you.”
“And your handbags have already been wrapped.”
He handed me the tablet.
“The total is eighteen million, six hundred and twenty thousand dollars .”
I signed without looking twice.
“Would you like to charge it to your account as usual?”
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
The manager bowed his head slightly before stepping away to finalize the payment.The entire exchange lasted less than a minute.
Rachel slowly turned to look at Jane.
Jane hadn’t moved.Her eyes were still fixed on the amount displayed on the tablet before the manager walked away.
I picked up one of my shopping bags.
“Ready?”
Rachel grinned.
“I’ve been ready.”
And just then jane found her voice.”You… have an account here?”
Rachel answered before I could.
“Most luxury boutiques keep accounts for their regular clients.”She smiled politely.”It saves time.”
Jane’s smile returned, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes this time like it usually did.
“I didn’t know.”
Rachel shrugged.”oh dear…there are probably a lot of things you don’t know.”she said with her eyes scanning through Jane with a subtly irritation.
I gently nudged Rachel’s arm.
She looked at me innocently.
“What?”
I shook my head, unable to stop the smile threatening to appear.
Just then, Jane’s phone rang.Her expression brightened the moment she saw the caller.
“Kelvin.”
She answered immediately, making no effort to lower the volume.
“Hi.”
His voice came through clearly enough for all of us to hear.
“Still shopping?”
“Yes.”
She glanced at me before smiling.
“I lost track of time.”
“You always do.”
She laughed softly.
“Guilty.”
“I’ve sent Mark. He should be there in about fifteen minutes to pick you up.”
“Already?”
“Lorenzo’s party starts soon. Don’t keep everyone waiting.”
“I won’t.”
She hesitated deliberately before adding,
“I’ll see you there.”
“Yeah.”
The call ended.
Jane slipped the phone back into her handbag and smiled at us.“I suppose I’d better go.”
Rachel nodded.
“Wouldn’t want to keep your driver waiting.”
Jane ignored that completely.
“It was nice seeing you, Asia.”
“You too.”I responded.
“And…” she adjusted one of the shopping bags on her arm. “…I’ll see you tonight…I guess.”with her held tilted to the side to catch my reaction as she walked to the door.
“I’m sure you will.”
For a brief second, neither of us looked away.
Then she turned and walked toward the boutique entrance, heels clicking confidently against the polished floor.
Rachel waited until Jane disappeared behind the glass doors before letting out a long breath.
“I deserve a medal.”
I laughed.
“For surviving that conversation.”
“No.” As she helped me pick up one of my bags. “For not telling her exactly what’s on my mind….”
I couldn’t help it as a genuine laugh escaped me.The loud laugh made Several shoppers turn to look.
“I bet you had a lot to say…”
“Let’s just forget about it…you don’t seem bothered but whenever you need to ruffle her up…just call me up.”
“Sure will.”
Rachel looped her arm through mine as we headed toward the exit.
Outside, the afternoon breeze brushed against my face as one of the attendants loaded our shopping bags into the car.
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