LOVING A MANNEQUIN

Chapter 25: Teasing Barbie, Seeing A Man

*NO ONE POV*

Almost every second, Barbie's neck stretched out to peek in the direction of Mannequin Angelo. She could not explain why she did not want him to be touched and caressed with great admiration by the customers, both young women, adults, and old ones. 

She seemed to want to put Angelo inside her pocket thinking that others are bothering and hovering around him especially when the girls were taking pictures with him.

"He doesn't look like a Mannequin, what? He is handsome and looks so real. I would love to have him as my boyfriend if he is only alive." Barbie once heard from a customer who made her nose smoke and squeezed her chest in anger. 

"Barbie, what are you doing?" Anica said once patting her shoulder.

Barbie was startled by her sudden presence. "I just looked at something." The girl sparingly answered and immediately pretended to arrange the clothes folded in the box.

"Really? Is that really something or someone?" Anica teased as she tickled Barbie on the side. 

Barbie laughed softly while avoiding the tickling of her companion. "That's enough Anica, are you not anxious if Ma'am Denice will see us here doing something else?  We will certainly be beheaded by her. We are doomed by then."

She smirked and blinked, "You're always there, you always mention ma'am Denice whenever you are questioned. I'm sure, the one you are always looking at there is a man." Anica leaned closer to Barbie's face with a charming smile on her lips. 

Barbie laid down a little to move her face away from the girl. "Hey, don't tell a lie, or else others will hear you and believe that nonsense." Barbie pushed the woman's face away from her forehead with the tip of her index finger.

"Ouch, you're serious. You really don't want to admit it. Well, we'll find out who your mysterious man is." Anica said softly and turned around to return to her own place.

"What is she saying? Admit what? Tsk. Tsk. She is really weird. I don't understand her." Barbie whispered to herself as her head bowed while playing a button on her blouse.

"What do you not understand about my beloved Barbie?" Melanie's voice came suddenly and hugged her from behind.

"Melanie, if you always suddenly come up behind me and hug me without my knowing, I might really hurt you with my elbow. You shocked me, do you know that?"

"Melanie, if you always suddenly come up behind me and hug me without me knowing, I might really hurt you with my elbow. You shocked me, do you know that?"

"Hey, the volume of my shoes on the floor was too loud, you still did not hear me. This is not my fault. That is because of the depth of your thoughts, you are no longer able to detect other's presence. 

Barbie turned to her tender friend. "Ignore what I'm whispering. It doesn't matter. By the way, you're soothing me now, tell me, do you have a problem?"

"How did you know?" She raised her eyebrow to Ethan. 

"In this world Melanie, only I  know you so well. Tell me, what is it now?" 

Melanie held Barbie's both arms, "I can't be with you today for lunch and can't go home with you after work. I have important business matters in the office. I hope you don't sulk."

"Why should I sulk? You should go now and handle what you should take care of. I'm okay."

"Alright then, I'm leaving." Melanie left with an expensive color of Blue bag on her arm. 

  ***********

"Hey Barbie, where are you going? Why are you in a hurry?" Jess asked as they were in the locker. Her belongings almost fell to the floor because of her quick action.

"Where else? Of course on her mysterious date." Kris said with her arms crossed on her chest as she leaned against the wall waiting for Jess.

"Wow, you're improving a lot Barbie huh." Jess gently elbowed him.

"What are you talking about there? I'm not going on a date. It's just a normal lunch with my friend." Barbie stared at them.

"Normal Lunch? With who? Is that a girl or a man?" Jess asked as she suddenly put her arm around her neck. 

"I will not tell!" Barbie answered, pretending to be annoyed while pushing Jess gently away. 

"Are you serious? So stingy. Are you not really going to say?" Pretend to be sulking, Jess said.

Kris approached Jess and patted Jess on the shoulder. "Jess, why are you so slow? You still don't get it?" Kris suddenly reached for Barbie's chin and raised it to face them. "Look, did you notice that there is something strange about him now?"

Jess leaned closer to find what was said to be strange from Barbie's face. She frowned, "I don't see anything strange."

Kris tickled her tongue and slapped Jess gently on the head. "Are you blind? There, oh, she put on makeup. She made herself even more beautiful. Isn't it obvious yet?"

After a while Celine, Nelia and Anica came out of the bathroom at the same time, they had just changed their clothes to go out for lunch. They join in the teasing and investigation of Barbie. They approached and huddled looking at Barbie.

"She is indeed wearing light makeup!" Nelia proclaimed while nodding.

"Barbie, are you seeing a guy on your lunch time?" Said Celine.

Anica laughed, "I'm telling you, our dear girl is really meeting someone. She just kept denying it. Oh, wait! Hold her well. Don't let her run away." Anica strode over her locker and she returned, she was already holding a pink lipstick. 

"Anica, what are you planning to do?" Barbie tried to remove Kris' grip on her chin but her grip tightened even more as she struggled.

"Don't worry Barbie, I'll just make you more beautiful. Promise, you'll love it." Anica winked at her and smiled as she applied lipstick to Barbie's heart-shaped thin lips.

"No. I don't want to, that's enough." No matter how Barbie avoided, Anica successfully applied lipstick on her lips.

"Alright! It's over." Anica gave Barbie a crisp kiss in the air. "You're beautiful!"

"You're really beautiful Barbie. Your name suits you well." Jess's second.

"Who did the beauty of our girl inherit from?" Anica said with her hands waving in the air as if she was dreaming.

"To whom?" Everyone asked at once.

"Of course, from us. Who else?" Everyone was giggling. "Okay, okay, let him go."

Barbie immediately looked in the mirror. Seeing the relatively thick lipstick that actually matched her beautiful lips, she immediately pulled out a tissue to remove it but Anica slapped her arm, causing the tissue to fall to the floor.

"What are you doing?" Anica asked, frowning.

"I look like a hussy in the thickness of the lipstick. I don't like it. I want to wipe it off." Barbie said.

"Are you saying we also look like w****s because of our thick lipstick?" Nelia said as she flipped her long blond hair at her back dramatically. She pouted her lips to Barbie as well as the other four companions.

Barbie waved her hands, "No. No. That's not what I mean. What I mean is it doesn't look good to me. She looks good on you but not on me."

"Why do you look down on yourself? There is no ugly UNiQ staff here." Celine said. 

"That's right!" Agreed by everyone. 

"I am the only exception. If it weren't for Miss Smith, I wouldn't be here today." Barbie's reason.

Anica dropped one of her feet on the chair next to Barbie which shocked everyone. She suddenly pulled Barbie's chin and looked carefully.

"What?" Barbie asked incredulously.

"If I were just a boy, I would love you and hook you." Anica traced her fingertip at Barbie's lips seductively. "My dear, if you do not want the eyes of those you are going to meet opened in waiting long, then leave. Do not plan to remove the lipstick I put on you, or else we don't allow you to go."

"Okay. Okay. I will wear this okay. Let me go now." Barbie pushed Anica and immediately grabbed her bag and stormed out. 

Everyone was laughing. Then they looked at each other meaningfully and waved their heads before exiting the locker.