158 An Outing (2)

"Where exactly are we going?" Iris asked as they sat in the car, Kyro driving them somewhere. He was unusually tight-lipped, not saying a word regarding their end destination.

And this time was no different. "To a shopping center," he said without even bothering to spare her a glance. It was really respectable how his eyes never moved from the road ahead.

Reticent, Iris decided to not speak with him anymore and turned to look through her window. The roads and houses they passed were all unfamiliar to her, so she watched them without putting them to mind. It wasn't like she could ever walk this far on her own, and she didn't have a driver's licence even if she wanted to borrow Kyro's car.

Time passed by slowly, but in time, Kyro turned into an underground garage and they used an elevator to get to the sixth floor. Dozens of small shops were spread in all directions, and Iris realized just how long it had been since she visited such a place. She wanted to go everywhere, and not necessarily to buy, just walking around this shopping center would certainly be a lot of fun.

If she had some friends that is…

Her joy waned, but before she could start on a dark road, Kyro called her. "What is it? Why are you standing over there?"

She quickly caught up to him, shaking her head. "Nothing, was admiring the view."

There were nine, or maybe even more floors to this building. At least this many she could see while standing by the railing and looking up. There were plenty of summer-themed decorations hung around, while flowers bloomed in every corner.

"I'll bring you here to admire next time, now let's just go to the shop, okay?"

Iris' head instantly swiveled in Kyro's direction. Next time? There was going to be a next time? "All right," she agreed and came to his side.

He led her past a few shops before pointing at a fancy-looking one. It was three times as large as the other shops even if the inside was decorated in a simple manner. Numerous attendants in prim uniforms walked the grounds, not leaving a single client to fend for themselves.

"Ah… Can we go somewhere else?" Iris asked, not really expecting a positive reply.

"Why?" Kyro looked at her then the shop, seemingly searching for a fault in either one of them. "Is something wrong?"

"It's too… expensive…"

Iris was certain that the prices here started with at least a couple hundred dollars, and it was for the simplest of things. If they went to some lower end shop, they could get their most extravagant thing for those same couple hundred dollars.

Kyro's eyebrows went up. "You think I can't afford that?"

She gave him a chilling look. "You maybe, but me? Not so much."

"What's with that idea of paying me back? I thought you said you could never pay the rent at my place, so what gives?" He shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "I don't think I'm following your math."

"Good," she muttered, annoyed. Her staying in the apartment didn't add any costs to him since he wasn't renting it from anyone, while other things, like clothes and food, did require money. And she didn't want to owe him anymore.

Still, he shooed her inside, and she reluctantly entered. This was a place she wouldn't have entered normally, and the high end atmosphere intimidated her a bit. However, Kyro was by her side, so she faked courage and stepped forward like she knew where she was going.

To the right, there were skirts, so she guessed it was women section and turned there. Before she could even reach it though, an attendant came to her side and asked politely, "Can I help you with something Miss?"

Iris thought to say no, but then decided she might as well shorten the time she would need to spend here. However, she wasn't certain what exactly she needed, which was totally Kyro's fault.

She turned to ask him about it, but he had stepped aside, a phone to his ear. 'Well, that's not helping.' Turning back to the attendant, she said, "I want something on the casual side, but not too simple."

Her words stunned the woman for a bit, but she was quick to recover and smiled wide. "Your boyfriend's not saying where you're going?"

Startled, Iris lost her voice for a moment. "He- I- We-" Her cheeks blazed red, and she simply looked away, not certain what to say. Only pronouns seemed to be able to escape her mouth at the moment.

"Ah, I see!" The attendant grinned at Iris and led her away. "You then want something he'd like, but nothing too obvious, right? I have a few things in mind. Come, try these on."

Thus, for the next twenty minutes, Iris changed from one outfit into another. Either she or the attendant, who was called Samantha, Sam for friends, didn't like how she looked, and they kept on looking for something else. Sam wanted for Iris to dress in somewhat daring, but Iris adamantly refused, saying that she'd rather die.

In the end, after another ten minutes of arguments, they settled on a white dress with a high waist. It had a slightly puffy skirt and was decorated with navy blue flowers. However, they weren't numerous enough to take over the dress.

"Do you have any fitting jewelry?"

Iris shook her head, and Sam disappeared without even waiting to be told that it was unnecessary. In a few moments, she returned with a pair of high heels, small purse, and a stash of pendants and bracelets.

"I didn't know what you might like, so I picked a couple things." She then proceeded to show every one of them to Iris, who looked at them with conflicted emotions. They would look really well with the dress, but this would be spending money for unnecessary stuff.

"What do you think about this one?" Sam asked, lifting up a silver bird. "Do you prefer them smaller or larger? Also, what design interests you? We have more near the register, but I picked the ones that I thought would suit you best."

There was everything here, from animal shapes to encrusted jewels, religious symbols, and abstract forms. Iris looked through all of them, then her eyes returned to a dark blue gem held by two silver planetary rings. One of them was held tight, while the other could be moved at will.

"That should fit you well," Sam instantly said, catching what Iris was looking at and picking up the necklace. "It's kyanite and silver, try it on!" Then, without giving Iris time to say anything, she clasped the necklace around her neck. "Mhm… I think these earrings would be a nice addition, and this simple silver bracelet. What do you think? Oh, wait, put on the shoes and take the purse. Only then will we see how it all fits."

With a heavy heart, Iris followed the instructions and looked at herself in the mirror. From it, a familiar face stared back at her, and she smiled at herself. When dressed up like this, she had to admit that she wasn't too shabby.

Sam chose that moment to come closer and whisper in her ear, "I'm certain you'll leave your man stunned if you come out like this."

A blush went up Iris' cheeks again, and she pushed Sam away, who laughed at her. "Is there anything else you need, or will this be all?"

"All," Iris said resolutely, covering her cheeks in an attempt to have them return to normal. They didn't, since her mind worked with extra effort to conjure every possible reaction Kyro could have upon seeing her.

Cursing herself silently, Iris collected her old clothes. 'Why is my reaction so exaggerated? I'm just showing up in different clothes! Argh, I was never this nervous when meeting other guys. I feel like I'm about to burst from thinking about what he'll think about me!'