Dress Shopping

"Oh wow." Ariel said. "They have a lot." She was looking at the store that was full of different dresses and fancy clothes for special occasions. Sally and her were accosted right away by a sales woman with blonde hair and a huge smile.

"Hello, can I help you?" She asked. Her name tag said Megan.

"Yes, my friend here," Sally said pulling Ariel before her. "needs a dress ASAP for the social at the Orchid Hotel tomorrow."

"Oh." The woman said her eyes lighting up and clasping her hands. Sally was sure the woman knew a large commission was about to come her way."Of course, we have much to choose from. You have the perfect body to show off. What are you a six?"

"Seven." Ariel said.

"No I think a six will work better for you." Megan said eyeing her and putting a finger to her chin. "Though you seem a bit larger in the chest, so that might be why you pick a seven first." Megan studied her and then motioned for them to follow. "Not a problem at all, I know all these dresses. What will work with waistlines, bust sizes. Promise you'll be happy!"

"This way." She said and led them to the back part of the store that had a sitting area by the changing rooms and mirrors. There were a couple others there as well trying dresses and getting opinions from friends.

"Alright, do you have a look you want or color, anything?"

"No." Ariel said for her. "Wait, no red."

"No red. Easy, besides with your eye color and skin tone. Red wouldn't be my first pick." The woman moved off. Sally raised her eyebrow but they waited and in five minutes Megan was back with an arm full of dresses and led Ariel to a changing room.

She then put the dresses in there and waited standing by Sally who was sitting. The other attendants were either straightening racks or helping the couple of customers they had. Ariel tried the first dress which was a purple and extremely tight and stopped mid thigh.

"I'm not sure. I'd be pulling at it all night. It's not comfortable." Ariel said opening the door for them to look at her and she turned around.

"Yeah, no." Sally said with a laugh and Ariel went back in. To Megan she whispered a little. "Self esteem issues." Megan just gave a nod clearly taking note and went to the dresses, removed three and came back with four more. Sally thought he woman was good at her job, and that was why she picked this place. They had excellent customer reviews, and knew that the sales team would make Ariel feel good in whatever she bought.

Ariel tried on at least twelve dresses and had four set aside that looked really good on her. Megan went and got five more and handed those to Ariel to try. Ariel wasn't sure about some of the, though after a bit she was kind of starting to like it. Even thought it was wearing her out trying them all on.

Long, short, tight, loose, strapless and low cut. She wasn't sure she could handle even showing them a few. Yet they seemed to think she looked good in nearly everything she put on. Ariel slid a sliver dress on and it felt like silk as it went on and moved over her body.

"I like the feel of this one." She said with a smile and looked at herself in the mirror. It hugged her well and tied behind her neck and the back dropped low but not obscenely so. It fell to the floor with a slit that went up to her thigh.

"I love it." Sally gasped when she came out with it on. The color made her hair look richer, darker and her eyes stood out more as well. Not to mention how it hugged her upper body and made her look damn sexy with the way that the dress moved over her. Like a freaking supermodel and Sally told her that. Ariel blushed.

"That one is excellent. Between that and the black strapless one." Megan added.

"Yeah I like that one too." Sally said, "And the white one, the shorter one with the loose skirt."

"I like them too." Ariel said with a sigh. "But I like this one the best."

"Well why don't you get all three of them?" Sally said. Ariel looked at the price tags. She might not be hurting for money but they were very expensive. The one she wore was twelve thousand, which told her that it was probably silk she wore and it was a designer as well. All the dresses here were unique.

"Oh I don't know. Where am I going to wear them?"

"You could wear one to lunch tomorrow and then the silver one to the social. Wear another around the house, or to your sister's wedding recital. You can literally wear a dress whenever or wherever you want Ariel."

"I guess, but they are so much."

"You said yourself, what do you spend your money on?" Ariel gave a sigh. The silver one was the most expensive, the others were only a couple thousand. Alright what the hell, why not. She liked them and they would be hers not her sister's.

"Okay." Ariel said and Sally jumped up clapping her hands. Megan looked ecstatic. Probably because she was paid on commission. This was a large purchase. Ariel changed and Megan took the dresses and put them in black hanging zippered bags.

"Here you go." She said handing the dresses over. Sally took them with a smile and held them while Ariel stepped up the counter holding her card. She presented her card to the lady, she didn't take it.

"It's all taken care of." Ariel frowned.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "I haven't paid yet." Sally turned and started walking toward the door with quick strides. Ariel didn't think that she liked that. She looked more like she was running away.

"Of course it is Miss Standish. Your fiancé called earlier to say that you would be stopping in and to charge it to the account that he gave us." Ariel's confused face went suddenly cold and she gave Megan a smile. Those jerks, she knew it! They had been plotting something back there.

"Thank you, I didn't realize." She said holding up the card and putting it back. She marched after Sally who was going out the door. She did not pause nor stop her walk as Ariel stormed after her.

"Sally!" Ariel snapped. "I told you to not allow that, oh I got three. I have to take a couple back. He said one. I didn't want him to do even that. He'll think I abused the privilege."

"I told you to get all three, he won't be angry. You didn't even know." Sally laughed.

"I'm angry. You're supposed to be on my side! You said you would, give me those I'm returning them." Ariel tried to snatch them.

"Nope." Sally said side stepping Ariel's grab. "I have orders to return with these promptly and keep them in my room should you act as you are."

"Sally!" Ariel said pleading.

"No, Malachi said to get you whatever dresses, that's plural mind you, that you wanted regardless of price. Besides he called when I told him where we were going. He told them to not allow you to pay and that if you wished to return them they were to refuse."

"Why would he do that?" Ariel asked feeling a bit put out. "I mean I'm grateful really but I could get it myself and they're so nice to me already. I'll never be able to repay him and his father."

"You don't need to. They like you, and you are worth it unlike your sister. Just accept it Ariel, gosh." Sally said as they came up to the hotel. Ariel was trying to decide how she was going to work this one out. They couldn't refuse her if she took them back.

"I'll tell you something, just to make your day." Ariel was getting moody and Sally could see it start to fester. So she decided she needed to give her friend something to compensate.

"Oh yeah?" Sally just gave a nod hitting the button for the elevator.

"For one thing Lord Vento heard Malachi telling me to make sure you got a dress and he paid for it. It was Vento who said to let you get multiple ones if you wanted them. Second, have you ever seen them do this for Natasha?" Ariel paused for a second thinking.

"She goes out with Malachi all the time." Sally shook her head.

"Yeah out, not shopping nor for anything that expensive. Cameron told me that Malachi hasn't willingly bought Natasha anything in a long time. The most expensive thing he's bought her is that ring she wears. You should be happy that they want to do things for you. They don't see you as a simple contract. Malachi likes you, that would make anyone happy to have his favor."

"Yes well, he's my sister's fiancé, not mine." Ariel corrected as the doors closed and the elevator started to move. "Now that you say that, I should take them back. Can you imagine what Natasha will say?" Ariel reached for them. Sally was just laughing holding Ariel off with one arm.

"You don't have to tell her that Malachi bought them for you." Sally reminded her, she could see that Ariel was very annoyed. She was a kind honest person. Sally knew that in Ariel's mind she viewed herself as a mooch. With this it made her feel that she was taking advantage of those being nice to her which was stupid. She did a lot of work for her sister and for the Ventos. Why shouldn't they get her things?

"This is your work compensation. Look at it that way."

"Damn it!" Ariel snapped stomping her foot on the floor. "Why doesn't anyone do what I say! I was very assertive and you promised." There was anger in her face now.

"Because you deserve these things Ariel. Why shouldn't you be given gifts? You told me that you hadn't had a real birthday before last year. How about that?" Sally shot back at her friend being so ridiculous. Granted Sally sure could not afford one of these dresses. Malachi on the other hand could afford that whole freaking store.

"That isn't relevant right now!" She said. "I said no and he did it anyways." The doors opened and Ariel turned. She marched down the hall and took a breath. She came to Malachi's door and knew that he was there with Cameron. She pounded on it and after a second the door opened. Sally was standing behind her smiling.

"That was a solid demanding knock for you." Malachi said seeing the glare on Ariel's face.

"You need to learn to listen damn it!" She snapped angrily. "You and your father both, I said I would get my dress!"

"So you got one." He said, ignoring her anger looking past her to Sally.

"Three actually." Sally informed them holding up the bags.

"More than I guessed!" Came Cameron's voice. Ariel let out a very frustrated sound.

'None of you are funny, I'm not a charity case."

"I hardly see you as a charity case Ariel." Malachi said exasperated. She had to be the only woman in existence who was bitching about the fact that her shopping spree was paid for.

"Good." She replied spinning, her hair flying about. "Give me those Sally, they are going back."

"Wow, something's wrong with her. Who doesn't like free things?" Cameron called laughing and Sally jumped back with the bags to stay out of Ariel's reach.

"I'll take them. Then she can't be ridiculous and take them back. She just wants to be difficult." Malachi said moving to grab the dresses and moved to go in his room.

"I said what I wanted, and you always seem to undermine me. Yet tell me to have a backbone, well I have one now. Give them here."

"Not true, you never listen when I tell you I don't need help. That you shouldn't worry about work that isn't yours. Yet time and again I find you doing it." He went to the closet in his room and hung them up. Sally moved over to sit down Cameron following her. He shut the door and Ariel was right there hands on her hips.

"Watch it Malachi she looks ready to fight you."

"I'm scared." He said staying where he was. He looked at Ariel and then gestured to the sofa for her to sit.

"Move." She demanded in a very serious tone. "Now." She added when he didn't.

"Angry and feisty Ariel is highly attractive." He meant that too.

"Here, here!" Cameron said agreeing with Malachi both had a smile. Sally hid it watching Ariel who was pissed. But Sally thought she was overreacting a bit.

"Don't try side tracking me by trying to make me uncomfortable." She shot back. He gave a sigh and moved taking hold of her around the waist and she gave a cry of surprise.

"Malachi!" She said as he picked her up and then deposited her on the sofa.

"Sit, stay. You'll piss me off if you don't, because you are being ridiculous." Ariel met his ice blue gaze with her heated green one.

"Does it look like I care?" Sally made a slight choking sound with the sudden laughter she felt. No one was that snide with Malachi nor so stern. Cameron shifted a bit, he had a smile but he looked at Malachi. Whether she knew it or not, her tone challenged his. To them it would create a spike in aggression, not unmanageable but still there. Malachi took hold of her chin lightly but firmly.

"I've still won so it doesn't matter." She felt very aggravated and after a second she looked away. He just gave a smile and moved sitting down. Most people didn't realize how affected they were by what others said and their body postures.

With Cameron and Malachi, it hit a nerve more often than not depending on what was said. If it was male or female, they couldn't help that side of them. Malachi had told Ariel what he was going to do, and then she told him no. In his head he was above her and her denial was a challenge in the mind of his animal for position. Though it was easy to curb because his human mind knew it wasn't really that. She wasn't trying to undermine his power, just assert herself.

"You three suck." Ariel said, sinking back into the sofa.

"We're just really good at undermining others. Stick around, you'll learn a few tricks." Cameron said.

"Why when I have a sister that is far better than any of you at such things." Sally laughed.

"Oh, relax. Have a bit of fun, not like he doesn't have ungodly amounts of money to throw around." Malachi just gave a shrug.

"I wouldn't say ungodly, but a sizable amount."

"Right, as if the holdings you are set to inherit are worth a few billion."

"Doesn't mean I actually have that money in my pocket." Malachi corrected with a roll to his eyes "And most of it goes to keeping this place running smoothly."

"My bad, so you have double digit millions to throw around. I feel so bad for you." Malachi just smiled.

"It can be tough, especially when people try to shoot you."

"Yeah, I took two for you."

"By accident."

"Still hurt." Cameron said, touching his shoulder and they were all laughing and smiling. After a while however they moved to go to their own rooms.

"Hey," Cameron said turning to them in the hall. Ariel paused in putting her card in."

"Tomorrow after the social, our room. We'll have our own little party. Lee will be there and so will Deirdre with her odd ball of a boyfriend." Sally hit Cameron.

"Be nice, he's sweet. Dorky but sweet." Cameron rolled his eyes.

"Dork is a nice word." Sally rolled her eyes.

"Where is Deirdre?" Ariel asked having only met her sister once. She seemed nice enough and had the same red hair and green eyes that Sally did.

"She'll be here in the morning with Lee. They weren't able to get out of work early enough to get here."

"Oh." Ariel said and gave her a smile. "Night."

"Noon, we go for hair and makeup." Sally said with a wave.

"Noon? How much makeup do you need? It isn't until six."

"Men." Sally said and Ariel just smiled wishing them all goodnight again and went into her room to get ready for bed.