I was eager to get out of the car and hit some shops by the time we arrived. My thirty minute power nap had energised me. Sympathy shot through me when I saw that Alberta had to hold hands with Stan, yuck. She showed signs of discomfort but hid it well underneath her guardian mask. Dimitri laced his fingers with mine and we hung back from the rest of the group.
Once again, like last time, all the guardians got ear pieces. Eddie and I were left in the dark, but he took it better than I did. After complaining to Dimitri I decided it was no use. He was ignoring me and the only thought that consumed his mind was that we got to be together in public-even if it was just for one day. I couldn't be mad at him when he thought of things that made me giddy.
We were in our own bubble of affection but we still managed to scan our surroundings every now and then. Lissa and Christian were as lovey-dovey as always and the look of it disgusted me. There is a personal line of mine that I will not cross when it comes to PDA. Apparently they have no boundaries.
Dimitri and I kept our hands entwined the whole time and I almost burst out laughing when I saw Stan's arm around Alberta's shoulders. Lissa walked into a small dress shop and I didn't need the bond to understand the meaningful look she shot me. Since I am technically on duty, I can't go and try on clothes, but Lissa knew me well enough to find the perfect dress for graduation. I trusted her taste in clothes and left it all up to her.
When she and Christian re-emerged, she was carrying only one bag. I knew from the bond that she didn't find the right dress for me. Next was a jewellery shop, then a shoe shop, then makeup-I kind of lost track of how many shops she walked in and out of. The number of bags was steadily growing and I knew she had bought things for me also. Lissa hadn't found me a dress yet but she wasn't giving up hope.
Dimitri and I stayed close to each other. It seemed like we had no control over our bodies as we kept coming closer. An almost magnetic force kept us side by side. His arm had snaked around my waist a while ago. I didn't know whether it was the bond doing this or just us. When Alberta, Eddie and Stan weren't looking he would lean down and kiss me gently. The whole time Dimitri somehow managed to share his attention with me as well as guard.
Lissa eventually stopped in the food court, as us Dhampirs had to eat. Dimitri and I were about a hundred metres away from the food court and kept an eye on the group. My stomach grumbled and Dimitri reluctantly let me go so that I could go eat. I wasn't even a metre away from Dimitri when we both whimpered and fell back into each other's arms.
Being out of his embrace felt like I had lost a part of me. I felt vulnerable, scared and alone. A quick scan of his thoughts and I knew he felt the same. Dimitri scanned the area and casted a cautious glance to our group. They weren't paying any attention to us. He cupped my face and bought his lips on mine in a fierce passionate kiss. We broke away, only to look over at our group again. They hadn't seen and relief shot through both of us.
Dimitri straightened up and hugged me close to his body. We were both hungry but had to stay on guard. After ten minutes Alberta and Stan relieved us and we went to sit down and eat the McDonalds that Lissa bought everyone. It was a relief to my grumbling stomach and I felt satisfied, sitting back and keeping my hand entwined with Dimitri's, underneath the table.
"Where to next?" I asked as I finished off my coke.
"I want to try a few more dress shops and then VS." Lissa murmured to me in particular.
Christian frowned, "What's VS?"
"You'll have to wait and see," Lissa said cryptically. I laughed at her boldness.
After lunch, Dimitri and I were back on far guard duty. About an hour had passed and Lissa was just entering her third dress shop. She had bought some more clothes since lunchtime, but this store sparked a reaction in her. I unblocked my mental wall that held back her feelings and I slipped into her head. Lissa was holding a blood red, skin tight dress. She knew that I would love it the moment she saw it. The dress appeared to be mid-thigh length, had no straps and definitely curve hugging. It was absolutely stunning, yet still simple.
