Just in Fifteen Days

30. The Red Gown

Natalie's POV

It had been almost two hours since we reached the mall. I bought three ZARA dresses and some cute tops from Forever 21. It had always been my favourite. Mom's favourite was H&M. A couple weeks before, she was talking about this gown she had seen online. But, mom never believed in online shopping. She wouldn't ever get time to go to shop for herself. It would always be dad and I dragging her with ourselves. She would whine about how she had so much of work to do and that we were practically jobless.

There were many party gowns that I liked and pictured mom in it. I had a lot of money saved from last year. I did this small volunteering job in an old age home for more than eight months. But, due to some construction problem, the building was about to collapse. They moved the residents to Staten Islands, where they were initially planning to build the old age home. I had promised Robin, my seventy-year old best friend that I would come to meet him. I still hadn't thought about it though.

“Hey, Talie! Look, I have picked these three gowns as the final ones. You choose,” Ash said, his eyes analysing the clothes he had held in his hands.

I was beyond shocked to fail to get any reaction out of Ashton. From last two hours, I had been trying my best to annoy him by asking him to stand outside the changing room and hand me all the tops I had picked. And I swear, I had lost the count of the tops I had taken out from the hangers. He religiously handed me every top and gave his honest opinion when I asked him if I was looking good in it. He had a lot of patience. A lot. Steve really had so much to learn from Ashton, I thought.

Like any boyfriend would, he trailed behind me around the mall, held the bags and also got me food to eat. For himself, he just bought two shirts, which he pleasingly asked me to choose for him. When I asked him what he would want to get for Myra, he said that she had enough clothes in her closet to satisfy her for at least six more months. He would get drawing books and paints and paint brushes for her. He wanted her to learn painting.

He was goals. How could he be so perfect? Or maybe, he wasn't. But, whatever he was, I really had started to like him so much. I wished he liked me the way I did.

He was here, helping me choose the best for my mom. His choice matched mine most of the times. He was babbling something about how that red coloured gown would be better than the yellow one. But, all I could see was the genuineness in his eyes and the way he talked. He wasn't doing it for my sake, or just because he wanted to get over with it. He was doing it because he wanted to. While entering this shop, he told me how much time he would spend to even choose the smallest of the gifts for his mom.

For a moment, I thought he would open up to me about his mom. He didn't. I didn't push him either.

“Talie, come on, tell me which one did you like?” Ash neared me, waving in front of my eyes.

I actually liked the red one the minute I saw it. It had thin sleeves that fell off the shoulders. It narrowed down near the waist. Near the ankle, it bulged out, like a mermaid. It was sequined.

“This red one is so beautiful, Ash! Where did you find this? I was looking exactly for this.” I felt the cloth as I ran my fingers through the length of the gown. The other ones were good but stood no where near the red one.

“You tell me. Number them, starting with the best you think.” I already had decided. But, I wanted to see if Ash’s choice and mine matched this time.

“Umm, I guess, sweetheart neckline would be better than the halter and the one-shoulder one. But, if Sandra likes this the knot-like thing, then halter neck is also good. Colour wise, of course, red will always be the first. Then it's this black one and then the yellow one. But, all the three will look good on Sandra.” My eyes did nothing but stare at him. I had no idea that guys know about necklines and all.

“Don't look at me like that. I understand what you're thinking. And you don't need to be surprised or anything. Emily has dragged me everywhere with her. Even Victoria's Secret.” He burst out laughing while my cheeks went red at the mention of the lingerie shop. This guy was something.

“Okay, okay. I need no more explanation. Red is final. Sweetheart neckline is her favourite. But, you know what, I really liked this top. It's so cute.” I showed him the ones I had picked while looking for gowns.

He gave me the gowns to hold. I checked the price tag of the red gown. A hundred and fifteen fucking dollars! I checked the tags of the other gowns as well. Seventy and seventy five dollars. I hadn't liked them. I just had a hundred with me. Even if I would not buy the tops, I wouldn't have enough to buy the red gown. I had to manage the cake as well as the dinner for the night. I couldn't spend all of them. I would need to choose between the black and the yellow one, I thought, dejected with my gift. Mom didn't even like the halter neckline.

“Ash, you know what, let's take this yellow one. And I'll get the tops for her later. Come on, let's go.” Ash stood there thinking about something while I walked towards the cash counter. I promised myself that the dinner and the cake would be the best.

“Talie, wait!” Ash came sprinting with the red gown in his hand and the cute top that I had liked.

Holding my shoulders, he moved me away from the counter, and stepped forward. Gently taking the money from the pinch of my thumb and the forefinger, he added some of his own and gave the red coloured gown and the top to the blonde haired guy behind the counter.

“Ash, no. You're not doing it. You're not paying. I have the money.” All the refusal from my side went unheeded. He whispered to tone down my voice and suggested me to act like a civilised person. Ugh.

“Accept it as a gift from my side. It's okay. Don't be so formal with me now.” The blonde guy handed him the bag with the clothes inside it. All my bags were in his hand. I asked him to give at least some bags to me but he kept refusing. Stupid.

He put his arm around my back, on my shoulder and we walked out of the mall. On our way, we eyed girls and guys and shamelessly judged them on the type of clothes they had wore, their hairstyle and their footwear. Practically everything.

As I exited the mall, I looked around me. It wasn't two yet. Ashton walked towards the car. He asked me to unlock it so that he could keep the bags behind. I did.

“What are you waiting for? Let's go.” Ashton looked really happy. And I promised myself that he would be even happier after my surprise.