THE DEVIL'S AFFECTION

8. SWIPE

We walk down the street now, our hunger is quenched but his mind still races.

"Where are we going now?" I ask him as he nearly pulls me along with my arm around his.

"I don't... um..." he scatters to find something to do. "I need something to distract me again. Let's go in here." He says as he darts into a store, pulling me along with him.

When we get inside, it's significantly quieter than the streets but suddenly I feel dirty. Everything is new and polished. The clothes look like they were imported this afternoon and the ladies working here look like they already have an opinion of me. I'm wearing thrifted clothes with a significantly more expensive coat.

"What are we doing here?" I whisper to Hanes.

"I don't know... shop for something, I guess." He shoos me.

"I don't... I can't afford..." I stumble on my words.

"I said shop for something." He insists harshly, as if I'm offending him by not shopping.

"Okay..." I begin to look around, almost afraid to touch anything.

"Can we help you with anything?" One of the workers asks, her tone is nasty and unwelcoming.

"No, she's quite alright." Hanes speaks up for me.

The woman looks a little intimidated by him and steps back. "Okay, well, let me know if you need different sizes or... anything..."

Hanes nods and she walks away. I look at him with fear, what am I supposed to do? Does it help him to watch me look around at clothes? I'm so confused but I look around anyway.

I don't know why I'm so nervous to spend his money. I guess I just don't want to feel like I owe him anything, even though I kind of feel like I already do. It's not like he gave me much of a choice other than to work for him.

"I don't really need anything."

"You have that one outfit. You're going to need more clothes."

He's not wrong but still.

"If I'm buying something from here it's because you told me to. This is more for you than me."

"If that's what you need to say to convince yourself, go ahead. I'm not the one you need to convince."

I begin to sift through the clothes, still feeling strange about buying anything. He watches me intensely, staring almost as if he's afraid I'll run away.

His phone then buzzes and I hear him grumble something under his breath before he walks off. I get a little more comfortable once he's gone.

This is a part of your job. It's a perk. Take advantage.

My conscious is letting go and letting my eyes wander. I begin picking out clothes and tossing them over my arm. Anything I want, I take. I stop looking at price tags and just take whatever I like.

After my arms become full, I head up to the counter and drop it down. The woman at the front desk looks over the clothes and then to me with wide eyes.

"I'll take these, please." I say, waiting for her to do something.

She nods nervously. "Of course."

She starts to scan everything as Hanes comes up behind me, his face scowling as he gets off his phone.

"Is this it?" He looks over the pile.

He says "it?" as if it's not a lot.

I nod.

He takes a deep breath and sighs. "Well, that didn't take as long as I thought it would... we will have to go somewhere else."

"We don't have to keep going into shops."

He shrugs. "Well, where else are we meant to go?"

I shrug back. "Back to the hotel?"

"No, I'll pace around there like a mad man."

"I'll keep us busy." I say as I take the four big bags of clothes off the counter.

"How will you be paying today?" The woman behind the counter asks as she looks from me to Hanes.

He opens his wallet and pulls out a black credit card. The woman's eyes go wide again but then she takes it with a smile. She swipes it and then hands it back.

"Enjoy the rest of your day." She smiles anxiously.

Hanes just nods and walks away.
I give her a look of sympathy but offer a kind smile. "You too."

Then I follow him out quickly, struggling to walk with these bags over my arms. I feel powerful with these bags over my arms but somewhat empty? I'm excited to wear what I got but I have very little attention to what I actually got. I've never put a ton of importance on clothes. Maybe I'll learn to love it.

"Miss. Vivienne." Our driver greets me as he takes the bags for me.

"Oh, thank you." I smile to him.

Hanes is already in the backseat on his phone. I slide in beside him and pray that my idea to distract him works. I have to pay him off for all of this somehow.