Jax drove down the underground garage and parked.
The mall was only open for a few more hours, but everyone was out of school and work now, which meant it would be packed.
They walked through the garage, the smell of fuel and metal more prominent than anything else. On the escalator, they saw a little girl holding a balloon, asleep in her father's arms.
Lola smiled and looked lovingly at the girl's closed eyes and pouted lips.
"This way," Jax said when they reached the first floor. He turned around the cotton candy stand at which Lola looked and drooled. Her favorite thing about the mall, whenever she came with Melissa, was the food.
Further down, they had a stand operated by an older man who sold caramelized almonds. That was the first thing Lola bought when she came to the mall-she always craved those almonds. The smell was heavenly as it swept up in her nostrils and sent her mind to a more beautiful place.
"We'll eat later. Come on," Jax said and gestured with his head.
Lola had stopped by the stand. The old man looked at her and smiled. They would converse for a few minutes each time she bought her almonds.
They turned the corner and walked past the restaurant. The smell of melted cheese and grease made her stomach growl, and that was when she remembered she hadn't eaten. They continued past many of the stores Melissa frequented and only stopped when they stood outside Prada.
Lola shook her head. "I'm not going in there."
Jax looked at her and tilted his head to the side. His lips pulled up in a grin, and he hooked his arms in hers. "Oh, I think you will," he said through his smile.
A loud, high-pitched squeal was heard throughout the entire store, and Lola smiled. She knew that squeal. Melissa came skipping from behind the display walls in the store, clapping in pure ecstasy.
"Who's ready to shop!" she sang and lifted her arms above her head in the serenade.
Lola giggled and looked up at Jax. His dark brown eyes sparkled from the joy he felt flowing through Lola at this moment.
"I thought that maybe you'd be more enthused if she was here." He explained.
Melissa squealed again and nodded to Jax's comment.
"Come on!" Melissa grabbed Lola's arm and pulled her away from Jax.
They began looking through the neatly hung rows of clothes and the clothes perfectly folded on the tables. At one point, a saleswoman named Mandy came up and offered her help. They began picking out pieces and putting them on a pile for Lola to try on. All the while, she followed behind with widened eyes, unsure of how to act and what to do. She didn't know how to act because she didn't want to accidentally wrinkle a shirt or drop a shoe. Her awkward fiddling had Jax chuckling in amusement from the couch where he sat and witnessed the ordeal.
After looking through the entire store and seeing that the pile in Melissa's hands was the size of a large suitcase, they sent Lola to the dressing room to begin trying the clothes on. The saleswoman came with the shoes and the bags. She hung the bags on the hooks and placed the shoes neatly against the wall. The clothes were hung on a rack and sent into the dressing room.
Lola took a breath and looked at everything.
"Come out and show us everything you try on, all right?" Melissa ordered. "Oh, and here." She put her hand down in her bag and pulled out a small paper bag. "Snack on these while getting dressed." She smiled and handed them over to Lola. Caramelized almonds.
"Thank you," Lola said with a smile stretching on her face. The girls looked at each other, they knew that would have to talk about everything that had happened but Lola wanted to enjoy the moment while it lasted. She didn't know what Jax had said to get Melissa on board with this- and she didn't need to know, she was grateful.
"Let's go," Melissa said, clapping. She took a seat next to Jax and was given a glass of champagne. Jax had been sipping on his glass since they came in and was now on his second. The saleswoman told them to call her if they needed anything and left. Her coworker stopped her by the cash register and pointed subtly over to Jax. Mandy's coworker smiled seductively and bit her lip as she scanned him. Mandy rolled her eyes, and with a frown on her perfectly powdered face, she took the spot behind the register.
While Lola was trying on clothes, the saleswoman returned with a plate of macaroons. Mandy watched from behind the counter as her coworker bent down in front of Jax. Her shirt had been unbuttoned at the top, showing off her cleavage as she bent down. Jax, however, reached out and grabbed one of the pastries before his eyes landed on the drape that covered his wife.
Melissa looked over and read the woman's name tag. Chloe.
Chloe stood back up and pulled her shirt down a little further. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and her fingers graced his shoulder. "If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask," she purred.
Jax looked up. His eyes flickered to her hand, and he reached up, pinched her fingers, and removed them from his shoulder as though it pained him to touch her. "There won't be," he answered.
Chole's face started turning red. She looked at Mandy, who was choking back a laugh.
She straightened her back and pursed her lips. "Is this your girlfriend?" she asked and glared at Melissa.
"No, honey. His girlfriend is the bombshell in the dressing room about to buy half your fucking store. He's taken, so move one. And we'll be dealing with Mandy from now on, so please don't come back over here," Melissa said, slowly standing up and facing Chloe.
Chloe scoffed and looked mighty offended as she turned on her heel and walked to the back of the store. Her hips swayed from side to side, and her eyes narrowed to slits. As she passed Mandy, she tossed out a quick, "Oh, shut up," and disappeared through the staff door.
"Charming," Melissa mused.
Mandy waved her off and shook her head. "Nah, she's just a whore. It's all right, though. She knows it too," Mandy said.
The drape opened up, and Lola stepped out. The fashion show had now begun. She modeled the different pieces. Jax loved them all on her, while Melissa had a few more opinions.
Looking in the mirror, Lola didn't see the appeal of these absurdly expensive clothes. Mandy came in with another jacket. She caught Lola's expression and closed the drape behind her.
"How are you?" Mandy asked as her brows furrowed, and she slowly put the jacket down.
"Fine," Lola answered, shaking her head.
Mandy turned, and together, they watched Lola's reflection. She was wearing a turtleneck sweater that clung to her body and a pair of tight-fitted jeans.
"I saw what you came in with, the clothes you had. This isn't you, is it?" she asked.
"It's just different," Lola explained.
"This-" Mandy said and patted the shirt. "-Is a lifestyle. Socialites are often expected to dress a certain way, behave and maintain a certain standard. That doesn't mean you have to change who you are. These clothes don't define you. They just elevate what you already are. It's like with any societal group, you want to fit in, and given that you came in with Jax Blackwood, I can only imagine the standards that have been set." She smiled.
"Not by him," Lola defended.
"No, I know. By his family, right?" she said and raised a brow. "I've been there, but I was born into it. Dress to impress, Lola, and then do whatever the fuck you want once the clothes are on," she said with a wink.
Lola smiled, happy to be heard and understood. "Thank you."
Mandy nodded and squeezed Lola's hand.
* * *
When the fashion show was over, they took all the pieces Lola wanted to the cash register. Jax looked out and saw someone passing by the store. He gave the card to Lola. "You go ahead and pay. I'll be outside," he said and hurried off.
Lola paid the obscene sum and grabbed all of the bags. It pained her to think of all the money she had just spent on clothes. Melissa giggled as she helped carry the bags.
"Not a bad shopping round, huh," she said. Lola blew out a breath.
"I'm ready to go home."
Melissa giggled and shook her head. "Sweetie, we're not done yet." She laughed.
They walked out of the store. Lola looked around for Jax. She saw him by the flower shop, talking to a beautiful girl. The girl was laughing. Her blue eyes sparkled like the ocean being hit by sunlight, but that was not what caught her attention.
Jax was smiling from ear to ear.