I feel like the biggest fraud, clutching a glass of champagne as we walk through a luxurious store with a name I can’t pronounce. My scuffed-up sneakers squeak every time I move across the marble flooring.
We’ve bounced between stores, with Santiago’s mom, who asked me to call her Daniela. She spent the whole morning sharing funny stories about her son while Maya talked him up like a contestant on a love show. It’s not as if I need someone to convince me Santiago is a standup guy. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes and it’s not exactly something I’ll forget anytime soon.
“What about this one?” Maya hands me a silky dress. The material feels lush and unlike anything I own.
I sneak a peek at the price tag and nearly have a stroke. This dress is worth more than my rent for a month.
“Do you not like it?” Maya’s smile drops.
Why does she have to be this wonderful and kind? Can’t she have a flaw that would make it easier to run out the door and never look back?
I stutter. “Uhm…no. It looks gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but…”
“Is it the price? Don’t worry about it. Santiago slipped me his Amex before we left the hotel.”
“He did what?” The first lines of Pretty Woman blast in my head as my stomach twists into a tight knot.
“He said to pick out the prettiest dress for you or else he won’t attend the gala tonight. I took it as a challenge.”
“That’s so…sweet,” I choke out.
“I don’t think I’ve seen my son this enamored by someone before.” Santiago’s mom winks at me. Her brown eyes have a lightness to them I can’t ignore.
Either we’re amazing at faking this relationship or everyone wants to desperately believe Santiago is genuinely happy.
“Oh.” That’s all I can muster up. The guy offered to pay for my dress for God’s sake and all I can say is oh. I’m slipping into extremely dangerous territory around him. It’s the kind of treacherous waters a girl can drown in if she’s not careful.
A dress on the mannequin at the front of the store window catches my eye. The black material shines under the spotlights, making thousands of crystals appear like they’re moving. Long sleeves balance the severity of the open back. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piece of clothing as stunning as that. It’s as if the designer captured an illusion of moonlight reflecting off the glittering ocean at midnight.
“Oh, just look at your eyes light up!” Maya calls out to the employee who helps us. “We need that dress, please.”
“What? I like the one you picked out!” I stumble over my words.
“But you love that one.” Maya waggles her brows.
Based on the how dress is part of the storefront display, it must cost way more than the one I hold in my shaky hand. It makes me sick to purchase something like that on someone else’s dime. I don’t even see a price tag on it which only means one thing.
“Don’t bother saying no. When my daughter sets her mind on something, come hell or high water, she is getting her way,” Santiago’s mom offers.
Maya plucks the dress she chose from my hands. She gently pushes me into a dressing room and the store attendant passes me the black dress.
I can’t walk out of the store with this. How could I live with myself when I was barely making enough to cover my rent last month?
I pull out my phone and text Santiago.
Me: Please tell me you didn’t tell your sister that you wouldn’t go to the gala if she didn’t buy me a pretty dress.
Santiago: Can I plead the fifth?
Me: Seeing as you’re not American and you don’t follow the Constitution, the answer is no!
Me: Seriously. I can’t let you pay for something this expensive. Tell your sister to take me to a Zara or something a little more on par with my budget.
Santiago: But I’m scared of her. Why don’t you tell her since you’re the one opposing this in the first place?
Me: You’re afraid of your sister? I wish I could choke you through the phone.
Santiago: Is that your kink? You really are quite the surprise.
I snort.
Santiago: And yes I’m afraid of my sister. She might be small but she’s scrappy. I wouldn’t mess with her. The one time I tried, she shaved my head in the middle of the night as payback.
Me: You’re the most infuriating person I’ve ever met.
Santiago: Replace infuriating with kindest and you have yourself a compliment. Try it with me. Things like this take practice.