A/N: This one-shot also appears in the "The More The Merrier: Suite Life 2010 Collection" featuring stories about an impressive range of year-end celebrations. Check it out!
Holiday Shopping
"See you at four, Dominic," London said over her shoulder as she stepped out of the limo at the main entrance to Copley Place, the most upscale mall in downtown Boston.
"One moment, Miss Tipton." Dominic unrolled a tinted glass window and London paused, bouncing on the balls of her Christian Louboutin pumps while Chelsea Brimmer, Tiffany Bouvier St. John, and Maddie Fitzpatrick filed past her. What did Dominic want now?
"I just got a call from your father," said the chauffeur in a tone that made London grit her teeth. "Don't forget to get a Christmas present for Melinda."
"Uh huh, whatever," London grumbled. Without waiting to hear further instructions, she pushed her way past a crowd of well-heeled December shoppers surging through the doors.
Chelsea, Tiffany, and Maddie were waiting for her just inside the foyer, steps from the frozen yogurt stand. Empty calories, London reminded herself, just as Melinda had reminded her when they came here in October, the only time London had met Stepmother #7. As if on cue, the solid gold charm bracelet jangled on her left wrist. A sailboat caught her eye—the newest charm. Which meant Melinda was actually Stepmother #8.
"Anyone want to get frozen yogurt?" Maddie asked, twirling a strand of her ratty blond ponytail, when London walked up to them.
London could hardly stop herself from rolling her eyes. Frozen yogurt was the only thing Maddie could afford in a place like this. Had it been a mistake to invite Maddie on this shopping trip—poor hideously dressed Maddie in her thrift-store coat, knock-off Ugg boots, and that cheap plastic purse hanging over her shoulder?
Too early to tell.
"No frozen yogurt," London said. "We're going to Arturo Vitalli." The exclusive boutique, stocked with creations by London's favourite designer in the universe, was on the second floor.
"Fine, we'll get frozen yogurt later," Tiffany said with a tight-lipped smile.
"Come on, let's go." London marched toward the escalator, trusting Maddie to trail on her heels, and checked behind to make sure Chelsea and Tiffany were following.
They were, walking arm in arm, whispering and giggling to each other like they were reading the gossip pages of Boston Buzz.
London's teeth gritted again. Why did she hang out with those two losers? Sure, their fathers all belonged to the same old boys' club, but Daddy could buy Tiffany's daddy and sell him in a garage sale. And Chelsea's daddy he could buy and just give away for free.
"No way," Tiffany spoke up and London turned to see her clutching her pink cellphone. "Everything Stinks may be doing a surprise show in Cambridge this afternoon. My brother just texted me."
"Cool," said Chelsea in her nasal whine, her face lighting up at the mention of Tiffany's idiot brother.
"Not cool," London corrected her. "Their lead singer is a tacky bottle blonde and their music really does stink."
For a moment Tiffany's wide brown eyes narrowed and it looked like she was going to defend her low-class musical tastes. But then she slipped her phone into the front pocket of her Louis Vuitton purse and pushed her hair behind her ears, letting it fall over her shoulders in its sleek chestnut waves.
London let out a huff and stepped off the escalator. It irked her that Tiffany's hair always looked like a stylist followed her around with a blowdryer and a big fat brush.
The Arturo Vitalli boutique loomed ahead, populated with people who looked like they had stepped from the pages of Vogue. With her wallet stuffed with this week's allowance, London could afford at least three outfits. Four, if she bought something at the Gap for Melinda.
The scent of luxury enveloped London as soon as they entered the boutique, a subtle yet powerful blend of cashmere and Parisian perfume and an exclusive essence that London felt sure only the truly wealthy could recognize. It made her feel instantly at home. Her shoulder muscles untensed, soothed by the racks of cutting-edge fashions from the winter collection.
What she needed were gowns—and lots of them—for the holiday gala circuit and the annual Tipton holiday party on Saturday, but she decided to start with a sparkly aquamarine sweater, aquamarine being the colour for winter. Tiffany picked out a silver tunic dress and Chelsea chose an almost identical dress in a dark green. Only Maddie hung back, glancing at a couple of racks as though she were afraid to touch Arturo's masterpieces. There was nothing in her price range, of course.
Inside the change room stall, London untied her fuschia wrap top, wriggled into the sweater, and stepped back to scrutinize her reflection. The sweater hugged what Melinda had disparagingly called her curves, and the scoop neck showed the tip of her cleavage in a way that was sensual but not trashy. Arturo did not "do" trashy.
Smoothing her extensions, London sucked in a breath to hide any hint of muffin top around the waist of her black Capri pants, from Arturo's ground-breaking boat couture collection. She gave herself a grin. There, she was ready to be admired. Were her talking mirror here, he would certainly agree.
She cleared her throat as sashayed out. "You like?"
Tiffany and Chelsea were already posed in their dresses while Maddie looked on, a longing expression in her eyes.
"I like," she said immediately.
Chelsea and Tiffany exchanged glances, and when neither of them said anything, London switched her attention to Chelsea. "That looks like a sack on you," she said. "I don't think you can pull it off."
That was all it took for Chelsea's face to droop—as though London had actually insulted her—and London felt a pang of satisfaction.
"Here, try this." Tiffany pulled another silver tunic off the returns rack and held it against Chelsea's petite frame. "You just need a smaller size."
"Thanks, Tiffany," said Chelsea, turning from side to side. "I love it."
"Yeah, you should try it on," Maddie chimed in, her eyes on Chelsea.
Chelsea flashed a triumphant smile and flounced into her stall. Tiffany went into hers, so London did the same.
This time her reflection was not so encouraging. Just as her image consultant had pronounced, aquamarine gave her complexion a creamy glow and made her cheekbones seem even higher, but the sweater seemed to be bunching under her armpits and the hem had ridden up to the waistband of her capris. And yet she had chosen a size 4.
Squeezing her eyes shut, London yanked the sweater over her head and dumped it on the hook, then covered herself up in her wrap top.
When she stepped out of the stall, she saw only the store clerk rifling through the returns rack. London's feet stopped moving and she gazed around, blinking.
Where were they? Where were Maddie, Chelsea, and Tiffany?
"Did you find anything you like?" asked the clerk blandly.
"No, everything is hideous," London mumbled and kept scanning for her friends. Where had they gone?
"Guys?" she called out. "Maddie? Chelsea?"
A few seconds later, Maddie hurried into view, tugging on the end of her ponytail.
"Where are Chelsea and Tiffany?" London blustered.
Maddie's shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "They went to Cambridge," she said, more to her Uggs than to London. "Everything Stinks showed up. Tiffany's brother texted her."
All the oxygen expelled from London's lungs, like air bursting from a balloon. "They didn't wait for me?" she asked, unable to keep her voice from rising at the end.
They had left her? They had left her?
Maddie shrugged again. "They thought you wouldn't want to go."
"Oh." What else could London say?
Maddie offered a smile. "Want to go get some frozen yogurt?"
London's heart jumped back up into her chest. "Yeah, let's go," she said. "And then…" London visualized the bills in her wallet, recalling how she'd heard Maddie asking Carey Martin if she could borrow a dress for Saturday,"…and then, we'll come back here and get you a dress for the Tipton holiday party." She slipped her arm through Maddie's. "My treat."
At this Maddie beamed. "Awww," she squealed, her blue eyes sparkling. "Thanks, London!"
A/N: Tiffany was played by Alexa Nikolas in the SLOZAC episode "Miniature Golf" and Chelsea was played by Brittany Curran. Thank you for reading, and good luck with any gift shopping you have left! Xoxoxo – Ellie