After running, Rose miraculously convinced Dimitri to go shopping on daddy's dime. They both needed an appropriate outfit for the evening. Dimitri wanted to refuse, but since he was planning on refusing the job offer, or rather offers, he figured he should at least appease the mobster in a some way.
The restaurant was not black tie, but they couldn't go overly casual, mostly because of Abe. Rose and Dimitri started out by getting Dimitri a suit. For some reason, Rose thought that would be easier than getting her dress and shoes and accessories, despite his stature and enormous shoe size. Lucky for them, Pavel sent them to just the right stores.
Dimitri got a black suit and a black button up. When Rose commented on all the black, Dimitri muttered it matched his soul. His shoes were an easy find as well. Pavel really knew how to pick 'em. There was even a duster there with Dimitri's name on it.
Rose's outfit was a different story all together. She tried on 10 different dresses while Dimitri read his book. He really didn't know why it would take so long for Rose to find a dress. She was a beautiful woman with an amazing figure. Though he dutifully ignored what Rose tried on, he was sure they all looked fine. Probably more than fine. Rose didn't ask for his opinion, so he figured he was off the hook anyway and never offered one.
"Thank you for helping, Melanie", Rose said to the department store employee who was tending to her.
"It was my pleasure, ma'am", The woman in her mid thirties answered. She spared a glance over at Dimitri, who was lounging in the waiting area reserved for petulant husbands and boyfriends. "I had a boyfriend like that", she motion towards Dimitri with her head, "gorgeous and brooding and uninterested".
Rose didn't bother correcting her that she and Dimitri weren't together. But then Melanie looked pointedly at a fading bruise on Rose's arm, Rose didn't need to ask what Melanie was thinking, it was clear as day on her face.
"Does that hurt?" Melanie asked.
"Nah", Rose replied. "I'm used to it. In my line of work and training, I've had much worse".
"What line of work is that, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Private security", Rose answered. "That's actually how I met the big lug", Rose threw her thumb over he should to Dimitri. "I was his trainee".
Melanie smiled sweetly, the story warmed her heart. If only she knew the whole story, Rose sighed. And still she never corrected the assumption that the two were involved.
"I have a few more dresses for you to try, but I think this is the one", Melanie handed Rose a dress. Sure enough, that dress was the one.
When Rose finally found her dress and her shoes, Dimitri thought they were done. Oh, how wrong he was. Rose still needed accessories, plus she needed some way to do her hair and make up back at the apartment.
It was getting late. And Dimitri knew it. "Rose, we don't have time for this, we need to get back to the apartment to get ready. We're going to be late as it is". It would take at least half can hour to get back to Brooklyn, time to get ready and then another hour to get back to Manhattan to the restaurant by car, considering the traffic.
That's when dear, sweet, helpful Melanie cleared her throat. "If I may", she said tentatively. "I couldn't help but overhear and I might have a solution for you. We have a vast selection of beauty care in our department store, including hair and makeup styling. You can get that done here".
Rose was all for it, she could do with the pampering.
"Thank you ma'am, but we still would need to shower and freshen up", Dimitri interjected.
That's when they sales clerk glanced at the credit card as she was handing it back to Rose. "You could always get a hotel for the night. You would save the commute and have a place to get ready", she shrugged. The credit card Abe had given Rose was apparently a very high end one.
Rose's eyes lit up as she got all giddy. She started jumping up and done. "Please, Dimitri! Please, please, please, please!" When Dimitri pinched the bridge of his nose, Rose continued her begging, "It'll give us a chance to go site seeing in the morning and maybe even watch a show on Broadway". She wasn't convincing until she said, "We can go for a run in central park", she bit her lip while Dimitri internally deliberated.
Dimitri sighed in defeat. "Fine".
Melanie arranged for Rose to get her hair and makeup done and even helped book a room at a very lavish hotel nearby.