Chapter 2
Sarah looked at the man, flipping her hair and pulling it out of his hand. What was this guys problem?
"Well sir," her voice became strained, "why don't you have a look around and tell me what you like and then I can have a better idea of what you're looking for."
The man smiled at her, his eye's gleaming as he nodded and turned in one fluid motion to survey the line of sweaters he had no interest in buying. This one was more difficult than the rest, but that only made it more of a challenge.
In the parking lot Meredith, Bonnie, Elena, and Stephan all piled out of Meredith's car. Stephan looked like he wanted to kiss the ground, sitting in a car with three giggling girls for a two hour drive was not his favorite way to spend an afternoon. Elena gave her friends a suffering look as she rolled her eyes and kissed him on the cheek, letting him know she was glad he came, even if they teased him the entire way down.
"Come on," Elena whispered into his ear, "it will be fun, I promise. We can go into Victoria's Secret if you'd like."
Meredith rolled her eyes as she saw a smile cross Stephan's face; men were all the same, even if they had been around for centuries.
The quartet walked through the mall, looking in the store windows, deciding on which stores they wanted to go into and which they didn't.
"I have to get a pair of those boots!" Bonnie exclaimed, pointing to a pair of knee high black leather boots in a store window. "They will, like, go so perfectly with the pants I saw a few stores down!" She rushed into the store, leaving an exasperated Meredith to chase after her.
"Which store was that," she muttered, "I lost count."
Stephan chuckled to himself as he watched Meredith's dark head trying to keep up with Bonnie's shorter curlier head. The girl had more energy than anyone he knew; too bad she couldn't bottle it and sell it. She'd make a fortune.
"See anything you like?" He asked, watching Elena sort through the racks at a much slower pace than her friend.
Elena shrugged, "jeans, shirts, it all pretty much looks the same." Then she looked up and saw a long ice blue dress across the isle and her breath caught in her throat. She gravitated towards it, taking the soft hand painted silk in her hand and letting it run through her fingers. It was beautiful; she didn't have any idea where she would wear it though.
"Nice isn't it? We just got it in yesterday."
Elena turned to see a sales girl with brown hair, a pleasant smile, and a nametag that said Sarah looking at her.
"It's beautiful, but where would anyone where something like this?"
Sarah smiled, this girl had good taste, and if she could convince her to but the dress she could make a fat commission to boot. "Well, if you really like it then why does it matter where you wear it? Do your laundry in it if it strikes your fancy!" Elena smiled back at her and laughed imagining anyone doing laundry in a hand painted silk ball gown.
"I wish." Elena said, releasing the gown.
"It would be a shame to let such a beautiful gown go to waste, it belongs on a beautiful body." A voice said from behind them. Sarah felt her neck crawl as she turned to see the man from earlier eyeing the girl with the dress up. The nerve! It was one thing to bug her, but to chase off her customers too, well that was something she just couldn't tolerate.
"Have you found something in the store you would like to purchase?" There was an edge to Sarah's voice as she struggled to maintain a bit of civility.
"I think I have found something that interests me, yes." The man replied, not taking his eyes off of Elena.
Stephan had been watching this, and seeing that the sales girl was not having much luck dispensing of the man he walked over. "Everything all right?" He put his arm around Elena and looked at the man.
Grey eyes lifted to meet his green ones and Stephan felt the hair on the back of his neck begin to rise, something wasn't right with this man and he needed to get these women away from him now.
"I saw a sweater over here that you would like," he turned to look at Sarah, "why don't you come with us?" He forced his will upon her and she nodded slowly.
The man looked between the three people and his eyes narrowed, his prey wasn't going to get away that easily. He reached out and took Sarah's arm, "actually I found a couple of things I like, I was hoping you could help me pick out the perfect gift for that special someone."
Elena felt Stephan's arm tighten under her hand, something was wrong. She watched as the girl nodded and it was then that she saw the familiar glazed look in her eye as she turned to follow the gray eyed man down the isle.
"Stephan, what's going on?"
His lips drew into a thin line. "I'm not sure yet, but we had better find Bonnie and Meredith."