Chapter 4
Inside the store, people were gathered around the perfume and make-up counters, staring at watches and jewelry, talking to one another, or just wandering around the floor to pass the time as they waited for their family and friends. Chris sneezed at the concentrated scent of perfume that was assaulting his senses. Jill looked over at him and gave him a sympathetic smile as he continued with his sneezing fit for about a minute or so.
"I'm gonna go get some more facial cleansers and some make-up. Why don't you try to find someplace where the smell isn't so bad…like over at the jewelry and watch departments? I'll find you when I'm done here, okay?"
"Yes Mommy…" quipped Chris as he took off before Jill could hit him. She shook her head as she watched him run off, in a literal sense. One of these days, Christopher David Redfield, one of these days… I swear the boy can go from the age of two to twenty-seven in less than five seconds. I guess it's true…boys never do mature, they just grow older. Oh well, that's probably why women mature faster than men, to keep them in line. But still…perhaps it's because Chris still looks like a little kid that I let him get away with so much…and that I can't say no to him when he gets like that, cause I find it so cute, adorable, and endearing. But man-it is impossible to keep him on my good side…he's gonna make me see a shrink someday… Jill shook her thoughts aside as she walked over to the Origins display.
Meanwhile, Chris had busied himself by looking at the newest watches. He looked down at his left wrist and saw that the battery was starting to die. Chris then asked a salesperson where he could have the watch repaired, who pointed him over towards the direction to where a distinguished-looking old man sat examining another watch. The young S.T.A.R.S. member walked over and asked the man if he could replace the battery of his watch, to which of course the man said yes and told Chris that the watch should be ready in about an hour or so. He thanked the man and then walked toward the watch department once again. As he was walking, Chris looked over to his right and noticed a simple, but beautiful platinum and diamond necklace. He continued to stare at the necklace as his mind began to think about Jill. Hmm…damn, that would look good on her. I mean- shit, she's already gorgeous, but with this-I dun think there are words to describe how good she would look. Sides, the necklace would compliment her perfectly for our dinner date tonight. Maybe she'll forgive me for all of the shit I've pulled on her today, as well as for all of the other times... It's weird...I think that I'm startin to fall for her-nah, that can't be…I'm her best friend an I don't think she's really interested in me. But maybe… Chris began to grin as an idea popped into his mind. He looked over for a salesperson until he spotted one.
"Um…excuse me?"
The salesperson, which was an older lady that was old enough to be his mother, gave him a quiet smile. "Yes young man, how may I help you?"
"Could I see that necklace over there?" asked Chris as he pointed to the platinum chain.
"Certainly." The saleslady walks over to the case that Chris has his nose to the glass and pulls out the necklace. She takes it off the display and hands it to him. "Here you are, young man."
He looks at it in awe. "Perfect…uhh…how much?"
"Well, this one is $1,100, plus tax."
Chris thinks to himself, Hmmm…if I get this it'll wipe out all of my savings, but then again she'll love me for it. Or will she? Would she like this? I dunno!!! Maybe I'll just get her a pair of earrings. Yeah, sounds like a plan…or not. Oh jeez…what to do?! I'm probably gonna regret this later on in life…well maybe not…Ah, what the hell. A huge grin creeps onto his face as he pulls out a VISA card and hands it to the lady. "Charge this to Mr. Leon S. Kennedy." Thank you Leon! I'll probably tell ya bout this…someday.
"Very well, would you like it gift wrapped or do you plan on wearing it out of the store?"
Chris rolls his eyes and chuckles. "Gift wrap it please, it wouldn't go that good with what I'm wearing…heh. Especially since it's for someone else."
"No problem, I'll get right back to you."
"Thank you."
As Chris is making his purchase Jill is still over at the make-up counter buying her whole load of crap that women HAVE to have…I mean how many shades of blue eyeliner does one woman have to have, good lord! And then they have to have matching lipstick and eye shadow, and not to mention the nail polish…we're not even going there…oh shit we're rambling…back to the story…So anyway Jill's buying her junk and as she is paying she glances up to see what Chris is doing. She looks to where the watches are and didn't see him anywhere. She glances around the store and spots him over at the jewelry counter with a really goofy look on his face. She can't help but wonder what the hell he is thinking. I wonder what exactly that boy is up to now… The salesperson hands her the receipt and she grabs the bag and makes her way over to where Chris is. She arrives just as he puts the little box into his right cargo pocket with his cell phone.
"What was that?"
Chris, not even knowing she was right there, jumps slightly "What was what?"
"The box you put in your pants, what was it?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Uh huh…sure."
As this conversation is taking place the older saleslady comes back and hands the credit card back to Chris. "Thanks a lot Mr. Kennedy, but I need to you sign here."
Chris picks up the pen and signs on the little computer interface terminal. The lady hands him a receipt and goes to help another customer.
Jill, meanwhile, can't help but be curious about the box and grabs for the receipt but Chris shoves it in his mouth and starts to chew on it. He smirks.
"Too slow."
"Don't think I won't go after it in there…"
Chris quickly swallows it and an indifferent look appears on his face.
"I can't believe you just swallowed that, that's disgusting and you didn't even look like you cared, Mr. Kennedy."
"Tch, whatever. It was kinda minty."
"Ok, that's an unsettling thought."
Chris hands her a silver piece of paper that looks a lot like a gum wrapper. "Fooled ya, and it was minty fresh."
She hit his sore right shoulder. "You bastard."
"Oww…jeez, you just had to hit me there, din ya?"
"Well, you're the moron who just swallowed some gum just to fool me. God, you are so immature…"
Chris just shrugged his shoulders as he began to walk towards the watch repair counter. Jill grabbed his left hand and wrapped her arm around his arm as they walked together.
"Hey-how did you manage get Leon's VISA card?"
Chris just grinned. "Oh, just a little trick that I learned while I was in the Air Force. It's funny how much everyone trusted me to do things-mostly illegal-and were willing to teach me how to do it. Must be because of my 'baby face' cuz they said I looked totally innocent and that I could never get into trouble cuz everyone trusted me."
"Alright Hot Shot, but still, that doesn't answer my question, how'd you do it?"
"Oh, I managed to pick Leon's pocket when we went to the beach last Thursday. He prolly din even notice that the VISA was gone…"
Jill looked at him with an incredulous look. "…Right, so really, what happened?"
"Okay, okay. After I picked his pocket, I gave it back to him, with everything still in tact. When we went back to my place, he accidentally left his leather jacket on my chair, which contained his VISA because we had to stop for gas for the Tundra on the way home. The next day, when I was cleaning up the living room, I found the jacket and when I picked up the jacket, the card fell out. I told him that I would keep the card and the jacket for safe keepin until I would see him again…so, I must've stowed the card in my wallet."
"You do realize that he'll kill you as soon as he finds out that his card's been totally maxed…"
"His fault…" Chris replied with a sheepish grin. "Don't worry, I DO have a conscience and that I'll tell him…prolly just before he gets the bill…and I'll pay him back. Really I will. Now c'mon, let's go see if my watch is ready." Chris then looked down at the bags that Jill was carrying. "Got what'cha need?"
"Yeah, and unlike you, I paid for these…"
"Oh, and it's not like you haven't bought anythin with my money…"
"Alright already…but still, I hafta admire the fact that you'd have made a great thief…and you're right, you do have an 'innocent' looking face."
"Comin from the mouth of a former thief, I take that as a compliment."
They shared a quiet laugh together as they neared the counter.
As soon as then arrived, the man told Chris that he'd have to wait about another hour because the watch that he was working on required more repair than he originally thought.
"Oh, don't worry Sir, I'll be somewhere on the upper levels of the store and I'll probably get the watch later. So, don't try to rush on my account, cuz I'll probably still be here when you finish your work."
"Well, thank you very much, sonny. I'll have this done as soon as possible."
Chris smiled amiably at the old man and led Jill towards the escalators.
"So…since we're goin out to dinner tonight-"
Jill immediately grabbed Chris' shoulder and stopped him from getting on the escalator. "Waitaminute-whaddya mean 'We're goin out to dinner'?"
Chris pulled her towards the escalator and the pair got on. "I mean that, we are goin out to dinner tonight…at the Warf. So…that means, you gotta look your best, right?"
"Whoa, wait. When did you find time to do this?"
"I wanted to surprise you. Sides, this is part of the promise remember? And…I made the reservation while I was waitin for ya at Victoria's Secret."
Jill smiled at him. "Wow, you really are being a perfect gentleman. Didn't know that you had it in you…"
"Heh, at least I can still surprise and amaze you. So…what floor are women's dresses?"
"Oh-just one more floor."
The two got off on the fourth floor and began to walk towards the direction of the women's evening dresses. About three or so minutes later, they found the department and Chris began to follow Jill around as she searched for the perfect dress. As they walked, Chris deftly removed the box from his right pocket to his left, which Jill didn't notice because she was so engrossed into finding the dress that she wanted, and managed to find a chair near the fitting rooms. He watched as Jill continued to walk around until she stopped at a particular rack. She began to look through the dresses, but then walked away. Now, for most people, this has to be the most excruciating wait ever. I mean, God, sitting in one of those uncomfortable waiting chairs as you wait for the person, whether they're your sister, mom, or girlfriend to just pick out the damn dress already…Yeah, it may suck cuz you're tryin to find the so-called 'perfect' dress, but still…it's so embarrassing holding that damn purse…Whoops, sorry. Rambled there for a sec… Chris just sat in the chair, playing with the games on his phone when he decided to call Claire, just to check on how she was doing.
"Hello?"
"Hey Claire. How ya feelin little sis?"
"I'm better now. Remind me never to make fun of you again when you get sick during the summer. God…it's bad enough that it's hot, but to feel both hot and cold when it's like…100 degrees outside…it sucks shit."
"Told ya. Anyway, I was just wondering if it would be cool if me and Jill could crash there for a bit like…later tonight. Cuz…we need a place to get cleaned up an' stuff."
Claire, who loved delving into the love life (or lack thereof) of her brother, calmly asked, "Yeah, sure, course ya can. Why? What's the occasion?"
"I'm-uh…taking her out to dinner at one of those fancy restaurants on the Warf…and…well, wearin jeans an' t-shirts to the place wouldn't exactly be kosher with the type of crowd that goes there, right?"
"Yep, you're right bout that. So…you guys are gonna clean up and get dressed for the restaurant at my place, right?"
"That's my idea…so…?"
"Like I said, it's cool. You both can come over. By the way…what's the deal with the dinner and stuff? You do something to Jill that made you chose to do something so…hmm-what's the right word-romantic for her?"
"More like…I promised her because of doin something wasn't so romantic…"
"Right-gotcha. So…where are ya at now?"
"Well…I'm waitin on Jill to pick out her dress for tonight…then she has to get some shoes…then I still hafta get my shit together…so…right now we're at Macy's."
"Oh I see, I see. So, where you gonna head off to get your stuff?"
"Uh…just Banana Republic and Florsheim for the shoes. Nothin real major, like a tux, but somethin that's classy, yet casual."
"Word of advice Bro, when you choose your shirt…make sure that it compliments her dress. What's even better is that if you can match the color of your dress shirt to her dress. That way, the two of you compliment one another."
"Kay, kay. I'll try to remember that. Thanks for the advice. I'll call ya when we're gonna head over. Cool with you?"
"That's cool. At least you called me ahead of time so that I could clean up a bit."
"No prob Sis. Talk to ya later."
"Bye Chris."
"Later Claire."
Chris hit the 'end' button on his phone and ended the call. He then pressed the button to check the time on his phone's clock. Hmm-4:42. I think my watch should be ready right about now. Better go see if it is. Just as he was about to get up, Jill came over with what appeared to be a maroon dress in her hands. She was grinning like the Cheshire Cat as she met his gaze.
"Hey-where you heading off to?"
"I was gonna check to see if my watch is ready. I'll be back in a few."
Jill, who began to realize that this would be a perfect opportunity to learn what exactly Chris had bought earlier, handed him the dress and took her purse from his grasp. "No, lemme go see. I know what to get."
"It's not really a big deal Jill. I promise I'll be back really quick."
"No, really, let me go get it. Besides, you have to watch our stuff. Just wait here, okay?" For effect, Jill gave him a sincere grin.
Chris nearly melted on the spot, and decided to relent. "Alright, alright. I'll wait here. Jus don't leave me hangin here…I'm bored outta my mind…"
"Right, I'll make it quick." And with that, Jill took off towards the direction of the elevators.
Slumping back in his seat, Chris stretched his arms out so that he could look at the dress that Jill picked out. Well…this barely does me any good. Can't really see what the dress looks like. Might as well stand up and stretch my legs for a bit. He then stood up and began to study the dress. Chris then noticed that it was a very simple, spaghetti-strapped maroon dress. He mentally began to picture Jill wearing the dress, which caused a goofy grin to spread across his face as well as an odd feeling overcoming him. Looking down, he then realized the reason for his discomfort and immediately sat down, with both of Jill's bags and dress resting on his lap. Chris quickly glanced around the room to see if anyone had seen him, and much to his relief, everyone else was engrossed in their business and paid him no attention. Slapping his forehead in both disgust and frustration, Chris just decided to sit quietly, and let his mind go blank.
In the meantime, Jill had made her way over to the watch repair counter and had picked up Chris' watch. She then walked over to the jewelry counter and saw the saleslady that had helped Chris earlier.
"Excuse me, miss?"
"Yes? What may I do for you today, young lady?"
"I'm a friend of Mr. Kennedy and I was just curious to find out what exactly it was that he purchased."
"Oh-you mean that handsome young man with the spikey brown hair?"
"Yeah, that's him. Can you tell me what he bought?"
"Certainly. He bought a platinum necklace, much like the one in the display in front of you." The woman gestured toward the display and Jill looked down. Immediately, her eyes went wide as she exclaimed, "It's beautiful. Simple, yet elegant. I was wondering…is there anything that would compliment that particular piece of jewelry-for a man, I mean."
"Well, we do have this," replied the saleswoman as she took out a display holder that held a platinum band. "It's not a wedding band, I assure you. It's just a ring that should be worn without much fuss. I think it would compliment the necklace nicely."
"Hmm…how much is the ring?"
"The ring costs about $595, plus tax."
"I was wondering if I could borrow something to measure someone's finger."
"Sure, just hang on for a sec." The salesperson bent down and retrieved what looked like a piece of measuring tape. "Just use this and the number on top should be the number corresponding to the size of the ring."
"Thank you very much. I'll be back soon." Jill then stuffed the tape measure in her pocket and walked towards the elevator. After getting off at her desired floor, she found Chris, still sitting in the chair, leaning his head against his right palm while his left hand rested on the armrest of the chair. His quiet breathing indicated to Jill that Chris was napping for a bit, which caused her to smile because Chris was completely oblivious to everything around him when he slept. She strolled over to where Chris sat and took hold of his left hand, which remained limp in her grasp, and proceeded to measure his middle finger. After taking note of the size, Jill gently set his hand back down and headed back down to the first floor. Once she returned to the jewelry counter to where the salesperson waited patiently, Jill told her the size of the ring and that she would buy one in that size. The saleslady smiled and disappeared behind the jewelry case for a few minutes until she had found the ring in the desired size.
"Here we are. I take it is a present, correct?"
"Yeah. It's for my best friend. He drives me insane…most of the time, but I couldn't ask for a better best friend."
"Well, I hope that he enjoys it. And how will you be paying for this?"
Jill then opened her purse, rummaged through it for a few seconds until she retrieved her Macy's VISA card. "Charge it to my account, please."
The salesperson took the card without hesitation. "Very well, this should take a few minutes miss-" she looked down at the card and looked back at Jill, "Valentine."
"That's okay." Jill waited at the counter and opened the box to look at the ring. The ring itself was very simple, but like the necklace, it's simplistic quality is what made it special. When she saw the salesperson returning, Jill replaced the ring inside its box and set it back down on the counter. The lady handed Jill her card back and gestured to the computer interface terminal next to her.
"If you could sign here on the screen, Miss Valentine."
"Oh-of course. And could you please have this gift wrapped?"
"Certainly." The saleslady picked the box off the counter and proceeded to gift-wrap the box as Jill signed on the computer screen. The lady then returned and handed Jill both the receipt and the box. "Thank you very much for shopping at Macy's. And I hope that you have a good day."
"Thank you and good day to you too." Jill smiled at the saleslady briefly as she took off towards the elevator.
Finally, now I can try on that dress…wonder if Chris is still asleep. He looks adorable when he's asleep kinda reminds me of Erin's six-year old son, Fox, when he was asleep on my couch last Easter. Oh well time to wake up Chris-nah, I'll just try on the dress and surprise him later tonight. Jill continued to grin as she exited the elevator and made her way to Chris, who was still asleep in the chair. She took the dress from his grasp and walked inside the dressing room. It took Jill less than five minutes to realize that the dress was perfect, right down to the fact that the dress was not too long or short and that it hung off her body in just the right places. Okay, now I hafta find the matching shoes and purse for this dress. I was lucky to find this dress at all. Well, I guess its time to go wake Chris-chan… After getting dressed again, Jill left the dressing room with the dress draped over her arm. She walked over to Chris and shook his left shoulder gently.
"Time to wake up…Chris-chan."
Chris just shook his head slowly and struggled to open his eyes once again. When he finally opened them, he focused his gaze on Jill's smiling face. "I take it that the dress fit?"
"Yep, it sure did. Oh here." She handed him his watch. "And don't worry bout the bill, I took care of it. Now let's go."
Chris took the watch and put it back on. "Are you sure about it? And I'm sorry for fallin asleep like that…"
Jill just grabbed his hand, "No problem. Now let's go get some shoes!!!!"
Chris stood up and stretched his arms for a bit as he yawned. Jill lo0ked him over as he did so and just grinned as the bottom of his shirt came up to briefly reveal his flat, bare stomach. He caught her grin and smiled back at her. "See something you like?"
She just shook her thoughts away and pulled his hand once again. "Not really, just thinking that you need a longer shirt. Now let's go."
"Kay, kay…just slow down lady…" grumbled Chris as he picked up her bags off the ground and followed her to the elevators.
They got off on the third floor and Jill immediately found the shoes to go with her dress, tried them on in her size, took the box as she walked over to the accessories department and found her purse. Chris was glad that the little ordeal took less than half an hour, but still hated the fact that he was paying for the dress, shoes, and purse. Once he signed his signature and got the receipt for the items, the two of them returned to the garage once again and dropped off their stuff in the car.
"So where to now, Chris?"
"Gotta go to Banana Republic for my stuff and Florsheim for my shoes. C'mon, let's go."
"You know where to go?" Jill asked as she looked over at him quizzically.
He just rolled his eyes. "Course I do…my sense of direction ain't that bad…"
"Just kidding ya big baby…Okay then, let's go."
"Alright already."
They left the garage once again and ventured out onto the streets of San Francisco towards the flagship store of Banana Republic.