Chapter 13

Shop till you drop

Selene was staring at the road. She had to concentrate on driving. She barely noticed Kol sitting next to her. The radio was on but she didn't really pay any attention to it before she heard Christina Perri's song Jar of hearts. Apparently Kol had heard it before because he was singing along when refrain started.

And who do you think you are? Running around leaving scars, collecting your jar of hearts, tearing love apart. You're gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul…

Shivers went down Selene's spine.

"This is a good song. Do you like it darling?" Kol asked smiling.

"Sure", Selene murmured. She felt sick. He probably loved every second. He was truly a monster. She had to pull herself together. It was definitely best not to think about last night. But that was easier said than done. That man had died because of her. Because she had agreed to dance with him. How was she supposed to know? Kol didn't tell her about any of the rules of this sick game. When they had left the hotel this morning, she had been very careful not to even look at anyone. That had seemed to amuse him. What a bastard.

"So, I was thinking, today I feel like going shopping", Kol said. He looked very relaxed leaning back on his seat.

"Ok", Selene replied. Not that he was asking her opinion but still. "Do you want me to wait in the car?"

Kol smiled.

"Of course not darling, how can you even ask me that? Today I want to spoil you."

"That's very kind but you really don't have to…"

"You know, it's not nice to turn down my generosity. Someone who isn't as nice guy as me might even be offended."

Selene swallowed. Kol was smiling very politely.

"Thank you, I would love to come shopping with you", Selene forced herself to say.

Kol kissed her hand.

"I'm glad that you think so sweetheart. We're going to have so much fun today."

Selene really doubted that but somehow she managed to smile. She just had to be very careful. Hopefully she wouldn't get anyone killed today.

"Do you want to go to a mall or something?" she asked as calmly as she could.

Kol thought about it.

"Why not, there are usually a lot of snacks…sorry, I mean people in those places, correct?"

Selene couldn't say anything.

"Darling?" Kol asked smiling.

"Yes, there are usually many people in a mall", Selene said emotionlessly. "And also many cameras and security guards."

She regretted her last words immediately. Kol was smirking.

"Was that a challenge?"

"No", Selene said quickly. "No, no, I just…"

She flinched when Kol touched her cheek.

"Relax sweetheart", Kol said smiling. "Why are you so jumpy? It's time to have some fun!"

Selene nodded tensely. She was pretty sure that she wouldn't like his idea of fun.

"Stop there", Kol said when he noticed a big shopping center. Selene concentrated on finding a parking space and tried not to think about what was ahead. Kol opened the door for her and took her hand. They walked in hand in hand and Kol was acting like some adoring boyfriend again. Selene felt nervous when she saw so many people. She tried her best to avoid an eye contact with anyone. She was wearing a long white skirt and a pink Hello Kitty-sweatshirt. Kol on the other hand seemed to love black clothes. Now when she thought about it, she had never seen him wear any other color clothes. All his clothes were very expensive though, even if they were black jeans and shirts.

They must looked very strange walking there together. She could saw from some women's faces that they wondered how someone like her had managed to catch someone like him. Well, they could just keep him. Selene had never considered herself pretty. She had always been shy. It hadn't helped that her mother had constantly pointed out how clumsy she was or how fat she looked. She herself had been a very beautiful woman, who unfortunately had made a mistake by marrying a worthless man, as she so often said. All her children had been disappointments to her as well, so she had left when Selene had been twelve. She hadn't heard a word from her mother ever since.

"Hello, my girlfriend needs some new clothes", she suddenly heard Kol saying. She hadn't even noticed that they had entered some store. Some very expensive looking store.

"Of course", a saleswoman said. She was maybe in her early thirties, she was wearing an elegant looking black skirt and a white shirt and her red hair was up in a stylish bun. She was smiling but it was the most condescending fake-smile Selene had ever seen.

"Do you have something specific in mind sir?" she asked like Selene wouldn't have been there at all. Apparently she had already figured out that he was the one with money.

Kol turned to Selene.

"What do you think darling?"

"I…I don't know", Selene murmured.

"Well, I'm afraid we don't have anything that would match your current…style but I'm sure we can find you something…suitable", the saleswoman said smiling. It wasn't hard to read between the lines what she meant. Selene turned her head to the floor.

"What kind of price range do you have in mind sir?"

"No price range", Kol said smiling charmingly. "What my darling want, my darling get."

The saleswoman looked surprised when he kissed Selene's hand.

"Alright then, this way please…miss."

It was truly humiliating experience. Selene tried on all the clothes that the saleswoman brought to her but her opinion about her was very clear. A gold digging trash that had somehow managed to fool a nice rich guy. She seemed to try very hard figuring out what could he possible see in her. But Selene had to admit that she had never met anyone who could disguise her insults so well.

"You have such a lovely hair; I would really like to know who your hairdresser is… What a beautiful shirt, I didn't know that they make them for adults as well…"

And of course she was smiling sweetly the whole time. Selene really wanted to leave but she didn't want to make Kol angry so she just stood there and smiled. Finally Kol seemed satisfied and said that it was time to leave. Selene was relieved when Kol went with the saleswoman to pay the clothes. She wasn't even sure which ones he had chosen. He had just sat in front of the fitting room and wanted her to show him all the clothes she was trying on. He had been very polite and complimented her. That had seemed to really annoy the saleswoman.

"Are you ready to go darling?" Kol asked smiling. He was carrying three shopping bags.

"Yes, I really am."

When they got out of the store, Kol suggested that they would sit for a while. Selene didn't mind at all. There were benches all over the shopping center and Kol chose one next to a fountain. Selene saw that people had thrown some coins in it.

"Do you want some ice cream?" Kol asked.

"Yes please."

Selene couldn't even remember the last time she has had an ice cream.

"What flavor?"

"Chocolate please."

"I'll be right back sweetheart", Kol said smiling and went to the ice cream cart.

Selene felt almost relaxed sitting there. Maybe this shopping thing wouldn't be so bad. Selene noticed that red haired saleswoman coming out from the store and heading to an escalator. It was probably her lunch break or something. Selene looked at the shiny coins in the fountain. If it was some kind of wishing fountain, maybe she should try it…

Selene never could finish her thought when she heard someone screaming. She didn't have time to do anything when something fell in front of her. Not something, someone. It was that red haired saleswoman. She must have jumped from… Selene couldn't turn her head away from her badly bruised body. Her neck was broken and there were bones coming out of her skin. She was looking straight to her. Selene was too shocked to move. Suddenly she felt someone sitting next to her.

"You're welcome darling", Kol whispered into her ear. "Oh, and here's your ice cream."

...

What do you guys think? I know its dark, should I continue same way?