AN: Thanks for your continued support! I'm trying to move this fic along...
Disclaimer - I own no part of The Blacklist
Chapter Four
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Lizzie spent the rest of lunch enjoying the entree Red had ordered while trying to figure out how avoid shopping with him.
The main problem: she wanted to go shopping with Red. For some reason that she refused to analyze, Lizzie was interested in having this experience with him, a man of exquisite and particular tastes. Tom barely looked at her lately, and Lizzie could handle being admired for a change. Her mind kept trying to classify it as a cultural excursion, or a partnership-building exercise, but her heart wasn't buying it.
She became lost in thought, trying to ascertain how she was going shopping without slaughtering her budget or Red making some sort of grand gesture. Red cleared his throat, paused, and then tapped his water glass with a spoon to get her attention.
"Lizzie, are you with me? If I wanted to dine with a mannequin, I would have invited the Russian model. Gorgeous girl, but had a terrifying obsession with vampires. If she asked me wear a cape one more time, I might have had to bleed her dry, just to put her out of my misery." He finished his coffee and with a small noise of satisfaction, sat back from the table. "Sweetheart, I believe we're set, unless you'd like another cup of coffee. Shall we?" He stood up and started to put his coat on.
Lizzie held up her hand. "Red, wait. Let's talk about some ground rules. I know how you are and I don't feel right not having some say in all of this. First, we need to be respectful of my budget. I only have..." she remembered the balance of the "mad money" she had saved in the little credit union account. "Approximately $350 to spend today. I know it won't buy much, but I forbid you to from even thinking about going above it. This little interlude is already teetering on the inappropriate, and I won't be treated like some kind of kept woman."
Red huffed in feigned astonishment, "Why Lizzie, where precisely would I 'keep' you? Obviously not in a closet or basement, I'm not that kind of criminal, thanks. But intriguing as that line of thinking is, I'll return to your original request. I vow to help you stay within your budget. And as for 'teetering' - I do not teeter. I prefer to jump feet first into the inappropriate. So, off to La Perla!"
Lizzie stared at him, completely agog. "Red, you can't be serious...I am not going underwear shopping with you. And, La Perla is completely out of my price range. I'd blow through my allocated funds on two pieces."
"But what a way to blow..." Red refocused on Lizzie, palms up in supplication. "Sweetheart, any woman's magazine will inform you that foundation garments are as essential as proper clothing. And it's not just underwear, it's also nightgowns and bustiers and corsets..." He stared dreamily into a corner. "In short, it's completely respectable. And I'm certain they'll have a few things on...sale." Red said the last word reluctantly, like it was shameful.
"I will not take no for an answer, but I'll give you a moment to get over it while I make a few calls. Excuse me, dear." Red swept out of the booth and strode out the door that Salvatore scurried to open for him.
She couldn't believe how quickly this day had derailed. What was initially a mild feeling of foreboding, like small dark clouds on a horizon, had devolved into a...Liz searched for a proper analogy. Shitstorm. A broken arrow operation, when everything has gone FUBAR.
Rationally, Liz knew that she could get up, tell Red to do something anatomically impossible, and run home. This whole situation smelled of manipulation and treachery. In a slightly masochistic way, Liz was also extremely intrigued as to what the day would bring. It reminded her of the feeling she had right before she'd do something bad as a child, mixed with the anticipation she felt before taking down a criminal.
Lizzie tried her best to convince herself that she could maintain control over herself today, and rationalized that while Red said inappropriate things all the time, words were easily ignored.
After all, it wasn't like he'd be in the dressing room with her.
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AN: Ruh roh, Lizzie... I've had few PM's about how Lizzie isn't fighting Red that much, so I tried to include a bit of her attempt to rationalize things. I know it might seem a bit OOC from "badass FBI agent" but, everyone is vulnerable to temptation, especially if they can explain the danger away. And, heck, this is my story, and I think Red is almost completely irresistible. I'm sure I'll try out a Lizzie empowerment story someday, but not now. As always, please read and review. Reviews feed my soul.