Aleida Erikson ⚙ Aloy of the Nora (mechanical) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2017-10-18 18:46:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, * terri, c: aleida erikson, r * jaclyn, r: lennox archer |
WHO: Lennox Archer, Alee Grant
WHEN: Wednesday, October 18, midday
WHERE: Shopping in DC
SUMMARY: Lennox takes Alee shopping, and they both learn some lessons about being in a relationship with someone who comes from a different socioeconomic background.
WARNINGS: Most of the NSFW bits have been faded/removed, but implied foreplay.
Lennox had decided to take her to DC to shop. If he was going to spoil her, he was going to do it right. The two pulled up in front of a large boutique with something French for the name and he went around to open her door. She wore jeans, as always, but her blouse was a nice attempt. He'd stuck with his jeans to make her feel more comfortable, but definitely not a pair he'd risk ruining in the horse ring or on a hike. He also wore a pale green, button up shirt with the sleeves rolled carefully. Still, he had his usual assortment of bohemian-like bracelets and necklaces. The sales girl, dressed sharply in an expensive-looking ruffled blouse and gray slacks, smiled widely when they entered. Lennox greeted her politely, but his focus was on Alee. There was a section for everything here, from activewear to formal gowns, all for women, including a small, high end shoe section. “Have fun,” he encouraged with some amusement, grinning. -- The drive to DC wasn’t as long as she had anticipated it to be, and she had almost managed to relax herself before they arrived at the boutique. As it was, however, she wasn’t used to this kind of treatment, and she was trying not to feel like she owed Lennox anything. Just the name of the little shop sounded pretentious, and she wondered if she’d be outright thrown to the curb for wearing jeans that she’d bought at a Goodwill in Arizona. Her clothes weren’t atrocious, but they weren’t designer and that would be all that rested beyond those doors. She twisted her spoon ring around her thumb a few times, relieved that at least her nail polish wasn’t chipped, even if they hadn’t been professionally painted. She managed a nervous sort of smile at the saleswoman, looking around the shop with a little bit of apprehension. He told her to have fun, but she rolled her eyes, “I’m having fun.” As if to prove a point, she went for the first blouse that caught her eye, and picked it up, hanger and all. She made a show of holding it up in front of her, as though she might be able to tell that way if it fit, but then she took a glance at the tag and she was certain the color drained from her face, “Lennox.” She glanced, the saleswoman was far enough away that she probably wouldn’t overhear them, but she kept her voice low anyway, trying not to panic as though by handling it she might have damaged it, “This shirt alone probably costs at least three times what I paid for my entire wardrobe, and it’s transparent..” It was a layering top; feminine, floral, and easily snagged, she was sure. -- Lennox, to his credit, did not laugh, though her worry over price did amuse him. But he knew that few people had grown up possessing the resources he had. He gently took her pale face between both of his hands, kissing her forehead before looking into her eyes. “Don't look at the price tags, pretty girl,” he told her seriously, voice quiet. “I can take care of it. I want this to be fun for you, okay?” -- Alee was a girl who had grown up clipping coupons with her mother and asking for little because her parents didn’t have to say no if they were never asked. She hadn’t known it at the start, but her sisters had given up money from their babysitting and neighborhood jobs just to keep her in gymnastics when she was little. Her parents had given them everything that they could, but it was always a struggle to make ends meet. It was nearly impossible for her not to think about the price, even when he said sweet things and held onto her so gingerly. On the other hand, Lennox obviously had money. He owned and boarded a horse, had a cabin built in the woods of his own design, owned acres of land and a business, and his car probably could be traded for the price of a small house. She had a difficult time fathoming access to that much money, but he was trying to spoil her...and she needed to relax or she wasn’t going to be able to allow that to happen, “Okay,” she said after a long moment, “The price tags don’t exist.” She bit the inside of her cheek just to prevent herself from asking him if he was really, really sure. Taking a deep breath, she bid herself to ignore the specifics about this kind of store. After replacing the transparent blouse that had triggered her small panic, she let herself walk past a few racks. If something caught her eye, she picked up something in what should be at least near her size. She had to purposefully avoid the temptation to pull tags from their hiding places and look at the digits there, but before too long she had several items, and the saleswoman came over to relieve her of them, asking if she could start her a fitting room. After one glance to Lennox, she agreed and let the girl whisk away her preliminary selection. When they reached the section she was probably actually supposed to be looking at, she inquired, “What kind of dress am I looking for? Just how fancy is this place you’re taking me?” -- He was glad that she'd seemed to finally relax and even seemed to be having fun. The sales girl had recognized her role, keeping to the outskirts as they browsed, but close enough to answer the occasional question or take away the clothing. Another pair, a mom and daughter from the looks of it, had come in and required more dedicated attention, so Lennox and Alee were free to browse mostly autonomously. At her question, he gave her an impish grin. “If I admit that one of those pairs of jeans you picked out would still get us a seat, would you still humor me and try a few of those tight ones on for me?” he answered, gesturing to a few he had in mind. -- She raised a brow when he admitted that the restaurant wasn’t so fancy that they they could be turned away for wearing jeans. She had picked out one or two pairs, plus some slacks, but she’d assumed she would need a dress, a skirt, or some kind of pant suit to get past the doors. A dress had seemed the easiest option. She let her gaze drift to where he pointed out a rack of dresses that were probably meant for cocktail hour and nights out on the town. “I’m not completely immune to the allure of pretty things,” she assured him, approaching the rack so that she could sort through a few of the dresses, which had been painstakingly spaced and hung. She tried not to mess them up too much, “You get points for warning me that I’d still be granted entrance in jeans. I’m actually kind of looking forward to wearing something a little different for once, though.” She picked up a total of three dresses, varying from navy to red to green, all in slightly different styles, though each one would be form fitting. With a grin, she teased, “Is a sample of three enough to satisfy your curiosity?” -- “Maybe,” he conceded, smirking playfully. “While you try things on, I might go poke around the lingerie section.” -- “I sense ulterior motives to spoiling me,” she told him with a grin, though she wasn’t mad even if it was partially true. At least this shopping trip was mutually beneficial and he wasn’t bored and waiting on a couch like many would in his position, “Depending on the make, you’re looking for around a 32B.” It didn’t bother her to tell him. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t already seen her without anything on at all. She took the dresses with her and found a salesperson who brought her back to the fitting room they’d started. It didn’t take her long to change, beginning to try on various pieces and outfits in the spacious room. It was outfitted with a small couch mirrors were set up so that she could see herself from nearly every angle. Alee started a hook of things that were definite no’s and another for those she didn’t think she could part with. For anything that she felt she needed a second opinion on, she asked either one of the girls, or if Lennox was close by, she would catch his eye long enough to get his input. She saved the dresses for last, trying on each in succession. The first was the navy, backless and a little shorter than she originally anticipated. She had tried on the green dress next, knowing that he would at least enjoy the color on her. It was a more comfortable style, though certainly still on the sexier end of what she would normally wear. The third and last dress was the red, lacy dress that showed off far more cleavage than the other, more modest options that she’d pulled from the rack. She was impressed that Lennox kept his comments gentlemanly, though she thought his smile was a little bit wicked. ‘That’s the last of them,” she had tried to keep things organized, hanging up both things she was and was not interested in after she tried them on, “I’ll get dressed and ignore how much damage I probably did.” -- He knew she was still a little self-conscious of the cost of the day's activities, but she had at least not let that put a damper on her fun, collecting a nice-sized pile on the counter by the register. These dresses were just the cherry on top of that designer sundae. When Alee slipped off to the dressing room one final time, he looked around and realized the sales woman was out of sight. The dressing room was empty of attendants. The wicked thoughts he'd been entertaining had him feeling devious and a little reckless, something he rarely could use to describe himself. Glancing one more time, he convinced himself that it was a good idea, slipping back into the dressing area behind her. At Alee's door, Lennox imitated the rhythmic knock the sales girl had used, successfully fooling Alee into opening it a crack. When she did, he pushed it open and joined her in the modern dressing room, quickly placing a hand over her mouth from behind. She was down to her underwear and he slid his free hand across her stomach. “Don't make any noises,” he warned. ~~~~~Faded Break~~~~~ He pulled away and released her, giving her neck and shoulders a few affectionate kisses before stepping back. “Get all three,” he said quietly and casually, as though he hadn't just turned her knees to jelly. “I picked out some things out there for you to look at, too.” -- She was still reeling from her releases, even as he pressed a few kisses to her skin before he stepped back entirely. She had to adjust to his absence from behind her, still a little unsteady on her feet. As was usual after reaching such pleasure, she really just wanted to curl up with him and be kissed. She couldn’t actually have that at the moment, but she knew it was still partially within her reach. Stepping closer, ignoring what he’d said for a moment, she did push up onto her toes so that she could kiss him, hands on his shoulders to keep her steady. Her kiss was languid, yet hungry and when she pulled back, she tugged his bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. “Okay,” she finally agreed, feeling a little more settled, though she wanted more - wanted him - even if she had to wait until they were back in Dunhaven to have him, “I still have to get dressed.” She put her hand on his chest, grinning impishly at him even as she urged him back, and opened the door so that he was out of the fitting room. At least that way, they wouldn’t be seen leaving out of here at the same time. It might put a little less suspicion on them if anyone had questions. Alee took no time pulling on her jeans and the blouse that she’d been wearing when they arrived. It didn’t take her long to slip her feet back into her shoes, and grab her purse either. She hesitated, ever tempted to look at the tags as she picked up the last few of her selections, but she finally picked up all three dresses and exited the fitting room, which she was fairly certain she’d never see the same way, “Where are these selections of yours?” She anticipated lingerie, as he’d warned her that he was going to look at some when she’d first started trying on clothes. -- “Here at the end of the counter,” he told her innocently, leading the way and then gesturing. She was right, of course, a small selection of lacy matching sets -- some bras with panties, some more elaborate such as teddies -- gathered in various colors. However, there was also a collection of various jewelry, from the truly exquisite to just high end (and still expensive) costume pieces. “If I gauged your tastes in jewelry wrong, I won't be offended by you hating it all,” he assured, though he guessed from the clothing she'd picked that he'd done a good job. -- She followed him up the the checkout counter where there was a neatly folded pile of selected items that she’d tried on in the dressing room with a scripted card that had her name on it. Beside that, there were several sets of lingerie and jewelry that she hadn’t yet seen. She grinned, flipping through a few of the sets, though the only one that she pulled from the pile was one that she held up and claimed, “This would probably clash with my complexion, and I think I’d strangle myself on those straps.” The rest of the lingerie she left, and she figured that if he didn’t want her to have all of them, he could narrow it down from there. Moving to the jewelry, she picked up a golden bangle that was large and chunky. Around her wrist it seemed huge, but when she slid it halfway up her arm, it fit much better. She didn’t even want to know if it was plated in real gold or not, “I don’t hate it. You chose well,” she told him, picking up a few of the other bracelets to check them out. The necklaces that he’d chosen were truly beautiful. All of them were beautiful, some elegant and slender, and some were definitely meant to be statement pieces. She picked up one necklace, long and gold, and an arrow hanging at the end. Her smile widened, “This is my favorite one.” -- The sales girl who had first welcomed them put the discarded lingerie aside to be put back and Lennox gestured for her to scan the remainder. The first round of items, before the dresses, had already been scanned, and the rest was steadily added to the pile. He reached up casually to turn away the screen displaying the rising total when Alee glanced that direction; they were already over ten thousand dollars and had a few bras plus the jewelry to add. “Grab all of it, then,” he instructed, smiling fondly. To reiterate, he stepped back to her and carefully tore the tag off the arrow necklace. He handed the tag to the cashier and then draped the necklace around Alee's neck. He carefully situated her hair, letting his fingers “accidentally” brush her neck to send a spike of desire through her. “There. It suits you.” -- “I don’t know that I need all of it,” she said reasonably, but the salesgirl was already smiling and ringing up the rest of the items. All of the jewelry was individually wrapped, some put in boxes, and the lingerie was secured in intricately printed paper. The dresses were in hanging bags, and the few pairs of shoes that she’d tried on while she was going through her original selections had been boxed up as well. All of the more casual items were still in fine shopping bags, and she was having a hard time ignoring the fanfare of it all, though she was distracted by Lennox hanging the necklace around her neck, her pulse jumping a little as his fingers brushed over her pulse point. “Thank you,” she told him, stretching to press a kiss to his cheek, figuring they should probably be a little more modest in the public eye. She hoped that the salesgirl didn’t have any suspicions about why it had taken her more than ample time to redress. In a cheery voice, she asked if that was all that they needed for the evening, and then reached out her hand, “That brings the total with tax to $13, 278.96.” Alee went sheet white, her eyes widening as she reached out and grasped Lennox’s arm and hissed a quiet, though not very discrete, “No.” -- “Alee, stop,” he said, voice kind but firm. Internally, he could've kicked the sales girl for reading the total aloud, but his exterior remained detached, using his free hand to hand over a very sleek black credit card. “It's fine,” he added quietly when he turned back to his horrified girlfriend. “I told you I can take care of it and I very much can. Don't worry.” -- Her temper rose a little when he told her to stop, especially when he just handed his credit card over to the salesgirl anyway. She was certain that the salesgirl would get a beautiful commission off of this sale, and there was no way that she would stop it. She felt stupid for avoiding the tags like he’d suggested. It was horribly naive of her to think that this trip wouldn’t cost him that kind of money, and the thought of that much debt made her heart seize up. For something like a car it seemed reasonable, but for clothes? Her shoulders wilted a little as the girl slid the card through the machine. He had offered, and he was still telling her not to worry about it, but she felt guilty somehow. If he could drop that much money at once without blinking an eye, what business did she have in his life? She couldn’t buy him anything in return. She knew that it wasn’t about that, but would she ever belong...or would he tire of her lower-middle-class manners and reservations. All of the pretty packages and boxes were carried out to his car, stowed away in the back by a clerk who seemed to just be there for greeting and helping people pack up their many, many new things. She managed to hold her tongue until they were alone again, and when she spoke, her voice was quiet because it was a hard thing for her to admit, but she wasn’t meek, “Most people worry about money, Lennox. I knew how to worry about money when I was five years old.” She didn’t want to sulk, not when he’d just given her such an incredible gift...but neither could she erase the way that her brows drew with concern. “I’m not ungrateful,” she added after a moment, worried that if she continued to make any kind of scene he would be upset with her, “It’s just...my version of being spoiled up until this moment was my sisters scraping together their babysitting money to buy me a new gymnastics leotard when my old one got so worn that it started to fray.” She shrugged almost helplessly, “I don’t know how to not worry.” -- They were standing on the sidewalk next to his car and all he could think was that at least she'd waited until they were out of the store and midday on a Wednesday wasn’t the busiest time for pedestrians here. “Alee,” he began firmly, trying not to get angry since he understood where she was coming from, “I'm rich. I'm wealthy. I'm… Rich Uncle Pennybags, which is the Monopoly guy and, yes, I do know his name. My father's company takes in millions of dollars a year and he gets a substantial chunk of that in his own pocket, which I also have access to. No, it's not necessarily right or fair, but that's who I am and I can't change it. We also give millions to charity and I hope you already know me well enough to know who I am at heart, but I do have money and I'm not going to be ashamed of where I come from, just like you shouldn't be of yourself.” He gestured at his SUV where the bags waited. “Take what I just bought and sell it, burn it, give it to the homeless, I don't care. I wanted to get you something to wear to dinner, but it didn't seem right to just stop there when I could truly spoil you. It's not about the money for me and you don't owe me anything. I just wanted to do something nice for you and if I've screwed up or if I'm not what you wanted, I understand.” It was more words that Lennox almost ever said at once, but his wealth was clearly something he was about as self-conscious about as she was with her own lack thereof. There was a rare flush to his cheeks and he wasn't meeting her eye as he fidgeted with his keys. -- She hadn’t intended to insinuate that he should be ashamed of having money, but it was still a shock to hear just how expansive his wealth reached. He was right in that she did know the kind of person that he was. He was environmentally responsible and humorous and kind and he had a devious streak that made her blood run hot. She knew all of those things as certain as she knew that she didn’t just like him because he could do things like this for her, or because he was handsome. She liked him because he had shown her a side of herself that she hadn’t even known existed. Most of the time, he made her better and he challenged her, matching her for wit and supporting her dreams. She had far more reasons to like him than not, and as he spoke, she was able to see things from his perspective a little better, even if she couldn’t entirely relent her own worries. She hesitated a fraction of a moment before she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him, hugging herself close to his chest, her ear right over his heart. Maybe that wasn’t the way that she should have gone about this, but in her experience, hugs generally went a long way to healing hurts, “I’m not going to get rid of it.” She lifted her head, leaning back just enough that she could look up at him, “All of that, it’s not just...meaningless stuff to me. Every time I wear something from those bags, it will remind me of how lucky I am and of this lesson...that money isn’t everything. You told me you wanted me to have fun, and I did. I just...wasn’t really prepared for the price tag of that fun. It startled me, but you’re right. You can’t help where you came from anymore than I can. You didn’t screw up.” She paused a moment, not wanting her words to be too strong or off-putting, but it seemed important to clarify, “You are what I want, Lennox. I have no plans of running away at the stroke of midnight to a pumpkin carriage...and I’ll really try to be better about accepting gifts with thank yous, as I should have said before, instead of freaking out.” -- The hug was a surprise and he stiffened momentarily. Her words, however, relaxed him and he returned the hug, arms wrapping around her loosely so he could look down at her as she spoke. “Good. I don't want to have to chase after you with a shoe as my only clue,” he returned gently, giving her hair a playful tug. “You're what I want, too, Alee. I don't care about where you 'come from’ or if you have money or any of that. Perhaps I didn't need to be so… flashy, but I forget to think about that sometimes. I'll try to be more conscious of it.” He stroked her hair affectionately before his expression became slightly nervous. “But there's another thing you should know…” -- She grinned as he tugged at one of her curls, something that had become an affectionate sort of gesture. She did feel like a little bit of a Cinderella in that moment, although in contrast, her family had always been excellent to her. She just...hadn’t always had the best fortune. Her stomach did a little flip at his assurances, though they weren’t a complete surprise, at least. He had known, at least generally, what her background was well before he’d ever asked her out. She could have told him that she’d have been happy at a Target or a Dress Barn, but she seriously doubted that he would have taken her into either of those places in order to search for any kind of outfit, much less one for the dinner he had planned. With his nervous expression in place, she tilted her head, her features pinching a little in concern, “You’re making me nervous, Lennox. What is it?” -- “I… don't know that I was going to tell you, but I feel like I'm supposed to or you'll get angry if you find out…” he began, knowing it had to be making her more nervous the more he avoided just saying it. “Before you and I got together… I made a deal with Lyllianna. When you run out of things to fix and have to pay for lessons… she was going to give you a discount and I'd be charged the difference on Asco’s bill. I didn't want you to know so you wouldn't feel obligated to me. It would be an injustice if you couldn't ride when I could so easily make it happen…” -- As he hedged into the topic, she didn’t pull away, but she did take just enough of a step back so that she felt like she could gauge his expression better. Alee told herself not to freak out until she knew whether or not she had anything that she needed to worry over. Then, the revelation. He’d gone behind her back to pay for her lessons, or at least part of them, whatever had been agreed upon between himself and a woman who was supposed to be her friend too. There was the beginning of a spike of irritation, but the longer she thought about it, she couldn’t honestly say that she was horribly surprised, “You made the deal out of good reasoning...and the fact that you did it before we even were together speaks volumes.” She pressed her lips together a little as she looked up to him and added, “I want to pay for half. She still owes me a few credited lessons, but when it runs out, I still want to meet the payment in the middle.” -- Lennox let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, relief flooding him. “Deal. You… aren't angry?” -- “For some reason, you trying to pay for lessons doesn’t surprise me nearly as much as this did,” she told him, nodding to indicate the boxes and shopping bags that the back of his SUV was now laden with, “I’m a little irritated that you and Lyllianna were going to try to keep it from me. I would have been suspicious about the discount, honestly. She’s a smart businesswoman, and I know lessons aren’t cheap.” -- “Honestly,” he admitted reluctantly, “I didn't want you to think I was just trying to get in your pants. My motivations for assisting you were above reproach. Now that we're already involved, however, it seemed less important that the secret be kept. But it's important that this stays between the three of us, both for her reputation as a businesswoman, but also for yours just as a woman…” -- “I’m not going to go around bragging about it,” she assured him, though the comment about protecting her own reputation did slightly get under her skin. She’d heard the rumors already circulating about them. That was partially why this issue of money was so difficult. She didn’t want people to think that she was sleeping with him for favors, and yet, “I don’t put a lot of stock in what people say about me. The truth is what matters, and I think we both know that I’m not with you for your money. It’s not about that for me. It never would be. I’m not that kind of ambitious.” -- “If I thought you were, we wouldn't be together, Aleida,” he assured firmly. “But small towns can be vicious. I care about you.” He bent and kissed her forehead. “What would you say to a hike when we get back?” It was in the high sixties, but bright and sunny. With a jacket and the exertion of the hike, it would perfect. “We can pack some food and eat on the trail.” -- Warmth and contentment seemed to spread through her when he assured her that he cared about her. It wasn’t a stretch past her imagination, of course, but to hear him say it was nice, “I say...that sounds like the perfect afternoon.” They’d have moments like this, difficult ones where they’d have to learn from one another, but that was what relationships were about, right? They would grow together, and find a way to meet in the middle. No matter how jumbled up things could get in the middle, they would always come back to solid ground. |