Chapter Five, Dress Me Up
Posted by DiF on Thursday, August 11, 2011
Title: Love Runs Deeper: Chapter Five, Dress Me Up
Rating: PG [mild language]
Summary: Lindsey keeps helping Lily, even though she resists. And they come to an agreement...
Seated across from Lily in a small restaurant in Chinatown, Lindsey smiled, glancing at her over the top of the menu. He watched her eyes slowly read over the menu, half-wanting to drop his menu and reach for hers. Instead, his eyes darted down as she glanced up, the menu hiding his smile.
“I have a confession,” Lily suddenly announced.
Lindsey lowered his menu, “All right.”
“I have never eaten Chinese food before.”
He chuckled, “I can order for us, if you like.”
“Yes, please.”
Ordering a moment later, Lindsey smiled at her again, “I think you’ll really like it. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area.”
She glanced around, “It’s… nice.”
He frowned slightly, “What are some of your favorite places to go?”
Her eyes went back to his and she shrugged, “Don’t get out much.”
Lindsey sighed, “Well the day is young. Perhaps I could take you to a couple other places around town.”
Lily’s eyes left his, focusing on the table, “While I would like that, I have already wasted too much time not looking for another job today. I really need to get something going and talk to all the people whom I owe money. If you would please just drop me off at home after lunch so I can–”
“No,” he interrupted.
Her golden eyes went back up to his, “Excuse me?”
“I will not be taking you back there except maybe to get any sentimental items you might want and to break your lease, presuming you have one,” he declared.
Lily continued to stare at him, “What?”
“Lily, you can’t for one moment think that I’m going to let you stay there. It’s not safe. Not only are their bullet holes in the window and main hallway, but who knows what was growing in your apartment. I couldn’t see much because of the lack of lighting, but there is no way in hell it’s safe or healthy,” he claimed. “You’re not going back there.”
“You have got to be kidding,” she stated, leaning back slightly so the server could place a plate in front of her.
“I’m not.”
“Do you have any idea how crazy that is? I have a very part-time job and that’s it. I can’t afford what my creditors want, much less getting a better place,” Lily pointed out. “I suppose you would have me leave my bed and clothes behind as well.”
“Yes.”
Her head tilted slightly to the left, “You can’t be serious. I’m supposed to give up everything that I have just because you don’t think it’s right? Clearly, this rock and roll thing has removed you far from the real world. I can’t do that anymore than I could pay for this meal. Where would I go? What would I wear?”
“You can stay with me,” he responded after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. “And we can go shopping.”
She blinked saying nothing.
“Look, Lily,” he set down his chopsticks, “I have more money right now than I know what to do with. I have absolutely no problem taking care of things. In fact, I don’t know why, but I really want to see you… in a better place. I am not asking for anything in return. I promise.”
“Lindsey, I don’t need your charity. I’m doing just fine on my own,” she argued. “I am alive, aren’t I?”
“You are surviving, that much is true. But you’re not really living,” he pointed out. “Working yourself to the bone day and night is not living. And what is it really getting you? From the sounds of it, you’re still behind no matter how much you work. Let me help you, Lily.”
“But, Lindsey, I didn’t ask–”
“I know you didn’t and I wouldn’t expect you to. Stay with me and we’ll get you some nice clothes so you can find the job you actually deserve,” he said.
Lily looked down at the plate, pushing the food around with her fork for a moment, before meeting his eyes again, “Okay.”
He released a breath he had not realized he was holding, “Good. We’ll go to your apartment from here.”
She shook her head, “No need. There is nothing worth saving there.”
“No? No pictures or anything?”
“No.”
“Okay,” he paused. “Then we’ll go shopping for some new clothes, something nice for tonight so that you can really impress them when you go in for training.”
Holding Lindsey’s hand, Lily trailed behind him into the department store. She squeezed his hand slightly, her eyes going wide. Never before had she seen so many new things in one place – or so many things in one place. Even if she combined all of the thrift stores she frequented into one location, a single floor in the department store would overpower it. The mere selection alone made her nervous. How was she going to find anything there?
Feeling her nerves, Lindsey did not even consider releasing her hand as they reached the women’s department. He wandered about slowly, letting her look at garments. She did not halt or reach for anything, which concerned him some. He might have an idea what looked good on say, Stevie, but he certainly was not the one to be making any fashion decisions. They needed to find a good shopping consultant, before she spooked so much she ran out of the store.
Lindsey stopped in front of the next person with a nametag on, “Hello. I was wondering if you could help us.”
The white-haired woman looked Lindsey up and down before glancing at Lily, “Of course. How can I help you?”
“Well… my girlfriend needs a new wardrobe, top to bottom,” he stated.
“I see.”
Lily fidgeted slightly.
“Well come with me and we’ll get you measured and start from there,” she turned, leading them back to the dressing room.
Sitting in a chair outside the bank of dressing rooms, Lindsey smiled at Lily as a younger woman led her into a large fitting room. The older woman sat beside him with a pad of paper.
“What is our budget, sir?”
“There is none,” Lindsey replied absently before looking at her. “But don’t let her see price tags.”
“Of course,” she scribbled on the paper. “When you mean a whole new wardrobe, do you mean undergarments? Casual? Formal?”
“Everything,” he stated. “I want her to feel beautiful at all times.”
“Yes, sir,” she glanced up as the younger attendant stepped out. “We will go pull a few things for her to try on. Would you like a coffee?”
“Thank you.”
Glancing up as Lily stepped out of the dressing room fifteen minutes later in her first outfit, Lindsey instantly smiled. He motioned for her to turn around so he could better appreciate how well the dress highlighted her curves. As her eyes went to his, he smiled and gave her two thumbs up. With a quick grin, she skipped back into the dressing room. Lindsey leaned back in the chair and slowly drank two cups of coffee as she paraded out in outfit after outfit. Each trip, even if he voted down the garment selection, she became more and more relaxed and confident. She even strutted a bit when she slipped out in a sexy black dress.
“Absolutely stunning,” Lindsey commented.
Her hands ran over the soft fabric, resting on her hips, “You think so?”
“I know so,” he nodded.
She grinned, biting her bottom lip, and skipped back into the dressing room.
The older woman sat back beside Lindsey, “She seems a bit… thin, sir. We had to pin on some of the things she tried on, so they will need to be altered for a good fit.”
He frowned, “Like abnormally thin?”
The woman looked at him with concern in her eyes, “It would not be a bad idea if she… was a bit healthier.”
Frowning still, he nodded, “Thank you. I’ll see what I can do. For now, we obviously want the clothes to fit her as well as possible.”
“Of course, sir. Of course.”
Leaving the department store two hours after entering, with a dozen bags that only constituted half of what Lindsey purchased, Lily stood on the sidewalk while Lindsey loaded the packages into the back of his car. Closing the trunk, he turned and smiled at her. Lily skipped forward and threw her arms around his neck, her lips quickly touching his. Leaning out of the kiss, his eyes searched hers for a moment before kissing her again.
“Thank you, Lindsey,” she muttered. “I’ve never felt this… pampered before.”
“Well… I’m not done yet,” he declared.
“What? You’ve already done more than you should, Lindsey. Really. I will never be able to repay you for all of this,” Lily claimed.
His hand reached up and touched her long straight hair, “You don’t have to. It’s a gift.”
“But–”
“It’s a gift,” he repeated.
She sighed, “You make it really hard for me to say no, you know that, Lindsey?”
He smirked and kissed her quickly, “I’m quite all right with that.”
“Did you mean what you told her in the store?”
“Mean what?” he moved to open her door.
“Well you called me your girlfriend.”
Lindsey stopped from closing the door after she sat. He considered it for a long moment. Could he really consider a woman he had only known a couple of days his girlfriend? Overall, he had just spent a couple of thousand dollars on her and that did not even touch however much he spent to pay off her mother’s bills. He had worried about her safety all day and worked to improve her quality of life – and it certainly was not a charity case. He did have true affection for her; the kind one had for a girlfriend.
“I would like to mean it if you are willing,” Lindsey responded.
Lily looked up at him for a brief moment, “I am not saying no right now, but I am not saying yes. Let me think on it a bit.”
“Fair enough,” he smiled. “Fair enough.”
Laying out the purchased clothes all over the bed and couch, Lily tried to figure out what she should wear to the diner that evening. They had not yet assigned her a uniform so she would have to dress in something appropriate for work. Only she did not have a clue what that was and she certainly did not want to stain all of her brand new clothing with spilled trays. To be honest she never wanted to wear any of them ever. She had never had new clothes before.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Lindsey stopped and chuckled, “You know there’s a closet.”
She glanced at him, “I know. I just need to figure out what to wear to work.”
He stopped next to her and looked over her choice, “Well the skirts are out for sure. And probably not the white.”
“Right,” she nodded.
His eyes landed on her pile of undergarments, “You didn’t model this for me.”
Lily instantly flushed, “And I’m not going to either.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly, “You’re adorable.”
“Thanks,” her eyes remained downcast. “I suppose I can just wear this shirt and jeans. If anything gets spilled on it, I won’t really care.”
“You think they’ll be okay with it?”
“Most,” she yawned, “diners are pretty loose on the first day. I think I’ll be okay.”
“Well,” he glanced at her, “let’s get this all put away properly so we can find the bed again. And you can take a nap before work.”
“I’m fine. I don’t need a nap,” Lily argued.
“Bullshit,” he muttered, moving to start gathering up her clothing. “A short nap would do you good. We have been very busy today.”
“But–”
Lindsey handed her a pile of clothing, “You nap.”
Giving in, she put away all of her clothes before climbing on the bed. Lindsey turned out all the lights and pulled the curtains closed. Lily smiled slightly when the bed sank with his weight. With little thought, she snuggled against him, feeling his arm snake around her. She matched her breath easily to his and closed her eyes.
“Lindsey?” she muttered.
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
Rating: PG [mild language]
Summary: Lindsey keeps helping Lily, even though she resists. And they come to an agreement...
Seated across from Lily in a small restaurant in Chinatown, Lindsey smiled, glancing at her over the top of the menu. He watched her eyes slowly read over the menu, half-wanting to drop his menu and reach for hers. Instead, his eyes darted down as she glanced up, the menu hiding his smile.
“I have a confession,” Lily suddenly announced.
Lindsey lowered his menu, “All right.”
“I have never eaten Chinese food before.”
He chuckled, “I can order for us, if you like.”
“Yes, please.”
Ordering a moment later, Lindsey smiled at her again, “I think you’ll really like it. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area.”
She glanced around, “It’s… nice.”
He frowned slightly, “What are some of your favorite places to go?”
Her eyes went back to his and she shrugged, “Don’t get out much.”
Lindsey sighed, “Well the day is young. Perhaps I could take you to a couple other places around town.”
Lily’s eyes left his, focusing on the table, “While I would like that, I have already wasted too much time not looking for another job today. I really need to get something going and talk to all the people whom I owe money. If you would please just drop me off at home after lunch so I can–”
“No,” he interrupted.
Her golden eyes went back up to his, “Excuse me?”
“I will not be taking you back there except maybe to get any sentimental items you might want and to break your lease, presuming you have one,” he declared.
Lily continued to stare at him, “What?”
“Lily, you can’t for one moment think that I’m going to let you stay there. It’s not safe. Not only are their bullet holes in the window and main hallway, but who knows what was growing in your apartment. I couldn’t see much because of the lack of lighting, but there is no way in hell it’s safe or healthy,” he claimed. “You’re not going back there.”
“You have got to be kidding,” she stated, leaning back slightly so the server could place a plate in front of her.
“I’m not.”
“Do you have any idea how crazy that is? I have a very part-time job and that’s it. I can’t afford what my creditors want, much less getting a better place,” Lily pointed out. “I suppose you would have me leave my bed and clothes behind as well.”
“Yes.”
Her head tilted slightly to the left, “You can’t be serious. I’m supposed to give up everything that I have just because you don’t think it’s right? Clearly, this rock and roll thing has removed you far from the real world. I can’t do that anymore than I could pay for this meal. Where would I go? What would I wear?”
“You can stay with me,” he responded after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. “And we can go shopping.”
She blinked saying nothing.
“Look, Lily,” he set down his chopsticks, “I have more money right now than I know what to do with. I have absolutely no problem taking care of things. In fact, I don’t know why, but I really want to see you… in a better place. I am not asking for anything in return. I promise.”
“Lindsey, I don’t need your charity. I’m doing just fine on my own,” she argued. “I am alive, aren’t I?”
“You are surviving, that much is true. But you’re not really living,” he pointed out. “Working yourself to the bone day and night is not living. And what is it really getting you? From the sounds of it, you’re still behind no matter how much you work. Let me help you, Lily.”
“But, Lindsey, I didn’t ask–”
“I know you didn’t and I wouldn’t expect you to. Stay with me and we’ll get you some nice clothes so you can find the job you actually deserve,” he said.
Lily looked down at the plate, pushing the food around with her fork for a moment, before meeting his eyes again, “Okay.”
He released a breath he had not realized he was holding, “Good. We’ll go to your apartment from here.”
She shook her head, “No need. There is nothing worth saving there.”
“No? No pictures or anything?”
“No.”
“Okay,” he paused. “Then we’ll go shopping for some new clothes, something nice for tonight so that you can really impress them when you go in for training.”
Holding Lindsey’s hand, Lily trailed behind him into the department store. She squeezed his hand slightly, her eyes going wide. Never before had she seen so many new things in one place – or so many things in one place. Even if she combined all of the thrift stores she frequented into one location, a single floor in the department store would overpower it. The mere selection alone made her nervous. How was she going to find anything there?
Feeling her nerves, Lindsey did not even consider releasing her hand as they reached the women’s department. He wandered about slowly, letting her look at garments. She did not halt or reach for anything, which concerned him some. He might have an idea what looked good on say, Stevie, but he certainly was not the one to be making any fashion decisions. They needed to find a good shopping consultant, before she spooked so much she ran out of the store.
Lindsey stopped in front of the next person with a nametag on, “Hello. I was wondering if you could help us.”
The white-haired woman looked Lindsey up and down before glancing at Lily, “Of course. How can I help you?”
“Well… my girlfriend needs a new wardrobe, top to bottom,” he stated.
“I see.”
Lily fidgeted slightly.
“Well come with me and we’ll get you measured and start from there,” she turned, leading them back to the dressing room.
Sitting in a chair outside the bank of dressing rooms, Lindsey smiled at Lily as a younger woman led her into a large fitting room. The older woman sat beside him with a pad of paper.
“What is our budget, sir?”
“There is none,” Lindsey replied absently before looking at her. “But don’t let her see price tags.”
“Of course,” she scribbled on the paper. “When you mean a whole new wardrobe, do you mean undergarments? Casual? Formal?”
“Everything,” he stated. “I want her to feel beautiful at all times.”
“Yes, sir,” she glanced up as the younger attendant stepped out. “We will go pull a few things for her to try on. Would you like a coffee?”
“Thank you.”
Glancing up as Lily stepped out of the dressing room fifteen minutes later in her first outfit, Lindsey instantly smiled. He motioned for her to turn around so he could better appreciate how well the dress highlighted her curves. As her eyes went to his, he smiled and gave her two thumbs up. With a quick grin, she skipped back into the dressing room. Lindsey leaned back in the chair and slowly drank two cups of coffee as she paraded out in outfit after outfit. Each trip, even if he voted down the garment selection, she became more and more relaxed and confident. She even strutted a bit when she slipped out in a sexy black dress.
“Absolutely stunning,” Lindsey commented.
Her hands ran over the soft fabric, resting on her hips, “You think so?”
“I know so,” he nodded.
She grinned, biting her bottom lip, and skipped back into the dressing room.
The older woman sat back beside Lindsey, “She seems a bit… thin, sir. We had to pin on some of the things she tried on, so they will need to be altered for a good fit.”
He frowned, “Like abnormally thin?”
The woman looked at him with concern in her eyes, “It would not be a bad idea if she… was a bit healthier.”
Frowning still, he nodded, “Thank you. I’ll see what I can do. For now, we obviously want the clothes to fit her as well as possible.”
“Of course, sir. Of course.”
Leaving the department store two hours after entering, with a dozen bags that only constituted half of what Lindsey purchased, Lily stood on the sidewalk while Lindsey loaded the packages into the back of his car. Closing the trunk, he turned and smiled at her. Lily skipped forward and threw her arms around his neck, her lips quickly touching his. Leaning out of the kiss, his eyes searched hers for a moment before kissing her again.
“Thank you, Lindsey,” she muttered. “I’ve never felt this… pampered before.”
“Well… I’m not done yet,” he declared.
“What? You’ve already done more than you should, Lindsey. Really. I will never be able to repay you for all of this,” Lily claimed.
His hand reached up and touched her long straight hair, “You don’t have to. It’s a gift.”
“But–”
“It’s a gift,” he repeated.
She sighed, “You make it really hard for me to say no, you know that, Lindsey?”
He smirked and kissed her quickly, “I’m quite all right with that.”
“Did you mean what you told her in the store?”
“Mean what?” he moved to open her door.
“Well you called me your girlfriend.”
Lindsey stopped from closing the door after she sat. He considered it for a long moment. Could he really consider a woman he had only known a couple of days his girlfriend? Overall, he had just spent a couple of thousand dollars on her and that did not even touch however much he spent to pay off her mother’s bills. He had worried about her safety all day and worked to improve her quality of life – and it certainly was not a charity case. He did have true affection for her; the kind one had for a girlfriend.
“I would like to mean it if you are willing,” Lindsey responded.
Lily looked up at him for a brief moment, “I am not saying no right now, but I am not saying yes. Let me think on it a bit.”
“Fair enough,” he smiled. “Fair enough.”
Laying out the purchased clothes all over the bed and couch, Lily tried to figure out what she should wear to the diner that evening. They had not yet assigned her a uniform so she would have to dress in something appropriate for work. Only she did not have a clue what that was and she certainly did not want to stain all of her brand new clothing with spilled trays. To be honest she never wanted to wear any of them ever. She had never had new clothes before.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Lindsey stopped and chuckled, “You know there’s a closet.”
She glanced at him, “I know. I just need to figure out what to wear to work.”
He stopped next to her and looked over her choice, “Well the skirts are out for sure. And probably not the white.”
“Right,” she nodded.
His eyes landed on her pile of undergarments, “You didn’t model this for me.”
Lily instantly flushed, “And I’m not going to either.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly, “You’re adorable.”
“Thanks,” her eyes remained downcast. “I suppose I can just wear this shirt and jeans. If anything gets spilled on it, I won’t really care.”
“You think they’ll be okay with it?”
“Most,” she yawned, “diners are pretty loose on the first day. I think I’ll be okay.”
“Well,” he glanced at her, “let’s get this all put away properly so we can find the bed again. And you can take a nap before work.”
“I’m fine. I don’t need a nap,” Lily argued.
“Bullshit,” he muttered, moving to start gathering up her clothing. “A short nap would do you good. We have been very busy today.”
“But–”
Lindsey handed her a pile of clothing, “You nap.”
Giving in, she put away all of her clothes before climbing on the bed. Lindsey turned out all the lights and pulled the curtains closed. Lily smiled slightly when the bed sank with his weight. With little thought, she snuggled against him, feeling his arm snake around her. She matched her breath easily to his and closed her eyes.
“Lindsey?” she muttered.
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
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