The sales staff of the boutique greeted them with a smile when they entered the boutique. "Good afternoon, Sir!"
"Give me all the dresses those mannequins are wearing." Deivee told them her size without blinking. "I'm sure it will fit her just fine."
Her jaw dropped. "How did you know my size?"
A mysterious smile curved his lips. "That's my skill."
She crossed her arms across her chest and stepped away from him. Had he been studying her body this whole time? She felt invaded. It was as if his eyes could see right through her and he knew every fiber of her being.
He raised his hands up as if in surrender. "I am not a maniac, alright! I used to buy dresses for my ex-girlfriends. I want them to look good." He took the dress with red tulips at the hem. "And I want you to look good for me as well. People might think that I am a lousy boyfriend and I don't take care of you. That I let you look like a white lady at a horror house. I don't want my bride to look miserable and unkempt."
"Sir, here are the clothes that you requested," said the sales staff who was holding a handful of dresses from the stock room.
Deive took the dresses from the staff after a sweet thank you. Then he dragged her to the fitting room. "Try these on." He also included the tulip-printed dress in the dresses that he gave her. "If this will fit, you will wear it later."
Callea shook her head. "I don't want to. You already bought dresses for me the other day, remember? And besides, these are too pretty"
"That's the point. Your dress must compliment your beauty."
"I don't want to look more beautiful." Her shoulders slumped, feeling defeated. If she would look beautiful, more people would look at her.
"What's wrong with being beautiful? You're the only person I've met who doesn't like to look beautiful. You prefer to be ugly and scary? You are impossible."
"Well, to each his or her own."
He closed his eyes for a while. When he opened it, his eyes were like black diamonds which are hard to crack. "Try on these dresses now," he commanded then pressed his hands on both sides of the fitting room's door frame. "If you don't want to play Barbie, then I will dress you up myself."
She gulped and her whole being was shaken up. With the intent in his eyes, there was no mistake that he would deliver his threat if she didn't move now. "Fine. Go now if you don't want me to crush your hand when I close the door."
"I will wait for you at the couch. Model those dresses for me and don't keep me waiting," he ordered then left with a smirk.
"Mr. Bossy," she muttered and removed her clothes.
Callea was swift in changing her dress. Her heart was beating fast. Deive knew her size. He was even better than her when it comes to guessing the size of her body. It fits her perfectly as if his hand molder her body and his measurement was imprinted in his memory. Then he wanted to play Barbie with her? No way, Jose. He won't be that lucky.
She felt sluggish when she tried on the first dress. It was a lavender off-shoulder dress that reached just above her knees. She was not smiling when she looked at herself in the mirror and growled at her reflection like a feral animal. What if she tried to crawl when she models the dress for him? That would give her quite a thrill.
A knock on the door made her stop thinking about her evil plans. Then she heard Deive's voice on the other side of the door. "What's taking you so long? Do you need help? Don't you know the difference between the difference between the front and the back of the clothes?"
"Just wait at the couch, please. Charm the ladies and smile. Do your thing." She wanted to surprise him with her runway talent.
"Don't get any silly ideas or I will spank you in public," he warned in a low and dangerous voice. "Don't test me, Callea."
She gulped. Is he a mind reader or something? She has not started her plans yet but he already blocked it. It was bad enough that he paraded her in public. If he would spank her in front of other people, she couldn't show face anymore.
"I will behave, alright. I will do whatever you want," she yelled. "J-Just no spanking please."
"Then behave, Callea. I don't mind dishing out some punishment for you. That would be fun." Then his laughter echoed in his wake as he left.
She had to shelve her evil ideas and focus on the task at hand. She must not invite trouble anymore. It was too childish to fight with Deive because she would just lose in the end. She would reserve her evil plans some other time when she was not at a disadvantage.
As soon as she left the dressing room, the sales staff was already waiting for her. "You look like a doll," she said as she fawned over her. "We also have a hair accent that will make you look cuter. Hmmm... some shoes would be better than those flip-flops."
Callea suddenly felt uneasy with her offers and just nodded her head for it to be over. She felt like her soul already left her body and watching her from the ceiling. This was not her life. She was not into fancy clothes and shoes. She hated dressing up.
"You must be so happy to have a handsome boyfriend and rich, too. He loves you so much," the other sales staff who brought beige doll shoes said in a saccharine-sweet voice.
In love? She wanted to laugh Sisa-style. (Sisa was a character on Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere / Touch Me Not. She was a mother who lost her two sons and lost her mind. She laughs and cries while yelling, "Basilio! Crispin!")
Deive was such a good actor. He was good at this game.
Callea just gave them an equally sweet smile. There was no use being mad at them. This was her pretending to be his girlfriend. She must do her part.
She didn't bow her head when she walked towards Deive but she didn't look at him either. She was like an item that he was appraising. She was slowly losing her bravado. "Good. Show me the next one."