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9
Mark
“I don't know about this,” I say, gripping the open edges of the jacket and looking myself over in the mirror.
“It looks good, it looks really good,” Sia comes up behind me, folds the collar down, and runs her hand down the outside of my right arm. Taking my wrist in her hand, she buttons the cuff as she looks at me. “It's like this suit was made for you.”
“She's right, Sir,” the salesman says, pulling the measuring tape off his neck and laying it against my arm. “It's exactly your size.”
“See, I told you. Made for you,” Sia encourages as she takes a step back and smiles. “We'll take it.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I say swiftly, holding up a hand to slow her down. “How much is this suit?” I ask the salesman.
“That one is two thousand.”
Balking, I literally gasp out loud. “Are you serious? You can't be serious.”
He nods and points a finger at a rack in the center of the room. “We have some clearance suits that range as low as six hundred.”
Stepping away from the mirror, I thin my lips. “Yeah, there's no way I can spend that kind of money on a suit. I'm sorry, Sia, but it's just too much.”
“Mark, I'm not asking you to buy it. I would never ask you to spend that much on a suit. But you're not paying for it. . .” Pausing, she pulls a credit card from her pocket and grins. “Consider it a welcome to the city gift.”
“No, I can't let you do that. It's too much. I'll probably only wear it this one time. There's no point.” Going back into the changing room, I close the door as I keep talking. “I appreciate the offer, but I just can't accept it.” Hanging the suit back on the hangers, I put my clothes back on and open the door.
Sia is standing with her arms crossed and a little smirk on her face. “Too late, it's already done. The suit is yours.”
“Siobhan,” I say, dropping my eyes to the ground and running a hand through my hair. “I just can't.”
“You don't have a choice, it's a gift. You can't say no to a gift. Besides, it fits you beautifully, that never happens with a suit. My father always has to have his tailored. Every single one has to be cut and sewn to get the type of fit you have with that one. To see you put that on and not need any adjustments means it was meant to be.”
The salesman sweeps between us, taking the suit from my hands and bagging it behind the desk. “You want to know what I think?” he asks me as he zips the cloth bag. “I think you'll learn to never argue with a woman whose made up her mind.” His brows bow high as he brings the suit back to me.
Walking out the door, I shake my head. “I can't believe you paid two grand for this suit.”
“I didn't.”
“What do you mean you didn't?”
“The owner is a friend of my father's, one call and the suit was yours.”
“Are you kidding me? He just gave it to you? Just like that?”
She gives me a flirty smile and bats her long dark lashes. “When your father is a top doctor, his biggest client, and he learns you'll be wearing the suit to a five hundred dollar a plate charity breakfast, he basically forced it on me.”
“Wow, so your family really is a big deal.”
“I guess you could say that. But you know how it is, what you see on the outside isn't always what you get on the inside. They play nice with the people that have power. Fake smiles, exaggerated laughter, quirky little jokes and stories that don't really have a purpose, all in the name of status and money.” Looking down at her phone, her eyes get wide. “Come on, we need to get back.”
Heading back to her place, the doorman gives me the same cautionary glare, but she brushes him off.
“He's not going to bite anyone, Jim, I promise.” She giggles, grabbing me around the arm and pulling me along. “Don't mind him, he's always looked out for me ever since I was a kid. It isn't personal.”
“Easy for you to say. You fit in here, I don't.”
Sia stops me, taking both my shoulders in her hands. “It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. I want you here, that's all that matters.”
I lean to kiss her, but she takes a quick step back, her eyes darting to Jim. “Not yet. We still need to keep our secret for now.”
