Chapter 22: Dogs Barking
Atrium Shopping Square
"This dress really suits you, Cat," May smiled as she glanced at Catherine’s reflection from the fitting room.
Catherine studied her reflection in the mirror. The pastel pink dress stopped just above her knees, flaring slightly at the hem. Her hair was pinned up in a soft twist, the way she usually wore it for school events. She tilted her head to the side and pressed her palm against her stomach. She looked like a modern princess—one from a magazine ad, not a fairytale. That thought alone made her uncomfortable.
"You should get it," May said from behind the curtain.
Elisa stepped closer and nodded as she examined the hem. "Seriously. Just take it. You’re already holding the gift card."
Catherine glanced down at the card on the small bench beside her. Her fingers tapped lightly against the fabric of the dress.
"I don’t know," she mumbled. "If I get it, it’s like... I don’t want to seem like I’m using him."
May leaned against the edge of the doorframe and rolled her eyes. "It’s not like you’re asking him for cash. He gave you the card."
Elisa added, "Yeah, and it’s from one of the top boutiques. The manager literally welcomed you personally."
"That’s not the point," Catherine said as she turned to the side. "I just don’t want people to think I’m some kind of gold digger."
May crossed her arms. "Using a gift card from Young Master Lenox doesn’t make you a gold digger. If that’s the case, every girl here with a rich boyfriend is one too."