Chapter 27: This is me?
"Nice dress," Fil heard Kim's voice, snapping her back to the present moment. Kim was already standing in front of her, but instead of being mesmerized, Fil felt even more pressure.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out, her eyes fixed on Kim.
Kim furrowed her brows and cocked her head to the side. "Sorry, for what?"
"I mean, I'm sorry, Mr. McGuire," Fil cleared her throat, swallowing down the shame bubbling in her heart. "But I don't think I can afford everything I tried on. I'll just get this one piece and then pay your fee for your time. I'm really sorry!"
Dustin, Kim, and Jackson just stared at the distressed Fil in confusion.
"That's the reason you didn't change?" asked Dustin after several seconds of silence. "You were worried about the price?"
Fil slowly cast her eyes down, only to look up when Kim chuckled.
"Didn't that good-for-nothing Jackson tell you that everything is free?" Kim smiled in amusement. "Friends help friends. Dustin and I are friends. And Dustin is friends with that piece of abomination. We don't charge friends. We already have more than enough."
"Huh?"
"It's rare for Jackson to ask for my help," explained Dustin. "So when he told me he needed my help, I agreed. Even if you want to pay me, I won't accept it."
"But —" Fil almost choked as she darted her eyes between these two prominent figures standing before her. "How can I just accept that? Each piece here costs a fortune. And I can't just haggle someone's talent, skills, and time to put all this together."