Chapter 7 Retail therapy

ROSE

Saturdays were supposed to be for breathing, no rushing to class, no professors lurking with assignments but today my chest still felt tight. Elsie had dragged me out for brunch, insisting we celebrate her internship news, and I couldn't exactly say no.

When I got to the café, she was already there, waving like she owned the place.

"Finally!" she grinned as I slid into the seat across from her. "If you had been any later, I would have ordered for you and pretended to eat both."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Please, like you need an excuse to eat two plates."

Her mock gasp earned a chuckle from the waiter who came over to take our order. Elsie, true to herself, asked for waffles and a side of fries, while I stuck with pancakes and iced tea.

As soon as the waiter left, she leaned forward, her eyes dancing with excitement. "So... guess who got accepted into B&S Law Firm for her internship?"

I blinked. "Wait.....you?!"

"Me!" she squealed, covering her mouth as a few people glanced over at us. "Can you believe it? They actually want me. This is like... top tier."

A genuine smile spread across my face. "Elsie, that's amazing. Congratulations."

"Thank you," she said, practically glowing. "But what about you? tell me how prepared you are for sterling & Co."

My fork paused halfway to my mouth. The knot in my stomach twisted tighter. I forced a small smile, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt. "Yeah... Sterling & Co."

Her jaw dropped as she studied me. "Wait. Why don't you look excited? This is every business student's dream. You should be screaming, not... frowning into your food."

I tried to laugh it off. "Maybe I'm just overwhelmed."

The truth was, I wanted to dig a hole under the café table and hide. All I could see was Adrian Sterling's piercing eyes, the way he'd looked at me like he already knew I'd slashed his tires. And now... now I was going to be working under him.

"Overwhelmed?" Elsie scoffed, snapping me out of my spiral. "Girl, if I were you, I'd frame that acceptance letter. I mean. Sterling & Co.?" She leaned back with a dreamy sigh. "This is history."

I smiled weakly and sipped my iced tea, praying she wouldn't notice how shaky my hands were.

History, yes. Just not the kind Elsie was imagining.

I laughed weakly, but the knot in my stomach only grew tighter.

"Alright spill the tea, what's going on" she said suddenly, her grin fading.

I hesitated. She was my best friend, and it was hard hiding everything from her. But how could I admit that I'd vandalized the CEO's car just days ago?

"I just..." I toyed with my straw. "I met someone from Sterling before. It... wasn't a pleasant encounter.Now I'm scared they'll remember me and hold it against me."

Elsie blinked, then waved it off with her usual boldness. "Rose, come on. Big executives meet hundreds of people. Why would they remember one random student?"

"Yeah," I murmured, trying to smile, though my chest felt heavy.

Elsie reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "Listen. You deserve this. So don't psych yourself out before you even start, okay?"

I nodded, grateful but still unsettled.

History, Elsie had called it. And she was right. I just didn't know if mine was about to be written in gold or in fire.

When we were done eating, Elsie leaned back in her chair, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.

"Let's go shopping," she announced suddenly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I blinked. "Shopping?"

"Yes, shopping. You're about to start at Sterling & Co., and I'm about to start at B&S. We need clothes that scream future power women. Plus..." she added with a dramatic flip of her curls, "retail therapy is good for the soul."

I laughed, shaking my head, but deep down I couldn't help admiring her.

Elsie always carried this lightness with her, like the world couldn't weigh her down. She had a way of walking into a room and filling it with energy. Her big brown eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief, framed by a cascade of curls that bounced with every movement.

She wasn't just "pretty." Elsie had this quiet kind of allure, cute and sweet, yes, but there was something undeniably captivating about her, almost seductive without even trying. She could be silly one moment and enchanting the next, and she never even noticed the effect she had on people.

"Come on, Rose," she tugged at my wrist as we left the café. "We're buying at least one outfit each. No excuses."

And even though my mind was still tangled with nerves, I found myself smiling.

Because with Elsie, it was impossible not to.

The city center was alive with weekend chatter, couples holding hands, families strolling, friends weaving in and out of boutiques. Elsie practically dragged me from one shop to the next, her curls bouncing as she yapped about fabrics and colors like she owned the place.

"Try this on!" she squealed, shoving a cream blazer into my arms.

I groaned. "Elsie, I'm not even sure I can afford all this."

"Rose." She gave me the most serious look she could muster, which only lasted three seconds before her lips curled into a grin and pulled up a card that was clearly her dads. "This isn't spending, it's investing. Big difference."

I laughed, rolling my eyes, but still slipped into the fitting room. The blazer hugged me perfectly, giving me a sharpness I didn't feel on most days. When I stepped out, Elsie gasped dramatically and clutched her chest.

"My friend, the future executive," she said, bowing like she was at a royal court.

"Stop," I said, fighting a smile.

She twirled in her own choice a fiery red dress that hugged her curves and made heads turn, even from strangers passing the shop window. Elsie didn't even notice the stares. She was too busy striking silly poses in the mirror, puckering her lips like a model.

That was Elsie completely at home in her own skin. Her beauty wasn't just in the way her curls framed her face or how her brown eyes seemed to light up every space. It was in how effortlessly she carried herself. She was cute, enchanting, playful, and magnetic all at once. People wanted to be near her, to bask in her glow. And here I was, quietly tagging along, wondering if I'd ever learn to be that free.

By the time we staggered out of the fifth shop, both of us carrying more bags than we'd planned, Elsie looped her arm through mine.

"See?" she chirped. "Successful women need their armor. And clothes are armor."

I smiled softly. "You really think so?"

"I know so." She tapped my shopping bag. "Besides, you're going to need every bit of confidence when you step into Sterling & Co."

Her words made my stomach clench, but I forced a nod. "Yeah... I guess you're right."

We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling, sipping bubble tea, and laughing over silly things. For a while, I almost forgot about Adrian Sterling, about the tires, about the way his eyes had felt like they could strip away my excuses.

But when I finally got home that evening, laying my new clothes across my tiny bed, the weight returned.

Tomorrow was one day closer to Monday. And Sterling & Co. suddenly felt like both a dream and a trap.