"Sorry I'm late! I lost track of time…"

  Kaitlyn looked over as Esme rushed out of the elevator and into the common room. The pale-skinned third-year had dressed warmly, bundled up in a sweater the color of fall leaves and fluffy leggings. Her flushed face and a few displaced strands of black hair indicated that she had likely run here, at least partway.

  "No worries! It's ok." Kaitlyn waved off the girl's concern. "We weren't waiting long."

  "Yeah! We were, like, totally chill just hanging out!"

  Heather piped up from the vinyl couch she currently occupied, her legs crossed beneath her. Rachel occupied a similar seat in the U-shaped arrangement of furniture, with Kaitlyn sitting beside her. She turned to the other two waiting girls to introduce them. "Rachel, Heather, this is Esme. She works in the lab next to me."

  Rachel smiled warmly and nodded at the newcomer. "Nice to meet you."

  "Oh, Esme and I totally know each other already," Heather flapped a hand dismissively at the introduction. "We've been talking all week, girl."

  Kaitlyn blinked in surprise. "You have?"

  "Uh, duh! We needed to make a gameplan, right?"

  Huh. That's… unexpected. Guess they get along pretty well when Elliot's not in the picture.

  To no one's surprise, Heather had been absolutely ecstatic at the prospect of a shopping trip. After taking a look at Kaitlyn's wardrobe for reference, however, she'd become even more invested. Serious, in fact. She'd had to talk the blonde down from attempting to "fix" her entire wardrobe.

  It's like she's gonna take it personally if we don't find a "proper" dress for me. Which I feel like I can deal with. But with her and Esme both? I'm kind of scared I'm gonna get steamrolled…

  Suddenly, she was even more glad to have invited Rachel. She legitimately wanted to hang out with her friend, of course. But now it seemed as though the cross country girl may very well be the only levelheaded one here, aside from Kaitlyn herself.

  "So… what exactly is the plan?" Rachel asked. "Is there somewhere in particular we're heading?"

  "We've got a few options," Esme explained as they began heading toward the elevator. "We can go to the mall, obviously. There's also a few outlet stores in the area. Heather also found some high-end specialty dress shops downtown, depending on our time and budget."

  "Ohmigosh, yes!" The blonde bounced on her toes with excitement. "There's like, a ton of awesome options. It's all up to what you wanna do, Kate!"

  She shrugged. "Hey, you guys are the experts here. I'm just the driver."

  Heather pumped a fist. "Oh, yeah. We're gonna be hitting town in style!"

  Rachel and Esme looked at her with perplexed expressions. After a moment, Heather's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh. My. Gosh. You haven't seen her car, have you?"

  "...No?" Esme said slowly, her gaze sliding toward Kaitlyn. "Why?"

  The blonde chuckled. "Oh, you'll see!"

  The four girls chatted excitedly as they headed for the parking lot. It didn't take long for them to arrive at Kaitlyn's car, at which point Esme's jaw hit the floor in much the same way that Heather's had after being shown the vehicle. Rachel stopped next to her, a look of confusion on her face.

  Esme swallowed. "Kate?"

  "Yeah?"

  "This is your car?"

  "Er… yeah."

  "...How?"

  She scratched her neck. "I mean, I told you I had a job…"

  "Yeah, but I assumed it was some normal job! Not something that can afford…" She flapped an emphatic hand toward the Bowley's sleek profile. "This!"

  Rachel frowned. "I don't recognize that brand. I've never exactly been a car person, though… Is it expensive or something?"

  "Yes. Very." Esme let out a long breath. "Let me put it this way. You could buy this car, or you could buy a house."

  Rachel's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She looked at Kaitlyn as though seeing her for the first time. "Kaitlyn, sweetie… remember when I asked you about being the secret heir to some famous restaurant chain?"

  Kaitlyn waved her hands frantically, a blush suffusing her cheeks. "I'm not! I'm really not, I promise! I just… my job pays really well, ok?"

  "That's…. I'm sorry, somehow even less believable."

  …Ok, I'm really starting to regret the car at this point. Maybe I went a bit too overboard.

  Buying a vehicle had still been a great decision, one that opened up all sorts of opportunities. And the sheer enjoyment she got out of the Bowley was unmatched. But was it really worth all of this? She could practically see Rachel and Esme reevaluate her in their minds, changing their estimations of her estimated social status according to the display of wealth before them. It was… uncomfortable.

  Next time, I think I should go with something a little less pricey. Then it won't have to feel like I'm shoving the money in people's faces all the time, at least…

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  After recovering from the shock, the four girls got into the car. Heather claimed the front passenger seat while Esme and Rachel settled in the back. Rachel in particular settled in gingerly, sitting up straight as though to avoid touching the seats more than necessary. As they took off, Esme cleared her throat.

  "So… this is probably a good time to ask… what kind of a budget are we dealing with? I had an idea of what to plan for, but I'm realizing that I may have made some bad assumptions…"

  Kaitlyn shrugged at her through the rearview mirror. "To be honest? I hadn't really thought about it. I… don't really have one in mind? I know it sounds weird, but I just… figured we'd go along and see what happened?"

  The car went silent. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Heather and Esme's eyes meet in a moment of silent understanding. Then, Heather turned to her with a serious expression. "You're sure? As in, no budget, we're going all out?"

  "...I guess so." Kaitlyn confirmed. "I don't mind. I don't think it'll be a problem."

  The blonde began rapidly tapping something into her phone. "Ok, change of plans. Take a right up ahead."

  "Sure?" Kaitlyn flicked her blinker on and began moving over. "Why? Where are we going?"

  "We're not gonna waste time with the small fry." Her roommate's eyes sparkled with undisguised glee. "We're pulling out the big guns."

  ***

  Evidently, "the big guns" were a small custom clothing shop downtown.

  Immediately, it was obvious that the place was unlike any store Kaitlyn had ever been to. The soft lighting illuminated polished wood walls and shelves, making them seem to glow. Fabrics in every color and texture imaginable neatly lined the displays and invited her to come closer to inspect them. Around the center of the room, mannequins dressed in skirts, dresses, and pantsuits proudly displayed some of the store's example pieces and inviting customers to imagine themselves in them.

  As they stepped inside, Kaitlyn was surprised to find the place mostly empty. Not only that, there wasn't a single rack of hanging clothes for them to pick through.

  Esme was the first to speak. "This seems nice. Like something straight out of a fantasy novel."

  "I know, right?" Heather beamed proudly. "Trust me, this place is, like, the best. My mom got a dress fitted here a few years back, and she's still getting compliments on it. They really know their stuff. Plus, my cousin's wife works here, so we totally have an in."

  Kaitlyn stepped toward one of the mannequins. An elegant gown draped over its figure, its colors transitioning from lavender on top to a deep royal purple at the base. Tiny pearls studded its hem and swirled up toward the bodice in intricate patterns, their surfaces seeming to glow with amber light from within.

  Well… that's fancy. Hesitantly, she extended a hand to feel the fabric. It was smooth and silky to the touch. Maybe a bit too fancy for me.

  As she stared at the dress, her eyes locked with Rachel's, only to find her own uncertainty reflected in the other girl's face. They both chuckled nervously.

  Glad to see I'm not the only one out of my depth here.

  "Welcome!"

  A cheery-looking blonde woman emerged from the back of the store to stand behind the front counter. She wore a well-fitted grey pantsuit, its gold buttons polished to a perfect shine. The outfit looked deceptively simple compared to the display pieces. But even Kaitlyn could tell that she wore the garments like a second skin.

  "Do you have an appointment with us today?"

  "Laila! Omigosh, hi!" Heather stepped ahead of the group to greet the woman. "How've you been?"

  "Oh! Hey, Heather!" Laila's professional smile softened slightly. "Oh, you know. Same old, same old. How's school treating you?"

  "Omigosh, it's awesome. Midterms were absolutely brutal, but y'know, what can you do?"

  "Oh, I don't envy you one bit…" Laila chuckled softly. "Stories like that make me glad I never had to go. Glad you're handling it well, though. What can I do for you and your friends?"

  Heather leaned her elbows casually on the counter. "So… I've got a friend here who needs a dress. She's got this swanky work party coming up and like, really wants to make a good impression. I know you guys are, like, appointment only, but is there any chance…?"

  Laila laughed and shook her head. "You've got some kind of luck. Our one booking for the day cancelled on us last minute. Although…" Laila craned her neck to look toward the three girls behind Heather. "Who exactly are we fitting for, if I may?"

  Kaitlyn raised her hand. As she did, Laila stepped out from behind the desk and looked her over with a keen eye. She'd honestly expected some kind of skepticism or pushback, either because of her age or status as a college student. But either the woman was far more professional than she'd expected or Heather's word carried quite a bit of weight.

  "Nice to meet you dear. Your name is…?"

  "Kaitlyn."

  "Kaitlyn. A pleasure. And what kind of event are you attending?"

  "A black tie one? For work."

  "I see. And when will it be?"

  "About three weeks from now."

  "Perfectly doable. Is there a theme or style preference you'd like to adhere to?"

  "No official theme, I think, but…" Kaitlyn gave the woman a sheepish look. "I'm not really sure about style. I'm pretty new to all of this."

  "Wonderful." Laila beamed. "Not to worry. It simply means we'll have much more room to experiment with. We'd be more than happy to assist. Let me show you around..."

  The woman beckoned them toward the back of the shop. As they moved deeper inside, the well-dressed tailor fell into step beside Kaitlyn.

  "Now, before we begin…" Laila leaned in and lowered her voice a few notches. "Since Heather brought you here, I assume you have some idea of our pricing. Our specific rates vary according to your needs—the experience you'd prefer, how much time you'd like to spend with a stylist, the timeline…. But rest assured that we're quite flexible."

  Kaitlyn bit her lip. Heather had given her a general price range for the place on the way over—discreetly enough to not send the others jumping out of the moving car. It was well within her limits. But there was something extra she wanted on top of that.

  But… would that be going too far? I'm sure Heather wouldn't mind, but I already feel like the car thing kind of sketched out Rachel and Esme… What if it just makes them feel more awkward?

  She wrestled with herself for a moment before coming to a decision and turning to Laila. "With how little I know about this stuff, I'll need as much help as you can get me. So probably the premium package. The price won’t be an issue. And…" Kaitlyn hesitated. "...Would it be too much to ask for everyone else to join in, too? They don't have an event coming up like I do, but it would be kind of nice if they could also get fitted for something… If they want to, of course. It's up to them, but I'd be paying for that too."

  Laila's smile broadened. "Of course. It's no problem at all. Obviously, you'll still be our main focus, but things like this are always best enjoyed among friends."

  "Thank you."

  The tailor led them around the shop, explaining what everything was and how they used it as Kaitlyn thought. On one hand, she was certain that something like that could be seen as a particularly over-the-top gift. But on the other, having everyone just watch as she engaged in a personalized dress fitting felt so many times worse. When she thought about it that way, it was really the lesser of two evils—one that was simultaneously more selfish and generous.

  I'm already gonna feel awkward being the center of attention and getting a fancy dress for myself. If anything, letting everyone else have the same experience will make me feel less self-conscious about it. And besides, they're my friends. Who doesn't want to do things for their friends?

  With that, Laila finished her tour and clapped her hands. "All right! Let's get started. First, I'll give you an overview of our process here…"