CHIARA
"Yeah, that's not it. And this one is cheugy, this too, mh-mh. Please get me something that's giving." Celia dismissed several dresses before she even tried them on.
Okay, I thought I was a shopping animal. That was until I witnessed how Celia Conti was spending her brother's money like a river today. I'd like to think it was a payback but no, she was experienced. Hence melted my heart as we hopped from one shop to another, abusing the black cards in our possession.
She might be younger than me but our tastes weren't that far from each other. In fact she had her own sense of style in fashion and I adored that. For some youngsters it took some time for them to figure out their style.
"I'll take this, this, and this, oh and please wrap that mini bag for me, the black one," she sauntered to the heels section. The few people who were let inside the shop gawked at her. "Yes, Ma'am," the shop attendant had a hard time following her around with all the things occupying her hands. She looked like she was on the verge of crying, so I asked one of the bodyguards for help, while I remained at the bags section. Letting Celia have fun on her own.
"Someone is having a payback," Carmelo said, standing right beside me with an amused look plastered on his face as he watched his little sister barking orders. "Good thing her brother is a billionaire, is it not?" I chided, picking a Chanel bag. I had just a perfect dress in mind for it at home. Home? "It is. That one is good," he pointed at some other brand bag, but nope, thank you. I hated being told what's good and what's not for me while shopping. He wasn't an exception.
"Yeah, just not for me." I replied, picking a different one. "How about that one?" he pointed at another. I turned to him with a deep frown while he had a grin on. He knew what he was doing. I looked him up and down, didn't say a word and just strode to where Celia was. Girls should shop together. I could hear his chuckle humbling my back but I didn't turn. He thought it was funny? Nobody decides what I wore, nobody. I didn't care if it was his money or not.
"Why so salty?" Celia picked a red bottom heel that caught my attention as well. I huffed, picking the other pair. I like the cut and the thin heel. So I asked for my size. "Your brother is insufferable. I like these." She chuckled, "Say less. But he is cool too and I'm not saying this because he is my big bro." I sat down trying on the heels. "I know. He just makes me want to whoop his ass sometimes." I tied the other shoe. She laughed, "I'm weak. You've got an elite humor." I stood up and tasted them. "Oh my, those heels make you look like a total snack, Chiara. No cap." She uttered and I twirled, smiling.
I couldn't for the life of me understand half of the words that came out of Celia's mouth but I could tell the snack term meant something good. "Get me these too." She ordered the woman. And from there we shopped together, each one of us expressing what we liked and what was a flop, as Celia called them. We left the shop with me having a new impression on shopping.
Shopping with people could be fun, it just depended on who you were shopping with. And today Celia said we had a vibe together and that she would love to go shopping with me again. I couldn't agree more, I had fun.
We had just exited a jewelry boutique when suddenly a black van pulled over and Celia was drugged in and it drove away. It all happened too first that when I snapped I was running after it but it was too late. My heart is pounding in my ears. I returned back only to find Carmelo watching the car with bored expression, and not even the bodyguards moved to do anything.
"What the actual fuck? Shouldn't we be chasing after them right now?"
"Nope,"
"Your sister just got abducted and not a single hair of yours stands? Are you out of your fucking mind?"
He pulled me closer and kissed my forehead but I wasn't feeling any of it so shoved him aside. "Relax tesoro. She'll be back in no time." I glared at him. "She is the most calculated diplomat amongst us. Don't let her calm demeanor fool you. She will be back."
I was heaving for air, sweat trickled on my body. What if it was Antonio again and he harmed her?
All of a sudden, the van jerked to a stop. I narrowed my eyes when I saw her stepping out, dusting her hands, unscathed and walking towards us with an eased smile. Wha the hell just happened?
"Hell no. How did those bastards let you go?"
"I told them my ring was worth a hundred million dollars, so they should just take it and let me go."
"Just like that? And you gave your hundred million worth ring? To those fools?
"Chile, it was a ring from a bag of chips that I painted with my nail polish." My eyes narrowed at her. She painted the fake ring because she knew she could get abducted? "Oh and yes, I told them if they don't want my brother to kill them for the ring that he just bought for me, I have to beat them up and fake my escape. So, I gave them the stupid ring, beat them up and here I am."
I didn't know if I should be awed or proud of her. Her brother was not lying, she was good with quick mind games. "You smartass." I couldn't help but to admit. Then I turned to the man beside me, his chest boosted with pride "I told you tesoro, there was nothing to worry about. Those were just pickpockets who would do anything for ransom. And my sister here happened to come across a couple of them already." He winked at me. I nodded, smiling. They taught their sister well in terms of self-defense and not only physically but also verbally.
I watched them walking ahead of me with Melo's arm wrapped around her shoulder while she hugged him. As if she wasn't mad at him just an hour ago. "How long did it take?" She asked. "One minute and five seconds." He replied. "I want it to be one minute only next time." She said, "Hmm, we'll see. Tell me, what did you break this time around?"
"Not much, just a jaw and a rib maybe."
My smile widened at their conversation. Carmelo's family was so sick and I loved it. Turns out, Celia only needed a 'bee talk' because she was already good verbally and with fists. I needed to teach her about men out there. I followed them to the car with bodyguards behind us, holding our absurd numbers of shopping bags.