Chapter Text
MICHAEL
The assistant in the shop turned her head as we walked in.
Cassie took one look around.
"Absolutely not."
I glanced at her. "We just got here."
"Exactly. And everything in here looks like it costs more than my car."
"You don't have a car," I pointed out.
"Exactly."
I laughed under my breath as I tried to get a read on her face.
She wasn't uncomfortable. Not exactly.
She'd just didn't understand why there were so many shops in the same mall selling similar things.
I understood. I'd grown up around these kind of places.
My father had taken me to stores like this when I was young, back when money had been proof that our picture perfect family was untouchable.
As if having expensive things could make a person untouchable.
They couldn't, and I knew that better than most.
Cassie stopped in front of a display of accessories.
I watched her pick up a dark green, leather wallet.
She turned it over.
"That's nice," I said.
"Yeah."
She checked the price.
Her eyebrows rose.
"No."
"You should see your face."
"I'm not buying a wallet for that much money."
"Why?"
"Because I'm capable of basic financial reasoning."
"You spent twenty pounds on a book last week."
"That was necessary."
She put the wallet down.
I picked it back up.
She immediately pointed at me. "Don't."
"I'm not doing anything." I said raising my hands.
"You're doing the trust fund, rich-boy thing."
My eyebrows lifted. "The rich-boy thing?"
"Where you see something expensive and decide buying it is the key to happiness."
I grinned.
"Money is happiness."
"That's the most obnoxious thing you've ever said."
"You've known me for long enough. That's definitely not the most obnoxious thing I've ever said."
She considered it. "Fair."
I held the wallet out to her.
"Take it."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you don't need to buy me everything I look at."
"I'm aware."
"Then stop."
I studied her for a second.
She wasn't embarrassed.
She was just uncomfortable.
I put the wallet back.
"Fine."
She looked suspicious.
"You're being weirdly cooperative."
"I'm maturing."
"Don't."
I laughed.
She picked up the wallet again.
"It's just pretty."
"I know."
She opened it, checking the compartments.
"I like the color."
"I know."
"And the clasp."
"I know."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Stop saying you know."
"I know."
She smacked my arm. I laughed louder.
A woman at the other end of the store glanced over disapprovingly.
Cassie went red.
"You're embarrassing me."
"You're the one hitting me."
"You're annoying me."
"That's my job."
She rolled her eyes and put the wallet back.
I waited until she turned away to look at something else. Then I picked it up.
Even though she said not to buy it.
Because I'd spent so much of my life watching money being used as a weapon.
I'd made it my life's mission to learn how to use it as something else.
A gift. A way to say I care about you without going all soft.
And I had lot of Thatcher Townsend's cash to work with.
She caught me with the bag as we left the shop.
Her eyes narrowed. "You did not."
"I so did," I smirked.
"You literally waited until I wasn't looking."
"Correct."
"You're an idiot."
"How dare you."
She crossed her arms.
"You know I can return it."
"I know."
"I'll return it tomorrow, and then I'll buy something cheaper," she sighed. "And I'm giving you the money back."
"Okay."
She stared at me. I stared back.
"You're impossible."
"Guilty as charged."
She shook her head, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Happy?" I asked.
She looked down at the bag. Then at me.
"Annoyed."
"My emotions reading sensors say otherwise."
She smiled. "Yeah."
We started walking.
After a few minutes, she bumped her shoulder against mine.
"Thanks."
I bumped her shoulder back.
"Anytime."