Husband With Benefits-Chapter 32: A Shopping Trip

Demetri’s jaw clenched as he walked beside Arabelle into the shopping mall. He had never been a fan of shopping, and adding the company of a person he did not like had only made it more difficult for him.

Arabelle seemed oblivious to his anger and smiled up at him with sweet gratitude, "Thank you for accompanying me today, Demetri. I know what a busy man you are, and yet you made time for me." freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Demetri only gave a nod of acknowledgement while he paused in the large courtyard of the mall. His good looks and aura earned him second looks from the shoppers; however, he remained unaware of it, standing still, looking straight ahead. If not for his expensive clothing, one would think that he was a security guard accompanying Arabelle.

Arabelle stepped closer and made a faint motion to link her arm with his, but Demetri subtly but smoothly shifted his arm, evading her attempt at getting closer to him. Before she could move again, he said, "Where do you want to go?"

Getting over the awkward moment, Arabelle smiled up at him and said, "I need to shop for everything. I haven’t shopped for a while, and everything I own is either last season or totally unsuitable for the approaching winters here. Let’s go."

Saying so, Arabelle led him through the mall to a large boutique on the top floor. As they walked into the large store with racks and racks of clothing standing like art installations, Arabelle chatted, "I think I am going to start with a few casual wear dresses and then formal wear."

As she said this, she moved forward to check out the dresses. As she pulled out a delicate white dress, smiling at how it looked like a wedding dress, she turned to get his opinion, "What do you think..."

However, she trailed off when a young saleswoman stood in front of her instead of Demetri. Scanning the store, she noticed that he was speaking to someone on his phone as he sat in the luxurious waiting area of the store. Quickly, she gathered a few dresses and suits to try on.

Today, he’d come shopping with her, so naturally, he would have to help her choose clothing. She’d like to see then how he would remain unmoved when he saw her beauty.

Excited with the beautiful dresses she had found, Arabelle quickly moved to the trial room, trying on the white bridal-like dress. It fit her perfectly, highlighting her slim waist and long legs. Her faded excitement returning at the look, she quickly slipped out of the dressing room, ready to seek his opinion. However, she was dismayed again when she found two new faces in the waiting lounge.

It was clear there were his subordinates from his work. Since Demetri seemed to be engrossed in his work as he gave instructions to the other two people who were taking notes, Arabelle felt like a fool standing there, waiting for his attention. However, her determination was not to be underestimated.

Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat, her voice carrying a hint of determination as she approached the man immersed in his work. "Demetri, I’m done with the first dress. What do you think of this? Doesn’t it look like a..."

Before she could even finish her sentence, Demetri lifted his head just enough to glance at her, his focus already slipping back to his file. He spared her a fleeting nod, his words clipped. "Just ask my secretary for assistance. Nina, help her."

Arabelle felt a mix of disbelief and irritation bubble within her. She had hoped for a moment of connection, for Demetri to notice her. But his response was dismissive, a jarring contrast to the vision she’d held in her mind. Clenching her jaw, she suppressed her frustration, her polite facade never wavering.

Turning towards the female secretary, who seemed to have no sense of fashion in that boxy suit of hers, Arabelle mustered a tight smile. "Could you please help me with these dresses?"

Nina quickly nodded and carefully directed a fuming Arabelle away from the lounge back to the fitting room. Other than the dresses that Arabelle herself had chosen for trying, Nina also walked around the store picking up dresses that she thought were good and passing them to Arabelle for trying them on. By the end of the hour, Arabelle’s patience was wavering, and she put a stop to the shopping.

"I’ve had enough for now. Thank you, Nina. Let’s head back."

As Arabelle approached the lounge area, she realized with dismay that Demetri had already disappeared. Feeling angry and ready to lash out at the secretary for wasting her time, she almost dropped her facade when she noticed Demetri walking away from the cashier.

"You didn’t have to pay for my shopping. I have my own money, Demetri." Arabelle smiled up at him, even though she was pleased with his move. So, what if he had not helped her choose, at least he had been thoughtful enough to make the purchases for her. It would have been too embarrassing for her to come with him and then make the payment herself.

"Demetri, let me treat you to dinner to thank you for this shopping?"

"You don’t have to thank me. Let’s go."

"No. Let me treat you to a meal to thank you, or I am not taking any of these."

Shrugging, Demetri answered, "Fine. You can ask my grandfather out for a meal. He is the one who has gifted these dresses to you. They will be sent to your home. I’ve already made arrangements."

Before Arabelle could burst out, Assistant Ma, who had been standing behind Demetri, spoke up, "Miss Arabelle. As for now, Ian, Seb, Gabe, and Lucien are meeting us for a meal. They wanted to make you feel welcome on your return to the country."

Demetri glanced at his watch and nodded at his two employees, "One hour."

As Assistant Ma and Secretary Nina quickly scuttled away to prepare the rest of the materials since the boss would return in an hour, Demetri gestured for her to come with him, and Arabelle could only sigh in frustration as she tried to think of something else that would make him spend time with her.