The CEO'S syndrome

CHAPTER SIX: Shopaholic Angie

      

"Babe, let's go shopping after work." Sophia started with a small smile on her lips as soon as she got to Angela's desk.

"What for?" Angela raised her head as she questioned. She was taking a short nap as she had nothing else to do for the day.

"My Auntie is at it again. She has invited me to a party and I want you to come with me as my date", Sophia wrinkled her nose 

"Come with me"

Standing to her full height, Angela soothed her pan trousers with her palm and led the way to the restroom with Sophia following behind.

Shutting the door, she entered one of the rooms to ease herself, while her friend busied herself, checking all the stalls for prying ears.

"Can't you just ditch this one as well?", Angela murmured as she exited the stall and proceeded to wash her hands.

"I have a strong feeling that my Auntie will cut all my favorite outfits with that shrill voice of hers. But that won't happen because I'm going and you, baby girl is my date". Sophia wore the puppy look on her face and added, "Besides, my Aunt wants me to meet someone at the party. I don't know who it is, but I have a strong feeling that it's someone I'm looking forward to seeing".

Sophia's Auntie is known for her hot tempered personality. She does not take no for an answer and makes Sophia attend ceremonies, all in the name of finding a husband for her. 

Although, she is related to Sophia by marriage. She is married to Sophia's uncle, she loves Sophia like her own child and Sophia loves her in return. 

Angela wore her saddest look and whispered, in high hopes of her friend, falling for her acting.

"Eversince Jake left me at a party, I don't want to go to parties anymore. What if I get a-"

"Nice acting skills you got there but it's not working on me. You were totally okay at your birthday party", Sophia commented as she gave her friend thumbs up.

Angela rolled her eyes, washed her hands again and dried it clean. "We are going to just a store and picking only one dress each. No crazy shopping, okay?"

Sophia laughed as she spoke, 

"Everyone knows how you could end up buying the whole store when you plan to buy only one dress"

Angela rolled her eyes playfully, kissed Sophia's right cheek and ran out of the restroom.

                   …

In the evening, the two women found their way into a department store as they browsed through, looking for the perfect gown to turn heads around.

The two women loved to look stunning, especially when they attended occasions together. Even though they had different skin colors, they managed to look like twins, with the way they behaved and related with one another.

Angela is a very shy woman but she is a totally different person around Sophia. She's jovial, more comfortable and can do anything around her friend.

Angela loves shopping and Sophia trusts her judgment, when it comes to fashion. She is wearing the twenty third gown and Angela couldn't stop her comments.

"Not this one. It looks shabby on you"

"Never"

"If only the material were in stripes"

"Perhaps the red would do. Not yellow"

The tailors did no justice to the materials. With a gown looking like what astronauts wore to the moon, another looked like something an apprentice created. Yet, the price tags on the clothes could make a mad man become saner again or make a healthy baby be diagnosed with an In-born error.

The tags were unreasonably high for the gowns. Not that the two friends minded, they had loads of money to spend on clothing but they like to purchase things that are worth the price attached to them.

Not satisfied with the gowns, she moved closer to her friend's ears and whispered, "Girl, this store's got nothing. Let's leave"

Sophia walked into the changing room like a mannequin and wore her clothes back on.

The store attendant was baffled when Sophia came out in her own clothes and not one of the store's own.

Sophia addressed her simply, "Sorry to say this but, not of your gowns caught our eye. Sorry"

The two women burst into fits of laughter as they walked out of the store and marched to their favorite store.

They should have gone there at first, instead of checking a new store, a colleague at work introduced.

It took them only an hour to pick a dress each.

"You look so damn beautiful. With this shape of yours, don't be too shocked if you get yourself a date as well", Sophia battered her eyelashes as she opined.

"Not. Happening", Angela hissed before turning towards the mirror to assess herself.

She smiled as she saw her friend come closer and rested her arms on her shoulders.

"Babe, you look dope. If I were a guy, I would rip-"

"Jesus. Sophie? Thank God you are a girl"

Angela muttered as she walked into the changing room to try a few dresses that caught her eyes as well.

And just like every other time, they went shopping, Sophia watched her friend twirl and spin and whirl as she wore more new dresses.

Four hours later, the friends walked out of the store with Sophia looking like someone who just came out of a funeral and Angela noisily blabbing about some press reports she came across. Fashion trends fascinates her, shopping makes her feel excited.

They hailed a cab and had dinner together before returning back to work to pick their cars and go home.

Angela warmed some leftover pizza in the fridge and hugged her stuffed bear as she saw the latest episode of her favorite show.

Her constant 'oohs' and 'aahs' were cut short by the vibration of her phone.

She murmured a few cuss words, paused her show and raised the phone to her ear after swiping to answer, without checking the caller ID.

"Where are you?"

Angela's heart rate fastened as she heard his voice. She stopped chewing at once and sat stiff.

"Where the fuck are you? Open the door!"

His authoritative words coupled with the loud banging from her front door did the trick. She ran towards the entrance barefooted and opened the door to come face to face with the last person she thought would ever be at her front door.

 "Jake", she said softly.