Paris Adler and Sydney Blake have been college classmates for a while. Paris is captivated by Sydney's beauty and talent in fashion, while Sydney is drawn to Paris's gentle nature, photography and poetic skills. Their story is one of budding romance...
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"How about here, babe? Charlotte Russe?" Paris asked as he and I glance at the store's bright entrance while just passing through, walking hand-in-hand and Steph trailing behind us as usual.
I nodded, smiling, but raised an eyebrow. "Charlotte, as in my Charlotte?" I jokingly asked.
"Maybe her relative owns this place," he playfully replied.
I chuckled. "Well, she did love shopping here, especially with Audra and me. We'd spend hours looking for the perfect styles." The coincidence wasn't lost on me, and Paris' teasing always made things more fun.
When we reached the entrance, Paris pointed at a display nearby. "Look at that, Syd," he said, motioning to a chic black scoop-neck top and mini skirt on a mannequin.
I studied it for a moment. It was simple, but my mind instantly raced with ideas on how to elevate it—add some pastel accents, maybe a cute belt with a floral pattern, and a splash of color, like lavender or blush pink. It could go from sleek to stunning with just the right accessories. I took a quick photo on my phone, making a mental note to sketch it out later.
As we wandered inside, Paris pointed out a velvet skater dress. "What do you think of this?"
I smiled. "Already got one like it, babe."
We continued browsing, and a black leather duster caught both our eyes. "That long coat? So not my style," I said with a smirk. "Even if Kim Kardashian wore it."
Eventually, I settled on a denim coat and a cobalt blue skater dress—something that felt more me. As we finished paying, I spotted Steph near the makeup section, fiddling with a lipstick. Paris noticed too and quickly walked over to warn him. Before he could say much, one of the staff noticed Steph's antics and sternly told him off.
Paris rejoined me, and we both watched Steph get a light reprimand. I sighed, shaking my head. "It seems Steph is misbehaving. I knew it," I said, feeling a little disappointed. "Anyway, let him get into trouble. Maybe he'll get banned," I added, half-jokingly, as I clung onto Paris' arm.
***
We walked past the Disney Store. Paris and I noticed two cosplayers dressed as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from Tangled. Steph, always quick to jump at something like this, called out to us, excitedly waving his phone. "Hey, lovebirds! Let's get some pictures!"
We exchanged a glance and smiled, but shook our heads. "You go ahead, Steph," Paris said, waving him off. "We'll just pass," he added. We weren't really in the mood for group photos with random cosplayers.
Watching him from a distance, I felt a little tug of curiosity. Paris must have felt the same, because he turned to me with a smirk, "On second thought..." He then called out to Steph. "Hey, Steph! Mind doing us a favor?"
Steph came over, blinking in surprise as Paris handed him my Polaroid camera. "Think we can trust you to take a couple shots near the cosplayers?"
Steph raised an eyebrow, but agreed. He positioned the camera as Paris and I stood in front of the cosplayers, both of us holding our shopping bags like trophies. A Rapunzel cosplayer stood beside Paris, while a Flynn Rider cosplayer struck a pose next to me.
