false god

chapter 11

This coupon is good for
ONE DAY OF GOING COMMANDO
forget about no shirts, no shoes... today, it's no bras, no underwear.

Taylor walked into the warm entrance of the mall, her nose catching the delectable smells of the mingling food court wares all around her. Right at the entrance, a man was offering a piece of chicken on a sick, which Taylor took while Gigi scrunched up her nose.

"It's good," Taylor mumbled through a mouth full of food. Maybe she'd have to get a full platter on her way out?

"It's greasy," Gigi said in a correcting tone, lifting her cape-jacket so that it didn't trail along the floor, "But anyway, my classes weren't showing up so I marched-,"

Taylor listened to Gigi's complaining, nodding absently as they entered deeper into the mall. On her left, Taylor turned to see the entrance to the Barnes and Noble out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't help it; her face flushed completely, a shiver ran up her back, and she swallowed audibly. She was unsure which memory was being brought forth...that of the moment that led her to grab that damned coupon book or the moment she realized her mistake a few weeks later?

"Tay?" Gigi waved a manicured hand in front of her friend's face, "Earth to Taylor."

"Yes? Sorry. About your classes-,"

"Girl, what has you so hot and bothered?" Gigi purred with amusement, putting her hands on her hips.

"Classes..."

"Oh! I know!" Gigi said, derailing the conversation, "It's that guy over there, isn't it? You think he's cute!"

Taylor followed where she'd been previously looking. Right next to the Barnes and Noble entrance was, admittedly, a very attractive young man. Taylor could see where Gigi's error in thinking was.

She gave a choked laugh.

She hadn't found the words to tell Gigi, though she wasn't sure why. She knew she'd have to fess up eventually, but right now, she was all too pleased to keep this tryst a secret. And, she was not going to unload the past few month's dirty laundry standing in the linoleum center of the mall.

"He's cute, but-,"

"I knew it!" Gigi crowed like she'd figured out the secret to the universe.

"But-,"

"God, no buts, girl! Be strong. Get yourself out there. You deserve it." Gigi said, nudging Taylor's arm meaningfully.

"I'm not really looking for something," Taylor said, sticking her hands in her pockets.

And this was the entire truth.

Travis and the situation surrounding it had conveniently fallen into her lap. Or, she'd fallen on his lap, among other things, rather. As she thought about it, she wasn't looking to go and flirt up a storm with that guy, even though he was her usual type, and go through the whole hullabaloo of that crushing-on-a-guy stages. She'd denied Gigi's pleas for her to get a Tinder more times than she could count.

She just really wasn't interested.

"Fine," Gigi said, pouting completely, "Ruin my fun..."

Taylor rolled her eyes, pulling Gigi away, and hurrying away from what she was considering Ground Zero of her grandest and greatest mistake to date.

They wandered through the stores of the mall. Taylor had come here with a very specific destination, though she didn't want to seem too eager. Finally, after she'd watched Gigi try on about thirty pairs of shoes and leave with nearly half of them, Taylor nudged them toward the Victoria's Secret.