Just his luck.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐: 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠.

It took Marco a long tiring walk to go down 50 of the 100 floors before he realised there was an elevator. Pressing the button, he taps his foot impatiently while he waits. He couldn't help but notice the engraving in the elevator door. Intricate details that spread in Diamond shapes across the ridges. It looked similar to something in the Art deco Magazine he remembered seeing on the lobby coffee table.

What he didn't notice, was that while he had leant forward to analyse the detail, the doors had opened, and he caught himself staring face-first at the chest of the man stood in the elevator.

"Excuse me?"

The man asked, looking down At Marco, who jumps slightly as he realises.

He looked to be a rather sophisticated man, dressed in a silk suit and tie, wearing a pair of brown tortoise-shell glasses, and bearing, in his hand, a leather suitcase.

Marco clears his throat, straightening himself before the man.

"Sorry, was looking at the elevator." Marco mutters, squeezing his way into the elevator .

"Didn't seem like it."  The man retorts.

Then, without even exchanging a glance at Marco, he strides out of the elevator, disappearing from Marcos sight as the golden doors slid to a close.

"Snobby prick."

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

It took three minutes and a half for the elevator to finally reach ground floor, and by the time it did, Marco had almost fell asleep from such a long wait.

His legs aching, he steps out of the open elevator doors, and out into the lobby of the hotel. A hotel so fancy, they even had their own clothes stores built in to save the rich from ruining their delicate legs with a walk across the street to yet another fancy-shmancy store.

Hie eyes scan the different shops available, all with names so posh he couldn't even pronounce them. But his eyes landed upon the largest one.

"Suits? Seriously? Do they only sell suits here?"

Stepping in, He was immediately struck with the smell of silk and men's perfume. It was a nice smell, sure, but there's was just too much going on, and Marco didn't know if he should focus on the smell, the clothes, or the ambient music.

"Does Andez even wear suits? Hm, maybe I should get myself one too so we're matching."

Walking past, he notices, however, buying suits would be off the market.

"$1000?!"

He looked at the price tag, then his pockets, comparing the $1000 to the measly 100 he was going to be spending.
All of the clothes contained many more zeros than Marco had ever seen in a year of work.

"Well, he can't just walk around in dirty clothes! Oh for gods sake..."

He sighs, stuffing the crumpled bill back into his pocket. But then he got an idea. A bad idea. A treacherous idea. And then before he could stop himself, he caught his eyes wandering over to a woman stood nearby. Then the bill in her hand, and then, the purse in her other.

She stood out from the others in the store.She didn't just reek posh, she reeked POSH posh.

"Jackpot!"

However, getting his hands on the money would prove more difficult. He slowly takes a step. Then another. And then he waits. Surely she'll place her purse down for juuuust a little bit. Come on.... Come on.........

No luck. She was grasping the purse as securely as a mother would her first child.

He sighs. There was no chance he would ever be able to get anything.

He then gets a different idea.

He looks down at the tag. Making sure to sigh as loudly as he could, and look as solemn as ever.

Hearing this, the lady turns around, a hand on her hip. She looks over at Marco. At the measly bill in his hand, and the look in his eyes. She almost felt bad for him. Slowly stepping over, she tapped on his shoulder.

'Yes!' Thought Marco.

"Excuse me?"  Asks the woman, still keeping her gaze on his face.

Marco makes sure to lean into the act, looking up with a sulky look on his face.

"I'm all out of money..... and a warm pair of clothes would really help me a lot.."

The woman tilts her head.

"And.. I've survived off of gas station sushi for.. for a year."

This is what got the lady shocked.

"Oh you poor thing.. such torture!"

Marco was grinning to himself. Any minute now, she would reach into her purse......... any minute now!

Instead, the woman pats his head, as if he was a child.

"I will buy you a meal."

'NO! I NEED MONEY, NOT FOOD!' He curses in his head.

"Oh uhm.. I'd appreciate it more if I had some money..to... warm myself up,"

"No, no, this cannot do. How do I know you won't spend the money on Drugs?"

'DO I LOOK LIKE A CRACKHEAD TO YOU?!?!?!?!' He was practically screaming in his head.

"Oh— no, I don't do that kind of stuff-"

The woman pauses, she looked to be contemplating something.

"Alright."

She reaches into her purse, and without even caring for what she was giving a complete stranger, hands him a black card.

"Here, take this. I have many more for myself anyways."

And then, without giving him time to thank her, she struts out of the store.

Marco looks down at the card.

'WHAT THE FUCK?!?!? IT WAS THAT EASY?!"