Sit Softly On Your Shoulder

Chapter 22: Excuses Made

Things change between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan after that monumental Wednesday of giving gifts.

It's not something that Lan Zhan can put his finger on and say, "This! This is what has brought us closer!" But the air around them has shifted, allowing a higher level of awareness between them. For example, as Lan Zhan glances across the shop floor to gaze at Wei Ying, it's as if there's an invisible string binding them together because Wei Ying senses his attention on him, and he looks up immediately. His customer is engrossed with looking at one of the microfibre colours against her complexion in the newly added floor-to-ceiling mirror and therefore, misses the extremely suggestive and flirtatious wink Wei Ying throws his way. It's akin to flicking on the switch to the electric kettle upstairs, because Lan Zhan's ears turn fully red even though he's thoroughly enjoying how they are with one another now.

His head snaps back to his own customer, quietly pleased and terribly embarrassed instead. He sighs under his breath as he watches the young lady peruse the shelves with no apparent distinction of preference...which is a bad sign. Out of all the possible types of customers he's had to deal with so far, it's the indecisive ones that make him rethink staying here and running the shop might be a hasty idea.

This Saturday started off well. The courier he had been religiously tracking on his phone was waiting outside the shop when Lan Zhan came down to open up, and even more marvellous was the fact that he'd beaten Wei Ying. Ever since XiChen passed on the details of this particular shipment, Lan Zhan has been anxiously awaiting its arrival like a pet missing its owner, constantly on the lookout for any news, any sign that it had reached UK waters. Now that it was in his hands, he couldn't quite believe it. With it had come the stark realisation that he needed to have other things ready too, and so, any spare moment was spent paying extraordinary amounts of money so that certain things would be delivered tonight after six. All very secretly, too.

He's not sure what Wei Ying's plans are tonight, but usually they've been spending every evening together so far, which might be a problem.

Lan Zhan is stopped thinking about tonight by the arrival of woman, perhaps approaching thirty and with the attitude that only her opinion on anything counts; everyone else is just part of the furniture lucky enough to be in her vicinity.

"I'm looking for something suitable to wear to a wedding," she marches up to Lan Zhan and tells him, as if he's some kind of wizard able to produce exactly what she wants out of thin air, down to the correct design and colour which will have her looking neither over or under dressed.

"What kind of colour did you have in mind?" Lan Zhan says, studiously ignoring Wei Ying who is making faces about what she just said behind her back at him.

"At this point," she makes a most inappropriate and awful noise like a dying horse on its last ninny, and belatedly, Lan Zhan realises she's laughing, "I'm open to any suggestions. What colour do you think will suit me best?" She stares back at him, mouth open for a reason unknown to him, waiting for his answer.

"Does the wedding have a theme?" Lan Zhan has learned fast that being part of the retail force instills quick thinking in one's skills very early on, so he sidesteps the question with ease. Rule number one: Never Engage In Conversations About Complexions - side rule (because people are absolutely Colour blind with regard to the shade of their own skin).

(And if they're mentioning it straight off the bat, then they've done extensive research on it, probably able to list irrefutable proof by some unknown "Expert" expounding on cold colours, warm tones and flattering aesthetics. In short, and in this scenario, they are 'the well informed' and the person trying to help them is most definitely not, barely above considering as slightly more important than whatever they scraped off their shoe that morning.)