Lullaby (The Fable Series, Book 2)

Chapter Two

By the time we get into town, it's well past 9am. The walk from the cabin to the car park took longer than usual - Kitty insisted on wearing kitten heels for our little excursion. Even though they're pretty low compared to her usual footwear, she still fell flat on her butt right at the start of the hike, and moved at a snail's pace after that.

It could be worse though. At least she's not wearing stilettos.

Still, her feet are covered in blisters after their ordeal, so it's a blessing that we were able to get into the jeep at the car park and drive into town, rather than Kitty hobbling all the way.

By now, the boys should have woken up and found the note I left for them on the fridge. Hopefully they'll just carry on without me, and they're in the recording studio working on melodies and lyrics for the new songs.

As we drive along NW 32nd Avenue, Kitty points out posh designer boutiques and artisan bakeries, working up a mental shopping list before we even set foot out of the car. By the time we've found a shady parking in a nearby lot, Kitty's already decided on two handbags, a pair of shoes and a dress, all spotted in shop windows as we drove past them.

Shopping with Kitty is an experience.

As soon as she sees a store she likes, she swoops in, like a sartorial bird of prey, drops between five hundred to five thousand dollars, and is out in less than five minutes. Within an hour we've visited about twenty stores, are carrying at least ten bags in each hand, and have spent enough to send me through college several times over.

"I wish you'd let me buy you something," Kitty says, holding up a red mini dress and wiggling it in front of me. "You would slay in this dress. Trust me."

The boutique we're in is called Sable & Sabine, and I've never set foot in it before, on account of the sky-high prices. In fact, it's pretty much the most expensive dress shop in Portland, maybe even Oregon.

Jamie's gone in a few times (in the name of fashion) but she's never actually bought anything, because she says that the snooty shop assistants always give her insane bitch face.

We're definitely not having that problem right now. The moment Kitty waltzed in with her multitude of designer boutique shopping bags and the confidence of a queen, the assistants practically grovelled before her.

I'm tempted to ask Kitty how her parents made so much money. I think I remember reading somewhere that the Lockhart's have old family money, which Felix's granddad squandered - but Felix's dad made it all back and more through some business he started. I never imagined that they were so super rich though. Based on the rate at which Kitty is plundering the high street, her dad must be a multi-millionaire. A billionaire, even. Kitty must be one of the wealthiest nineteen year old girls in the world.

"Do you think this dress is more sexy vamp or 80s prom?" she asks, holding up a ruffled black velvet dress. "I like it, but I also sort of hate it. Think I should get it?"

"How much does it cost?" I ask, already dreading the answer.

"Who cares?" she says, handing the dress to a shop assistant. "I'll take it. And that gold one in the window too. Ash, are you sure you don't want anything?"

"I'm ok," I say. It is sort of tempting to take up the offer, and most girls would. But somehow I don't feel right letting Kitty spend money on me. And all these clothes are so sophisticated and showy. I couldn't pull it off. I'd just look silly, like a little girl playing dress up in her mother's closet.

"All this hard work is really getting to me," Kitty says as she swipes her American Express Black Card. "I need some shopping fuel, stat. Let's get something to eat."