Roses | ziam.

Dollars to Diamonds

It probably wouldn't be that bad, Zayn thought, gearing himself up as they stepped over the threshold into the shop. Liam had promised him that they only needed to visit one store for all of Zayn's needs, thus squashing Zayn's fear of rushing from store to store, laden down with huge bags of purchases.

"We were wondering when you were going to show up, Liam."

"And we see that you brought a… friend with you. Mister Malik, is it not? Oh dear-"

"Mmmm, yes, I think we've got our work cut out for us."

There were two of them. Both men looked as though they were in their late twenties, had their sleek blond hair combed back, their arms folded across their chests, their ankles crossed and were leaning casually on two separate recliners. Their body language was mirrored identically, and the effect was disconcerting, to say the least.

However, one of them was more muscular and dressed smartly in black, while the other was taller, had a lankier figure and dressed equally smartly in blue. The taller one was tapping a finger thoughtfully on his lower lip, while the fingers of the other twin were performing a steady drum-roll on his arm. Zayn fidgeted under the gimlet scrutiny from two pairs of calculative blue eyes, feeling inadequate and small in his simple shirt and jeans.

"Oh, do excuse us! How completely rude of us, we forgot all about introductions! I'm Parker-" the taller one piped up suddenly, swooping his body into a deep bow.

"and I'm Phillip Ellis. We're both proprietors of the humble shop that you see before your very eyes, and we do hope that you'll enjoy your stay here!" The other twin finished grandiosely, indicating the boutique with a flourish.

"There's no need for such theatrics," Liam grinned good-naturedly and walked into the shop in a leisurely fashion, as though he had been here many times.

"Of course there is a necessity for such formalities! I believe Mister Malik has never patronized us before, so we've got to put up a good show for him, no?" Parker chirped, beckoning Zayn to move closer.

The shop was tastefully furnished, complete with abstract paintings that decorated the walls. The pieces of art were rather similar to the ones that Liam had in his office, Zayn observed, letting his eyes roam over the store. It didn't really look like a shop; it looked more like a cozy living room, along with an unlit fireplace, rows and rows of shelves with leather-bound books and a delightful medley of comfortable sofas and plush chairs in the middle of the area.

At the sides were racks and racks of clothing and accessories that anyone could ever want for any occasion, although most of the outfits were more suited for evening and formal wear. Expensive lamps hung sturdily from the ceiling, bathing the wares in flattering light. To Zayn's left were suits and tuxedoes for the males, color-coded and arranged in a scrupulously neat manner. To his right were designer collections of dresses and gowns of every color and material, ranging from delicate lace to velvety silk and showy, sparkling sequins.

Zayn shifted closer, his curious eyes delving further into the store. Adorned on small mannequins were assortments of hats and scarves, and also last but not least, a shocking array of footwear, from polished black shoes for males to dangerously high stilettos and sandals for the ladies.

Zayn didn't need to be told that the prices here wouldn't be cheap.

"So how are things with you and Pietro-" Phillip started, but abruptly fell silent when his brother frowned darkly at him. Embarrassed by the slip of his tongue, Phillip flushed and quickly busied himself with tidying the platter of biscuits on the coffee table. Upon hearing Pietro's name, Liam's smile froze briefly before he recovered his equilibrium swiftly. Pulling a crystal champagne flute towards him, Liam tipped the bottle of vintage champagne and filled the glass up.