Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Catalina threw open Lora’s wardrobe, once they got into her dressing room. “What are these Lora?” Catalina asked looking from Lora to the wardrobe. “You don’t have good looking clothes for a girl whose Papa is rich and Mama is a fashion star.” She added waving her hands as she scanned through the clothes again.

“Your parents are billionaires for God’s sake Lora, and I know you have so much money yourself.” Catalina said as she walked to her bed and sat down gazing at Lora. She have not thought of going through Lora’s wardrobe open like this, and had only complained about her dressing especially when she wanted her to go to a party with her like she did on their schools graduation party. If she had the kind of money Lora had or if her parents were as rich as her parents were she would have had clothes better than the ones she had, she thought as she peered at Lora.

Lora said nothing, instead she looked down, moving her right foot back and forth a little bit and biting her lower lip at the same time, feeling a little embarrassed by what Catalina just said about her not having good looking clothes.

“I’m sorry Lora.” Catalina apologized after a while, seeing how her words affected Lora. “I don’t mean it like that. She added, getting up from the bed and walked to where Lora was standing, she looking down at her feet, “I am sorry Lora, do not take what I just said to heart,” she added, taking Lora’s hands in hers and gazing into her eyes as she lifted her gaze to her.

“It’s okay.” Lora replied, shrugging her shoulders a little and then lowered her head to the ground again, “you may be right though,” she added, recalling her mum’s outfit in her photo in the magazine she had hidden away in one of her drawers.

“Would you mind spending some real cash today?” Catalina suddenly asked after a short silence as the thought of taking Lora for shopping struck in her head.

“Why do you ask?” Lora asked in return, looking up and wondering why Catalina would ask such question.

“I have a plan girl.” Catalina said giggling a little as she felt how fun it would be to go for shopping especially since it would also relief her of some of the stress she had herself because the fight her parents had. “I am going to take you shopping and have you do some makeover too, Lora.” She added still giggling as she took a close look at Lora and imagined how she was going to look after she had worn a proper stylish dress and a had a makeup done.

“What for, Catalina, are these cloths not enough and a makeover too, why do I need that?” Lora asked, her pupil’s enlarging as she spoke, wondering why she would need a new dress and a makeover just to be with Alfredo.

“Yes, these are clothes, but you need something that will bring out the woman in you.” Catalina said, making Lora a little confused as she wondered how a cloth would bring out a woman in her when she was already a woman. “Come on Lora we need to go,” Catalina told and hurried closed Lora’s closet. She helped Lora pick her handbag and led her out of the house.

***

Catalina took Lora to various boutiques she never even knew existed. “Here take this.” Catalina said to Lora each time she handed her a cloth she picked out as if she were the one paying and not Lora.

“Catalina, this is too much.” Lora said as she collects the clothes from Catalina’s hands. “Where can I possible wear these clothes to?” she asked as she follows Catalina to browse through the boutiques.

“This will suit you very much, do not worry you will thank me latter.” Catalina said as she kept on selecting clothes for Lora from the boutiques.

“I think this will do for now, Catalina, we have more than enough already.” Lora said, pleadingly, gesturing with her eyes so that Catalina would stop picking out clothes.

Catalina paused and looked at Lora who is holding so many clothes already, she is marveled herself when she saw how much clothes she has giving her already. “Okay, this will do for now, I guess.” She said and turned towards the cashier, while Lora followed behind her, struggling to carry the clothes in her hands as they were too many for her.

They moved over to the shoe section where Catalina picked out some pairs of beautiful shoes. She did the same for some set of hand bags to go with the shoes and clothes. “I think this will do for now too.” Catalina said again, acknowledging Lora’s pleading gesture.

“Oh thank God.” Lora muttered, already feeling exhausted from the shopping.

“I am only considering your cash, that’s all Lora, else we would have had more of these.” Catalina said swinging Lora’s card as she gestured to the cloths.

“Yeah, right,” Lora muttered again as the cashier took her card from Catalina so that she could pay for the thing they have bought.

A few minutes after they got out of the boutique Catalina held Lora’s hand stopping her abruptly as they needed to make another stop.

“What’s the matter?” Lora asked wondering why they had to stop the way they did. “One more thing Lora, you need a makeover.” Catalina said, gesturing to a beauty salon across the street.

She pulled Lora’s hand as she literally dragged her across the street into the salon, ignoring her plea to stop and go home as she felt very tired already from all the shopping they had to do.

"What do I need a makeover for?" Lora asked again, and tried in vain to stop Catalina from taking her to the saloon.

"It’s just for the fun Lora, just for fun." Catalina replied as she lacked words to persuade her, and then pulled her into the salon.

***

“Wow, you are looking gorgeous, Lora.” Catalina said as Lora walked out of the dressing room in the beauty salon after her makeover putting on one of the outfits they bought.

“Yea, I can’t believe this either.” Lora said smiling as she walked up to a mirror standing at a corner in the salon.

“Tell me how you are feeling right now.” Catalina said teasingly, as she peered at her reflection in the mirror.

“I can’t explain it girl, I never imagined that I could look like this.” Lora said still admiring herself in the mirror. “Thanks Catalina.” She added looking at Catalina and back to her reflection in the mirror.

“You’re welcome.” Catalina replied standing closely beside her and still gazing into the mirror too, her eyes lit in admiration of what Lora looked like. She pressed a lips together a little as she felt a little jealous gazing at Lora like this because she knew who Alfredo was and how he feels attracted to women when he saw them looking so polished like the way Lora was looking now. “get a hold of yourself, Catalina, this was your idea remember?” a voice said in her head, reminding her of a reason why she should not be jealous of Lora right now, and that she should be happy instead to see Lora this happy for once in her life. Catalina brushed the thought of feeling jealous of Lora at the moment and decided to be happy for her new look as Lora obviously was.

“The only problem Catalina, is that I don’t think I can go out on the street looking like this, let alone see Alfredo looking like this,” Lora said, as the smiles on her face suddenly disappeared from her face. She loves what she saw in the mirror but her mind was feeling uneasy because this was not her usual self, as she wondered what the people who knew her would say when they saw her dressed and looking like this, especially Alfredo, as she felt afraid that Alfredo may think that she was being desperate if she appear like this in front of him.

“And why not?” Catalina asked holding Lora’s chin up and gazing into her eyes, wondering why she would not be able to walk on the street looking as the way she looked right now.

“I just don’t think I can, and besides people would assume things you see.” Lora said moving her head away from Catalina’s palm and looking back into the mirror, she is not like Catalina, she thought, knowing that this was Catalina’s normal way of dressing.

“Assume what Lora?” Catalina asked getting a little confused, her brows furrowed a little too.

“I am not just the kind of girl to wear these fancy things, it is like am not being real to myself.” Lora said, turning her gaze away from the mirror to look at Catalina.

“You are the daughter of billionaires for God’s sake, Lora you are a billionaire, why don’t you dress like one.” Catalina said, her brows still furrowed at Lora.

“It is not about me being a billionaire Catalina, I am not just used to it you know.” She said and walked back into the dressing room again and locked the door behind her.

“Lora, Lora stop.” Catalina called after her to try and stop her from changing her outfit but Lora already locked the door. “Open the door Lora.” She said, knocking on the door, hoping that Lora would stop.

“Just a minute Catalina, let me change these clothes.” Lora told her from inside the dressing room.

Lora walked out of the dressing room afterwards to see Catalina leaning on the wall outside the dressing room waiting for her. “Why Lora?” Catalina asked, waving her hands at Lora. “Why did you change into your old clothes?” she asked again, frowning at Lora.

“Do not worry Catalina, I am going to wear these clothes but not today, I will wear one when I have a meeting with Alfredo, he was the reason for this right.” Lora said pulling Catalina’s hand and leading her out of the beauty salon.

“Are you sure?” Catalina asked, peering at Lora after they walked out of the saloon, wondering if she was truly going to wear one of the clothes when she would meet Alfredo.

“Yes Catalina, I will, you do not have to worry about that.” Lora told her, gesturing for them to leave first. Catalina nodded and decided to let Lora be since wearing the outfits was still up to her.

Lora handed one of the shopping bags to Catalina who took it when they entered the bus heading back home.

“What is this for?” Catalina asked, looking into the bag, wondering why Lora gave one of the bags to her.

“It is for you Catalina, you don’t expect me to let you go home empty handed do you?” Lora asked teasingly, gazing at her, with a smile on her lips.

“Wow… thanks Lora, I never expected this.” Catalina told Lora, gazing from the bag in her hand to Lora’s face, surprised to hear say that to her. This was not the first time she was receiving something from Lora, but she did not expect that she would give her this much, especially after spending so much of her money.

“No thank you, Catalina, I should be the one to say thank you to you because you have made my day.” Lora said smiling at her. “So thank you, Catalina,” Lora added, still wearing a smile on her face.

“You are welcome Lora.” Catalina replied, shrugging her shoulders a little bit and smiling at her in return.