"Hey, we agreed I call you mom at home, but out here, I can call you whatever I want!"
Benjamin chuckled, remembering the deal Ava made him sign last time.
Ava handed him her bag, "Call me whatever, I ain't got time to argue with a kid like you. Now, carry my bag!"
"Ava, where we headed now?"
Benjamin slung her black handbag over his shoulder and asked, still clueless about why she wanted to meet here.
Ava shot him a look, surprised at his casual tone. Just as she said he could call her whatever, he went straight to using her name. She was older and technically his mom. Calling her Aunt Ava would've been more fitting!
"I'm still your mom, you know. Even if you don't wanna accept it, you can' t be so casual. Call me Aunt Ava!" Ava said as they walked.
Benjamin shrugged, "Doesn't feel right. You're too young and hot for that. Calling you Aunt Ava makes you sound old. How about we go with sister? Mom at home, sister outside, deal?"
Ava snorted, not wanting to argue about titles. "At least he knows how to talk," she thought.
"Tomorrow's your hospital interview. Dress sharp. Jeans and a t-shirt ain't gonna cut it. First impressions matter. Let's get you a suit!"
Ava slipped into mom mode, always looking out for Benjamin's appearance.
Passersby saw this good-looking pair and assumed they were a couple, drawing lots of stares!
Ava suddenly grabbed Benjamin's hand and pulled him along, "That store' s got a couples' discount. Let's check it out, Benjamin."
Ava dragged me over to the store, one step at a time. Sure enough, there was a big ol' sign at the entrance, flashing a couples discount-20% off everything. The sign was hard to miss, pulling in couples left and right.
The stuff inside wasn't high-end or anything, with the priciest thing probably not even hitting two hundred bucks. But the styles were fresh, and there was a ton of both men's and women's clothes, enough to make your head spin.
"How about that one?"
Ava pointed at a slim-fit suit on a mannequin and asked Benjamin. He checked it out and thought it looked pretty cool-not your typical boring suit, but something with a bit of flair, perfect for young folks.
"Ava, you've got great taste! That looks awesome!"
Benjamin grinned. Ava let go of my hand and headed over to get the saleswoman to grab the suit for me to try on. Just then, a woman in her thirties or forties, with a young dude in his twenties, also eyed the same suit.
The woman was decked out in flashy clothes and bling, with makeup caked on her face. Her fingers were like sausages, and her massive, almost bursting-out-of-her-clothes chest was kinda scary.
Sure, guys might dig big boobs, but not the kind that look like they're about to hit the floor. Most dudes would be totally turned off.
"Benjamin, what size do you wear?"
After chatting with the saleswoman, Ava turned to ask Benjamin. At six feet tall, he usually rocked a large. "Get me a large to try on!"
The flashy woman also yelled out, "Hey, salesperson, we need a large too!"
Soon enough, the saleswoman came back with just one large suit and nervously told the flashy woman, "Sorry, ma'am, we're out of large sizes. We'll have more tomorrow. How about you come back then, and we'll give you a 30% discount?"
The flashy woman shot the saleswoman a dirty look and snapped, "What do you mean you're out of large sizes? You think I can't afford it or something? How dare you talk to me like that? Discounts and offers, do you think I care about your chump change?"
"I'm sorry, but this young lady asked for it first!"
The saleswoman pointed at Ava, but the chubby woman just brushed her off. "You don't know how business works. Clothes aren't claimed until they're paid for. I'll pay double, sell me the suit."
This lady was a real piece of work. Her loud voice had everyone in the store turning to look. The young guy with her quietly suggested, "Let it go, it's not worth fighting over a suit. Let's hit another store."
The chubby woman's fierce look softened a bit as she glanced at the young guy and whispered, "No way, this is a gift for you. You can't just let it go. I want you to try it on for me!"
Benjamin almost lost it; the whole scene was just gross.
"What are you waiting for? Pack it up for me!"
The chubby woman snapped, throwing two hundred and fifty bucks at the saleswoman. The crowd in the store was uncomfortable, but no one wanted to get involved.
Ava had had enough. She finally found something she liked, and now this woman was trying to buy it out from under her.
"Excuse me, I asked for this first. There's a first come, first served rule, right? This isn't an auction. It should go to whoever pays first!"
The chubby woman was taken aback, not expecting anyone to stand up to her.
"If you haven't paid, it's not yours. Get the boss and see who they'll sell it to. No matter what you offer, I'll pay double!"
Ava didn't have much cash on her, and even if she did, she wasn't about to get into a bidding war. But this woman was just too much. "Can you be reasonable? What do you mean it's not mine if I haven't paid? Fine, I'll pay now!"
Ava grabbed the suit from the saleswoman and headed to the cashier.
"Hold it right there, you cheap wannabe. If you can't afford it, get lost. I' m buying this suit today!"
The woman pulled out a wad of cash, looking like four or five grand.
Ava's face turned red with anger, but she wasn't great at arguing. Benjamin stepped in, grabbed Ava's hand, and glared at the chubby woman and the young guy. In a cold, firm voice, he said, "Apologize to her. Now."
"Apologize?" The fat lady sneered, "Are you nuts? Why should I say sorry to this loser? Just 'cause you can't afford stuff, why should I apologize?"
This lady always thought money could buy her way out of anything. In the past, she could pretty much settle everything with cash, and she had some serious backing. So, her cocky attitude was on full display.
Benjamin wasn't the type to hit a woman, but when he got mad, he didn't care who you were. If you ticked him off, you'd pay the price. This was Ava's first time out with him. If he couldn't even protect the girl next to him, what right did he have to be a killer?
"Don't be so shameless. You're not a kid anymore, and you're still keeping a boy toy. If you wanna date, go somewhere else. If you wanna act like a big shot, go to those fancy stores. Don't pretend to be a big deal here!"
Benjamin touched his nose and chuckled.
The fat lady was shaking with anger. Being called out in front of so many people, she felt humiliated. The young guy next to her also turned red and cursed, "How dare you talk like that? You looking for trouble?"
Benjamin wouldn't hit women, but guys, especially gigolos, were fair game. With a sudden slap, a loud smack echoed in the store, and five red fingerprints appeared on the guy's face.
The dude was sent flying sideways, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. The force scared him, and his face hurt like hell.
Even the fat lady, as dumb as she was, knew Benjamin was a martial arts pro.