Autumn was here.
If you were to think of Autumn, one would think of falling leaves or changing to thicker clothes. Some might even use this season for relaxing walks on the beach or pleasant hikes through the forests.
For me, however, Autumn didn't really mean much.
Maybe I would change a few meals here and there to deal with the temperature change, but other than that, Autumn was a pretty chill season for me.
Of course, my girlfriend didn't think that way.
"Here, try this on!"
"Another one?! This is the tenth one, already!"
"When shopping for clothes, you have to try every combination feasible! It doesn't matter if you have to try on a dozen or two!"
"Your girlfriend is right, mister! You have such a great physique; it would be a pity if you didn't choose the right set of clothes!"
"You guys..."
Slapping my palm on my forehead, I bitterly accepted my fate of being outnumbered. That's right, I was currently I was in the middle of a shopping date with my one and only beloved. Usually, on our normal shopping dates, I was given the assignment of a courier donkey. Anything that Althea bought, I would carry.
But this date was different.
Rather than being the mule and standing in the background, I was thrust into the forefront of the shops. I became an oversized model as Althea picked an array of outfits for my testing. I didn't know this, but apparently, people usually went shopping during the Autumn season. Since I had always been wearing the same clothes, I didn't follow this custom that Althea and other girls religiously followed.
Alas, there was no way that my girlfriend would allow that.
Althea dragged me to the same mall that we went for Spring clothes and visited the same boutique. Even the salesperson was the same!
I still remember when she'd mistakenly thought we were a couple when we first visited this store. However, this time, the veteran shopkeeper was right in her assumptions. Then again, having Althea plastered all over my body was a good hint that we weren't just regular friends.
"Mister, I suggest you try this set! I'm confident that it'll look good on you!"
The young woman approached us with a posh burgundy London Coat and a series of inner wear to complement said coat. The whole set looked overwhelming, especially after I saw the price tag. As someone who barely spent on clothes, I wanted to detach myself from the situation and run as far as humanly possible.
Too bad my girlfriend would never allow that.
"Wow… You really look good in that!"
"You think?"
I spun around once in the coat that fitted on my body perfectly. Seriously, how does this boutique even work? For such a tight-fitting, I would have thought that it was tailor-made for me.
"Yes, it's perfect!" The sales attendant clapped her hands in praise. "You've really encapsulated the essence of Autumn with that one coat alone. If you were to add a patterned shirt underneath..."
"Oh, I totally see that!" Althea answered with glimmering eyes. "Do you have any of those shirts?"
"Of course we do!"
We continued shopping well into the afternoon through a combination of impeccable customer service and Althea's firm desire to dress me up like a doll. In the end, Althea was unable to make up her mind, and we ended up buying five sets of Autumn wear.
Needless to say, all of the clothes that we bought could be paired together. If I had a burgundy London Coat, Althea boat a maroon cardigan to match.
It seems that with each passing day, Althea's desire to announce that she's my girlfriend was getting stronger. Not that I'm complaining, though.
Just like how Althea didn't want any other girl to approach me, I felt the same when another man eyed her down. Perhaps it was my own bias, but I feel like the girl had slowly morphed into a different type of beauty.
Don't get me wrong, Althea has always been a stunning specimen. Her glossy black hair that seemed to contain ounces of Angel's essence and practically divine small face that would make any of God's creations cry out in shame would turn heads no matter what age she was.
But recently… I felt like there was a slight change.
Althea's 'aura' or overall demeanour had experienced a shift. Before, the ethereal beauty would have a soft, immature look to her expressions. She would seem like a sheltered young lady that needed all of the protection in the world.
Now, however, Althea had turned far more mature. She would walk with confidence, and her poise was something only seasoned women would have. The make-up that she wore reflected that change as well.
To put it in a sentence, the Althea before looked more like a budding teenager that had the potential to be a great beauty. In contrast, the Althea, as of late, had completed her journey and had already become the most gorgeous woman in the world.
And it wasn't like I was partial to Althea's exquisite charm. Just walking towards the cafe for dinner, there were hordes of women and young men who tried to snatch a glimpse of Althea's visage. Some even stared far longer than they needed to.
Fortunately, I was around; otherwise, I was certain that Althea would have been swarmed by wannabe talent scouts or sketchy idiots that would try to befriend her.
"Desir, give me a second."
As I was busy trying to intimidate the various lustful eyes, Althea released her grip on my hand and ran into the shop we were passing by. I wanted to join her, but her business with the clerk was much faster than I'd anticipated. Before I could even walk in, Althea was already on the way out with a small parcel in hand.
"What's that?"
"Just some clothes I'd bought online. Since we were already coming to the mall, I'd thought that I could pick it up myself."
"Oh, is that so?"
I nodded and thought nothing of it. Althea buys lots of clothes, so this wasn't an irregular occurrence. Well, if I had seen Althea's relieved and expectant face after I turned around… I probably wouldn't have thought the same.
"Table for two?"
"Yes," I answered the waiter who had come to serve us. "Oh, is the promotion for the chocolate cake still available?"
"Chocolate cake?"
The waiter looked at me with a perplexed frown. Ah, it has been some time since we last visited this store. It would be strange if the promotion still lasted for that long. I turned around, hoping to get some clues from any of the billboards put out and fortunately for me...
"Desir, look!"
Still holding my hand, Althea dragged me towards a signboard that was located right next to the counter. On it, there were various promotions and interesting photos. Be it from celebrities that dined here before or just simple one-for-one options. However, neither Althea nor I were interested in the irrelevant stuff.
Our eyes honed in on just one picture.
"They still have our photo!"
"Oh, looks like they're still using it for promotional purposes."
It was the polaroid image that we took back in Spring when we first visited this mall. We weren't dating then; heck, we weren't even aware that we had feelings for each other, so we came off a little weird. Althea was as beautiful as ever, but there was a faint apprehension in her face. Something that I hadn't seen in a while now.
Meanwhile, I looked like I was in the most uncomfortable situation of my life. I tried my best to shift my arm so that it wouldn't touch Althea's soft bunnies, and my smile was rough and rigid, as if someone had forced me to take a bitter pill.
"Urgh, I look atrocious here."
"Haha, that's true!"
Instead of consoling me, Althea decided the fan the flames of my despair. Come to think of it, the girl seems to be doing this far more often. Jesus, where did my sweet and kind Althea go to?
"Oh? It's you two!"
A stunned's voice caught our attention as we turned towards the young woman who called us out. She was wearing a waitress uniform similar to the waiter before, but she seemed far more experienced. I wouldn't be surprised if that woman was the manager.
"Hmmm? You are..."
"Ah, I'm the person who took your photo, remember?"
"Oh… I see..."
Does she remember every customer that comes through her doors? Damn, that's some good customer service.
"Hmmm, since you're here, I was just asking. Do you still have that chocolate cake promotion?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. It was only for the Spring." The waitress politely replied. "But if you want to try something new, we do have a red velvet cake promotion. Hmmm, how about this? If you two take another picture, we'll give it to you for free again!"
Oh ho? This waitress really knows how to deal with her customers.
"Really? Do you have the authority to give cakes for free?"
"Haha, customer you may not know this, but your picture was highly popular! It helped bring in several new patrons!"
Really? Now that was a surprise. I could understand if Althea was popular, but I was just a carry-on at most. Even looking at it now, I could tell that I had a stupid face on. For that picture to be popular…
Urgh, let's not think about it.
"What do you think, Althea?" I diverted the question to the girl on my right. "Do you want to take another photograph?"
"... Will we get to keep the photo again?" Althea asked the waitress.
"Of course you will!"
"Then I'm all in!!!"
Althea clapped her hands in excitement and intertwined her arms with mine. With a broad smile, the girl leaned in far closer than she did before, drawing a soft whistle from the waitress and many of the customers watching us.
"Haha! Now that's the spirit!"
Before I could even breathe a word, the waitress pulled out a camera from her apron and began instructing us to take poses. What the hell, woman? Did you always carry a camera with you?
"One, two, three! One, two, three! Perfect!!!"
After snapping a picture or two, the waitress paused for a moment just to let the polaroid rest. When she was done, she handed the image over to Althea with a happy smile. To add to her impeccable customer service record, the waitress brought over the old picture just to give us a faint comparison.
"My oh my~ What a beautiful couple you two are!" The waitress laughed in joy. "You seem even more in love than the first time you came!"
"... We do?"
I looked at the two photos, trying my hardest to see the difference. Althea, on the other hand, started to giggle like a young girl. Amused by the picture, the girl gave a stunning smile before leaning into my shoulders.
"Hey, Desir?"
"Hmmm?"
"We should come here more often."
"... If that's what you want."
Goodness. For some reason, I felt that I was going to visit this cafe for the rest of my life.