Levy put on his seatbelt as well and started the car, making the engine boom with power. It shocked me at first but then sent a soft purr reverberating up my spine. This car was so hot that I felt like I was in an action movie. I peeked at Levy who had pulled the shifter into drive so smoothly that it didn't even make a sound. The car started to pull out of the unit and he rested his wrist on top of the steering wheel while in a relaxed posture. He was so cool right now, driving a hot rod and acting like it wasn't a big deal. Once we were out of the unit, the door slowly closed behind us and I was surprised that there was a mechanism installed since I didn't see Levy press a button to trigger it.
He then drove us out of the parking garage and took the main road to uptown. The run-down buildings outside my tinted window became regular and brand new the farther we went. The roads were newer as well, and there weren't any bums passed out in the gutters. There weren't piles of trash collecting in the drains and I didn't hear any gunshots. Regular people were walking outside as if there was nothing to fear, and the women wore dresses and skirts in public. I had forgotten there was a whole world out there that didn't have to constantly live in fear.
I felt a little sad that I couldn't enjoy the advantages of being a middle-class citizen, but at least I was able to appreciate what these people most likely took for granted every day. I stared in awe outside my window until I remembered that I had promised Levy to take off my coat once we were in the safer neighborhoods. I nervously unzipped my coat and maneuvered it through my seatbelt as I took it off. I tossed it in the back seat and turned to the window again once I got rid of it. I didn't look at Levy the whole time out of embarrassment. I couldn't think of anything to say to him and he seemed as if he was comfortable with the silence.
I admired our surroundings for a moment longer until I felt something brush my leg. I looked down and froze to see Levy's hand on my thigh. I tried my best not to shake as I turned my head to see if he was looking at me. To my surprise, he hadn't even glanced at me and was casually driving as he held a hand on my leg. I remembered his warning about being physically needy and blushed uncontrollably. I wondered how else he was planning on touching me throughout our date. Was he just going to hold my hand? Or was he going to be all over me once I stepped out of this car? All I could do was wait in anticipation.
We soon pulled into a parking space along the busy sidewalk and once Levy put the car into park he turned to me. "You wait right there." He didn't wait for me to respond before getting out of the car and walking around to my door. He opened my door for me and I got out as I tried to hide my tomato of a face from him. I felt awkward now that I was in public without my coat on, but Levy took my hand and made my anxiety disappear. Every time he touched me I could only think of him and why the heck he could possibly like me. He then led me into a clothing store that looked as if royalty shopped there. There were mannequins in the windows on either side of the door who wore fancy dresses and suits that I'd only seen in movies.
The inside was even fancier. The floor was tiled and chandeliers were hanging from the ceilings. So many clothes were displayed on either side of us, all of them gorgeous. The front desk was in the center of the huge building and was a circular shape where the employees could help customers from any direction. In a place as fancy as this, they probably called their customers clients. A tall, thin woman at the front desk then stood up and smiled when she noticed us approaching. "Monsieur Ozul! So good to see you again! What brings you in today?" I was shocked. Levy was a regular here? Who the hell was this man?!
Levy smiled softly as he gestured to me. "My date needs something to wear. Can you have one of your associates show her how to dress?" I took a little offense to that statement until I remembered that it was true. It was a little funny now that I had admitted it. I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt on a date for Christ's sake. The tall, older woman gasped once she saw me and said something in French that I could've guessed translated to "Dear god" or something along those lines. She walked out from behind the desk and snapped her fingers until a younger woman quickly came to her side. "Susanna, help this poor creature before it's too late!"
I blinked a few times. Well, that was a little dramatic. Levy laughed a little and moved his hand to my back. "Whatever she likes, put it on my card. I leave her in your capable hands." I turned to look up at him, curiously. "Where are you going to be?" He turned to me and flashed his white teeth as he smiled. "My tailor works here. I'll be in the men's side of the store so call me if you need anything. I can't wait to see you all dressed up when we meet here again." He then leaned down to whisper in my ear and his breath made tingles go up and down my body. "I would be especially appreciative if you chose something in black."
When he pulled away I didn't get a chance to respond before Susanna ushered me away. I could still feel his warm breath on my neck and I smiled a little as we parted ways. Susanna then walked me through the dresses and gave her expertise on what I would look best in. She was dressed sort of like a flight attendant since she wore a blazer and a neckerchief, but her outfit had a twist of fashion and didn't look like a uniform. She was nice but she wasn't humble with her idea of fashion. It was like she read the book on every style and trend there was and wasn't afraid to share her knowledge.
Once we figured out my size, she gave me some options to try on in the dressing rooms and gave me a paper bag to carry my old clothes. She would show me an array of them and I would choose my favorites. Levy's comment from earlier persuaded my decisions as much as I hated to admit it. I told myself that the best styles were in black anyway, but I knew that I also wanted to impress him. This all felt so unnatural to me. I was used to trying on clothes at donation stores, where the dressing rooms were just bathroom stalls without toilets. Now I was in a manor of a stall that had a full body mirror on the wall that was framed in gold.