At this moment, James Brown found himself caught between two sisters. On his left, he was being hugged, and on his right, being pulled—it really felt like he was enjoying the blessings of everyone.
He could feel that people passing by were giving them extra glances. The pair of twin sisters were truly eye-catching, and even he, as the green leaf beside the flowers, seemed to shine a bit brighter.
Especially the envious looks from other men made James Brown feel a touch of smug satisfaction.
Suddenly, he felt a pain in his left arm. James turned to look at Gina Lopez, whose displeased eyes were fixed on James's right arm. James could only respond with a bitter smile to indicate that it wasn't his initiative; it was Grace Lopez who had taken the lead, and what could he do?
Gina knew that Grace's behavior didn't mean anything special, but for someone as meticulous as she was, her sister's actions seemed a bit too casual. However, she couldn't really say anything in this setting and just had to suppress her displeasure as they continued moving forward.
After wandering around the first and second floors for quite a while, the three of them only bought some small items for the New Year and then headed to the men's clothing section on the third floor.
This time, Gina wouldn't let the other two wander around. She went straight to a brand store, bought James a casual outfit, and then dashed to the underwear section. She wanted to finish shopping quickly and get home early.
The men's underwear section couldn't compare with the women's; it wasn't very large, and the interior was fully visible from the outside. Yet, eighty percent of the customers there were women, with only a few men accompanying their partners.
Grace Lopez stopped in her tracks, giggled, and said, "I won't accompany you for this kind of shopping."
Gina didn't want to go in either, but with Grace's comment, if she didn't go, wouldn't it look like their relationship hadn't reached that stage? She had no choice but to brace herself and walk in arm-in-arm with James.
With Grace no longer by his side, James immediately whispered, "Gina, the clothes we just bought were really expensive. There goes more than half a month's salary for me."
"I bought them for you," Gina answered indifferently, not minding James's frugality—it was, after all, a sign of his visit to help her, and she felt responsible for his expenses.
"Then thank you very much, Gina." James had indeed become accustomed to calling her Gina throughout the day.
"Let's hurry and make a purchase, just pick out any two pieces."
"Isn't that a bit improper? Look, Grace is watching us the whole time. You at least have to pretend to help me choose."
Gina fully believed that her sister would be watching at that moment, inwardly groaning. She had never even bought underwear for her own father, and now she had to buy them for James.
Luckily, there were many women around, and it seemed quite natural for them to be holding men's underwear, so Gina didn't feel too embarrassed. However, she was entirely clueless about men's underwear brands.
The sales assistant was very perceptive and could tell from Gina's demeanor that she was well-off. She immediately came over and said, "Hello there, we have men's underwear from all the leading brands of the world."
This provided Gina with a way out. She nodded her head and followed the salesgirl, then stopped in front of a brand counter and said, "Give me two sets of this brand."
"Sure thing." The salesperson immediately agreed cheerfully, knowing that bigger brands typically offered higher commissions. Glancing at James Brown, she asked, "What size does this gentleman wear?"
Gina Lopez hesitated for a moment, looking at James Brown, who simply shrugged his shoulders, saying, "I don't know."
The saleswoman pursed her lips with a smile, took another look at James, and said, "I think this size should be about right. Try comparing it." With that, she handed a pair of underwear to Gina, and it was given directly to her.
Gina's face instantly turned red. This was men's underwear, after all. How could it be handed to her? But it seemed inappropriate not to accept it, so she took the underwear with reluctance, holding it as if it were a ticking time bomb.
"You can compare it to your boyfriend to get an idea," the saleswoman reminded her again.
Gina quickly faced James with the underwear in hand, but the thought of comparing that particular area made her feel even more awkward. At that moment, she truly regretted going shopping for underwear with James.
Taking a deep breath in secret, Gina held the underwear up to James's waist, but it was a mere formality; she couldn't really tell if the underwear was a good fit.
"Pfft!" The saleswoman couldn't help but laugh out loud, though she quickly composed herself. Seeing that the relationship between the two was obviously not that intimate, she grabbed another pair of underwear and handed it directly to James, saying, "Sir, the one just now seemed a bit small; see what you think of this one."
Unexpectedly, Gina snatched the underwear first, saying, "Let me do it." She then held the underwear up against James's waist, seriously comparing it this time, and said, "This should be about right. Let's take five pairs of these."
"Alright." The saleswoman was somewhat surprised by Gina's drastic change in behavior, but she didn't need to understand the reasons behind it. All she knew was that she had made a sale.
Little did she know that Gina, a CEO, had strong adaptability and self-control. Even though it made her uncomfortable, she felt the gaze of her sister still looking in their direction, and she had to maintain such a gesture.
Having purchased the underwear, Gina also bought James two dress shirts and a set of pajamas — the lightweight cotton kind that would be comfortable to wear around the house or to sleep in.
Buying these items was not as embarrassing for Gina. After getting through the most awkward part with the underwear, the rest felt much easier. Moreover, to show her sister, she deliberately picked and chose, consulting with James about which styles to buy.
James wanted to laugh at this; Gina's acting skills were truly remarkable. But evidently, it was an enjoyable act, and even if it was all just for show, James was more than happy to participate.
Finally, after making all the purchases, Gina settled the bill and met up with her sister. Grace Lopez looked at the bags James was carrying and said with a smile, "I was right, brother-in-law. You weren't kidding when you said my sister can be gentle. She's quite patient when it comes to buying you underwear, hehe. I get it; it's because she can see it."
Gina felt a bit embarrassed and glared at her sister, saying, "Don't talk nonsense. We've got everything we need, so let's go."
Grace immediately pouted, "Big sis, you're back for once; aren't you going to buy something for your dear sister?"
Gina frowned slightly and said, "Alright then, let's go upstairs. You can choose for yourself."
"I knew you were the most generous, big sis," Grace exclaimed excitedly, wrapping her arm around Gina's and dragging her sister upstairs.