To Love in Full

Chapter 12: Oniochalasia

Oniochalasia (n.) Buying or shopping as a method of stress relief or relaxation.

Arabella's P.O.V.

Dark, dangerous, but sexy; it's something I've been wanting to ride, I thought to myself as I gawked at the Maserati sports car that was parked in front of me.

"Are we taking this car?" I asked Dante as I circled the beauty in front of me.

"Yes, Ms. Aetos," he replied and I squealed with excitement.

My fascination for cars came from my grandparents. They taught me everything I needed to know about them, and they even owned a fast car themselves. We stood around the car in the front of the estate as we waited for Viviana to join us. I was excited when Nicolo allowed her to come along; I was looking forward to making a new friend more than shopping.

"Viviana!" I called out when I saw her walking down the stairs and towards the gravel road.

"Hello," she said quietly and I gave her a wide smile.

I observed her closely when she started to walk towards me. Her dark hair was tied back in a sleek ponytail, showing her high cheekbones, and her eyes gleamed of dark brown when the sun's rays shined down on her irises, she is really pretty.

"Thank you for taking me away from this hellhole," she said to me with a smile as Dante opened the doors for us.

"I figured we both needed some time away from the estate," I replied as we both sat down in the backseats.

"You have no idea," she groaned and I laughed lightly.

"Nicolo told me that I'll need to find a dress for a club he's taking me to tonight," I said as I placed his card into my pocket.

"He gave you his card?" she asked as she looked surprised.

"Yeah, I don't have any of my belongings with me at the moment," I said quietly as I looked down at my hands, thinking about the memories from that night.

"Do not worry I will help you find a dress, there is a boutique in the city that I frequently visit, we'll start there," she said as she told Dante where to go.

I nodded at her and smiled. It has been years since I have gone out with someone like this. During my years at the university, my days would consist of studying and spending time in my apartment, very rarely did I go out with a friend. I may be a bit socially awkward, but I'm glad she came along with me.

"We are here, Ms. Aetos," Dante said pulling me out of my thoughts.

I looked outside the window and saw that we were in front of a high-end boutique.

"Let's go!" Viviana said excitedly as she exited the car and I soon followed her.

When we walked into the store I gasped at the lavish and fancy interior designs. Mannequins enclosed by glass lined the center of the store, rubies and diamonds on the jewelries shined on the glass shelves as they each had small individual lights, and organized racks of dresses lined the store walls.

"Don't worry about checking the price tags, with Nico's card you can buy anything you want," she said as she noticed my staggered expression.

I started to walk around the boutique as my hands traced over multiple dresses. Silk, satin, cashmere, I said to myself as I touched each fabric, all very expensive. When I made my way over to the dressing room with the few dresses I had found, Viviana dumped more into my arms, building up a pile that I struggled to carry.

"Go try these on!" she said as she shooed me into a room and closed the curtain.

The first dress I tried on was a long sleeveless gown that hugged my curves tightly. I opened the curtain and Viviana immediately looked disappointed.