Chapter 20 You Could Give it a Shot

Eleanor didn't eat the lobster tails or let her emotions show.

She tried to fight back her tears.

Aaron was aware of the reason behind her aversion to shrimp, but she felt she had no right to question him about it, and didn’t see the need to either.

After quietly finishing her meal and leaving the residential area, she declined Vincent's offer and chose to drive her new car instead.

The new car needed breaking in, and Eleanor wasn't used to it yet; she drove slowly. When she arrived at the boutique, to her surprise, Aaron's car was right behind her, also just arriving.

Vincent got out of the car, glanced at Eleanor's new vehicle, and teased, “Why isn't Miss Quinn from the Quinn family driving something fancier? Or you could sweet-talk your brother into buying you a luxury car.”

"Aaron won't spoil me," she responded.

"You could give it a shot," Aaron said as he got out of the car and with a single hand, lit a cigarette.

The smoke hazed his stern features, and his cool gaze swept coldly past Eleanor's eyes.
Eleanor didn't even glance in his direction, let alone respond, as she walked into the boutique.

Vincent looped her arm through Aaron's, leading him inside. The clerk had been given a heads-up about their arrival and was waiting at the entrance, "Aaron, Miss Thompson, Miss Patterson."

They weren't engaged yet, so it wasn't quite right to address her as Mrs. Quinn. The wealthy clans were notoriously picky, and one wrong word could spell disaster.

On both a personal and formal level, 'Miss Thompson' was the safest bet.

The store manager personally escorted them to try on dresses that Vincent had pre-selected. There were five stunning gowns to choose from, each with a price tag that was out of this world, and they had to pick three.

The Quinns truly were the epitome of a powerful and distinguished family.

"Aaron, which one do you like best?" Vincent asked.

Aaron pointed to a white dress on display, and Vincent's face lit up with approval. "I love that one too, but I also think the purple one is quite striking."

"What do you think, Eleanor?" he turned to Eleanor.

She gave a slight nod, "The white one, I think. It suits your elegance best."

Vincent was contemplating which dress to try first when his eye caught a gown showcased in a nearby cabinet.

"What about that one? I haven't seen it before," he gestured.

Eleanor followed his gaze to see a floor-length strapless mermaid dress in a deep celestial blue. Under the light, the dress's hem appeared to twinkle with a subtle shine, likely due to the delicate diamonds embellishing the pleats.

Her heart fluttered inexplicably at the sight of it. She was enamored.

"That's a new piece by Mr. Patt," the store manager informed them.

Mr. Patt was the founder of the label, an internationally renowned fashion designer whose garments were coveted by the rich and glamorous far and wide—many of whom could only dream of donning one of his creations.

"Let's take it down for me to try," Vincent decided on the spot, giving Aaron a playful shake. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," Aaron said, a soft smile gracing his face.

Eleanor looked away; he had never indulged a woman so easily before.

The store manager knew Vincent's measurements like the back of his hand and thought the dress might not be the perfect fit but dared not offend her.

Eleanor stayed put on a sofa a little farther from Aaron, pulling out her phone to message Edward back.

Edward was inquiring if she had any plans for the evening, offering an invitation to the Fencing Club he owned.

Eleanor found fencing intriguing.
After a few lessons from Grayson, she started to question whether it was her lack of skill that made her a poor teacher.

It turned out that Eleanor just wasn't blessed with a knack for sports.

"No need to stress yourself out over this; Grayson's all too familiar with existential crises," she typed with one hand.

Two seconds flat, Edward replied, "I'm his senior, so naturally, I've got a few extra tricks up my sleeve. Once I'm through with you, he'll get a real taste of what questioning life is all about."

Eleanor chuckled behind her hand. Edward had a way of hitting where it hurt, and just imagining Grayson's reaction made her want to burst into laughter.

As the clerk served Aaron a glass of water, their hands collided, spilling the cup.

"Oh, I'm so sorry... Sorry, Aaron."

Eleanor stopped her giggles and glanced over.

Aaron's face was stone-cold as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hands.

Vincent, with the help of two clerks, struggled into a mermaid dress that was slightly too long. A few extra inches on her heels should do the trick, but the dress didn't hug her waist or hips right, and the bust was too loose, clearly a size mismatch.

"Can we alter it?" Vincent asked, unwilling to let go.

The store manager shook his head. "You know Mr. Patt'srules."

Vincent did, indeed, but she had fallen for this dress at first sight. It would be such a shame to miss out on it.

"Tell Mr. Patt I'm willing to pay a premium."

"Miss Thompson, Mr. Patt has made it clear—Precious Lady gowns are not to be altered." The manager was visibly anxious.

"Then I'll take a new one made to order, plus this one, before my engagement party—it can be done, right?"

Sweat beaded on the manager's forehead. "Mr. Patt's stance is that this dress is one-of-a-kind."

Vincent clenched her teeth and reluctantly slipped out of the dress, parted the curtain, and returned to Aaron's side with a look of frustration.

"Don't like it?" he asked.

Not wanting to show her temper, Vincent responded with a smile, "I'm sure it's meant for someone more suitable than me."

The store manager and clerk trod carefully, carrying the dress past Aaron. He nonchalantly pointed at Eleanor, "Let her try it on."

Though not thrilled to give up the dress, Vincent agreed with Aaron, "Yeah, Eleanor, your figure's better than mine. It should fit you perfectly. Since it didn't work for me, you might as well give us both a treat by trying it on."
Vincent had been so insistent that Eleanor found him hard to refuse, especially since she really favored the dress.

“Miss Patterson, do you need any assistance?” The store clerk waited attentively by the changing room.

“No, I've got it, thank you. Please go on with your work.” She wasn’t accustomed to being waited on.

Inside the spacious changing room, Eleanor slipped into the gown, reaching behind her to pull up the zipper. It stopped halfway, and try as she might, her hand couldn't reach any farther, nor could it grasp the zipper from below.

“Excuse me, could you help me with the zipper?” She remembered the clerk standing by the door as she closed it.

Shortly after, the door opened from outside.

Embarrassed, she said, “Sorry to trouble you, I can't quite reach—”

Her gaze froze as she saw the reflection in the mirror.

Aaron’s warm palm rested on the small of her back, making Eleanor jolt as if burned, quickly wriggling to the side.

“Hold still,” Aaron reacted swiftly, restraining her movements.

His entry made the once spacious changing room feel tight and suffocating, as if the air pressure had dropped.

Eleanor tensed up.

Then, a faint sound.

The zipper was up.

His hand withdrew.

The dress fit Eleanor as if it were tailor-made, hugging her silhouette in an unexpected harmony.

Without looking at his reflection, she was unaware of how stunning she looked in the gown.

Her wavy hair cascaded down, touching the pale skin of her back. The store was heated, and her rushed attempts to pull up the zipper had caused fine beads of sweat to form on her nose. As she turned her head, a strand of hair stuck to a tiny mole near her eye.

Lively and enchanting.

Frustrated and flustered, she turned the doorknob to leave when suddenly a hand reached past her ear and slammed the door closed.