After they finished eating, the two began their search. 

"How about here?" Catherine questioned, stopping in front of H&M. 

"Yeah…. No." Gina said slowly, shaking her head, "They do have nice clothing, but you need something that is a little more… Extra." 

"Extra?" Catherine repeated quietly, glancing back at the store. She loved shopping at H&M. "Then where?"

Gina grinned, taking her hand and dragging her away. Catherine frowned when they stopped in front of Michael Kors. 

"Gina, you know I can't afford to shop here."

"Hey, I was thinking of a place that is much more expensive, but I thought for a starter, here would be perfect for you."

Catherine protested as she was dragged inside the store. What was Gina thinking? She would barely have enough to pay for rent if she shopped here. She knew her friend wouldn't listen to her, and was slightly insulted. 

Gina wasn't born into a rich family, but she still had a comfortable lifestyle with a biweekly allowance from doing chores. She started working at the age of twelve, doing newspapers, and then from fifteen to sixteen she worked at fast food restaurants. At seventeen until eighteen, she became a waitress. Then she started working at a bar when she turned nineteen, and that's where she got paid the most, through tips. Gina had snowy colored blonde hair, striking silver eyes, and a body that girls would kill for. Her breasts were large and perky, and she often wore clothes that showed off her body. 

Through her years of working, Gina spent her money seldomly, only on things she needed. She was careful with what she bought and saved her money. She had thousands of dollars in her chequing account, and even more in her savings account. How she was able to do so, Catherine wasn't sure. 

I'll just tell her there isn't anything I like here, and then we will be on our way, she thought to herself. Surely there wouldn't be anything that would catch her eye, and they would be able to go to a store that was more affordable.

***

Catherine never knew she could be so wrong. After spending twenty minutes browsing, she had found not only clothing she liked, but a pair or black heels and a leather white purse. 

"I don't know about this…" Catherine murmured, stepping out of the dressing room. She was dressed in a black pencil skirt that clung to her hips and legs, and a white button-up blouse she thought showed off too much of her cleavage. 

"You look hot," Gina said dismissively, "And at the same time, professional."

Catherine stood in front of the mirror. She wasn't used to wearing clothes like this. She preferred comfortable casual attire, but she knew she had to step out of her comfort zone. She put on the black pair of heels she found and Gina passed her the purse. The outfit looked… Amazing. While it wasn't something she would normally choose, she felt good. 

"Okay, I'll get it," She finally declared, returning to the changing room so she could change back into her clothes.

Once she was out again, she glanced at the price tags for everything. 220 dollars for the skirt,180 dollars for the shirt, 365 for the purse, and 175 for the heels… Her heart sunk as she finished reading the prices for the items. All together, it was around a thousand dollars. She definitely couldn't afford that. There was a bitter taste in her throat, and she tried to swallow back her disappointment. 

"Let's just go somewhere else," She muttered, getting ready to put all the items back where they came from.

"Hold on," Gina said, grabbing her wrist, "Why the long face?"

"I can't afford-"

"Cathy," Gina sighed, "Why do you think I suggested this place? Because I'm going to buy it for you. I never would've offered we come here if I didn't plan on paying."

"Wait, what? No, Gina, I'm not going to let you buy this stuff for me. It's too expensive." Catherine shook her head, trying to tug her arm away. 

"You're my best friend, and you just got a job at a place people only dream of working at. You better believe I'm buying you this. Think of it as a congratulations gift." Gina snatched the items, and made her way up to the counter.

Catherine watched with wide eyes as Gina pulled out her wallet and paid with cash. Why… Why spend so much money on me? 

"I promise I'll pay you back," Catherine vowed, feeling slightly awkward yet exhilarated holding the bag. She felt like a giddy child who just received a gift on Christmas.

"Never! I don't want your money. You enjoy this stuff, Cathy. You deserve it."

Tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away, "I will pay you back-"

"If paying me back is that important to you, you can buy me a coffee." Gina said, sticking out her tongue. 

"I'll buy you a thousand coffees," Catherine said, "I'll buy you coffee every day for a year!"

Gina laughed, slinging her arm over Catherine's shoulder, "Now that's something I can't say no to!"