A Cardinal Temptation (Kai)

[Aryana Darcy]

It was pretty obvious that Rya didn't have any excessive money in her wallet. She had a monthly income that wouldn't cover anything other than food and some minor, unexpected extra expenses. Ever since her father left, there wasn't really much money coming into her mum's grasp. She sent what she could, and it was all found on an international card Rya held. Luckily the British pound was slightly higher in worth than the dollar, so it did provide her a bit extra in that sense. Checking the balance this month, however, Rya was pretty shocked. There was an extra £100, which equaled well over $150 in American dollars. Her eyes flashed in excitement. Possibly a birthday gift? She'd have to call her mum and thank her later. For now, she was going to the mall.

She would probably be primarily window shopping for today, since her idea was going into all the incredibly expensive stores so she had nothing in her price range; therefore, Rya would keep her money for something much more necessary. But if she was going to go to these stores, Rya was going to at least look as if she had money. Rya curled her espresso brown hair, which now reached her mid back, and applied a light amount of eye makeup and foundation. Cardinal red lips matched a dress that fell to the woman's mid thigh, while black leather boots laced up to her knees. The four inch heel added to her height, making her stand at a decent 5'9". With a final look in the mirror, Rya was off to the mall.

The mall held two different sides. Those for the more common folk--the ones who had a limited amount of money-- and the rich folk--those people who had plenty to splurge--. Rya knew the minute she would head towards the more low-class shops, she'd spend her new found wealth in a matter of minutes. So instead, she headed off towards the richer section; specifically, a small boutique that sold everything from women's underwear and lingerie to in-style clothing from the most sought-after designers.

She didn't seem very interesting in the general clothing as she walked in. She merely walked past them and started walking towards the lingerie that caught her eye. These must be comfortable as hell, Rya thought as she eyed the price tag. It was a simple black chemise, obviously translucent that neared the title of transparent as it was found in the intimate section, with a matching pair of underwear. But of course, none of the ensemble was finished until a garter was put into play, as well. Rya stared rather longingly at the clothing before deciding she might as well try it on. She grabbed the lingerie off the rack and scanned the room to locate someone who may work at the boutique.

While searching, she could hear footsteps clicking against the white-tiled floor and she quickly turned around to lay eyes on a man, clearly asian in descent by the eye shape and skin tone. Rya never found herself quite attracted to asian men, mainly because none ever caught her eyes. But him? Hello, hot stuff. The brunette didn't gawk; in fact, instead of standing there like an idiot, her posture seemed to adjust, and her lips quirked upward in a flirtatious smile.

"Excuse me miss, can I assist you with finding something?"

"Well, I've found everything I need except for a dressing room." Which I could easily devour you in... "Care to show me, handsome?"

[Malachai Roen]

Kai's working hours had been a little limited lately as he tried to leave himself enough room for studying; if he worked too much, he was stressed all the time while on the job, and that made for bad customer service. As it was, today he was only slightly worried about his schoolwork load, having spent the previous two days finishing up a couple projects and studying for exams. Therefore, he had a pleasant smile on his face as he walked around the store and assisted people, locating items, offering advice, and giving compliments where appropriate. As always, he was dressed impeccably, his hair perfectly styled back and his stubble neatly trimmed, his clothes ironed and wrinkle-free, his shoes shined carefully. Kai worked this job well, and a good part of that had to do with appearance, which he was always keenly aware of.

He had just finished helping a man find a Christmas present for his wife in the intimates section when a girl standing nearby caught his attention. Maybe it was the color of her dress, or her perfectly curled hair, or the high, high heels, but his interest was immediately drawn. She seemed to be looking for something, and so, thousand-kilowatt smile in place, he smoothly walked over and offered assistance.

"Excuse me Miss, can I assist you with finding something?"

She had obviously caught his eye before he spoke, and the subtle change in her posture had his lips tilting into an amused smirk. It was hard to tell how old she was, though - she could easily be underage, which Kai was very aware of.

The comment and question made him even more amused, and he couldn't contain a chuckle at the not-so-subtle flirtation. "I'd be happy to show you," he replied. "Right this way, Miss." He had to keep a professional dialogue; at least, as long as he could manage, and until he was certain he wouldn't be flirting with a minor. With a motion of his hand, he turned and led the girl towards the dressing rooms, pausing as they reached them. His gaze landed on what she was trying on. "Nice choice," he smiled, eyes crinkling. "I have to let you know, though, that if you rip them while trying them on, you do have to pay for them." Store policy - he had to tell everyone. "If you need any further assistance..." His eyes sparkled darkly despite himself. "Let me know."

[Aryana Darcy]

I'd also be happy to drag you in that dressing room and...

Rya wasn't very discreet with her thoughts. What ran through her head was what ran through her head. She wouldn't stop those thoughts if they stayed with the depths of her mind, and they never truly bothered her in any way. Sex was not a foreign desire to her, as she has it maybe once or twice weekly. She knew what she wanted, and nobody could ever tell her otherwise; and this man she definitely wanted.

"Store policy or not, it isn't polite to tell a woman she might possibly rip anything. Unless, of course, there was someone ripping them for her."

She turned towards the dressing room with no further comments and closed the door behind her. Trying on the outfit took nearly no time at all. The outfit was comfortable and slick, fitting her body perfectly. Rya was far from small in the sense that she had very filled out curves along her body, but she was never considered thick, which was how she loved herself.

Slipping out of the dressing room, she noticed the man by the door. Her heels clicked against the floor as she approached. "So, love, how do you feel this looks? Eighteen years old and still beautiful, I think. But I'm not going to be the one admiring this, so I might as well ask." There was the subtle hint of flirting, and her tone was suggestive. But her eyes were wide and innocent, much to her own amusement.

[Malachai Roen]

Kai wasn't oblivious to the way the girl was looking at her, the tilts of her head and the flirtatious quirk to her lips. She was stunning - no doubt about that - but Kai, who would normally have flirted back without holding back at all, knew he had to keep up a front of decency while working, even if he knew she was probably imagining him with his clothes off. There was always a way for him to see her after, if she really was that interested... And, really, some subtle flirting wouldn't get him fired.

"My apologies, Miss," he replied smoothly, dipping his head politely. "I didn't mean to cause offense." Kai glanced up and smirked widely as she finished. "I would suggest... You refrain from that until after you buy them."

And after I get off work...

Seeing that the discarded clothing rack was getting full, Kai began to organize the articles and sort them according to where they went, telling himself that was the only reason he was staying around. Well, unless of course someone required his help.

Which, after the young woman reappeared with the very thing he'd told her to refrain from ripping, he realized the person that might need help from keeping his hands off would be himself. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, but... Damn. "It fits you beautifully," he replied as calmly as he could. His lips were tilted up in reserved relief; if she wasn't lying about her age, he wouldn't feel like a complete creep. "Is there... Someone you're buying it for?" he asked suggestively, subtly seeing if she was just being a tease and already had someone waiting. "Because.... It would be a shame if you didn't." He glanced behind him to make sure none of his coworkers were near before adding in a murmur,"I'm sure it would look... Even better on the floor."

[Aryana Darcy]

There may have been a formality in his tone to suggest that he, indeed, was simply being polite and doing his job, but the slight predatory look in his eye explained everything. He enjoyed what he saw which, frankly, was exactly what Rya was hoping for. It was easy to draw men in and get them to do her dirty work. And when she said dirty work, oh how she really meant 'dirty' work.

Her satisfaction only grew as he inquired about whether she was purchasing the lingerie for the pleasure of another. She could say Carter, but that would immediately turn him off of her, and it wouldn't be true, after all. Rya wasn't even purchasing the item due to her lack of funds, anyway. She just simply enjoyed the feel of the fabric and she wanted to see if she could potentially get this man into bed. "I might," she raised a brow, "Or maybe I'm just looking to save it for a rainy day."

More than likely, Rya would put it back on the clothing rack, as it was far too expensive for her to ever purchase. The man didn't know that, however, as she would say she was simply browsing the newest selection to add to her collection, and as much as she did enjoy this one, there were plenty more to go through.

At his comment, she snickered. "I'm sure you'd think so." And with her bottom lip captured between her teeth and a mischievous gleam in her blue optics, she added. "Too bad you won't to experience the beauty of it."

In a louder tone, she said,"So, I'm going to change. Maybe you can direct me to any more options I might enjoy, sweets?"

[Malachai Roen]

Too bad it wasn't raining today; otherwise, Kai would have made a very literal reply to the 'waiting for a rainy day' comment. As it was, he dipped his head politely, small, playful smile still in place. "Well, either way, I'm sure you and whoever your partner may be will enjoy it very much." This was both a compliment and a sort of marketing tactic to urge customers to buy. He was still working, after all. Kai couldn't completely slip out of his character.

His mouth twitched as she responded to his much less subtle try at flirtation, about to reply before she went on and made it clear it was something he wouldn't see. Well then. Was she playing hard to get, or had he been misled this entire time? Either way, he had to play it smooth. "Then I envy whoever it is that will experience it," he replied, his voice a little cooler, more guarded. He wasn't going to play if he was just being toyed with. He'd have to be a little more careful.

And so, with more calculating eyes, he smiled and dipped his head to what the girl said. "I'd be happy to," he replied. When Rya went back into the dressing room, he stepped away, having made note of her size and sorting through the options with an expert eye. He picked out two more pairs, one in a dark, sultry crimson, the other a deep emerald blue; both beautiful choices, in his opinion.

He approached the changing rooms again, waiting for the girl to reappear before he held up both options. "I think these are very tasteful," he told her. "But, then again, I don't know your tastes." Honestly, he thought she'd probably look great in anything, but he didn't say it aloud.

[Aryana Darcy]

"I'm trusting your judgement," She called back. When he passed them over, she did agree that they were quite tasteful. But maybe not exactly her.

The next things she tried on, she did enjoy, yes. But nothing was more appealing than the first that she had tried out. Rya felt the most sexy in things such as black and red. Things that were too light made her feel, well, she couldn't quite explain it. Most of her wardrobe consisted of dark, dark, and darker. Hot topic and Spencers was where she bought her every day attire. The nicer things, however, she got from more socially acceptable boutiques and things of the like.

Placing the final piece he had chosen back on the hangers, she slipped back into her clothes. There wasn't much that she could say and do after this. Her money was not being spent here, that much was for sure. But this man, well, she wasn't letting him go to waste. It was very clear that he was interested, and a chance to see a body like that, well, that wouldn't be left untouched if she could help it. She always had a pen and a spare scrap paper for cases like this. It wasn't often that she would go out looking like this and not have requests for her number.

She scribbled down the ten digit number she received when moving to the states, and neatly wrote "Rya" at the top.

On her way out, she located Kai and said her thank you's before slipping her number into his back pocket quickly yet carefully, and exited the store. Sure, she wanted the merchandise but that was far out of her price range. Maybe one day, though. But for now, she simple browsed other stores for the time being.

[Malachai Roen]

Kai lingered by the dressing rooms, continuing to sort and arrange and tidy things that needed to be done as he waited to see if the girl would need anymore help. A coworker passed by at one point, and Kai smiled and nodded at her, trying to act nonchalant until she passed by to go do whatever she was doing.

When the customer reappeared, he offered a warm smile, seeing that her hands were empty, but accepting her thanks nonetheless. Before he could turn to leave, however, he felt the subtle slip against his back pocket and glanced back just in time to see her pull away and leave. Brow furrowing, he pulled out the slip of paper.

A moment later, he gave a small, triumphant smile. Well then, apparently she had just been toying with him. Kai slipped it back in his pocket, already planning on calling her after he was done with his shift. In the meantime, he took his break to go to the discarded items and sort through them until he found the black set of lingerie Rya had been looking at - and purchased them without blinking.

He had a feeling he'd have fun throwing them on the floor tonight.

((Want to start a new thread? ^^))