Another Shopping Spree

The morning light filters through the curtains as you lay in bed, the weight of the second trial pressing heavily on your chest. Beside you, Liam is still sprawled out, clearly deep in thought, staring at the ceiling as if the answers to all your problems might magically appear there.

“So…” Liam finally breaks the silence, his voice still groggy from sleep. “Marcus Chase.”

You groan, covering your face with your hands. “I know. I can’t believe it either.”

“You and me both, man.” He turns his head to look at you. “I mean, we’re talking about Marcus Chase. The guy’s got more security around him than a president. How the hell are you supposed to stand out at a party like that? Let alone seduce him?”

You shrug, feeling the anxiety rising again. “I don’t know, but Aphrodite’s made it pretty clear it has to happen. I’ve got just over a week to somehow pull this off.”

Liam sits up, pulling the blanket off his legs as he stares at you thoughtfully. “It’s gonna take more than just showing up and being flirty. You’ll need to look the part, act the part… fuck, you’re gonna have to be the part.” He rubs his face with both hands. “This is gonna be tough.”

You nod, knowing he’s right. “I can’t just walk in there as I am now. I mean, who am I kidding? I barely even stand out at a college party, let alone one with A-list celebrities.”

Liam sits up straighter, the gears in his head clearly turning. “Well, first thing’s first. You’re gonna need a total makeover. I’m talking hair, makeup, outfit… the whole deal.”

You sigh, knowing he’s right but dreading it all the same. “Yeah, I figured as much. What about my behavior though? I mean, I’m still me. It’s not like I’ve magically become some seductive socialite overnight.”

Liam frowns, thinking hard. “True… but that’s where Hermes might come in again. His spell worked before. Maybe we can tweak it again? Make you a bit more… charismatic? Confident?”

You roll your eyes. “And what? Just have him dial it up even more until I’m practically Aphrodite’s clone?”

Liam chuckles, though you can tell he’s only half-joking. “Well, you’re already halfway there. You’ve got the walk now, permanently. Maybe he can fine-tune the rest.”

You groan again, sinking further into the bed. “I don’t want to rely on Hermes every time something comes up. There’s got to be another way.”

Liam shrugs. “I get that. But we’ve only got a week, and you need to stand out. I mean, it’s not like Marcus is just going to be randomly seduced. He’s Marcus freakin’ Chase. It’ll take everything you’ve got—and more.”

You both sit in silence for a moment, letting the reality of the situation sink in. There’s no easy way out of this. You’ll need to change, more than you already have.

“Okay,” you finally say, taking a deep breath. “Let’s focus on what we can control. Clothes. I’m definitely gonna need better clothes.”

Liam nods, the first clear solution finally settling in between you. “Yeah. The stuff we’ve got now is too simple. You’re gonna need something that says, ‘I belong at this party.’”

You think back to the simple outfits you’ve been wearing—mostly to stay comfortable and to hide the bras you’ve started wearing daily. “You’re right. Something more… elegant. Classy. Sexy, even.”

Liam raises an eyebrow at you. “Did you just say ‘sexy’?”

You roll your eyes, laughing despite yourself. “Don’t get used to it. I just know it’s what Marcus Chase will notice.”

Liam grins, clearly pleased with your begrudging acceptance of the challenge. “Alright. Step one: we go shopping. Let’s get you some clothes that’ll knock people’s socks off.”

With that decision made, you drag yourself out of bed, the weight of the morning conversation still clinging to you. The day ahead feels daunting, but at least now you’ve got a plan.

You start your usual morning routine, heading to the bathroom to brush your teeth and freshen up. You catch your reflection in the mirror, and your eyes instinctively linger on your chest. The bras you bought weeks ago were initially just for show, but now your breasts actually fill the small A-cup. You run a hand over the fabric, still amazed by how much has changed. The discomfort without them was unbearable, so wearing a bra every day had quickly become the new normal.

Sighing, you strip out of your nightclothes and take a quick shower, the warm water cascading over your body. Once done, you head back to your room and reach for the underwear drawer, pulling out a fresh pair of panties and a bra. Once those are on, you throw on a pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt, nothing too fancy. You don’t need to stand out just yet—shopping will take care of that.

You step out of the bathroom, now more awake, to find Liam scrolling on his phone, clearly doing some research.

“What are you looking at?” you ask, tugging your shirt down and sitting on the edge of your bed.

“Checking out some stores downtown,” he replies, not looking up. “We’re gonna need to hit a few different ones if we want to find the right look.”

You nod, your stomach flipping with a mix of nerves and anticipation. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Liam smirks as he stands up, grabbing his jacket. “Marcus Chase, here we come.”

The fluorescent lights of the upscale boutique cast a sharp glow on the racks of dresses, blouses, and shoes that stretch out before you. You and Liam stand in front of a display, both of you staring wide-eyed at the price tags. A cocktail dress you pick up feels like silk in your hands, but when you glance down at the tiny slip of paper dangling from it, your stomach drops.

“$450? For this?!” you mutter under your breath, quickly putting it back on the rack like it’s on fire.

Liam lets out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Dude, we’re gonna need to sell a kidney just to get you ready for this party.”

You groan, knowing he’s right. “We’re not even halfway through yet, and we’ve already spent way too much.” You tug on the hem of your shirt, wishing you could just melt into it and disappear. Shopping for women’s clothes was a new kind of ****—not to mention the price tag attached to it all.

“Okay, but we’ve gotta look at the bigger picture,” Liam says, leaning against a display of blouses. “This is Marcus freakin' Chase we’re talking about. Aphrodite’s not gonna cut us any slack here. We need to get the best we can.”

You both glance around at the rest of the store, the racks and shelves taunting you with price tags that make your wallets shudder. The dresses are elegant, chic, and scream "wealth," but there’s no denying they come with a hefty price.

“I mean, do we even have enough to make this happen? What if we have to seduce him over multiple nights? What then?” you ask, running a hand through your hair.

Liam shrugs, looking just as stressed as you. “I dunno, man. We can’t even afford one decent outfit, let alone a whole wardrobe.” He glances at a sleek, black dress hanging nearby. “Maybe we’ll have to get creative.”

“Yeah, because that’s been working out so well for us so far,” you mutter, still staring at the dress racks.

Liam sighs, crossing his arms. “I mean, do we even think it’s possible to pull this off in one night? Marcus is already unofficially attached to that rival actress—what’s her name? Victoria something? Aphrodite made it clear that he’s all wrapped up in her. How the hell are we supposed to get him to switch his focus from her to you?”

You snort. “Yeah, because clearly, I’m gonna outshine Victoria Worthington, the literal goddess of the big screen.”

“Exactly my point.” Liam shakes his head. “No offense, but… seducing him in one night? It’s not just about looks. You’re gonna have to make him want you, which is going to be harder with her in the picture.”

You frown, anxiety creeping in as you realize the monumental task before you. “I get that, but we don’t have the time to draw this out. The longer this takes, the more likely Aphrodite’s gonna get bored and screw us over even more.”

Liam sighs, clearly just as stressed as you are. “So, what’s the plan then? We seduce him in one night, or do we draw this out and hope we can afford more than one outfit? We’re already scraping the bottom of the barrel as it is.”

You stare down at a pale blue dress, its silky fabric shimmering in the light. “I don’t know,” you admit. “We have to try, right? Even if it takes more than one night.”

Liam hums in agreement but doesn’t sound convinced. “Maybe we can pick a couple of outfits. One for the party and another for backup, just in case this thing drags out.”

“That’s probably smart,” you agree, although the thought of buying multiple outfits makes your bank account wince in pain.

The two of you wander the store, awkwardly navigating through the world of women’s clothing. You feel like a fish out of water, picking up bras with a confused expression and looking at Liam, who is equally lost.

“Push-up or not?” you ask, holding up two bras.

Liam stares at them like they’re alien objects. “I dunno, dude. What do girls normally wear to look hot at fancy parties?”

“Push-up, probably.” You grab a couple of them, cringing at how different they feel compared to the simple ones you’ve been wearing for the past few weeks. “This is ridiculous.”

Liam grabs a pair of panties from a nearby rack, his face contorted in confusion. “What’s the deal with these? They’re like... tiny.”

You glance at the lacy material in his hand and snicker. “They’re not supposed to be comfortable. Just... functional.”

“Right,” he says, putting them back down, looking more perplexed than ever. “This is so far out of our league, man.”

After what feels like hours, you both finally gather a few items: a couple of bras, some panties, and—most importantly—two dresses that will hopefully be enough for Marcus Chase’s party and beyond. The first is a sleek black number, form-fitting and elegant, while the second is more daring, a deep crimson with a plunging neckline that you’ll probably never feel comfortable in, but hey—**** times.

As you make your way to the register, you look over at Liam, feeling the exhaustion weighing on both of you. “What if we screw this up? What if Marcus doesn’t even notice me?”

Liam gives you a reassuring, if tired, smile. “He’ll notice you. You’ll look amazing. And if he doesn’t fall head over heels right away, we’ll just have to make him.”

You raise an eyebrow, smirking despite the stress. “Confidence, huh?”

Liam shrugs. “One of us has to fake it.”