Shopping

As she showered, Aurelie decided that she should take advantage of her boss's generosity, and use the credit card he had given her. She remembered the shopping district she had noticed in her guidebook, and while realising that stores would not likely be open for an hour or more, she thought she could wander and explore the downtown until they did.

Smiling, she stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in her robe and topping up her coffee. She took her time selecting what she would wear, finally deciding on a flowing silky top and the same skinny jeans she had worn the day before. Taking a sweater with her, she made her way to the lobby and out into the cool air of morning.

The streets were mostly full of people on their way to work, and Aurelie took care not to wander too blindly as she looked around at the city. Most pedestrians moved with a determined, almost irritated stride, and showed little patience for obstacles like oblivious tourists.

She took her time, window shopping and taking a few pictures with her phone, savouring the slight tang of sea air from the harbour. The city seemed very clean and bright in the light of morning, and Aurelie was thoroughly enjoying herself.

She bought a cup of herbal tea, and stopped to watch some chess players in a plaza in front of an imposing building that turned out to be the art gallery. According to her guidebook, the shopping district she was looking for was about a block away, and she decided to relax on a bench while she finished her tea and watched the chess players. She noticed some of the players glancing at her from time to time as she sat, their faces looking puzzled and in some cases irritated by her presence.