Heartbeat by Iem_Aivlis

Author POV

"This one looks beautiful to me. But the model on the neck cut made me look so thin. It makes my collarbone stand out." Said a beautiful lady in front of a mirror who was in the boutique.

A woman began to approach that lady and with a smile growing on her lips, the woman began to talk. "If you'll give me permission, maybe I can give you a suggestion, Miss?"

The lady who was fitting a dress in the boutiq looked a woman through the mirror nodding. "Of course you can, please go ahead."

"The dress fits your body because the color matches your skin. If I may ask what hairstyle you would wear when wearing this dress, Miss?" The women asked the lady who was a regular customer at the boutique.

"I want to do my hair with a low updo style or multiple chignon. You know what I mean?" This lady said to the mirror that reflected my reflection.

"Of course I know. It's a modern style of bun adorned with flower-shaped hairpin, isn't it?" The women asking her to make sure.

She nodded her head as she smiled. "I already have that pin flower hair accessory and I really want to wear them."

"You can try the style of half updo. You quite asked the stylist to make curly on half your hair. After that, you braided your hair with like half updo. Your stylist can pin the flower accessory to the back of your braid." This woman stopped the explanation because the lady cut her off.

"What does this have to do with the dress? You're just giving a solution to using my hairpin." This lady asked, pointing at the dress she was wearing.

The woman who is a shopkeeper in this boutiq began to move toward her. Now they are face to face. She politely asked. "Can you untie your hair?" She asked as she looked at the back of the lady's hair.

The lady looked puzzled. But she finally unshackled her hair and it made all her hair hang behind her back. The shopkeeper started picking up some of the lady's hair on the right side and the left. Then she put it forward over the lady's collarbone.

"Take a look, Miss. This way you can cover it up. Especially when you do your hair with style like half updo, you look lovely in this dress." The shopkeeper convinced her.

The lady smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Her white ivory gown was the one she was going to wear for her engagement day. She seemed satisfied with the shopkeeper's explanation. Immediately she walked into the changing room, changing her clothes. And then the shopkeeper followed her and packed the clothes she gave the shopkeeper from behind the dressing room. Then she walked to the counter and paid for a dress that the shopkeeper had neatly wrapped in a paper bag.

"Thank you very much for your advice. My name is Alice. How about you?" The lady held out her hand.

The boutique shopkeeper shook the lady's hand. "You're welcome, Miss. My name is Emily. Thank you for your visit and welcome back. Also, I congratulate you on your engagement, Miss."

***

Emily's POV

"Are you really going to wear it?" My friend asked me a question.

"Of course! And I really have to wear it" My reply to Katty.

Katty's my best friend. We worked as waitresses at a boutique store in the mall. LOU mall is the name of this place. And the name of my work is a LOU's Boutique. I have been working at that boutique for a long time.

"But if you really need some money, I can lend it to you, Em. Did Abigail cause trouble again? Do they demand significant compensation?" Katty keeps asking me.

"Calm down, Miss Katty. It's not what you think." I say, while wrapping up the santarina costume around my body.

Yeah, now we are in a changing room. My work time is over. Katty will change her clothes with the uniform of LOU's Boutique. While I changed my uniform to this Santarina costume.

"Then, why are you making extra money in this costume?" Katty asked, but she helped me tidy up my santarina costume.

Christmas is coming soon, I wear this costume to welcome Christmas. And I get paid more for this.

"You know that Christmas is only a few days away. I was just looking for some extra cash to buy Abigail a present. This year's Christmas I want to celebrate with Abigail in particular. I'm going to buy her a beautiful dress for her birthday." I explained to Katty.

In one instant, Katty's eyes widened and he clapped his brow. "Oh, I forgot that Christmas was her birthday too."

I just smiled at her. "I will tell Abigail that her beloved aunty is forgetting her birthday."

"Hey Emily, do you want to see Abigail mad at me? I already got her a Christmas present, but I forgot her birthday present." She said with a chuckle.

"Okay, I'm ready now. I will go now. Remember we'll go home together! See you later." I walked out after putting on my Santa hat.

"Okay. Bye Em." Katty replied to me.

I walked into a Christmas tree in the middle of this mall. My job is to decorate this Christmas tree in santarina costumes. I'll also hand out presents to customers who get raffle tickets. When I finished putting presents under the Christmas tree, I started decorating the tree with various knickknacks.

"Excuse me Miss, I'd like to switch coupons." A man said to me.

Then I got off the chair that was on my feet. I was decorating the tip of this pine tree. Because it was high enough, I used a chair to reach it. I lost my balance when on the way down. Luckily, the man caught my wrist.

With shame, I said. "Thank you."

He smiled, then said, "I got the sixty-seven number on this coupon."

The young man handed me a slip of paper toss. Then I looked through the coupon number. I started looking for number sixty-seven among the piles of presents located on the roots of this spruce.

"This is your gift." I said as I handed him a rather large enough present.

"Did you already exchange it?" A beautiful woman approached this a man. Pushing the trolley, she caressed her belly with a little big. This woman looked pregnant. She's probably five or six months pregnant. They must be a married couple.

"Yeah, Sweetie. What do you think was in it?" The man handed the gift to the wife.

This pregnant woman grabs the present that is in her husband's hand.

Then the woman shook the gift and put it close to her ear. Probably her trying to guess the content of that gift.

"I have no idea." The woman said to her husband while shaking her head.

Before they go, this man who's gonna be a dad is talking to me. "Thank you Miss."

"Your welcome." I replied to him.

And then the man started taking control of the trolley next to his wife. He took his wife home and pushed the trolley while his wife was still hugging the present. That man reminds me of someone. When Abigail was in my womb, we used to shop together. He'll push the trolley while I pick out our baby things equipment. Every once in a while there's gonna be a little argument because he insists on the pink setting, but I pick the blue one. He believed that our unborn child was a daughter, but I told him that we were going to have a son. If only he were still here, maybe Christmas would be more beautiful for us.

***

I started walking down the street, and then after several minutes I walked and turned into the alley. It's unusual for me to be home this late. Because I usually get the early shift at the boutique. And I'm going home in the afternoon, while Katty's got the night shift until the mall closed. As Santarina, I get to go home after the mall closes and it happens at eleven pm. Katty texted me that her boyfriend took her out after her shift. And here I am, walking alone into my home. It just so happens that my house is not too far from my work. So I can walk and save money. My house is almost visible from here. I just need to walk a little longer. But why do I get the feeling that something's wrong? I think someone's following me. I saw a light coming from behind my back. The light was shining in my footsteps. I quicken my pace. But something pulled my bag from behind. What I had to do. Screaming, running or fighting for my bag. If I shout out, would anyone hear me at this time? I think everyone was asleep. So it's either run or do I have to fight him?

*Continued*