Elle knew that the new line of products were popular, and the event had been a huge success, but she hadn't expected things to be this busy for them. There was a line of people waiting just to enter the store. Elle laughed to herself when she realized that most of the people in line were men, and many of them looked like they were there begrudgingly. Elle a.s.sumed most of them were there to buy presents for their significant others.

Elle debated whether she wanted to get in the line or not. She knew Abby would be pleased by the gift, but she was reluctant to stand in that line. The bags she was already carrying weren't getting any lighter either. In the end Elle decided to go buy the tea for her father first, then go drop her bags off in her car, and then return for the necklace. Hopefully by then the line would dissipate a bit. Even if it didn't, at the very least, Elle wouldn't have to keep carrying the heavy bags as she waited.

Elle went to a specialty tea store that sold hundreds of varieties of teas. Again Elle was tempted to buy something for herself, but with great restraint she managed to focus on the gift for her father. After speaking to one of the workers Elle finally decided on an herbal tea that contained a blend of ginger, orange, and a few other ingredients that was supposed to be highly effective on colds. It was a gift for her father, but Elle was secretly excited to be able to try it.

Once she finished purchasing the gift she went out to her car and carefully put the bags away in her trunk. Elle glanced at the time as she re-entered the mall. It was already one in the afternoon.

'Just a little longer.' She told herself as she returned to MK Jewellery. The line hadn't gotten much shorter in the time she was gone, but it hadn't gotten any longer either. Elle joined the end of the line thinking that Abby had better love the present.

Slowly Elle got closer and closer to the front of the line until she was finally able to enter the store. Elle already knew exactly which necklace she was going to get; it was one made out of white gold with a circle made up of diamonds in the centre.

Elle thought she could be in and out of the store quickly, but she stopped short in surprise as she entered.

The store front was made up entirely of gla.s.s, but hanging on the other three walls were giant blown up pictures of the models of MK's luxury line. This, of course, included Elle.

The portraits were cropped to highlight the jewellery, so the top of the photo began below her eye line and the bottom cut off at her waist. Her eyes weren't visible at all, and because of the mask neither were her nose or her cheekbones. As a result, no one seemed to notice that the girl in the photo and the girl standing in front of it were the same person. However, this didn't stop Elle from feeling embarra.s.sed as she glanced at the giant portrait.

Elle made her purchase quickly, suddenly eager to be out of the store. She bought the necklace and with that she was finally done all her shopping. Elle couldn't wait to just get back home and plop down; after close to three hours of shopping she was exhausted.

On her way out, however, she pa.s.sed a store with a pair of cufflinks in the display window that happen to catch her eye. As she glanced at them an idea suddenly came to mind. Elle slipped into the store to make one last purchase before she finally got back into her car and returned home.