this is me trying [perdita]

With her hands on her hips, she tilted her head. "Is that so?" She asked playfully, her bright eyes flicking back and forth across his face, amused. If Torrence had spent more time with her in Greece, he would have had an opportunity to see everything the house had to offer. He'd been to Mykonos and Portofino. The only Bloom holiday home he hadn't been to was the apartment in Paris. Or the villa in Split. But she was pretty certain he didn't know about either of those.

The kiss caught her off guard and she allowed herself to be pulled closer. Perdy let out a soft sound of surprise that melted into a moan, her fingers curling around his smart blue shirtfront as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him back. She was inches away from shoving him backwards and onto the sofa before he broke the contact.

The kiss left her dazed and she had her eyes closed, even as Torrence backed away. She grinned, letting out a dreamy sigh before cracking one of her eyes open. "We'll see," she purred in response, deftly using his previous words against him before she laughed. "Come here," she coaxed Torrence before she reached out her hand to run her thumb just under his lower lip to rid him of the lipstick smudge she'd left on his skin.

"Deal," Perdita agreed quickly with an eager nod before they were in downtown Singapore. Her eyes were drawn to the shops as she bit her lip, surveying her options in thought before she nodded at one. "There," she announced, pointing at a chic looking shop that seemed to sell mainly dresses. She gave Torrence's hand a tug as she walked in, only to be greeted by a pretty and petite sales associate.

The racks were minimal as Perdy moved away to look through them. They were gorgeous - well tailored, classically elegant and best of all - expensive. She had no idea what the exchange rate from galleons to Singapore dollars were but she was willing to bet it wasn't fantastic. When asked if she needed help, Perdita smiled.

"Gentleman's choice," she went on, gesturing to Torrence politely before turning her head to let her fingers trail over the dresses gently. It seemed to please the other woman and Perdy heard the words so romantic! and she snorted, clapping her hand over her mouth in response.

Her eyes, darkened with desire, and her hands, brushing against his lip, almost had him changing his mind on leaving the apartment. Almost. He flicked out his tongue to touch her thumb as she wiped off what he assumed was her lipstick, but honestly didn't mind the marking.

They were downtown moments later and he let her lead the way into a dress shop, ignoring the sales lady as he glanced around, trying to picture Red in any of these, wondering what she might pick, and if she would let him help her get changed in the dressing room...

He looked around, practicing patience for once, orbiting around where Red stood looking through a rack before he heard her statement and he glanced up, his gaze meeting hers. He smiled slowly, his eyes glittering, ignoring the other woman as she made unnecessary commentary. "You sure?" he asked with a perk of his brows. The last dress he had picked out for a woman had gone in a black strapless number that was so short it had shocked his Nan at a family party. Of course, that had been his intent, but he wasn't sure Red knew what she was getting herself into.

Then again, he did have great taste. he clicked his tongue and glanced around, getting to work as he picked through the racks. He shook his head as the sales woman offered him some options, fucking annoying, and she eventually went away. Torr came back to Perdy with a handful of options for her to try and nodded toward the fitting rooms. "I want to see," he said, holding up the lush dresses in his hand: a short sleeve evening dress the color of champagne with lovely beaded handwork, a peach satin day dress with thin straps and a full skirt, and a sheath backless number in red, of course, that already had him licking his lips.

The boutique was cool inside, a nice change from the warm and humid air outside. She flicked her eyes over to Torrence and smirked. She wasn't usually a fan of when people were rude to staff but she knew for a fact that the other woman wouldn't pick something she'd like as much as he would.

"Yes," she laughed in response as she stopped flicking through the racks, her head tilted with a smile. "It's just a dress," she grinned. She assumed she was going to wear it here in Singapore, not back in London. Smirking, she turned her head as she continued browsing. Her fingers stroked the luxurious material carefully as she studied it in the light, looking at the price tags and not understanding if they were good value or not. But judging by the fact the dresses felt like real silk, she was assuming she'd need to run back to Torrence's apartment and grab her purse.

Feeling him behind her, she turned as her eyes widened at his selections. "Oh wow," she breathed as she stepped closer to him to examine the garments. They were all different but all equally stunning. Perdita was speechless.

Quick as a flash, she grabbed the hangers and disappeared. Perdita closed the curtain of the dressing room behind her, though she was careful to not draw it the entire way, just to let him see. "These are really pretty," she called out to Torrence as she quickly undressed, letting what she was wearing hit the floor without a care as she slipped into the peach dress. In front of the mirror, she moved her hips from side to side, enjoying the way the skirt swished.

These are all different from what she normally wore. This dress in particular was very demure, even the spaghetti straps were cute but she was saving the red one for last. "Come zip me up?" She called out to him, popping her head around the curtain with a grin.

He nodded as she said it was just a dress. Obviously, but still, he liked the idea of picking out what she would wear. Normally it was lingerie or shoes or jewelry as a make good after a fight, but this felt different and Torr knew himself well enough not to dig too deeply into that notion.

The way her eyes lit up told him he had done well even though he hadn't really needed the confirmation. He had a lot of experience picking out women's clothes for his female friends and he had known Perdy long enough to know exactly what he liked her in. He grinned as she grabbed them out of his hands and disappeared. He followed slowly, overwhelming the small settee outside the dressing room as he sprawled on it, one arm hanging across the back of it. For once, he didn't mind the wait. Especially as she (purposefully?) left the curtain open a bit, giving him a tantalizing peek at her as she changed. He licked his lips.

"Obviously," he said, his cobalt blue eyes darkening as he traced the curves of her body as she slipped into the new dress he had picked for her. Her invitation had him moving a second later, pushing the curtain to the side and stepping up behind her. He brought his hands up over her arms, trailing them slowly over her shoulders and down her back until his fingers met the zipper.

"I like this one," he said as he met her gaze in the mirror.

In the mirror, she stood on her tiptoes as she moved from side to side. It was very pretty. It didn't need  any tailoring, it fit her like a glove. With her long limbs and long torso, Perdita was very used to having to alter things herself, lowering hems or adding in darts for some more shape, but she was momentarily mesmerized by her reflection.

As Torrence's hands ran up her arms, she let out a sigh as her eyes closed, goosebumps rising on the exposed flesh. She smirked. She liked how she knew where his fingers were, even if she was unable to feel them. She shivered. He was only helping her get dressed but the action felt rather intimate all the same. He'd done a great job. She didn't care if he was dressing her for himself or for her but she loved it all the same. And she was regretting not bringing a bigger bag with her for all her loot.

"Yes?" Perdy asked as she smiled at him in the mirror, dropping her gaze to look down the bodice of the dress, her hands on her hips to appraise it. She liked it a lot. "Can I have it?" She asked Torrence as she turned to face him, her hands on his shoulders as she brushed away a piece of imaginary lint, her palms sliding to his chest as she batted her eyelashes. "Please?" She purred. She refrained from using the magic word because if she did, she was fairly certain they'd be kicked out of the shop.

Torr gave her a nod in response to her first question and then a smirk in response to her second. He pretended to think about it for a moment, as if he hadn't brought her here with a wad full of money he had exchanged in London before arriving specifically with the point of spoiling her rotten. And Perdy had expensive tastes, which he appreciated, especially when she came to him dressed in nothing by French lingerie. This dress was a definite yes, even if he did pretend like he needed extra incentive.

Her palms against his chest sent zings of lust through him and he debated whether it was worth it to take her right here in the shop knowing they'd likely get thrown out. He smirked at the idea as he looked down at her, feeling her sidle in closer. That one word falling from her lips was like she was talking directly to the baser parts of him and he grinned wolfishly at her. "How can I say no to that," he told her even as his hands moved up from her hips, his thumbs brushing across her rib cage just under her breasts.

Except they had a lot more shopping to do first and Torr could tease and play just as well as she could so he leaned in slowly, a breath away from her lips, his eyes on hers, and then said. "Try on the next one," before he laughed under his breath and went back to his seat just outside the dressing room, having left the curtain open a bit so he could keep watch.

The grin he gave her made her offer one in return, biting on her lower lip. They hadn't even done anything but this whole dress shopping experience felt incredibly clandestine. And she liked it. With his hands on her ribs, her own slid down his forearms slowly, resting on the backs of his wrists as she tapped her fingers against his skin lazily. "How far away do you think she is?" She asked Torrence in a stage whisper, meaning the sales assistant, before she laughed.

"Correct answer," she purred. Her toes curled in her shoes as he touched her and there wasn't anything except a dressing room curtain shielding them from view. "That feels nice," she said softly, in invitation for Torrence to continue as he leaned in and she did the same.

On her tiptoes, her eyes closed and lips parted as she anticipated the kiss that didn't come. She stumbled forward, now that his body wasn't there to catch her before she opened her eyes. "What?" She asked, dumbly, only to see him sweep the curtain back and disappear. Quiet for a second, she snorted. "Dickhead," she mumbled under her breath as she rolled her eyes before unzipping the dress and hanging it carefully on the hanger before getting herself into the champagne coloured gown.

It was very pretty and it caught the light beautifully. It fit her like a glove, hugging her curves, looking like it was painted on and her eyes widened a fraction in the mirror. This was a complete vibe change from the peach dress. This one was longer, slinkier, the material looking almost translucent as it shimmered.

Turning on her heel, she pulled the curtain back and revealed herself with a grin. "I've no idea where I'm supposed to wear this," she laughed, though not complaining. "The opera?" She joked as she turned to show Torrence the back of the dress, sweeping her hair forward. "But have you seen my arse in this?" Perdy asked, eyes wide in faux shock. "You could bounce a knut off it."

She really was speaking directly to his dick with her comments like how far away was the annoying sales clerk and that invite in her eyes that he could clearly read. Torr was not opposed to any of the things he saw in her gaze, but he also wanted to spoil her a little. Or perhaps it was more teasing her, drawing out the anticipation, the game of it all. He smirked as she settled back on the settee, his legs crossed at the ankle in front of him. "Heard that," he told her brightly at her insult, not offended at all. Felt more like a reward somehow, actually.

Torr saw the flash and hint of champagne glitter and he was glad she was saving the red one for last. His brows going up slowly as she pushed back the curtain and he let his eyes trail over her slowly, wanting to pat himself a job well done as he took in her curves and the way the dress melted over her like cream. And the slit that went up her thigh on this one? Dangerous. His eyes darkened and he gave her a nod, his tongue caught between his teeth. "It's alright," he drawled, giving her his slightly sarcastic appraisal before she turned and showed him the back.

An even better view, in his honest opinion, his eyes stuck on her ass as he laughed, low and deep at her. "I'm not taking you to the fucking opera, but guess we'll have to find some occasion for it," he said finally meeting her gaze with a smirk. If this was how she acted when he took her shopping, maybe he should do it more often. He definitely wasn't hating it.

"You were meant to!" Perdita hollered back before she laughed. She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the way he looked at her sometimes. Had she been more of a lady, she might have blushed. Instead, she did a full 360, letting the material shimmer under the lights before her eyes widened. "Alright?" She echoed, genuinely amused before she shook her head. "Wow, tough crowd," she joked.

Torrence refused to take her to the opera and she turned to face him. "Why not?" She pouted, hands on her hips before she smirked. "You prefer the ballet," she announced. "Your secret's safe with me," she teased, offering him a cute little salute before she backed up and closed the curtain, obscuring her from view.

"For argument's sake," Perdy began as she unzipped the dress and hung it up. "I can't imagine what occasion you're thinking of," she admitted to him. This dress was dazzling. It was a show off dress, it needed to be taken out somewhere fancy. Speaking of fancy.

The last dress was a shade of deep crimson, quite unlike any other shade she'd seen before as she admired it. Torrence had good taste and she'd admit it, begrudgingly. If she were being honest, she thought he'd put her in something decidedly more risque.

"Tah dah," she announced as she stepped out in the red dress, her hands sliding down her torso. The material was soft and expensive and it looked like it was painted on. Sexy but not overly suggestive. It was an odd dress, straddling between indecent and demure with its modest length but it was almost completely backless. "Good call," she complimented him as she turned to show her exposed shoulder blades and the curve of her spine.

"I like this," she nodded as she stood in front of the mirror. Her hand came up to her throat and she wished she was wearing a necklace. "This dress is made for diamonds," she joked, turning her head to grin at him. f

He smirked as she joked, fighting a grin as he licked his lips and took her in. She had this glimmer and brightness to her that he had always liked, raw and punchy but paired with the sophistication and elegance one might assume came by default with her last name. She had always been an intriguing mix, a mystery.

And it was a mystery why she would think he would ever to to the opera. "Ugh, no fucking way," he groaned as she mentioned an even worse fate: the ballet. He did date a ballerina once though.. did that count..? He decided not to mention that though as she saluted him smartly and closed the curtain more than he wanted her to.

Her voice was a bit muffled and now he could only imagine what she looked like as she unzipped that dress and stepped into the last one, his favorite, but his mind and memory provided him with excellent pictures to hold him over until she pulled back the curtain and thoughts stopped altogether. Fuck. He was good.

She looked absolutely sinful in that dress and he enjoyed every inch, his eyes slowing sliding down her curves and he let out a low whistle as she turned and showed him the back. He had called her Red all these years because of a different backless red dress she had worn when they had first met, but this? This was ten times better.

Torr was up from the settee a second later and sidling up behind her, his fingertips running down her arms with the faintest, teasing touch. His eyes met hers in the mirror. "I'll get you some just to see you wear this for me," he promised, and perhaps, for once intending to keep this promise.

With a huff and a melodramatic eye roll, Perdita placed her hands on her hips. "Fine," she acquiesced. "But boo sucks to you because the opera is the only place I'm going to wear this," she announced, one of her hands sliding up her thigh and over the silken material slowly. "Take it in," she encouraged Torrence as she backtracked slowly before she snorted and disappeared behind the curtain.

But it didn't matter because she'd soon stunned him into silence. Perdita prided herself on a lot of things - her acerbic wit, her intelligence, her sense of style, her arse - but did Torrence have a better eye for fashion than she did? Heaven forbid.

He whistled to show his appreciation and she laughed and she turned her head, chin placed on her shoulder, as she smiled. At his touch, Perdita shivered, the hairs on her arms standing up as goosebumps quickly spread over her exposed flesh. "Tease," she whispered as she took a half-step back, pressing her back into his chest as she looked at his reflection before her eyes widened.

"Christ," she laughed, a hand on her heart. "I was kidding?" Perdy asked. Torrence was usually a very direct man but he did have a cruel streak. He also had a very dry sense of humour and she sometimes had difficulty figuring out if he was being honest or not. "Surely, this trip is my birthday present?" She gave a nervous giggle. "And the peach dress," she went on as she chewed on her lower lip.

Perdita was excited. There was a little fizzle of something, like champagne bottles exploding and she curled her toes in her shoes. It was too late to realise that Torrence definitely should not be the man to make her feel that way. "I mean," she went on, a hand coming up to her collarbone as she tapped her fingers against it slowly, pondering. "Maybe a tasteful diamond solitaire pendant or something?" She asked, playing dumb. "A sixteen inch chain," she went on. "So it'd hit me right here?" Perdy stated, pressing her index finger tip into the hollow of her throat. "With matching earrings."  They both knew Perdita was fluent in gemstones.

"I'll think of somewhere better," he told her with an answering grin before she disappeared. Torr could be very creative when it came to getting out of things he hated doing. Plus, her wearing that dress was great incentive.

But the red number might have tempted him to say yes even to the fucking opera.

His eyes darkened as she stepped back into him, his hand automatically going to her waist as he felt her back press against his chest, her ass press against his hips. And while he didn't want to get thrown out of the shop before he had a chance to purchase the dresses for all the naughty things he was currently thinking, he wasn't pushing her away either. He pulled her closer, pressing into her as he gazed at her in the mirror.

"I wasn't," he said simply with a smirk. It had been half a joke about the diamonds, but now that he thought about it more, he wanted to see her wear them. And gods knew Torr had no problem being generous when he felt like it. He had given girls a lot more with a lot less thought behind it. Besides, it'd been a minute since he had gifted her jewelry. He nodded at her as she asked about what counted as her birthday gifts and smiled at her as he brought one hand up to squeeze her shoulder as he leaned down to press a whisper of a kiss on her neck. "You can get all three if you like," he told her, his words breathed against her skin. "Definitely this one though," he said as his hand on her waist sliding slowly over her stomach possessively, watching her in the mirror.

And yet she still had a way of surprising him. His eyes gleamed with laughter as he grinned at her, one brow perked. "And you said you were just kidding," he teased, recalling her earlier words even as he made mental notes of what she wanted along with some ideas of his own on what he'd like to see her wear for him.

As Torrence's hand snaked around her waist, Perdita chewed her bottom lip. They really shouldn't be doing this here. Her brain and body seldomly worked in tandem and her hand came up to rest on the back of his, pressing down on it in an effort to get his fingers to push into her skin in the particular way she liked.

"Piss off," she laughed as he admitted he was serious about the diamonds. While her entire goal in life was to be treated like a princess, she didn't think he would be her prince? Her eyes widened a fraction at the realisation before her eyes slipped to a close. His touch was unusually gentle as his hand slid up her arm to her shoulder and unable to help herself, she let out a soft sigh in pleasure.

"Yes please," she whispered in agreement to her getting all three dresses. Perdita liked attention. She enjoyed being looked at, being discussed or pointed out but this dress was sinful. There wasn't a place anywhere in the world where she could wear it where it wouldn't feel illegal.

Her eyes opened in time to grin at him as his hand moved. "You need to calm down," she laughed at Torrence, her eyes wide in mock worry, despite giving him no indication that she wanted him to...because she didn't. Suddenly, she snorted with laughter. "Oh, I don't joke about diamonds," she assured him with a sage nod. "I'm deadly serious about them," she nodded, turning her head to place a kiss on the corner of Torrence's lips.

"Are we going diamond shopping, then?" She asked, her hand seeking out the one he didn't have on her stomach as she linked her fingers with his casually. "Unusually," Perdita began with a shrug. "I'm willing to give up control," she concluded, eyes sparkling. He had good taste in clothes but jewellery was a whole new thing. "I'm interested to see," she said softly as she bumped her nose against his. "Quick question," she whispered, her mouth close to his. "What's the budget?" She smirked.

She pressed down on his hand and he obliged with a smirk. He even slid his hand a little lower, his gaze shameless as his long fingers just barely brushed along the edge of what might be considered indecent in public. He had lost track of the shop girl, noticeably distracted by Perdy, but hell if he cared. "I'm serious," he said again even as she laughed. It made him want to go buy some for her right now, but he hadn't vetted the jewelers here and he had a chap back in Dublin that did most of his orders, including most of the rings spread across his fingers. If he was spending money, he might as well get the best.

"'Yes please' what?" he asked out of habit, a smirk on his lips as he smiled against her neck, his gaze on her in this red dress. It was like it had been made just to tempt him. Or perhaps it was just her.

You need to calm down. Torr just shrugged. He didn't want to. And with the way she was looking at him, he didn't think she wanted him to either. "Good, so I am," he told her, feeling the need to prove her wrong about whatever preconceived notions she had that he wouldn't buy some diamonds for her. It wasn't like he was proposing. He felt the whisper of her lips at the corner of his mouth and instantly felt like that wasn't enough. He pinched her chin lightly between his thumb and fore finger, turning her head to him before kissing her, soft but quick. Then he shook his head at her.

"Not this weekend, not here, although I will keep that in mind for later," he said, his eyes glittering as he saw something mirrored in her gaze. He wasn't taking another chance with her. Granted, most shops here wouldn't be selling the dark objects that McCormick usually touted, but still seeing Perdy like that, entranced by those emeralds, made his chest feel uncomfortably tight. He wasn't in a rush anyway. He had plenty of other things in his bag back at the flat to distract her with. None of them were diamonds, but he thought they might do. He shook his head at her, amused as she asked about budget, moving his hand to cup her jaw as she moved even closer, her heady scent of vanilla, spice, and sandalwood wrapping around him. Her eyes seemed so much bluer up close. "Don't you worry about the budget. No go change before I do something that will get us kicked out of here," he said against her lips before he kissed her again and then again quickly before stepping back, nodding toward the dressing room.

His hand dropped and her eyes widened. "Torrence!" Perdita exclaimed with a laugh, smacking the back of his hand as a faint blush flushed her cheeks. He was inches away from being indecent. "Do you want to get us arrested?" She asked him with a dimpled grin. If she was being honest, she'd take a night in a Singaporean jail cell if he did the thing she liked with his tongue --

She scoffed, her back pressed against his chest snugly as she shook her head at him in the mirror. She let him sweat for a couple of seconds, stretching out the time as she glanced over her shoulder at him with a slow smile. "Sir."

Torrence had made it abundantly clear that he wasn't bluffing about the diamonds and kissed her to prove it. She liked the way he held her chin and she closed the gap eagerly to kiss him back, frowning at the contact that she felt was too brief. Swiftly, she pouted. "No?" She asked for clarification, her fingers gently toying with a button on his shirt but the promise of later made her eyes sparkle.

Her eyes dropped to his mouth as she bit her lower lip before she laughed. "I never worry about the budget," Perdita insisted as her eyes closed at the touch on her jaw. Her skin tingled, staying still like a brat as he told her to go and change. Torrence kissed her and she didn't move, holding on in hopes of receiving more kisses before he moved away.

"Spoilsport," she teased with a grin as she quickly shed the red dress to zip up the one she'd brought with her. She took her time, gathering up the garments and holding out the hangers for him to take as she reappeared. She watched Torrence for a long minute as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Don't get all soppy," she warned him as she stepped closer and held out the dresses. "But I think this is the best birthday I've ever had."