Winter Sales, Chinese Food and Catcalling

I was walking arm in arm with my best friend, we were walking around the mall looking at the winter sales.

"Come on, Vicky. You've got so many bags that I am holding some and my arms feel like they are about to fall off!"

"Oh shh you. I just got paid and there are amazing sales this year, I can't refuse over half price clothes." As she said it, Vicky was grinning at all the windows we were walking past.

I rolled my eyes, "Vicks, you say that every year" I gave her a smile and a soft shove she would know I was joking.

"And don't you always thank me for all the amazing new clothes I help you pick out?" I could practically hear the smirk in her voice, so I pretended to be really interested in an item in a shop window.

So I just muttered, "Hmm?"

"Honey, unless you have something to tell me. I would say that I am right and that you don't want to admit it."

I actually focused on the window I had been looking at.. Baby clothes. "Oh."

"Exactly, Kath. So unless you are pregnant and you haven't even told your best friend, then I would say that you do love winter shopping with me really."

I rolled my eyes again, "You know I do, Vicky."

Vicky gave me a massive grin again, "Good. Now you admitted that, we can go to lunch and you get to pick."

"Ooo, can we go to that new Chinese place?"

"And this is why you are my best friend."

"Because I want to go to the new Chinese place?"

Vicks gave a short laugh, "Don't get sassy with me, Katherine. I meant because we have the same taste in, well, everything. So, yay, Chinese."

I smiled, "Come on then." We weaved through the crowds and made it to the food court entrance. We walked past a few of the restaurants and food stalls when me and Vicky saw something that both made us stop and say, "Wow."

It was a man, probably a year or two older than us, he has longish brown tousled hair, a tight white t-shirt that showed off his muscles, a check shirt, black jeans, and black Converse. But his face was gorgeous, he had sharp cheekbones, his eyes were dark, but he was had moles on his neck that I just wanted to trace with my finger over and over. Vicks and I looked at each other, I was about to say that she could have him because I was way too shy to actually walk over to him and start a conversation. But Vicky held up her hand,

"Kat, don't you even start to say that I can have him. You know that he is perfect for you."

"How do I know that? I haven't even spoke to him."

"Okay, fair enough. But you already love the way he looks and he probably has a great personality that goes with it. And you know that he reminds you of that actor you like."

"Mmm, that's true. But, you know I am too shy to talk to him."

Vicky gave me a look, "Kat, I promise you. You will be okay, he really doesn't look like a guy that would be mean and also, if he is? Well I will go over there and kick his butt."

I laughed, "Fine." I started to walk forward when I realised he was gone. Vicks and I spun around and saw that he had walked past us when we had been arguing. "Oh no."

Vicky opened her mouth, closed it, and then said, "Whistle."

"What?"

"You know, wolf whistle or something."

"No, I can't."

"Katherine." I frowned, I hated hearing my full name once in a day, but this was the second time in 10 minutes. "Wolf whistle and talk to him or I will return all these clothes and we will have to start all over tomorrow, oh, and we won't get Chinese for lunch either."

My eyes widened, I twisted to look at gorgeous checked shirt guy and saw that he had stopped near the entrance and was looking at the list of all the restaurants here. I sucked in a breath and gave the loudest wolf whistle that I have ever been able to do. Several people looked around, including him, I felt myself blush but knew I would have to do something else so he knew I was talking to him. "Hey you! The gorgeous man in the check shirt." Thankfully no one else was wearing a check shirt in that area otherwise it could have gotten real awkward, as it was, the guy looked around him and pointed to his chest with an adorable smile on his face. I nodded and smiled, he started to walk over to me and I met him halfway. Now that he was right in front of me, I could see that his eyes were more of a warm whiskey colour that I just wanted to stare at forever.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"So, you catcalled me?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to give me more than a one word answer?" He smiled so I realised he was joking so I smiled back and said,

"When you ask me a question that requires more than a one word answer, yes."

"Okay. How about, would you like to have lunch with me?"

"Hmm. Not bad, I could have given you just a one word answer again, but yes. I would.

He laughed, he had an amazing laugh. "Today?"

"Oh, erm.."

"You have plans? Or just trying to get out of it."

"No. I mean, yes. Yes, I have plans. No, I'm not trying to get out of it. I wolf whistled you and catcalled you. I would really like to have lunch with you."

I was awarded with a wide smile, "It's just that I was about to have lunch with my best friend-" Suddenly Vicky was behind me and saying,

"Don't use me as an excuse. Hi, I'm Vicky, her best friend. I'll take her bags. She loves Chinese food, so if you want to make her happy," she winked, "And I will see you later." She pulled the bags of clothes and other items out of my hands and walked back out of the food court.

We both stood their silent for a moment before he said, "Is she always like that?"

"Yeah. Like a force of nature, usually more subtle."

"I will remember that for next time."

"Next time?"

"Well, I would really like to a lot more after this, so I will see her again."

"Oh, you're already planning our second and third date before we've even had our first?"

"Kind of. I'm not usually this forward, there is just- there's just something about you."

I laughed, "Really? So much so, that you've planned our third date before you've even told me your name."

His eyes widened just a tiny bit before he laughed, his laugh was so infectious that I felt myself laughing too, when we managed to stop, he looked me in the eye and said, "My name is Dylan Moore."

"I'm Kathy Jones."

"And that is the story of how we met." Dylan finished, and people started to cheer and clap. Someone even wolf whistled which I strongly suspected was Vicky. "So I just want to thank you all for being here on our special day and I have to give a real special thank you to Vicky." I looked at Vicky and saw her swing around to face Dylan, her mouth opened and he looked at her, "If it wasn't for you being addicted to winter sales, she still is, folks! Trying to replace me, I think" He winked at me and Vicky before continuing, "Yes, so if you didn't go shopping that day or even if you hadn't pushed Kath to catcall me. We may never have met and we wouldn't be here today at our wedding reception."

"You said you wouldn't make me cry!"

Most people gave confused noises, but several people me and Dylan included laughed, "Ah, no. I said I wouldn't make you cry at the story, I never told you that I would be thanking you for this."

"You're lucky my best friend loves you."

I laughed, "Oh honey, as Dylan just said, you have only yourself to thank, or blame, depending on the situation." I winked and leaned forward to hug her, "Thank you, Vicks."

"You won't be thanking me in a minute."

"Wait what?"

But she didn't answer me, instead she stood up and called to Dylan, "Now, groom. Why don't you sit down and allow the maid of honour to dish out the dirt on what she said when she came back from your first date."

Everyone laughed and cheered, except me of course, I groaned and part of me wished that I had a different best friend but when I looked at her telling a story I realised was heavily edited and that she had cut out most of the embarrassing bits, I realised that no, I wouldn't want a different best friend even if you paid me because I already had the best one there is.