Everyone was staring. Every one.
From the old to stumbling youth who walked with their parents.
Agnes' skin crawled at the menacing looks from some.
A shoulder pushed her back against the door frame.
"My apologies. I didn't see you there." The lady who'd walked into her said then took her leave.
Agnes swept it away as yet another accident she'd suffered that day.

"Agnes, look at this one." Adris brought the sea blue dress and held it to her body.

The beautiful fabric was a great distraction suddenly she forgot about the malice outside the tailor's shop.

"I'm a little bigger than your usual lovers, this will be a little big for whoever she is." She said pressing the dress to her frame and sighing inside.

"Silly, girl. It's yours."

All present eyes fell on him.
"What?" Agnes assumed she misheard.

She looked back at the carriage and thought of all the jewelry he'd bought thinking they were gifts for his friends. They were hers?
Her heart shivered.

"You don't have to." She chuckled nervously pushing his hands and the dress away.

He smacked her hands away.
"Let me do something nice for you."

He definitely had ulterior motives.
It had to be one of two things.
He was either using her to spark envy in his lovers hearts or he was trying to buy her into his bed.
She felt bad for thinking the last part. She stupidily sounded as though she could even be remotely desirable to him just because he'd playfully asked and suggested it out of sympathy.
It had to be the first thought she hard- envious lovers.

If she was getting new things as a result, Agnes shrugged, she would act her part.

"Are we going somewhere?" Like an old lovers house.

"No." He looked at her then spoke again.
"Since Eros is gone, I would like someone to accompany me to a feast. It's two cities away. Would you like to come."

See, she was right.

"What's with that smug look?"

His smile catching her with his beautifully curios eyes.
"I'm smart."

"You are."

He added more gorgeous dresses to the pile and she had to wonder how many dress changes she would make.

"So what her name?" She had been patient until the ride to his house but when he still said nothing, she had to ask.

"Who are you talking about?"

"This person we're bent on making jealous. Someone else might have needed less to look presentable."

"What are you going on about?"

Was she supposed to pretend she didn't know?
"You're spending on me so I can help you make someone jealous."

"Ridiculous! I bought you those things for you because of you." His voice louder than usual.
Was he mad at her? Why?

"Then why are going to the feast?"

"You're not going to find your future husband cooped up at home with the harpy who treats you no better than a slave."

She pursed her lips and tried again to speak only to huff.
After a second she found the only question she could ask someone like Adris.
"Why?"

It was his turn to fumble for answers, suddenly looking away from her and out windows as though the answers would fly in.

"Are you bored?" She helped him with an answer because that the only answer she could come up with.

"I could be elsewhere, Agnes. I just wanted to help."

"With no ulterior motive? Do you think I'd sleep with you."

He gave an agravated groan.
"Not this again."

"What else did you want me to think if not that?"

"You'd be the last person I'd want to fuck, Agnes."

She flinched, stung by the rejection. He didn't have to say it so passionately.
"Well. If I'm so ugly why do you even bother to talk to me."

"Can't I just want to. I want to help you, I want to talk to you. It's not because I want to get between your legs. I want to help you find your happiness because you're my friend."
There was something else he wanted to add and she could only see it's hint on his pressed lips.

"You should have just said that."

"I thought you were smart." He said and she hit him.

"Not all the time, apparently. It's just no one has ever just wanted to help."

"Helen?"

She waved her hand with a laugh.
"We use each other all the time. Our friendship is built on mutual necessity."
Their affection for each other grew as a result of their reliability and dependence.

"I'll accept your help from the goodness of your heart O kind one." She bowed.

"You're very annoying." He said before picking up Eros' harp.

"You play?"

Adris nodded.
"Eros taught me."

"Play something so I can sing."

The familiar tune swept through the room not missing Agnes as it did. An inexplicable joy swelled in her heart as Adris played marvelously. The song stopped.

"I thought you said you'd sing."

"Oh yes. I was distracted." She cleared her throat and when he played again she sang without restraint.

She was happy.