Maya and Xenia had been far too enthusiastic for Stan's own good.
No matter how many times he tried to wave them off, the two of them kept loading up shopping bags in his name, designer suits, luxury watches, leather accessories, all of it stacked into glossy paper totes with crisp embossed logos. By the time the whole entourage finally drifted out of the mall, Stan was carrying more brand names on his person than most people owned in a lifetime.
As dusk started to settle over the city, Xenia said her polite goodbyes and slipped away first, already tapping out messages on her phone as she walked. Maya lingered a little longer, reluctant to let the afternoon end, before finally heading home herself.
