Then Mona said, looking at her cell phone: "You guys go ahead, it'll probably take a while. I'll follow you."

After Julia had carefully removed the price tags from my clothes and shoes, Tara dragged me to the next shop. We walked a little way through the shopping center in silence, past many different shops with colorful, modern shop windows.

Tara was apparently so engrossed in looking at the articles that she didn't even notice when a tall, broad-shouldered guy with dark brown hair suddenly appeared in front of her and she completely ran into him.

"Well, Greenwood, where did you leave your best friend?" he asked her with a...