Priceless


PART TWO

After our morning together, Kate wanted to take a shower. I 
joined her, but we kept things quick and playful. While she dried 
her hair, I picked up the remains of our breakfast and made her 
bed for her. When I came back to the bathroom, I borrowed her 
antiperspirant (strange as it may seem, over the years, I've come 
to enjoy the scent of Secret).

"What should I wear?" Kate asked as I was getting dressed.

"Something comfortable."

She nodded and went to her dresser. She pulled out a matching 
cream-colored bra and panty set, a pair of jeans, and a turtle-
neck sweater. I grinned at her as she put on the thong panties, 
and she smiled archly in return, clearly enjoying teasing me. She 
pulled her hair back in a ponytail with a scrunchie. Then she 
went back to the bathroom and applied her make-up.

I'd noticed that Kate--much to my pleasure--was one of those 
lucky women who looked even better in the morning, before the 
make-up. Cosmetics enhanced her natural beauty, and when she 
emerged from the bathroom, I was momentarily speechless. She 
actually blushed when she saw my expression.

She finished dressing while I retrieved my discarded jacket from 
the floor and draped it over my right arm. I extended my left arm 
to her, and she looped hers through it.

"Listen," I said, turning to her at the top of the stairs, "I 
really don't want to seem presumptuous, but have you got an 
overnight bag you can pack?"

She arched an eyebrow at me. "So you expect to get lucky 
tonight?"

I blushed and shook my head. "I'm just hoping." I held my breath 
anxiously. Although we'd already had sex once today, I didn't 
want to seem like I was taking her for granted. With any woman, 
that's never a good idea. With Kate, I suspected it would be a 
disaster.

"Good answer," she said.

I tried to unobtrusively expel my held breath.

"I keep one in the car."

I looked at her inquisitively.

"I use it when I'm at the hospital for more than ten or twelve 
hours."

"Ah. That makes sense."

"Or, if I meet the right guy," she said coquettishly.

I grinned and followed her down the stairs. Once on the main 
floor, I slipped into my jacket and helped Kate don hers. She 
headed for the garage, and when I didn't immediately follow her, 
she looked at me expectantly.

"I'll drive," I said.

"Okay," she said, drawing the word out.

She retrieved a Louis Vuitton bag from the trunk of her car and 
walked back toward me.

"Whose Jeep is that?" I asked, nodding toward the Cherokee parked 
next to her Lexus. "You don't have a roommate, do you?"

She shook her head and smiled. "It's my other car," she said. 
"For when I want to tow something, or feel like heading into the 
mountains."

"Ah. I understand."

She closed the door to the garage and put her car keys back in 
her purse. I stepped aside, gesturing for her to precede me. In a 
moment, we were in my Rover, headed for the front gate.

Once on Northshore, I drove toward the interstate, and from 
there, to West Hills Centre. It was near enough to a major mall 
that traffic was thick with holiday shoppers.

"Oh!" I blurted, suddenly remembering. "I was going to call you 
this morning, but..."

"You only have my office number," Kate said, finishing my 
thought.

"Yeah. You ready to swap digits?"

"Where are you going to put your digits?" she asked 
mischievously.

"Hmmm," I mused, waggling my fingers. "Where would you like 
them?" I leaned toward her, with only half my attention on the 
stop-and-go traffic.

"In my phone," she said with a smile.

I gave her my three main phone numbers and she stored them in her 
phone. I took out my own cell phone and programmed her home and 
cell phone numbers, memorizing them as I did.

Finally, traffic started moving again, and I turned toward the 
dress shop. Surprisingly, there weren't many people in the 
shopping center. I suspected that the Mall may have drawn off 
most of the early shoppers.

We parked, and Kate looked at me eagerly as we walked toward the 
boutique. I smiled placidly as she tried to speed up our pace. 
When she figured out which shop was our goal, I let her get a 
little ahead of me, so I could admire her long legs and tight ass 
as she walked.

Finally, she slowed, turned around, and gave me a "will you 
please hurry up" look. I grinned at her impatience and caught up 
with her.

"Do you think I need to update my wardrobe?" Kate asked, teasing 
me.

"No," I said. "I just thought you'd like a special dress for 
tonight."

"For tonight?"

"Uh-huh. For the restaurant."

"And for after the restaurant?"

I pulled her close and she blinked with feigned innocence. "I 
don't think you're going to need the dress after the restaurant," 
I said.

She looked at me, batted her eyelashes, and did her best Scarlett 
O'Hara imitation. "Then whatever will I wear?" she drawled.

"A smile," I said.

She laughed, tucked her arm through mine, and turned us toward 
Couture du Monde. As we neared the shop, I could see why Marcie 
had said it was easy to miss. The strip mall had two major rows 
of stores, and where they came together, in an "L" shape, there 
was a breezeway that led to a rear parking lot for the employees. 
The dress boutique was tucked into the breezeway itself and was 
difficult to see. So it was no surprise that when we entered, 
there were no other patrons in the store.

An attractive sales clerk looked up as the door chimed, then came 
out from behind the counter. She was perhaps 5'6", and her auburn 
hair set off stunning green eyes. I made sure to keep my libido 
in check as she walked toward us.

"Hello. Bonjour. Welcome to Couture du Monde," she said.

Her French accent was actually quite good--the French "R" is very 
difficult for most Americans to pronounce, but she managed it 
well. I also liked the touch she added, greeting us with 
"bonjour."

"Can I help you with anything today?" she asked.

"Yes," Kate and I said at the same time.

We looked at each other and both smiled, then I continued. "We 
need a nice cocktail dress. Something less than black tie, but 
more than dinner party."

"Certainly, sir."

She was about to turn to Kate when she did a double-take and 
looked back at me. Kate looked at me as well, clearly curious 
about what had drawn the other woman's attention.

"Ethan?" the redhead asked.

She knew me? I frantically searched my memory for where I might 
have met her, but drew a blank. I'd never dated her and I wasn't 
much for one-night stands, so I was pretty sure I hadn't slept 
with her (wouldn't that be embarrassing!). But I was still at a 
loss for how she knew my name.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she asked.

Kate arched an eyebrow at me and tried--unsuccessfully--to 
suppress a wry smile.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't. Where did we meet?" I asked, inwardly 
cringing at the possible answers.

She laughed musically, but I remained on tenterhooks.

"We've never actually met," she said, easing my conscience a 
little.

I smiled tightly at Kate.

"Actually," the redhead said, picking at some invisible lint on 
her blazer, "I'm not surprised you don't recognize me. I've 
changed a lot since the last time you might have seen me."

"Oh? When was that?"

She chuckled and smiled at Kate. I began to get nervous again.

"You were a year ahead of me in the MBA program at the 
University."

"Oh," I said, finally breathing a silent sigh of relief.

"And I look very... different," the redhead said. "I'm sorry, I 
should introduce myself. I'm Renee Beaumont."

She held out her hand and I shook it. As I released it, she 
immediately turned to Kate and extended her hand again. Kate 
shook it and smiled at me.

"Renee, this is Kate. She's my... date... for the evening," I said, 
choosing the most politic word I could think of.

"Excellent," Renee said, then turned to Kate. She looked Kate 
over and then nodded. "Size 4?"

"It depends," Kate said smoothly, still grinning at me. "A size 4 
is usually too tight in the bust and too loose at the waist."

"Well," Renee said brightly. "Let's see what we can find that 
works with both."

Renee and Kate headed toward the back of the store and I ambled 
after them, simply looking around. The changing rooms were set 
into the side wall, around a little dogleg in the store. Where 
they were situated, they were out of sight of the store's front 
windows, so customers would have a little privacy even when they 
weren't in the rooms themselves. There were also several 
comfortable-looking chairs at the periphery of the open area in 
front of the rooms, with large mirrors adorning the walls.

Kate grinned at me as she and Renee began talking about 
designers. I stood out of the way and idly listened while they 
chatted. They talked about Calvin Kline, Vera Wang, Dolce & 
Gabbana, and a number of names I didn't recognize. While they 
were talking, Renee was busily looking through racks of cocktail 
dresses. Kate picked out a few as well, and they soon had more 
than a dozen for her to try on.

Kate took about half the dresses they'd picked out, stepped into 
one of the changing rooms, and shut the door behind her. When she 
emerged, she was wearing a tight white beaded dress. It was so 
tight I could easily see the outline of her nipples. It was also 
so short I knew that if she so much as raised her arms, I'd catch 
a glimpse of more than just her upper thighs. The white fabric 
showed off her tanned skin and dark hair, but we all agreed the 
dress was scandalously short.

The next dress was a low-slung red cocktail dress that was 
completely backless. Unfortunately, it was too big on her. We 
discovered this when she bent over to smooth the hem and not one 
but both her breasts slipped free. Kate seemed unfazed, and 
grinned brazenly at me when she saw the bulge forming at my 
crotch.

The third dress was deep cobalt blue, with a sheer top and a low 
waist. Kate looked stunning, and it picked out the color of her 
eyes perfectly. I could easily see right through the bodice of 
the dress, and while I certainly enjoyed the view, we decided 
something a bit more modest was in order. Kate returned to the 
changing room, but not before taking an opportunity to graze her 
hand against my burgeoning erection.

When she emerged from the little room, she was wearing a classic 
Little Black Dress. This one made her look stunning. It was so 
tight I could actually see she was no longer wearing her thong 
panties. The thought of her wearing nothing but the thin fabric 
of the dress thrilled me. The sultry look she gave me made my 
penis quickly reach full erection. But Kate wasn't comfortable in 
the dress and retreated to the changing room.

The next dress was a silvery sheath with thin metal-like straps 
holding it up. As soon as Kate stepped out of the changing room, 
one of the straps broke. The entire bodice flopped forward, 
baring her breasts. Renee blushed, but I noticed that she didn't 
avert her eyes. Kate noticed as well, and boldly moved toward the 
other woman to have the strap re-fastened.

I tried to unobtrusively shift my erection, but Kate noticed the 
maneuver and smiled at my predicament. Renee saw Kate's gaze and 
followed it, blushing as her eyes fell on my crotch and obvious 
hard-on.

By now, Kate had exhausted the supply of dresses she had taken 
into the changing room. Renee moved into the room, gathered up 
the dresses, and neatly laid them atop one of the racks. She 
appeared ready to wait for Kate to enter the dressing room to 
remove the silvery dress, but Kate had other ideas.

"Do you mind if I just...?" Kate asked, reaching up to slip the 
straps off her shoulders.

"No, go right ahead," Renee said. "It won't bother me a bit."

Kate smiled, and a surreal scene began to unfold. As Kate slipped 
the dress down her torso and then over her hips--revealing that 
she was nude underneath--Renee watched Kate. I watched Renee 
watching Kate. As my eyes slid back to Kate, I realized she had 
been watching me. I grinned at her and she winked. Renee just 
blushed at our antics, but she didn't look away from either 
Kate's nudity or my painfully obvious erection.

After she hung up the dress Kate had just removed, Renee said, 
"Excuse me a moment."

Kate and I shared a curious look as Renee walked around the 
corner and headed toward the front of the store. When she 
returned, she smiled shyly.

"I locked the doors and put up the 'Closed' sign," she said, by 
way of explanation.

After that, Kate didn't even bother to use the changing room. She 
simply stood in front of the full-length mirror and tried on the 
remaining dresses. Both Renee and I admired her body as she did.

Kate is one of the few women I've ever dated who looked as good 
out of clothes as she did in them. Most women--most people, for 
that matter--have little imperfections that clothing hides. I 
certainly had more than my fair share. Kate had them as well, but 
on her, they enhanced the total effect. She looked stunning, 
whether she was standing au naturel or in a slinky cocktail 
dress.

Judging by Renee's body language, she agreed with me. I grinned 
to myself as I noticed that her breathing had become a little 
more ragged and she was flushed with desire. Kate noticed as 
well, and she shamelessly encouraged the attention. At every 
opportunity, she would bend over to retrieve something she'd 
"accidentally" dropped. Or she would cup her breasts, presumably 
to make sure they looked good in whatever dress she had on. She 
lingered longer and longer between taking off one dress and 
putting on another.

Kate was also teasing me with smoldering looks, not-so-innocent 
caresses, and a number of other subtle tactics. By the time she 
tried on the last dress she'd picked out, I was ready to burst. 
Renee couldn't keep her eyes off of either Kate's body or my 
erection. The sexual tension was nearly palpable.

Finally, Kate and Renee whittled the choices down to three: a 
skintight backless beaded dress from Calvin Kline; a smoky grey, 
translucent silk dress by Vera Wang, which included a sheer grey 
wrap; and a shimmering gold Moschino dress that hugged Kate's 
hips and had a plunging neckline.

"They're all so beautiful," Kate said. "How should I decide?"

She made a show of pondering the question, but I knew her well 
enough by now to realize she was up to something. She got an 
ingenious look on her face and practically beamed at me.

"I know," she said, snapping her fingers. "We'll let Ethan 
decide."

She grinned mischievously, and I began to worry. She walked 
toward me, still completely nude, while Renee watched raptly. 
Kate pressed her body against me and I felt her hand reaching for 
my fly. I half-heartedly tried to stop her, but she inexorably 
lowered my zipper and then carefully extracted my erection.

When she wrapped her cool fingers around my length, I locked eyes 
with her. My look was full of questions, but Kate merely smirked. 
Out of my peripheral vision, I could see Renee shifting 
nervously.

"Would you mind helping me, Renee?" Kate asked, looking over her 
shoulder at the other woman.

Renee gulped, but nodded.

Kate reached back and with a gesture, drew Renee forward. When 
she was close enough for Kate to take her hand, she did so, 
pulling her closer. Renee saw my erection and licked her lips . 
Then she looked me in the eye. I could tell she was very aroused, 
but I also wondered how far she was willing to go. Kate pulled 
Renee forward and placed her hand on my rigid shaft. We both 
started at the touch, but Renee gripped me firmly.

"Now," Kate said. "I'll try on the dresses, and we'll buy the one 
Ethan likes best, the one that makes him the hardest. Okay?"

I shook my head in wonder and smiled at Kate. She gave me a 
lustful look and we both turned to regard Renee. Her hand 
fluttered on my erection, but she slowly nodded in agreement.

Kate proceeded to try on the black Calvin Kline. She looked 
fantastic, and teased me mercilessly. She showed off her body, 
and I paid close attention while she ensured that the dress fit 
securely.

Renee began to slowly stroke my erection and then moved very 
close to me. Neither action escaped Kate's notice. Kate slipped 
off the dress, once again making a big show of things. When she 
was nude, she pirouetted and mischievously winked at me. Renee 
used her thumb to capture a drop of pre-come and rubbed it over 
my glans. I took a deep breath and tried not to groan.

Next, Kate put on the Moschino dress. The neckline dropped well 
below her breasts, and when she moved, I could almost see her 
nipples. The gold dress hugged her hips and flat stomach, and 
accentuated the length of her legs. She twirled in front of us, 
and Renee gripped my cock tightly. I could tell by her breathing 
that she was getting more and more aroused. As she did, she began 
to stroke me faster.

Kate slipped out of the Moschino dress and began to don the grey 
Vera Wang. When she slipped it over her head and shoulders, I was 
rendered speechless. The dress itself was translucent, and if I 
looked closely, I could clearly see her nipples. The silk fabric 
clung to her every curve, and the diaphanous wrap covered--but 
did not conceal--her upper chest and shoulders, adding to the 
allure. It had been my favorite when she first put it on, and 
seeing it again only strengthened my opinion.

I clenched my PC muscle, and my cock swelled in Renee's hand. She 
was so startled, she nearly jumped away from me.

"He likes this one?" Kate asked, her voice sultry.

Renee nodded quickly and Kate grinned at me as she walked toward 
us. Renee blushed, but didn't relinquish her hold on me. Kate 
sidled up to Renee and rested her hand on the other woman's hip. 
I put my right arm around Kate as she moved closer to me. At a 
gesture from Kate, I put my left arm around Renee.

I felt Kate's fingers wrap themselves around Renee's and the two 
of them begin to firmly stroke my cock. I hugged both women to me 
and enjoyed the sensation as my hands roamed freely over two 
shapely hips.

Kate leaned over and whispered in Renee's ear, and I felt their 
hands squeeze my cock. I watched Renee's face as she listened to 
Kate. Her eyes widened, her lips pursed, and she looked a little 
anxious. Renee finally nodded. Kate spoke to her a moment longer. 
Renee began to smile and then unconsciously licked her lips. When 
Kate pulled back, Renee looked at her questioningly. Kate nodded 
and Renee's smile grew wider.

"I always wanted to, but...," Renee said.

"Now's your chance," Kate replied.

I looked from one woman to the other, but they were intent upon 
each other.

"Are you sure?" Renee asked.

Kate nodded firmly and Renee licked her lips again.

"You mind telling me what's up?" I asked, as gamely as I could.

"You'll see," Kate said.

I looked to Renee, but she was already sinking to her knees. I 
turned back to Kate. Just as we made eye contact, Renee clamped 
her lips over my cock and swirled her tongue around the head. I 
closed my eyes and groaned. My arousal had been built to a 
fevered pitch by Kate's teasing and Renee's fondling--I nearly 
shot off as soon as Renee's lips touched me.

When I opened my eyes, Kate was looking at me and grinning ear-
to-ear. I pulled her close and bent to kiss her. I groaned as 
Renee inhaled nearly half my length and clamped her lips around 
my shaft. Kate's tongue darted into my mouth as she grabbed my 
ass and squeezed.

Renee started bobbing back and forth on my cock, moaning and 
whimpering as she did. Kate sucked my tongue into her mouth and 
playfully nipped it with her teeth. I groaned as Renee lunged 
forward and took nearly all my shaft into her mouth. I grunted as 
the head of my cock slipped into her throat. Renee clamped her 
lips around the base of my shaft and then tried to swallow 
another inch. She moaned around my girth, and I felt her tongue 
move along the underside of my erection.

Kate pulled back and captured my lower lip with her teeth. When 
she released it, she began to kiss down my chin and neck, adding 
little love bites as she progressed lower. Renee dragged her lips 
back over my length, and I groaned, as much from Renee's mouth as 
Kate's kisses. When Renee reached the tip of my cock, she locked 
her lips around the ridge of my crown and flicked her tongue 
against the sensitive underside. I groaned again and she quickly 
repeated the motion.

Renee insinuated a hand between Kate and me, and grabbed my hips. 
She pulled me forward and swallowed my erection. Kate 
concentrated on my neck and throat, and I grunted in pleasure as 
the two women worked on me.

Renee made sucking and slurping noises as she happily fellated 
me, and she quickly brought me to the point of no return. Kate 
sensed my impending orgasm and I felt her move her right hand 
from my chest. I looked down as she put it on the back of Renee's 
head and began directing the other woman's motions. For her part, 
Renee needed little direction as she moved her lips over my shaft 
and worked me with her tongue.

As I groaned with my release, Kate held Renee's head, keeping my 
cock buried in her throat. Renee's hands gripped my hips and held 
me in place as I spewed hot come into her mouth. I clamped my 
eyes shut and nearly passed out from the feeling as the 
convulsive ring of muscles at the back of her throat gripped me 
every time she swallowed.

When my orgasm finally subsided, I slumped back against a rack of 
clothes, letting it support my weight. Renee moaned as she 
hungrily cleaned my cock, making sure she bathed every square 
inch with her lips and tongue. I finally opened my eyes to find 
Kate grinning at me, her eyes twinkling. I smiled weakly and she 
rose on tiptoe to kiss me.

Renee sucked me until my head simply became too sensitive and my 
cock began to deflate in self-defense. When it did, she sat back 
on her heels and took a deep breath.

"God," she said, panting lightly. "I always wanted to do that."

Kate merely grinned at me. Renee looked up at us and daintily 
wiped the corners of her mouth with her fingers. When her eyes 
met mine, she smiled broadly. She looked at Kate and it seemed 
like an entire conversation passed between them. Finally, 
reluctantly, Renee kissed the tip of my shrinking penis and 
gently tucked me back in my boxers. She zipped me up and I 
extended my hand to help her stand.

Once she was on her feet, Kate leaned over and the two women 
kissed deeply. I could tell Kate was enjoying the lingering 
flavor of my semen. Renee seemed to be getting into the kiss as 
well. When they separated, Renee looked at me bashfully, but Kate 
practically preened.

"I've never done anything like that before," Renee said in 
wonder.

"You looked like you knew what you were doing," Kate said.

I almost laughed out loud.

"No. Not the blowjob," Renee said. She quickly realized Kate was 
teasing her, and grinned sheepishly. "You know what I mean."

Kate nodded. "We'll have to do it again sometime," she said.

Renee nodded enthusiastically.

"Someplace where he can take care of us too," Kate said.

"Absolutely," Renee agreed.

I was still a little taken aback, so I wisely kept my mouth shut.

"So," Kate said, stepping away from us and twirling. "You like 
the dress?" She was looking at Renee.

Renee appraised her critically and then nodded.

"And we know Ethan likes it," Kate said, nodding in my direction.

Renee blushed and smiled.

"So, let's get some accessories," Kate said.

Renee nodded. I was clearly superfluous for the moment. The two 
women threaded their way toward the far corner of the store and 
were soon lost in conversation.

-----

They returned perhaps fifteen minutes later. Kate carried a silk 
clutch purse that was a near-perfect match for her dress. She 
then carefully removed the grey dress and wrap. She had left her 
street clothes in the changing room, and while she changed back 
into them, Renee re-hung the dresses Kate had considered but 
declined. Finally, she neatly hung the grey Vera Wang and took it 
toward the register.

The entire time Renee was doing all this, she and I exchanged 
several glances. When our eyes met, she would grin abashedly and 
blush. Kate emerged from the changing room and saw the two of us 
grinning. She arched her eyebrows at me and I tried to look 
innocent. Kate wasn't buying it. She chuckled wryly, took my arm, 
and we threaded our way toward the register.

At the front of the store, Renee unlocked the doors and slid the 
Open/Closed sign to "Open." She walked behind the counter, and we 
had an awkward moment when all three of us looked at each other. 
What do you say after something like that? Thanks for the 
blowjob? I wisely decided against it.

"So," I said to Renee. "What have you been doing since business 
school?"

She smiled and gestured at the store. I mentally kicked myself.

"Ah, very nice. How long have you been open?"

"About two years now." 

"Really?" I asked, trying not to sound as incredulous as I was. 
I'd literally never heard of the store until Marcie mentioned it 
to me.

Renee nodded, much more comfortable once we were on a safer 
topic. "Actually, after school, I went to New York City and 
worked on Seventh Avenue for several years. After that, I came 
back home and opened Couture du Monde."

"And how's business?" I asked.

Renee leaned close. "Very good."

I raised my eyebrows and she nodded. She finished ringing up the 
dress and the purse, and Kate reached into her purse for her 
wallet. I stopped her with a gesture and reached for my back 
pocket.

"Are you sure?" Kate asked me skeptically. "Do you know how much 
that dress costs?"

I shook my head and Kate giggled.

"Tell him," Kate said to Renee.

Renee merely smiled, looked at me, and pursed her lips with 
amusement. "The total comes to $1852.58. With tax, of course."

"Of course," I replied blithely. To my credit, I didn't bat an 
eye. I pulled out my wallet and handed her my American Express. 
Thank God for no pre-set spending limit, I thought. "I see why 
the shop is doing so well," I said out loud.

"We have an exclusive clientele," Renee answered smoothly. 
"Mostly women who know what they like, and, of course, can afford 
it."

"Or men who know what they like their women to wear," I said with 
a grin.

Kate elbowed me in the ribs and playfully glowered at me. "It was 
your idea to bring me here, big fella."

"And I'm glad I did," I said.

Kate and Renee merely looked at each other and then giggled 
simultaneously.

As I signed the credit card receipt, Kate picked up one of the 
business cards for the store. She tucked it into my pants pocket 
and patted it affectionately.

"Take care of that," she said with a grin. "We're going to need 
it."

Renee blushed, but her eyes twinkled as she nodded. When she came 
around the side of the sales counter, she handed me the dress 
bag.

"It was great seeing you again, Ethan," she said. "And a pleasure 
meeting you, Kate."

"A pleasure indeed," Kate said.

Kate leaned toward her, and they kissed European style, once on 
each cheek. Renee turned to me and repeated the gesture. Her 
cheek lingered against mine for a moment, but not long enough to 
be flagrant. She looked into my eyes and then turned to smile at 
Kate.

"I hope you enjoy your evening. You'll look stunning," she said 
to Kate.

Kate thanked her graciously.

Behind us, the door chime sounded, and we all shared a 
conspiratorial grin. With that, Kate and I turned to leave while 
Renee went to help the mother and teenaged daughter who had just 
entered.

"Where to next?" Kate asked as we headed toward the Rover.

"Shoes," I said.

"Shoes?"

I nodded. "You can't get a beautiful new dress and not get shoes, 
too."

Kate nodded in appreciation and grinned at me as we got into the 
Rover.

-----

The shoe store was several miles further from the congestion of 
the large mall. I hadn't needed to ask Marcie where to find a 
high-end shoe store. I actually knew of several, but had chosen 
this one because it was close to the dress shop. When we pulled 
into the parking lot, Kate looked at me quizzically.

"How is it you know so much about shopping for dresses and 
shoes?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I guess I pay attention to the women in my life."

"Women?"

"Women," I said flatly. "There are many women in my life, most of 
them friends. But there's only one special woman at a time."

"So, am I your 'special woman'?"

So early in our relationship and I'm already on thin ice! "That 
depends," I hedged.

"On what?"

"On whether or not you want to be."

"Do you buy shoes for the other women in your life, or just the 
special ones?"

I could tell she was teasing me, but there was also a kernel of 
genuine curiosity in her question. "Only the special ones," I 
said.

"In that case, I guess I'll be your special woman."

I breathed a sigh of relief at having made it through that 
conversational minefield.

"For now," she added with a grin.

I grinned as well, and we both opened our doors. I opened the 
back door and retrieved the dress bag. We'd need it if we wanted 
to find shoes to match. Kate gave me an approving look as I 
carried it around the front of the Rover and then opened the shop 
door for her.

Once inside, a fashionably dressed young man helped us. I noticed 
him looking me over, and quickly figured out he was gay. I think 
Kate was more disappointed than I was. I suppose she was looking 
forward to a little teasing, to keep me on my toes.

Kate tried on shoes for thirty minutes before she found a pair 
she really liked. They were dark grey suede pumps with three-inch 
heels. When the young salesman fetched her size and put them on 
her feet, Kate smiled like a schoolgirl. She got up and walked 
around the store, using the mirrors to see how they looked.

The salesman covertly glanced at my left hand. Upon seeing no 
wedding band, he leaned toward me.

"Your sister?" he asked hopefully.

"Sorry, Patrick," I said, reading his name tag. "I'm pretty 
hetero."

He looked at me, as if to say "are you sure?"

I smiled at him genially and nodded. "Yeah," I said. "I'm sure."

He sighed wistfully. "The best ones always are."

I chuckled under my breath as he walked over to see if Kate 
wanted to keep looking. When she didn't, Patrick boxed the shoes 
for us and rang them up. I knew what to expect to pay for Italian 
suede shoes, so I wasn't surprised when he told me the total, 
$325.80. Once again, I put it on my AmEx. Poor Patrick gave me 
another hopeful look as we turned to leave, but I merely smiled 
and thanked him.

"What was that about?" Kate asked as I hung the dress in the back 
and put the shoebox on the seat.

"He was hitting on me," I said casually.

"That doesn't bother you?" she asked. She sounded dubious.

"Why should it?"

"I don't know. Most guys would get bent out of shape if another 
guy hit on them."

"Yeah, well, I'm not like most guys," I said.

"So I've noticed. It really doesn't bother you?"

"Not at all. I mean, I know I'm not gay. Him hitting on me isn't 
going to make me gay, so why worry about it? He thought I was 
attractive enough to hit on me. That's flattering, no matter 
who's doing it, a woman or a man. Besides," I said, referring to 
her and Renee, "it doesn't seem to bother you."

"But that's different," she said.

"Does it bother you that it doesn't bother me?"

"No," she said reflectively. "I guess it doesn't. I just figured 
you'd be the macho-man type and get belligerent."

"I'm full of surprises," I said.

She nodded thoughtfully. "Speaking of which," she said suddenly. 
"Where to next?"

"It's a surprise," I said, grinning from ear to ear.

Kate tried not to grin, but ultimately succumbed.

She was going to enjoy what I had planned next, and I enjoyed her 
anticipation. With a smile, I turned onto the main road.