“None,” she said, resolutely. A deep chuckle resounded in William’s throat.
“Nice try,” he said; turning to Beryl. “She’ll take four.” Michelle stamped her foot, unable to think of a good retort; this was William’s show after all. Laughing, her fiancé kissed the top of his fiancées head. Beryl picked out four different colors, deliberately going to the cashmere display, Michelle noted and took red, black white and brown; she added them to a growing stack of folded clothes over her arm. William’s eyes landed on a display of short, tweed skirts nearby and pulled Michelle over towards it. Seeing them Michelle balked; William just laughed.
“No protests...” he reminded her. “If you complain I’ll go with you into the lingerie store...” Michelle closed her eyes a second, swallowing; she’d have to try another tack.
“I’m not complaining or anything...” she began. “But, I prefer longer skirts; it is nearly winter. Cold weather, and all that?” Narrowing his eyes at her, William grinned.
“Why, you little diplomat...” he said, affectionately. “No sale, I’m afraid. It’s tweed, which I like very much and it’s a short skirt, which I also like very much… being male.”
“Don’t expect me to wear it...” Michelle mumbled under her breath.
“What was that?” William asked, sweetly.
“Nothing,” Michelle said, bravely returning his smile. There was no way she was going to let him accompany her into the lingerie store.
“I like that white blouse over there,” William said, leading Michelle over to another display.
Several minutes afterward they walked out of the store, plus several bags. Michelle managed to pick up a couple bags without William noticing; she walked out of the store ahead of him, smiling.
“Minx,” he called after her. “Get back here and give me those.” Michelle chuckled, turning to face him.
“I can carry a few, measly shopping bags, you know,” she informed William; she caught him studying her legs again.
“Gosh you look nice in that,” he said, smiling down at her. “When I’m not with you, you can wear all the long skirts and cute Quaker-ish dresses that you like; however, I rather enjoy seeing a bit more of you.”
“I could get used to him looking at me that way,” Michelle thought, clearing her throat. William definitely made her want to barge out of her little shell and kiss him. Instead, she smiled coyly at him and hoped he’d forgotten about their little bargain.
He had not. Despite carrying the bags, William managed to loop his arm through Michelle’s and drag her over to the pink-trimmed store of provocative ‘under-things’.
“I was hoping you’d forget this part,” she confessed, hesitating by the door.
“Pfft,” William snorted. “That’s like asking a man to forget his name, sweetheart.” Michelle blushed and let William open the door for her.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, smiling suddenly. “I said I’d go in, not that I’d buy anything.” William narrowed his eyes at her.
“Don’t make me come in there with you,” he said, darkly. “I will, you know.” Michelle disappeared inside.
Chuckling, William found a nearby bench and sat down, quite pleased with himself. As men are apt to do, he wondered what his sweet girl was going to look at or try on. Clearing his throat, he looked at the skylight in the high ceiling and whistled a few bars of Moonlit Sonata. He smiled, thinking of Michelle playing for him in her green dress the night he proposed to her. Maybe she’d get some green things in there; or pink. Pale pink. Clearing his throat again, he looked around for a coffee vendor.
Michelle couldn’t help feeling out of place among the rows of provocative 'under-things'; this store made her leery. Luckily, a nice sales rep names Brittany found her and was immediately enamored with her dress.
“Oh, its’ so pretty!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been seeing it on a hanger over there across the way but I like it even better up close. Looks awesome!”
“Thanks,” Michelle said, hesitating. “I’m, um… getting married next week, and I need, uh...” Brittany smiled.
“Say no more,” she said kindly. “I can help.” Michelle knew her size so finding things were just a matter of choosing color and shape; she liked the very pale pink bras and matching drawers the as well as a white set, to wear with her wedding gown. She balked at getting the popular black, or red.
“I just wouldn’t feel comfortable in them,” she told Brittany, politely. The sales girl seemed to understand.
“Well, here are some more earthy colors, rust, camel brown or sage green,” Brittany said; she held one up to Michelle’s neck, then another. “The sage and forest greens are both good on you, and the rust.” Michelle felt the silky fabric and smiled.
“Very nice,” she agreed.
She was out of the store within fifteen minutes. Not seeing William anywhere, she carried the pink-striped box by its pink string handles and saw a nearby bench. Sitting down, she supposed William would return soon. Rubbing the back of her neck, Michelle suddenly felt tired.
“That was quick,” William said, from behind Michelle; his fiancée hopped up, and then smiled nervously. “A little too quick I suspect...” He held out a paper cup of coffee to her. It had milk in it. Not usually a coffee drinker, Michelle appreciated the thought and sipped the hot liquid gratefully.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling. “And don’t worry; I got more than I thought I would.” William knew from her blush that all was well in the underwear world.
“Good girl,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “I’m very proud of you.”
“I should not make bargains with you,” she said, giving him an upward glance and a small smile. “I never thought you’d wear a T-shirt.”
William grinned at her.
“You never said if you liked it or not,” he said, quietly. Michelle blushed.
“You are well aware that you look... gorgeous,” she admitted, sitting down; her face burned. She pretended to be interested in her drink. William’s eyebrows raised a little; he sat down, too.
“Was that a compliment?” he asked, smiling, “Or, a shot at my self-awareness?” Michelle grinned into her coffee.
“You’re a very clever man,” she responded.
“See here, you little minx,” William said, putting the bags on the floor. “I’ll not stand for that.” He leaned over and kissed Michelle’s neck, though doing so made him just as uncomfortable as his fiancée. He drew away from her and pushed his hand through his hair. “How long until we’re married, again?” Michelle fanned her face with her hand; it was a little warm in the mall all of the sudden.
“Uh... ten days,” she said, biting her lip. She looked over at William; he looked a little depressed.
“Ten days too long, love,” he said, looking up her legs all the way to her face. She smiled and took a drink of her coffee. He did the same. “I want you to bring that dress along on our honeymoon. The tights, too.”
“Anything else?” Michelle asked, her heart beating quickly. William gave her a sly grin.
“Yes,” he said, slyly. “The entire contents of this box.” He tapped the pink striped lingerie package. Michelle laughed at his expression; William looked positively mischievous.
“Well, where else would I wear it? The gym?” she asked, chuckling softly. Her fiancé nudged her gently with his elbow, and finished his coffee.
By the time they’d purchased some hygienic essentials, makeup and some hair products, it was nearly lunchtime. They found a buffet-type eatery in the mall food court, one that had a fresh-looking salad bar.
“Eating commoner food and wearing a t-shirt,” Michelle said, munching her salad. “I’m very proud of you.” William grinned at her.
“Thank you, my lady,” he said, taking a bite of his own food. It wasn’t bad. It was fresh and not too heavy on the dressing. “I’m rather proud of you as well, love, allowing me to walk all over your little protests.” Michelle smiled into her food.
&n
bsp; “They’re very pretty clothes,” she admitted. Michelle looked up at William’s knowing grin. “Well… I am a girl, you know,” she defended.
“Believe me darling, I’m well aware of that,” was William’s answer. Not knowing how to respond to this, Michelle smiled and ate her salad.
OSCAR MET them at the door when they returned to the Brownstone.
“Sheesh... I thought I’d have to send the National Guard out to retrieve you,” he grumbled, “… And, I see you bought the whole mall.” Smiling, Michelle put her bags down inside the entry and pointed at William.
“It’s his fault, officer,” she quipped. “He made me do it.”
“Stool pigeon,” William said, kissing her cheek. “It’s true; I picked out a large amount of nice clothes for her and forced her to accept them. It’s terrible really... I’m a horrible person.” Michelle poked his shoulder.
“I got him to buy an actual T-shirt,” she said, smiling; her comment made William grimace.
“I do possess such a thing already, sweetheart,” he said, folding his arms in front of him. “I’m not a complete snob.”
Oscar chuckled.
“Well you guys look nice enough for the meeting tonight,” he said. Both William and Michelle looked at him confused. “You remember,” Oscar continued, smiling. “I’m officially supposed to meet your fiancé tonight. 7pm. Marco’s.” Michelle laughed.
“Yes, I remember,” she said, smiling. “When should we leave?” Oscar checked his watch.
“Oh, in about two hours; subway will be jammed so we’ll have to wait… with the rest of the common people.”
At this, William smiled and sighed in a long-suffering manner.
“I have ridden the Subway, before, sir,” he said. Michelle kissed his cheek.
“I’m sure you have,” she said, giving the man a sweet smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go up and shower and puts these lovely things away, if that’s alright.”
“Yeah, go ahead,” Oscar said, sitting down on a slightly worn, red plaid couch. A football game was playing on TV.
“Do you need any help, love?” William asked, as Michelle gathered up the shopping bags. The pink striped one especially caught his eye and he winked at her, causing yet another blush.
Oscar cleared his throat.
“None of that,” he said from the couch. “I’m certain my niece can shower without help.” This time, William’s face turned red; bright red.
“I meant... help with the bags,” he stuttered, looking very uncomfortable. Oscar popped open a beer.
“Sure you did, Sport,” he said. “Sit down and have a beer.” Michelle giggled all the way up the first two flights of stairs, much to William’s annoyance.
“Minx,” he thought, smiling.
Upstairs in the gray spare room Michelle laid out the items from the various bags on the bed; it felt a little like Christmas morning. In the mall she really hadn’t realized all the things William had chucked into the bags, being far too distracted by the sight of him in that shirt. Michelle lifted up a little package of apple blossom soap and body spray; she smiled. He’d put in one or two bottles of lotion marked ‘sensual’, she noticed.
“Well, two can play at that game,” she thought.
Michelle showered using the apple soap and conditioner; after drying her hair she put on the same dark, blue dress and tights, sprayed lightly with the perfume. She tousled her hair a little and smoothed it with much brushing. Smiling at her reflection, she put on dark blue eyeliner and smoky gray eye shadow along with some shiny lip-gloss. Finding the pair of new heels, Michelle put them on over the black tights, bending down to fasten the ankle strap.
Looking over, Michelle saw a bit of white sticking out of one of the remaining shopping bags. Reaching into it, she pulled out a white wool pea coat, looking at it with her mouth open.
“That turkey,” she said, darkly. A smile was not far from her lips, however; it was such a pretty coat. She tried it on and liked how it let just a little of her dress show out below it. Taking it off again, Michelle glanced in the mirror; surprised, she stared at herself. Her makeup seemed a bit dramatic, though no more than most girls wore. It was just a little strange to look in a mirror and see a slightly sultry Michelle looking back at her. Taking a deep breath, she left the room with her new coat.
“I’m ready,” she called out, once down in the living room. William and Oscar were on their respective couches and looked over at her.
“Good heavens,” her fiancé said, looking a little flushed. “Very nice.” Michelle gave him a sweet smile.
“Can I come give you a kiss of gratitude?” she asked, coyly. William drank in the sight of her, rubbing the back of his neck. His face took on a reddish hue, Michelle noticed.
“Bloody hell,” William murmured. Oscar heard him and chuckled.
“I think you’d just torture the poor guy, Michelle,” he said, standing up. “Best to give him a little space while looking as pretty as you do. I’ll get my coat.”
Oscar led them out of his domicile and down the chilly sidewalk.
“It’s only a few blocks to the station,” he said, back to the couple walking a little behind him. “It’s a good walk for me in the morning.”
“Very convenient,” William remarked absently. He was busy gazing down at Michelle as she walked gracefully beside him; she looked so alluring that he was having trouble concentrating. He nearly walked into a pole when Michelle smiled up at him through her lashes. He hovered near her like a guardian all through the Subway ride, something which amused Oscar very much. Michelle felt a few stares directed her way and put her arms around William’s waist and looked up at him adoringly; he exchanged several tender looks with her as the swaying subway bore them under the river, through lower Manhattan and finally to midtown.
Marco--the restaurant proprietor--looked genuinely glad to see them when they arrived. He kissed Michelle’s hand and clapped William on the back, giving them several congratulations on their upcoming marriage. He did not however lead them up to the upper balcony but into a large, corner table in the crowded main room. The room buzzed with the low hum of conversations and periodic laughter. As they waited for their dinner, Marco brought over a quartet of musicians in traditional minstrel dress: two violinists, a guitarist and a mandolin player. The men played sweet, love-strewn pieces from the heart of Italy. The whole dinner environment changed with the music, being relaxed but a little lively as well.
Oscar had three glasses of wine and stood up after dessert, tapping his glass with a fork.
“I want to drink a toast to William and Michelle, may they have a long, full life and a close, loving marriage. May they never be apart, in either soul or spirit.” He lifted his glass and Marco did as well. Oscar managed to take the young couple at his table completely by surprise by belting out ‘That’s Amore’ with Marco in an impromptu off-key duet. Michelle laughed softly to herself during the song and clapped heartily at the end.
William stood up after his boss sat down. He raised his glass to Oscar.
“To the oddest and best relative I could have by marriage,” William said. “May you always be able to do exactly what you want, social confinements and OSHA regulations notwithstanding…” Oscar chuckled at this and drank to the toast with an amused expression. “… And to my lovely bride to be,” William continued, looking down at Michelle; she returned his gaze with her striking eyes and smiling lips. “May our loneliness forever be a thing of the past.”
Michelle smiled up at him, a little emotion rising into her eyes. She held William’s hand as he sat down again next to her.
“I think you’re wonderful,” she said, her eyes shining. “When I met you, I never thought I’d get to call you. Just ten more days, and I can.” William kissed her closed fingers; he looked at his watch.
“Actually, it’s almost nine days more,” he said, in a low voice. “Just over a week, love.” Michelle nodded and leaned against his shoulder. The world s
eemed to be at a standstill for a few, blissful moments. The couple sat together, simply enjoying the sounds and sights of their quiet celebration.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
For the second time in ten days, Michelle woke up in an unfamiliar room. The gray walls and red-shaded overhead light jogged her memory. Michelle rolled over. A group of shopping bags on the floor met her eye; she smiled, thinking of William. He alone could get away with such a stunt. The pink-striped box stood on a chair like a silent reminder of intriguing times ahead. Michelle threw off the covers, smiling happily. Glancing at the small clock, she decided to shower. It was only 5:30 in the morning, but Michelle’s uncle had informed the previous evening that Laurel and her entourage would stop by his place early to pick her up.
The hot shower relaxed her a bit too much; turning the water briefly to ‘cold’ seemed to remedy this problem. Michelle spent most of the time washing and thinking about the dinner last night; William’s sincere words rang through her mind like the song of distant church-bells.
“May our loneliness be forever a thing of the past,” she repeated, smiling.
After drying her hair, Michelle put on a white, long sleeved t-shirt and found another pair of black tights; she noticed William threw in about ten of them. Looking through the bag, Michelle found the tweed skirt he liked so much and bit her lip. Perhaps she could stop by his office for lunch. It was Saturday, but William was making up the previous day’s ‘vacation’. A smile overtook her face. Modeling the skirt in front of the door mirror, Michelle decided it was a bit short, but not too bad; it did have a crisp, modern look to it. Dragging out the slender black boots, she put them on and laced them up tightly over her ankles. One of the sweaters Beryl picked out for her peeked out of a bag, a cheery, apple-red color. Michelle picked it up and felt stunned at the softness of it; she grudgingly admitted Beryl may have been right about the cashmere verses wool debate.
Stepping quietly downstairs, Michelle did not see her uncle anywhere. She found the kitchen with ease; it was a pleasant though starkly decorated room with black counters, shiny metal fixtures and clean, wood floors. On the counter a coffee maker sat, automatically brewing; the thick smell of it filled the air. Feeling a bit awkward in the strange space, Michelle wondered if she should touch anything; she didn’t want to mess something up or cause her uncle’s routine to suffer. A small white piece of paper on the counter by the coffee maker caught her eye. Picking it up, she read it and smiled. It read: ‘Use whatever you like.’
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