10) Shopping
Max was stunned as she picked up one of the price tags for a shirt in one
of the boutiques. It was the equivalent of two weeks of her wages. Max
found it hard to believe there were enough people in the world who were
willing to spend that amount of money on a shirt. But then again, here she
was, looking at these clothes with the intent of buying.
"Now, you will need some day-to-day wear, as well as some evening outfits" Josef said absently to Max as he looked through the racks.
A young shop assistant approached them.
"May I help you?" she asked in Italian.
"Signora Gordiani is here to buy some clothes. She is here from America and her bags were stolen. She will need clothes of every type" Josef replied in his smooth voice
"Of course signore. I will get a change room ready"
Josef simply began to walk around the store, occasionally pausing to remove an article of clothing from the rack, which he would hand to the sales assistant who would whisk it away to a change room. Max wandered around the store, watching Josef as she went. He acted like a man who was used to this sort of lifestyle - he breezed through the store with a bored expression, with an air of impatience which made the sales assistant rush so as not to displease him. Yet Max could see this was all an act. Occasionally he would catch her staring and would give her a broad wink, before returning to his haughty nature as the sales assistant would return.
Max felt an arm interrupt her thoughts, as Josef told her that it was time to try on the clothes.
The easiest part was certainly the day clothes. Shorts, polo necks, skirts, tailored trousers - they all were tried on and then decided upon. Max could have sworn she had bought the same pair of trousers in three different shades of gray. The hard part was the evening dresses.
"You will need four ball gowns and about seven evening dresses" Josef decided. "And you must have one black ball gown and one red one"
"Why a black one and a red one?" Max asked.
"Well, Mr. Trimboli is holding a Black and White Ball next week and you and you 'husband' will certainly be attending" Josef replied simply.
"And the red one?"
"Oh, I just think you will look stunning in red" Josef replied with a wink, causing Max to laugh.
Max disappeared back into the change room to try on yet another dress, while she listened to Josef's conversation outside.
"Signora Gordiani is a young woman - not a middle aged old bat. Dress her like she is a young woman" Josef cried at the shop assistant, who was busy running about, trying to find suitable dresses.
******
Max yawned as Josef inspected yet another dress. While they had found a dress in every other colour, the dress for the Black and White Ball was still non-existent.
"Hmm. Not quite right" Josef said distantly, rubbing his chin. "How many more do you have to try on?"
"Just the one I picked out" Max replied. It had been a long day and Max never could have imagined it would take so long to buy a couple of outfits.
"Okay, try that one on. Then I am escorting you back to your hotel so I can get ready for a date" Josef replied, sitting back in his chair as Max pulled the curtain behind her
"Is it the same girl as last night?" Max called out as she changed.
"No, this lovely is a business associate. She has just come out of a long term romance and is apparently looking for a get-over-him guy"
"And you are happy to oblige?"
"Of course. Who am I to say no to a beautiful wom." Josef trailed off as Max walked into of the room. "Perfect" he said, a smile spreading across his face
******
"Logan!"
"In here"
"Now isn't this a familiar picture" Max commented as she walked into the living space to find Logan at his laptop.
Logan smiled. "What did you buy?"
"So much I'm not even going to both to show you it all"
"Good, that's what I like to hear. Feel like going out to dinner tonight?" Logan asked, not taking his eyes off the computer screen or his fingers from the keyboard.
"Wow, who would have thought that Logan Cale would forget a mission for a whole day in order to spend the day with a girl?" Max teased.
"Only for you Max" Logan replied, smiling, finally turning from the computer
Max smiled back. "I better go and have a shower then" Max replied softly before heading towards the bathroom.
Logan watched her back as she walked away. Her hips swayed slightly and Logan became entranced by them. Logan knew Max was right - he usually would never dismiss a mission in order to have dinner with a girl. But this wasn't just any girl, this was Max Guevera and he wanted nothing more than to spend an evening with her. He wanted everything to be perfect for her, for the both of them, tonight.
******^^^^^^******^^^^^^******
"Now, you will need some day-to-day wear, as well as some evening outfits" Josef said absently to Max as he looked through the racks.
A young shop assistant approached them.
"May I help you?" she asked in Italian.
"Signora Gordiani is here to buy some clothes. She is here from America and her bags were stolen. She will need clothes of every type" Josef replied in his smooth voice
"Of course signore. I will get a change room ready"
Josef simply began to walk around the store, occasionally pausing to remove an article of clothing from the rack, which he would hand to the sales assistant who would whisk it away to a change room. Max wandered around the store, watching Josef as she went. He acted like a man who was used to this sort of lifestyle - he breezed through the store with a bored expression, with an air of impatience which made the sales assistant rush so as not to displease him. Yet Max could see this was all an act. Occasionally he would catch her staring and would give her a broad wink, before returning to his haughty nature as the sales assistant would return.
Max felt an arm interrupt her thoughts, as Josef told her that it was time to try on the clothes.
The easiest part was certainly the day clothes. Shorts, polo necks, skirts, tailored trousers - they all were tried on and then decided upon. Max could have sworn she had bought the same pair of trousers in three different shades of gray. The hard part was the evening dresses.
"You will need four ball gowns and about seven evening dresses" Josef decided. "And you must have one black ball gown and one red one"
"Why a black one and a red one?" Max asked.
"Well, Mr. Trimboli is holding a Black and White Ball next week and you and you 'husband' will certainly be attending" Josef replied simply.
"And the red one?"
"Oh, I just think you will look stunning in red" Josef replied with a wink, causing Max to laugh.
Max disappeared back into the change room to try on yet another dress, while she listened to Josef's conversation outside.
"Signora Gordiani is a young woman - not a middle aged old bat. Dress her like she is a young woman" Josef cried at the shop assistant, who was busy running about, trying to find suitable dresses.
******
Max yawned as Josef inspected yet another dress. While they had found a dress in every other colour, the dress for the Black and White Ball was still non-existent.
"Hmm. Not quite right" Josef said distantly, rubbing his chin. "How many more do you have to try on?"
"Just the one I picked out" Max replied. It had been a long day and Max never could have imagined it would take so long to buy a couple of outfits.
"Okay, try that one on. Then I am escorting you back to your hotel so I can get ready for a date" Josef replied, sitting back in his chair as Max pulled the curtain behind her
"Is it the same girl as last night?" Max called out as she changed.
"No, this lovely is a business associate. She has just come out of a long term romance and is apparently looking for a get-over-him guy"
"And you are happy to oblige?"
"Of course. Who am I to say no to a beautiful wom." Josef trailed off as Max walked into of the room. "Perfect" he said, a smile spreading across his face
******
"Logan!"
"In here"
"Now isn't this a familiar picture" Max commented as she walked into the living space to find Logan at his laptop.
Logan smiled. "What did you buy?"
"So much I'm not even going to both to show you it all"
"Good, that's what I like to hear. Feel like going out to dinner tonight?" Logan asked, not taking his eyes off the computer screen or his fingers from the keyboard.
"Wow, who would have thought that Logan Cale would forget a mission for a whole day in order to spend the day with a girl?" Max teased.
"Only for you Max" Logan replied, smiling, finally turning from the computer
Max smiled back. "I better go and have a shower then" Max replied softly before heading towards the bathroom.
Logan watched her back as she walked away. Her hips swayed slightly and Logan became entranced by them. Logan knew Max was right - he usually would never dismiss a mission in order to have dinner with a girl. But this wasn't just any girl, this was Max Guevera and he wanted nothing more than to spend an evening with her. He wanted everything to be perfect for her, for the both of them, tonight.
******^^^^^^******^^^^^^******