Shopping… in PARIS!

Authors note: I am SO exceedingly sorry, this chapter is exhaustingly long, but I couldn't figure out a good place to chop it in half. Do forgive me.

"Erin… what are we going to do about clothes?" Carley asked. Unnoticed by them Erik had walked into the room.

"We are going to wear NOTHING for the rest of our lives!!!"" They fell over on the bed laughing.

"I think that would be rather uncomfortable in the winter would it not?" Erik interjected. Erin and Carley looked over still giggling in little gasps. They both blushed deep red.

"Erik, I am so sorry We didn't hear you come in." Carley sat up.

"Nevertheless you two need clothes." Erik stated. Carley hopped up and started out the door.

"I could talk to Michael…Maybe he could assist us." She ran out the door before Erin or Erik could say anything. She ran down the stairs and to the front desk.

"Michael! I hate to bother you again-,"

"You are not a bother." Michael said.

"Yes, well…" She blushed and then spoke. "It seems I have had the worst luck and we have none of our clothes. We left them at a friends house and she lives rather far away and it is rather late-,"

"Well as a complimentary service we have nightgowns for our guests in the rooms. But- tomorrow maybe I could help. Take you shopping or something?" Carley smiled.

"That would be wonderful. " Carley said. "I owe you so much." She turned and started to leave.

"Mlle Carley, If I might ask. Who was that accompanying you tonight?" Michael called after her.

"A very good friend. He invited us to the opera tonight." She smiled and went away, and ran up the stairs.

Carley found Erin alone in the bedroom.

"Where's Erik?" Carley asked.  Erin tilted her head towards the door across the hallway.

"Oh. Michael said there were nightgowns in here for the guests. I'll go tell Erik and you find the nightgowns. I think they're in the dresser." Carley went out of the room and across the hallway.

Carley gently knocked on the door. "Erik? Um… there are night gowns in the dressers."

"Okay. Thank you." Erik gently said.

Carley walked back into the room. "Time to sleep!"

@--}-}—

"HI-YA!" Erin screamed in her sleep. "JUDO CHOP!" Carley flopped over when whacked in the face by Erin's hand.

"Ehh?" She said groggily. She sat up immediately. 

"Erik?!" Carley called worriedly. Carley looked around. Was it all a dream? In the dim moonlit room, she could see the old 18th century furniture. They were still in their bed and in their old fashioned nightgowns. She sighed. A soft voice answered her.

"I'm here." Carley sighed in relief.

"I'm glad…" With that she went back into a restful sleep.

@--}-}—

Erik stood by the window, the moon making him a dark profile. He had answered to her. She had called his name. She sounded worried, like he had left. He stood, curiously silent yet not sleeping at all.

@--}-}—

The winter clouds parted the next morning and the sun shone through the window. Michael walked up to the room where Carley and Erin slept. He knocked on the door gently.

"Good morning. It is time to get up if you wish to go shopping." Carley opened her eyes and gazed around the room blearily. She went over and opened up the door to see Michael.

"Oh. Hello." She said yawning. "I'll be ready in a moment. Wait for me downstairs." She stumbled back to the bed and shoved Erin off.

"Get up… We have to go shopping."

"No mom I don't want to go to school I want to stay home and make chocolate chip cookies with you." Erin said half-awake.

"Right…I am going to get Erik now." She sleep walked to the door and barely missed the wall. She wondered where a mirror was so she could see how her hair looked this morning. She got to the door and rested her forehead on the door for a moment. Finally she knocked on the door. She half expected no one to answer and the room to be gone. A quiet voice beckoned her to come in. She was a bit surprised and then opened the door and walked in. Oh don't I look great. I am so tired I want to go back to bed. I was expecting him to not be here… to be gone…

She saw Erik, he was standing by the window. He looked over at her and was surprised once more. She was still in her nightgown and looked quite sleepy. Her hair was all over the place. She smiled at him.

"Good morning. I don't look the greatest I know. My sister says I have pillow hair." Realization crossed her face and she tilted her head.

"How long…have you been awake?" She asked. She turned away. "I'm sorry I shouldn't be so inquisitive like this. I came to tell you that Erin and I are going shopping today and would wish for you to come with."

"The sun has been set against me Mlle. I wish to stay here." Erik looked at her full in the face. She smiled and yawned.

"Sure. If you wish." She turned and started for the door, which was closed. She walked right into it.

"Ow-! Who put that door right there this early in the morning." Carley yawned. "I really need more sleep." Erik couldn't hold back a small laugh.

"Mlle? Are you hurt?" he asked.

"Just my pride." She smiled and opened the door this time before walking out. Erik could only smile. "ERIN!" Carley yelled as she walked into the rented room.

"Yes, your highness?" Erin mumbled as she finished putting up her hair.

"Shopping! Now! We go! Michael too!"

"And why did you even graduate from school if you can't even put together a sentence?"

"Know not, I do."

"Mmmmm. Just got to love that yoda." Erin rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah! That's right! You hated yoda! The only reason you came to see the movies with me was to see that Ewan McGregor fellow."

"Mmmmmmm. Ewan McGregor."

"Who's he?" Michael asked as he walked into the room.

"Um, childhood sweetheart. Sad to say, it never worked out." Carley said with a smile.

"I am sorry to hear that. Any who, we should get going."

"Quite right. Shall we?" Carley held out her arm for Erin.

"Lead the way, Michael." As they walked down the stairway, Erin pulled Carley close. "If we get out of here, we should go and see Ewan in Moulin Rouge!"

"Ooo! Yes, yes!" Michael led the girls out to a carriage that he had called earlier. As they got into the carriage, Michael eyed the back of Carley. He was obviously smitten.

"So. Where are we going shopping?" Erin was excited. This was really their first morning in Paris.

"Why Mlle, you act as though you've never gone shopping before." Michael smiled.

"Oh no! It's just that," Carley gave a nervous glance to Erin. "just that my dear sister loves to shop." Erin let out a small groan.

"Shopping…coo." Erin said unenthusiastically, but Michael bought it.

"Do you? Well, I never would have guessed. No offense, Mlle. You just don't look like the type." Erin's mood lightened. Michael's hotel was conveniently located near a clothing market so the ride was short and pleasant. "Ah! Here we are." The diver opened the door and let them out. The market was just as Erin and Carley had hoped. It was bursting with people, all shouting, all wanting something else. The market stretched for at least 5 blocks. Racks were shoved anywhere where there was room, each full with beautiful clothing. Not night-on-the-town beautiful, but beautiful non the less. "Now, Mlles. I know of a woman who gives bargains on dresses. She owes me a favor." He gave a wink. "So, I guess the first question is how much money do you have?" Erin's jaw dropped.

"Hold on." Erin pulled Carley away from Michael. "Money? We have none! We don't even have anything to sell for money! What are we suppose to do?"

"Don't worry! I got it covered." Carley pulled Erin back to Michael. "Michael, darling. My dear sister seems to have forgotten our purse so we were just going to put on a little show for the money." Carley smiled.

"You mean like selling your body?" Michael asked.

"NO!" Erin and Carley chimed. "No, Michael. Nothing like that. Um… Erin plays violin and I can sing and we could just-,"

"Oh! I am sorry. I thought… never mind. Well!" Michael clapped his hands. "Let's find you a spot." Erin and Carley tried to keep up as Michael wiggled his way through the crowd.

"Michael?" Erin asked. "Have you done this before?"

"Oh yes. Many times. How do you think I started the hotel?" He gave a smile. "Here. This is good." Michael stood on the edge of a fountain. "People should be able to hear you well if you just sing loudly." He helped Carley on the steps.

"Um… actually. I can't." Erin pulled back when Michael offered his hand.

"Why? You do this all the time in the park." Carley put her hands on her hips.

"Yes, I do but I'm missing something."

"What?" Erin played a pretend violin. "Oh! That is a problem. Um… we need this and… we'll just harmonize." Michael boosted Erin onto the step.

"Well, what do you want to sing?" Erin asked.

"Phantom of the Opera is very tempting right now…"

"No… we can't! Something else."

"Les Miserables?"

"Carley!"

"Okay okay…" Carley thought for a moment. "Why not Think of Me?"

"No!"

"Aw. Come on."

"All right." Erin was already starting to blush for the people had started to notice them. Carley started to sing. The notes were crisp and sharp. They pierced the cold morning air. Erin froze. She couldn't move. Stage fright had always gotten to Erin when she sung. Carley gave Erin a nudge.

"Thanks for helping." Erin was so into her thoughts that she didn't even notice that the song was over.

"Sorry."

"Look!" Michael held out a few coins. "It's from them! They love you!"

"Yeah so you should sing." Erin tried to get down when Carley pulled on Firmin's cloak that she was wearing.

"You're staying up here! If I freeze, so do you."

"But I can't!" Erin pulled Carley down from the frozen fountain steps.

"One song. That's all I ask. One."

"Fine! What song?" Erin was extremely irritated.

"I don't care! Hannibal for all I care." Carley spat the words and Erin was insulted. "Sing Hannibal like Carlotta!"

"I will sing it ten times better than Carlotta!" As Erin got up on the step Carley smiled. Her trick had worked. Looking over the crowd, Erin gave a shiver, took a breath and began to sing. She sang every note clearly and loudly. She wanted everyone to hear that she could sing so much better than Carlotta. After Erin closed the final note, she stomped down and glared at Carley.

"All right. You win. You are better than Carlotta."

"Well it's not hard to sing better than a toad." Erin's glare turned into a smile. They both began laughing. Michael came running up.

"Mlle Erin! That was…was… magnificent! Look at all the coins we got!" Michael held out his cupped hands to show the girls. There were 7 bronze coins and 1 silver one. "This is enough to buy a good dress and a good pair of boots. That's pretty good for your first time. Mlle Erin? Have you ever sung before… in public I mean?"

"In my dreams." Erin whispered.

"Well," Carley blurted out to get off the subject. "We need to get back up there and sing some more so we can get more money."

"Right." As Erin put her foot up on the step, Carley grabbed her hand. "What?"

"Use your credit card."

"My what?!" Carley pointed into the crowd to a figure that was moving quite rapidly toward them. Erin squinted and realized that it was Firmin. "Oh no! Hide me!" Erin tried to run but her held her hand tight.

"Use… your …credit…card." She pointed once more toward Firmin.

"Oh. I see." Erin licked her lips. " But he's so gross!"

"You can either go with him or get up there and sing."

"I'd rather eat a turd sandwich!"

"Too late." Carley moved behind Erin. "Go get him, Tiger."

"No-,"

"Mlle Perinovic! Mlle Perinovic!" Firmin reached Erin and paused to catch his breath.

"Ah… M Firmin…" Erin turned around to whisper to Carley. "Be still my beating heart. He's a moron!"

"A moron with money. Go for him!" Carley turned Erin back around.

"Mlle Perinovic… I wanted… to apologize… for last night." He was still gasping for breath.

"Yes, that was quite disastrous." Erin cleared her throat. "Well, here is your cloak." Erin began to pull it off as he his hand on hers.

"Keep it. As a symbol of my affection."

"Some men give flowers, others candy. But this one gives money!" Carley whispered from behind. Erin nodded as she put the cloak back on her shoulders.

"M Firmin? Could I bother you for a dress?"

"A dress?"

"Yes," Erin swallowed hard. "For our date tonight."

"A date! Oh Mlle Perinovic!"

"Please… call me Erin." Her tone was getting duller and duller.

"Erin…" Firmin leaned down to kiss her hand. Erin just about had a spasm. "I insist you let me buy you a dress. Come. I know just the shop."

"Just a moment." Erin turned around and violently whipped off her hand of the cloak. Both Carley and Michael tried not to laugh. Erin glared at them both. "All right. Let's go." Erin took Firmin's arm.

"Oh Erin dear!" Carley walked up to Erin. "Just meet us back at the hotel in an hour."

"An hour sharp." Erin repeated.

"Come my dear. I don't want to lose a minute of my hour with you."

"Nor do I." Erin felt like throwing up.