I didn't realise I was crying until a hand held out a tissue to me. I lifted my watery eye to look at the face of the person offering it to me and was surprised to see Richie standing over me, a worried look on his face.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked in a gentle voice.
I shook my head disagreeing to talk about it and he accepted that and got straight to what he had been sent about. "Tessa's just got a phone call confirming how may people she's going to be bring to this gallery thing she's got going and she's told then there's going to be three. Duncan, me and you."
I looked at him in complete puzzlement. Me? Why would she want to take me?
Obviously getting my meaning from my look he continued. "Hey don't say anything to me about it. I hate them but I've got to go because it make's Tessa happy, and a happy Tessa means less house work for me." He smiled that mischievous smile he has that caused dimples in his cheeks. "But first we need to get you some clothes."
"Clothe?" How was I meant to afford to buy clothes when all my money was back home? "But how?"
Richie grinned again and held up a plastic credit card. "An all expense trip to some of the most expensive shops in Seacouver courtesy of one Duncan MacLeod."
"I can't. I won't let Duncan buy me anything. I've depended for myself this long without any worries. I won't let anyone be responsible for me now." I said. I know I was ranting and raving about nothing but I couldn't help it. Its what you become when you've been supporting yourself for so long. I still feel you have to prove myself I guess.
"Then count it as just a loan. You start working in the shop and pay me back that way." Duncan said from the doorway and I was surprised I hadn't noticed him there before now.
Well what could I say to that it was better then nothing I guess? "Fine." Well at least until I figured a way to get home.
"Good, then you may as well pick up some more clothes as well because It looks like you could use them, unless you like borrowing Richie's clothes." Duncan added to my shopping list.
That was it I guess. The moment I realised that Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod believed me and had decided to take me under his wing like he had for one Richie Ryan. Only one problem left. Where was I going to stay?
I was brought from my thoughts as Duncan threw a set of keys across the room, which Richie easily caught. "Take Tessa's car, I'll drop her off at the gallery. Don't take to long, only get clothes for the gallery and some basic clothes today and we'll get the rest tomorrow."
"Will do Mac, don't worry about a thing." Richie beamed looking down at the keys in his hand and the credit card in the other like they were a sacred treasure. He looked back up a smile for the entire world to see on his face as he turned to me and said. "Let's go!"
We went to what Richie told me later to be one of the most expensive shopping districts in Seacouver. It wasn't as bad as I would have expected it to be, shopping with Richie. I would have though he would be continuously talking, but he wasn't. He respected the fact that I didn't feel up to talking and didn't try and pressure information out of me like MacLeod.
I expected him to be hitting on me left, right and centre but again he wasn't, ok I admit there was the occasional bit of flirting going on but nothing that made me feel uncomfortable.
"So where do you want to go next?" Richie asked when we were leaving the shop that I had just bought a dress for Tessa's viewing from.
"Well the only other things left to get are some jeans and tops, where can I get them from?"
"I know just the place." Richie smile then started to walk back down the street towards where the car was parked.
I looked on for a few seconds puzzles as to were we could be going next then started running down the street, glad for the fact Richie had insisted on carrying the bag. "Richie, wait up. Where are we going now?"
"You'll see."
Not knowing what else to do I jumped into the car and we sped off. It was only another five minutes drive until Richie was parking the car in from of a clothes shop and I had to smile when I saw that it was just like the usual shops I went to.
It the small kind of shop that seemed more intimate to normal high street shops which are rather impersonal and brightly lit.
We entered the store and I ended up buying a lot more then I intended to and came out having to carry some myself as Richie's hands were all taken.
We were just dumping the stuff in the car when I looked across the street and spotted a bookshop that seemed familiar. I stood starring at it for a few seconds trying to think of where I knew it from, when I remembered I quickly inhaled unable to hold in my surprise.
"What?" Richie asked, as he must have heard me. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that he looked over to where I was looking at. "A book shop?"
"Could I go take a quick look to see if they have any good books in?" I couldn't help myself and I started walking towards the shop without waiting for his answer.
"But it's a shop filled with mouldy old book." I heard him shout after me as I pushed the door open and a bell chimed.
I entered the shop and looked around spotting a man behind the counter. He looked to be in his early to early to mid forties dressed in a tweed jacket, which did nothing for him. A greying beard making him look older then he actually was continued into his hair. "Hi, what can I help a lovely lady like yourself with today?" He asked as he walked around the counter and it was then that I noticed his cane for the first time.
Just then the door burst open and Richie walked in. "Cat, what do you want now? If we don't hurry up were going be late and Mac will kill me."
"I'll only be a few minutes Richie I promise I just want to have a quick look round." I said unable choose what to look at most, Joe Dawson or the books that surrounded me. I've never really told anyone this but I've always felt a pull towards books for some unknown reason.
"But there's only books here." Richie moaned but made no attempt in pulling me out of the shop.
I walked closer to Joe and I could have sworn he looked paler then when I walked in. "I was wondering if you had any books on myths." I innocently asked trying to hold a smile in.
He mentally shuck himself and turned his attention off of Richie and back to me. "Sure. Err what type of mythology are you interested in."
"Anything really but things that interest me most is thing on Vampires, Werewolf's, immortals that kind of thing." Again I could have sworn that Joe paled even more and I definitely heard Richie gasp behind me.
What happened next I never expected, another voice appeared out of nowhere and a person I definitely didn't expect to see appeared within my line of sight. "Joe, are you feeling ok?" He asked as he moved and stood next to Joe.
"No, not really. Could you help this customer Adam?" Joe slowly moved over to a seat and sat down still watching me closely.
Adam made sure that Joe was fine then turned back to me. "Ok then what can I help you with Miss?" He asked politely as I noticed his eyes narrow as he looked past me to Richie.
"Well. I." Boy could I not find the words. "Err I was looking for books on myths about Vampires, Werewolf's and immortals." I said when I finally found I could compose words again.
"Cat, MacLeod is going to kill me if were late. Can we go now?" He almost snapped as he pulled on my shoulder but I refused to budge. I took his hand off me and turned to face him.
"No." I said anger rising from my voice but I quickly managed to calm it and what I said next was said in an almost hiss. "The only Goddamn hope of possibly finding a way home is to find out who the god damn thing was that put me here in the first place. No matter how much I appreciate MacLeod's help I want to go home."
Steaming I turned to Adam and tried to calm myself down. It was then that I noticed that look in his eyes. He was suspicious about me or maybe both Richie and me. Knowing I wasn't going to get any kind of information now I turned quickly and stormed out of the shop throwing over my shoulder a 'it doesn't matter anymore' before the door closed.
We got back to the car and I climbed in still angry for Richie's interruption. The little hope for getting I had floating around inside me while inside that shop quickly evaporated as Richie quickly pulled away from the curb and back to the antiques shop. As we were pulling away I glance back to the shop window and saw Adam watching us.
We rode in silence for about ten minutes until Richie's curiosity got the better of him and he asked the question I knew was coming. "What the hell was all that about back there?"
"It was nothing." I sunk further into my seat defeated as I suddenly found the air around me closing in. I fought to hold back the tears that I knew was going to come sooner or later, but hoped that they would wait until we reached the antiques shop.
Once the car pulled up behind the shop I jumped out grabbing the bag with the dress in I needed then ran inside and up to Richie room, which I had temporary taken over.