Chapter 3A – But Now I See
The cab dropped John and Lionel in front of the Men's Emporium. John and Lionel walked through the automatic doors and stood just inside the doorway looking around at the various displays of merchandise. After a minute or two a gorgeous petite blonde started walking toward them.
"Here we go," said Lionel, having a hunch about what was coming next.
"Let's see what you got Grasshopper," John whispered to him. "Head her off."
"Good morning gentlemen." She said, giving John a predatory eye and glancing at Lionel. He nodded, but John didn't. "How may I help you today?"
Lionel looked around the large and fully stocked store floor again. "Actually, I would like that man over there to help us. Send him over."
Lionel pointed to a man who looked to be in his fifties, clearly older than the rest of the sales staff. He was casually dressed but in an upscale way, wearing his clothing with an air of elegance and sophistication.
"If you change your mind, I'll be over there," she said, still looking at John. She pointed to one of several male fragrance counters.
"I won't but thank you," Lionel said and the disappointed blonde walked toward the man Lionel identified. She spoke to him, he looked over, smiled, and strutted over to Lionel and John. Mmmm…what have we here, he thought to himself.
"Good morning, sirs. My name is Michaels. Thank you for allowing me to help you today. What may I do for you?" He quickly sized up Lionel and John, but not in the blonde's kind of way.
"Michaels is it?" said John.
"Yes," Michaels said with a warm smile. "My mother carried an air of pretension about her. Unfortunately air was all she had."
"He's John and I'm Lionel," Lionel said. "I have an…important Valentine's Day planned and I want to look extra nice for it. Also, I want to upgrade my wardrobe from my usual type duds."
"Oh?" said Michaels. "Well you've come to the right place. Valentine's Day details?"
"Sure. "We're going to the Guggenheim in the afternoon. Then an early dinner, then to a Broadway show followed by drinks."
"Sounds lovely," said Michaels. "What show? Where are you eating? Where to for drinks?"
"Err…Errr…"
"Please tell me you have tickets to a show," said an exasperated Michaels.
"Actually I don't yet…", Lionel admitted.
John and Michaels looked at each other in disbelief.
"The more popular shows are sold out months in advance," said John.
"And Valentine's Day is the second most popular day for eating out and it's on Friday this year," said Michaels. "So you have no reservations for dinner and drinks, either?"
"Errrr…Errr.."
"Damn, Lionel. For a man who's supposed to be the love doctor, you dropped the ball on this one," said John, grabbing his phone.
"I guess I did," Lionel admitted. "I've been so worried about this clothes thing and the actual figuring out what to do and the planning, I forgot about execution. Who're you calling?"
"The only person I know who can fix this. Will you get him started?" John asked Michaels.
"Certainly sir," replied Michaels. John looks like someone I should know if he can fix this…
"So listen Michaels," stated Lionel, as he and Michaels walked over toward the dressing rooms. "The most important thing too, though, is that I'm a police detective, unmarried, with a 16 year old son, so I want to look great but not stray too far from character. Get what I mean?"
"I do sir. Yes, I do. Thank you for sharing that. Members of law enforcement get a 15% discount on their purchases."
"Oh – great!" said Lionel, pleased. "So show me what you got, Michaels."
Michaels rushed to clothing racks and shelves, not even asking Lionel's sizes. I love working with a blank canvas, he thought.
Michaels gathered dress pants, a black pair and a slate gray pair, 4 shirts, a belt and 4 blazers. He then led Lionel to the dressing rooms. Michaels hanged Lionel's pieces together on hooks on one side of the large room. By this time, John had completed his call.
"Try on the black pair of the dress pants, belt and the black dress shirt," said Michaels. "Then come out and let us have a look."
While John and Michaels stood waiting for Lionel, John asked, "So what's the story, Michaels? How long you been working here?"
"I've been here for 25 years, seeing to the needs of fine gentlemen like yourselves."
"You're not running the place?" John asked.
"I used to but the owners decided they needed a more…youthful eye. Oh, they didn't say so in so many words, but it was easy enough to infer. Frankly, they've been trying to get rid of me since. They put this commission structure in place that is a real…any way, I will probably have to look for something else soon."
Just then Lionel stepped from the dressing room onto the sales floor looking like a deer in headlights. He was wearing the black dress slacks, belt and black shirt, as instructed.
"Have a look, Lionel," said Michaels, unbuttoning Lionel's top two buttons.
As he looked at himself in the mirror, Lionel heard a gasp then murmurs among the female sales staff and customers. Do I look that bad? he wondered.
But Michaels certainly approved, prattling on about how the black set off the blue of his eyes and the highlights in his hair. Eyes, he understood, but highlights? What damn highlights? What were highlights? Lionel had to admit though, the outfit was comfortable and he didn't feel so…out of place. He smiled widely.
"You look good," said John. "I think Rhonda will approve."
Lionel looked at himself in the mirror. "Isn't this black kind of boring, though? I was thinking about something with a bit more flash," he stated.
Michaels shook his head no. "Trust me, boring it's not. But if you don't believe me, trust them."
Michaels pointed out a group of shoppers and he called out to them. "Ladies?" he said, pointed to Lionel and held up his hands with one thumb up and one down.
Five hands shot up with the quickness, all with a thumbs up. This was followed by a hoot from a 60 something which caused Lionel to blush.
"Satisfied?" asked Michaels.
"I just want to look extra nice," explained Lionel.
John squeezed Lionel's shoulder in approval of his comment.
"I'll do everything I can to help you to do just that," Michaels said.
Michaels went into the dressing room and brought out a navy shirt, a patterned black shirt, and dark tan straight leg chinos, and the slate gray dress pants. When he came out he made Lionel stretch out his arms on both sides, and he draped the shirts on one arm, and the chinos and slacks on the other. Michaels went to a nearby clothing rack and selected a dark brown single breasted wool winter jacket.
"Here you are, sir. This gives you several outfits to choose from and will also provide you options for your casual wear. This is but a beginning on your wardrobe upgrade. What do you think?" Michaels asked.
Lionel nodded vigorously. "I like it all," he said.
John stared to chortle. "You look like a ragged mummy. A well-dressed ragged mummy."
Lionel laughed as well.
Michaels then went in and brought out the four blazers, 1 button and 2 button styles, buttons on the cuffs as well. There was one navy, one black, one subtle patterned light gray, and one tobacco.
"Try the navy, then the tobacco," he said, "so we can complete your VD outfit."
"Wow," said Lionel. "These are good."
"Which one for the big day?" asked Michaels.
"Why not the black?" said Lionel. "Seems like the obvious choice."
"And that's exactly why not the black." Michaels tsked him. "You requested a little pizzazz, did you not?"
"I did."
"Any of these except for the black will do that for you."
"What do you think, John?" Lionel asked.
"Navy for VD." John turned to Michaels. "He'll also need a classic overcoat. He'll take all 4 blazers and 2 pair of jeans - dark and traditional denim washes, a white shirt, a white pinstripe shirt, a royal blue shirt and a cabled cardigan."
Just then, the blonde who wanted to wait on them at first came over and offered to help Michaels.
"He's doing fine, thank you – unless you want the help," John said, looking at Michaels.
"Not necessary," Michaels said, and he smiled. This time, the blonde stomped off.
"Thank you for asking for me. Ever since she got here 6 months ago, everyone's commission has taken a big hit. She flirts blatantly and rumor has it that she even sleeps with customers for repeat commissions." grumbled Michaels. "I know for a fact that several wives have complained."
"Why doesn't management do something?" asked Lionel.
"They like the money she brings in. They don't even look at her returns or the poor ratings on yelp."
"Sounds familiar."
Michaels said, "Now let me send over the tailor and grab the items you requested."
After a few moments, Michaels returned with the requested items in his arms just as the tailor was finished measuring and pinning Lionel's slacks and shirt.
"Your items will be ready Tuesday before noon and you're guaranteed to look like a million dollars but be sure to try on what you're wearing on Friday just in case. You can do that here. Call me when you're on your way. Do you have any questions about the possible outfits from these garments?" Michaels asked Lionel.
"No – I think I got it. This is great."
"Now go in and try either pair of the jeans. I am sure of the fit, but I just want to be extra careful."
Lionel was in and out in no time.
"Yasssss, yassss," droned Michaels. He turned Lionel around, lifted his shirt to check the waist and crotch, and pulled at the butt. "Squat for me."
Lionel did.
"Feel comfortable?"
"Yeah," answered Lionel, sneaking peeks at himself in the mirrors. I feel good."
"So what's next?" asked Michaels.