Chapter Nine

It was a long time before they returned to the house. When they did, they both needed a hot shower, and a change of clothes. Coming into the house like a couple of giggling teenagers, they avoided the looks of Kate and Garrett, who were still settled on the couch. They ran upstairs to take a shower.

As they were getting dressed Tanya looked over Jesse's wardrobe appraisingly. A wicked smile spread across her face. He glanced at her, a smile starting to spread across his face as well, until she spoke. Her words chilled him to the bone. "I think we should go shopping."

Jesse's look of contentment changed to a look of panicked horror. "Sh...Shopping? I don't think so, why don't I just tell you what size I wear, and you can just buy whatever you like?" He spoke quickly, hoping she would let him off the hook.

No such luck. Tanya shook her head. "No, I think you should come with. You finish getting dressed, I'm going to go find out if Kate wants to come as well," she said while quickly fastening her strawberry blond curls into a braid. She was out the door before Jesse could answer.

Bounding down the stairs, Tanya burst into the living room with an announcement. "Kate, we need to take Jesse shopping. He has barely any clothes, and he will need some more."

Kate looked up at Tanya, comprehension spreading across her features. A smile matching Tanya's spread across her lips. "Well that sounds like fun. Garrett could use some new clothes too. Let's get Carmen, I bet Eleazar is in need of something new for his new year in classes."

Garrett's eyes were wide. "No. No. You are not dragging me into this! Go have your fun with Jesse, but leave me out of it!"

Kate grinned. "Oh, come on baby. It'll be fun!" She was laughing now, and so was Tanya.

"Carmen," Tanya said, knowing the other woman would hear her. When she appeared seconds later Tanya filled her in on their diabolical plan, to which Carmen enthusiastically agreed.

While she went to retrieve Eleazar, Tanya went to drag Jesse downstairs, and Kate was forcefully pulling Garrett off the couch, where he had made himself into a statue. "Oh come on Garrett, it will be fun! I know how much you love shopping with me!"

"Okay, Katie that is a complete and total lie. I only went shopping with you to make you happy, and you know it!" he retorted.

"Bah. This will make me happy if you come with," she said, trying that angle out. She smiled sweetly for effect.

It worked. Garrett sighed and let her pull him to his feet, where he wrapped her into a bear hug, his face buried in her hair. Breathing in her sweet scent he sighed again. "Fine, you win. But I won't like it," he said, mock angrily.

Kate lifted her face to his and kissed him. "You don't have to like it. This is to make me happy, remember?" She said it playfully, and had a brilliant smile on her face.

Garrett rolled his eyes and ran his hand up and down her back affectionately. "Yes yes, I know."

Tanya wasn't having nearly as much luck with Jesse. "Please? Garrett and Eleazar are going too!" she pleaded with him.

"Oh so you got your sisters in on the torture? Are Garrett and Eleazar that whipped that they will put up with a day of being Ken dolls for their wives?" Jesse replied with a smirk on his face.

Tanya laughed. "Yep. Now play nice and be my Ken doll for the day. I promise you a day of doing whatever you want in return..."

A wicked gleam was in his eyes as he contemplated. "Alright it's a deal. But you have to do whatever I want for a whole day whenever I decide to cash it in."

Tanya couldn't really think of much of a downside to that, so she nodded. "Alright. Let's go." She grabbed his hand, and was momentarily struck by how easily they had fallen in with each other. She pulled him along as they went downstairs.

Carmen and Eleazar weren't far behind them and they could hear Eleazar protesting. "Mi amor please, can we not do this? I have papers to grade!"

Carmen laughed, the tinkling sound resonating throughout the openness of the downstairs living area. "Encanto, indulge me, por favor? It will be fun!"

Eleazar was muttering under his breath. "Fun for who? Not for us certainly!"

Carmen had a wonderful smile on her face as they all met in the living room, all the men looking very uncomfortable. But when their gazes met, they all must have realized that at least they wouldn't be going through it alone. Eleazar and Garrett had both suffered through that on several occasions as it was.

"Well, lets get going! Shall we take the Denali and Eleazar's Avalanche? They offer the most room for purchases," Kate said.

"That works for me!" Carmen and Tanya said in unison. They headed for the garage, Carmen and Tanya grabbing the keys to the respective vehicles on the way.

Tanya and Jesse piled into the front seat of the Denali, while Kate and Garrett climbed in the back seat. Carmen and Eleazar got into the Avalanche. They pulled out of the garage together, and Carmen waited while Tanya took the lead. Tanya put the pedal down and they took off like a shot out of the driveway, Carmen hot on their tail. It was a quick drive into Fairbanks, where Tanya pulled into one of their favorite malls.

A collective groan came from both cars as the men realized that, indeed, their fate for the day was to be human(like) mannequins for their women. The girls scrambled out of the cars, wearing huge smiles, while the guys got out at a very believable human male at the mall pace. Each couple linked hands, and headed inside. Macy's was first.

Conscious of moving at human speed, Carmen, Tanya and Kate picked out pants, shorts, and shirts, piling them high on their arms. Garrett, Jesse and Eleazar watched with matching looks of horror on their faces. Once satisfied with the first round of selections, the girls headed toward the dressing rooms, glancing behind them to make sure the men followed. They did. Slowly.

Kate threw her pile in a room, while Tanya and Carmen did the same in two other rooms. Then they each stood sentry outside the dressing room doors, waiting while the guys went in and changed into a first set of outfits. At the same time, the three doors opened, and out stepped Garrett, Jesse and Eleazar.

Garrett was dressed in a pair of khaki colored cargo shorts that went to his knees and a rust and tan plaid colored lightweight, short sleeved button down shirt over a white t-shirt. All were Columbia brand. Jesse was wearing a pair of Tommy Freedom Fit blue jeans and a black Nike t-shirt. Eleazar was dressed in carpenter khakis and a tan colored Ralph Lauren polo shirt. All three wore matching expressions of disinterest.

Kate nodded in approval of Garrett's outfit and he was rewarded with a kiss that lasted a bit longer than appropriate for public. Carmen adjusted the collar of Eleazar's shirt, trailing her fingers down his chest as she murmured in his ear her approval. Tanya looked over Jesse's outfit the longest and then smiled. "Yes, I think that's perfect," she said to him.

The girls sent them back to change, and the ritual repeated itself for about an hour. When they had a pile of clothes that they had decided on, they took them to the register and paid before dragging the guys to a shoe store.

Kate found a new pair of hiking boots for Garrett, Carmen found a pair of loafers for Eleazar, and also a pair of walking shoes for when he wasn't working. Tanya picked out skate shoes for Jesse. When all the shoes were picked out and approved, those too were paid for. By the time they were done, the guys were laden down with packages, and each of the girls also carried several bags.

On their way out, Kate had suggested they stop in and get some shampoo and body wash in one of the fancy stores there. The guys groaned in unison and said they would seat themselves and the boxes and bags on the bench outside while the girls went in. Rolling their eyes, the three women went into the store and returned fifteen minutes later with another bag each.

Finally, they gathered up all their bags and boxes and headed out to the cars. Piling them into the Denali and the Avalanche, the guys heaved triplet sighs of relief that the torture was over. The girls were giving each other congratulatory hugs for managing to pull it off. Then they all piled back into their respective cars and headed back to the Alaskan wilderness.