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Chapter 27 of
A Simple Favor:
On August 10th, 2002, around 5:50pm, Max stood, invisible, in the Valley Plaza Outlet Mall, in an Old Navy, of all places. He was completely undetected by anyone as they made their way through the store, trailing behind a Rogue's entourage as they picked out various items to try on.
"Oh, Kurt, look at these pants, they are totally your style," Shadowcat said enthusiastically as she pulled a pair off of the shelf and handed them to him.
"Yes, they are pants," Kurt replied deadpanned, prompting Rogue to laugh. The pile in his arms grew larger by the minute. Rogue was standing with the two, a smaller pile hanging over one arm: short-sleeve shirts, a couple of pairs of dark denim pants and a few- where those bikinis?
Max was patient, but still feeling glimmers of agitation; he just had to wait for the right moment, for Rogue to be alone. Obviously, Anna-Marie was all right. She was on a shopping trip of all things. But he hadn't seen her the entire summer and he wasn't about to give up this opportunity to speak with her. Not when an invitation from Charles to the institute was so unlikely in the future and a simple phone call might bear unnecessary consequences for the girl.
So, he waited. And walked. It felt like stalking, though that was the last thing he wished to do to Anna-Marie. But if her friends saw him they knew that his being here in this very mall was a coincidence too far, utterly unbelievable. Therefore, she had to be alone.
And she would be, momentarily, once they group split up to their various dressing rooms.
'No, that's a horrendous idea,' he told himself, hesitating, fuming internally that he didn't have an alternative course of action. Max watched Rogue blink in curiosity as she glanced up at the fluorescent lights as they flickered wildly. 'Calm down,' he told himself and the flickering ceased. Rogue seemed to dismiss the lights as she and Shadowcat watched in one direction; joining a short line to get into the woman's dressing room. Kurt broke off from the group, moving to the right, where there was predictably no line. And with one less person, with no one standing behind Rogue. He could-
Max was swift, moving close behind her and placing his left hand against the small of her back. Her reaction was an immediate inhale, as she didn't bother to look behind her.
"Max?" she whispered. He lowered his lips until they were by her ear.
"Oui," he said as softly as he could, his lips brushing against her earlobe unintentionally. It affected them both. He sucked in a breath as he pulled back his lips, taking in- was that lavender or vanilla? Whatever perfume it was, it was lovely on her.
He pulled his head back a little further and pulled his hand from her back. Touching her, even to simply gain her attention, suddenly felt-… dangerous. What on earth was wrong with him? He's touched her before. He'd carried her through the air, for prolonged periods, she never affected him in any meaningful way. He was always able to be the adult-
But that thought escaped him; the line was moving forward, and in order for anyone who joined it after Rogue and not to feel him there, he had to keep close to her.
"I can't believe Prof, like, gave us his credit card," Shadowcat commented in her typical giggly tone as the line moved forward, two women exiting the fitting rooms and two women entering, he kept pace and stayed directly behind Rogue, though he was attempting not to touch her.
"Well, he said he felt bad we didn't really do anything for my birthday," she commented.
'Was that last week?' he asked himself. 'August second, yes. She's-'
"And he did limit us ta two stores," Rogue added, as she reached behind her back and- why were her fingers on his stomach? It made his own emotions race like wildfire through dry timber.
"Yeah, Old Navy totally wasn't my first choice, but like, where else were we going to find stuff for Kurt too?" Shadowcat asked as Max tried to keep his breathing regular; her fingers were trailing over his stomach, like she was searching for something. "But like, it's your birthday gift."
"Hm, where should we go after this?" Rogue asked as she lowered her fingers, nearing his- he quickly took hold of her hand with his. And held his breath as she led his hand to her hip. "If it's my choice, I'm thinking Hot Topic- but"
'She wants to know where you are, that's all,' he told himself as he forced his hand to remain on her hip.
"We can totally do that!" Shadowcat said, his grip tightened as another group of women exited and the line moved forward again and they were now at the front of it. "Everywhere else I'd want to go doesn't, like, have stuff for Kurt anyway," she said.
"And he might not wanna go to a second store anyhow," Rogue pointed out another three women exited the fitting rooms and they were able to move forward, entering themselves.
"Hey, it's your birthday, we can totally go where you want to go," Shadowcat said as Rogue picked out a room and opened the door wide- he used the opportunity to let go of her hip and enter the changing room. "Maybe, I'll find something I like."
"Maybe," Rogue repeated, snorting facetiously. "Hey, ya mind if I take my time?" Rogue asked as she held the door to the changing open wide, Max used the opportunity to let go of her hip and slip into the room. "I haven't done this in a while," she added as Max glanced around the tiny closet they called a fitting room. There was a mirror on one wall, a few hooks on the adjacent wall and nowhere to sit or place personal items.
"You'll show me everything we picked out?" Shadowcat asked as Max tucked himself into one corner, the only wall there absent of hooks or mirrors. It would have to do.
"If not here, then at home," she promised.
"Have fun, birthday girl," the other girl with a sunny smile said as Rogue finally entered the cramped little room. Once the door closed, Max rendered himself visible as Rogue was hanging up all of the items she brought to try on. She caught his eye in the reflection of the mirror and immediately spun around.
"Oh my god," Rogue whispered in astonishment as she stepped directly up to him. The room was small, stepping closer meant she was practically on top of him. And now her hand was gripping his chin as she turned his face, from one side to the other. His face was clean shaven, a necessity in the Sahara and its heat. "Look at ja," she whispered, holding back her enthusiasm. "God, Max, you gotta be about my age, right?" she whispered.
Which was eighteen. She was eighteen, and legally speaking an adult.
He needed to get that thought out of his head as quickly as possible. But as she touched his face of her own volition, easily able to use her powers on him and choosing not to, that thought stayed.
"That was my intent," he commented, keeping his voice low in volume, but not pitch. Rogue clasped her free hand over her mouth but amusement danced in her eyes. She'd heard it, how young he sounded. He could still manage to lower the pitch of his voice with effort, but it hurt his throat. Hence, why he'd taken to leaving his Acolyte's written instructions.
"And your hair?" she asked, as she pulled his face from side to side to get a better look. Most of his hair was tucked under the red cap he'd adopted to using in public spaces. But her fingers were pulled at a couple of strands and he knew she could see it was black.
"I didn't go white until my twenties," he explained. He was physically somewhere between eighteen and nineteen, he believed and all of his hair had followed suit.
"I know," she said grinning. "It's crazy that the rebirth machine replaced the pigment. It's like your body went back in time, except," she said, as he felt her eyes looking up and down as she released his hair and his chin. She put her hands on his chest, placing her palms up against his abs. "You were such a skinny little thing at this age. Not ja fault, but-" she said before she sucked in a breath herself, as she glanced up to meet his gaze. Why was still pressed up against him? "Close your eyes," she ordered.
"Why?" he asked, confused, a little nervous for some reason.
"Cause I need ta try something on before Kitty knocks," she answered, giving him a look, like the answer should've been obvious; and perhaps it should have been.
"Right, of course," he nodded, promptly closing them.
"No peeking," she said, teasingly.
"I would never," he objected under his breath, offended.
"Yeah, I know that too," she whispered before he felt her lips on his cheek. The peck was brief but, why was his heart beating so rapidly? He had better control over himself than this!
Good heaven, this was hormones, wasn't it? Troublesome teenage hormones coursing through his veins, affecting him like some inexperienced adolescent.
'It isn't going to affect me, damn it,' he thought repeatedly as he gritted his teeth, intent on keeping his word, to keep his eyes closed.
But he could see with more than just his eyes, couldn't he? He could feel her taking off her shoes, a pair of combat boots and unzipping the hoodie he'd made her. She folded it, and placed her boots and the folded garment in the corner by the mirror. More items were placed on top of it and he tried and failed not to breathe in the lovely scent of lavender and vanilla as he was conscious she was practically naked in front of him.
He almost sighed in relief when he heard her picking up a hanger and the sound of shuffling. Next was a knock at the dressing room door and on instinct he rendered himself invisible.
He heard the door opening.
"What do ya think?" Rogue asked,
"Oh. My. God. You look amazing in crop tops," Shadowcat exclaimed. "You have to get that. And are those the jeans?! Rogue!" she said.
"Okay, so, all of this is a yes?" she asked.
"Totally and they had so many colors of that crop top. We should totally grab a few on the way to the register," she said.
"I like the purple one I got on," Rogue said.
"You look so good in purple. There was this deep red too. You would look amazing in red, with your hair, it would go so well," Shadowcat advised.
"Yeah, I think reds and purples suit me," she replied and Max could hear the grin in her voice. "I'll get the green and the black ones too," she seemed to decide on the spot, remembering her usual colors of choice.
"Yes!" Shadowcat said encouragingly. "I wanna see that bathing suit next," she declared.
"Maybe. Let me get it on first and I'll tell ya if I'm up for opening the door in it," she said.
"You're going to look incredible," Shadowcat replied in a sing-songy voice and Rogue laughed as she closed the door.
"How are ya holding up?" Rogue whispered as he felt her hand on his chest. As he opened his eyes, rendering himself visible, the first thing he saw was her chest and the purple crop top she wore.
"I- I'm fine," he stumbled.
There was a beat, a distinct pause before she asked, "Ya like the top?" Her tone was a strange mix of curiosity, nervousness, and accusatory.
"What red-blooded man wouldn't?" he replied and she giggled softly under her breath. Apparently, that was the answer she was hoping for.
"Close your eyes, sugar," she ordered and he did so immediately. Her hand left his chest and he felt her a step away from him. She was very good at being direct these days. Moreso than usual. He found he rather liked it. Confidence looked as good on her as the outfit.
Why had he come into this room again? It was to talk to her, certainly. About her summer, and how she was? And why did she have a compass? If Charles was still mad. All of it. Not about clothes! And when she was ready to speak with him again, he would ensure he directed the conversation in the right direction. He would, he had to.
He just needed to be patient. Max could feel her unclasp her bra, discarding it, and he found his mind wandering again. Why couldn't he get the image of her in that crop top out of his mind? It was present there and he couldn't force it away, any more than he could open his eyes to try to refresh his thoughts. What he knew was that he wanted to see her in red. His colors. Why did he like the sound of that so much? Why was that thought causing his heart to beat so fiercely, pounding in his chest?
"You can open your eyes," she said breathlessly. He did so and- he felt his mouth opening up in awe as he stared over her shoulder at her reflection in the mirror. The bathing suit was a bikini; purple base with red roses across the fabric that was wrapped tightly around her assets. It was all held together with string-like straps; around her neck, back and on both of her hips. The garment was an accident waiting to happen.
"Why did you pick this?" he asked, staring into her eyes in the mirror, as he became very conscious of where his hands were, by his sides, and where they couldn't be.
"I didn't know you were gonna be here, Max. I was- just kinda tryna piss off Prof," she shrugged with a grin.
'What on earth does that mean-' he asked himself panicked. He barely had a moment to consider before she took a step backward and pressed herself into him.
"Okay, so you really like the way I look, huh?" she muttered, grinning, yet laughing nervously. He blinked as he looked down and realized he was poking her leg with a certain appendage of his.
His eyes snapped up to see hers in the mirror. He was standing very still, no sudden movements, he certainly wasn't going to touch her. That was the last thing he could do.
"Max, I ain't gonna lie ta ya," she said, her head cocked slightly. God, her neck was right there, beautiful flawless sun-kissed skin he wanted to taste. It would be so easy. "It's kinda nice ta know this ain't just me feeling it, ya know?" she asked.
"I know," he said, his breaths labored before he closed his eyes, out of necessity. Not that it helped, the image of her in this, was burned into his mind. And her breathing was just as labored as his and she was, sort of swaying against him and as a result, creating fiction against his-
He needed to leave this room and he needed to leave it now.
Good, she was pulling back, away from him.
No, no, why was she turning? Why were her hands on his chest? Why could he feel her body pressed up even closer to his?
"You wanna, right?" she asked him.
"God help me, yes," he admitted. She was giggling at that. Didn't she know the fire she was playing with? Didn't she know how close they were to-
"Never's a pretty long time when you don't have ta age, sugar," she told him, her breath on his cheek. Her lips were so close and god was she relishing how much she affected him. It was fair, he had to admit, with how he'd teased her since learning of her crush. But that wouldn't do, it was too soon. Yes, she had turned eighteen, but that was only a week ago-
"Twenty-one," he blurted out.
"Huh?" she asked.
"Eighteen's too young. If we're ever going to do anything about this, you must be in your twenties," he said, drawing a new line, a necessary line, one to keep them both at bay for a while longer.
"Really?" she asked, disappointed. "Why not twenty, then?" she asked. He pulled his head back, leaning it on the wall behind him, needing some distance between his lips and hers.
"Four years might seem like a long time, my girl, but the drop in the bucket for me and the fact that it feels like such a long wait to you, Anna-Marie, is all the more reason it's needed. Trust me on that, please," he said.
"I do, Max," she said. "I think I trust you more than anyone else I know. I'm safe with you," she said, pressing her head into his chest.
'You won't be much longer if you don't put something else on,' he thought, gritting his teeth and it took every ounce of his will not to wrap his arms around her and do what they both so desperately wanted him to.
"Okay, okay, I'll get changed," she said dismissively, as if responding to him. He was so surprised his eyes snapped open and he glanced down at her in confusion. "Your uncle Max says good job not being a putz," she said, playfully poking his chest.
His uncle?
Right, right, she'd absorbed him on June 2nd. She'd had a copy of his mind in her this entire time. Good, good. She wasn't alone. She had counsel, his counterpart had helped her navigate Charles' reaction to his admission.
"I'm glad you weren't alone this summer," he whispered, sighing in relief as he reached up and cupped her cheek.
No, damn it, he'd moved on instinct, wanting to comfort her. And now that his hand was on her cheek, he couldn't stand the thought of removing it.
"I wasn't," she said, smiling up at him, leaning into his palm. "And Prof's being Prof," she said, rolling her eyes. "But I'm okay," she promised.
"I'm glad," he repeated, as he willed himself to remove his hand from her face. But it was the way she was staring up at him, with those large green eyes, wanting him. He remained where he was and she- her gaze kept switching between his eyes and his lips. He could sense it, the anticipation, the hope. How validating this must be for her, after his previous rejection, but it was-
"Magneto's tellin' me ta stop teasing ya before I get what I'm asking for," she said, rolling her eyes.
"I've already told myself that we can't," he huffed.
"I know," she whispered, disappointment in her voice, even as her lips moved a little closer. "But it seems silly ta me," she said.
"What does?" he asked, as his grip on her cheek tightened and he wasn't sure whether it was to keep her back or pull her closer.
"I don't know," she sighed, her hands on his chest, and she ran them up slowly, until she was holding his shoulders. "It's just a kiss, right? What's the harm in a little kiss, sugar?" she muttered.
And before he could tell himself not to again, he pulled her face to his, closing the gap between their lips. A soft moan left her, as she looped her arms around his neck. He groaned against her mouth, releasing her cheek, as he pulled her up against her, wrapping one arm around her back and the other went to her waist, holding onto her skin and the bikini's string on her left side.
Her lips parted for him and his tongue slipped into her mouth. Why was this so effortless? Why did their bodies fit against each other so perfectly? Like a hand in a glove, she clung to him and they-
No, no, he needed to stop this. He never should have started. He needed to pull away from her. But with the way she was clutching his neck for dear life, he knew she was afraid he'd stop and end her first kiss.
Fine. He was doing this, apparently, so he may as well do it right. First, he made a rectangle shaped shield, encompassing the wooden structure of the box within the wood itself, sound proofing the changing room they occupied.
Then, he took a step forward, forcing her to step back and, with a quick spin, she was pressed between him and the wall, his hand was now free to run down her arm until he was holding both of her hips. The softest of mewls left her and she danced her tongue around his. He pulled back, just long enough to change the angle of his face and she seemed to melt against him, all over again.
His hands longed to travel upwards, to touch the firm breasts she kept rubbing against his chest, but he refrained. And as he massaged her hips, extracting a muffled moan from her, he wondered if his current choice was any better than the action he kept himself from taking.
Rogue was shaking now, in his arms, against the wall, against him and she drew her legs up, seeking to straddle his waist. God, help him, he allowed it, housing her up, pressing something very hard between her legs. And she wasn't pulling away from him, good heaven she was rolling her hips into him, seeking friction, seeking release.
"I have too much experience for this to have ever been a simple kiss," he muttered against her lips as she rocked against him.
"Max, please don't stop," she muttered desperately. "This feels so much better than I imagined. I don't want ya ta stop," she begged, as he was well aware she was getting wet while wearing a garment that she didn't own. He needed to correct that and now.
"Damn it, girl," he hissed as he pulled at the strings of the bikini and let the garment fall to the floor. He used his powers to unzip his pants and pulled them down a little, before he pushed her hard against the wall, thrusting his covered hardened cock against her. His boxers would keep them from crossing yet another line this evening. But it was such a thin layer between the two of them now and she felt incredible against him. And at the rate he was going and with what she was so clearly asking him to do-
"Anna-Marie, look at me," he demanded. Her lust-filled eyes snapped open and met his. He slowed his thrusts. Her breaths were coming faster and faster now, her hands on his shoulders. "Tell me what you want," he commanded.
"More of this," she answered breathlessly.
"And what is this?" he asked, grinding into her hard, pressing his weight against her.
"S-sex," she answered, her face blushing an utterly deep shade of red that matched the roses of her bikini top. If he wasn't rock hard already, her sweet naivete coupled with the honesty of her admission and blushing would have made him at full attention.
"Anna-Marie, I am not fucking you in a changing room at Old Navy, five minutes after your first kiss. Do you understand that?" he asked firmly. Despite his youth, his tone came out just as firm as he meant.
"Ah-huh," she said, nodding feverishly in agreement, looking overwhelmed by his statement and actions.
"I shouldn't be touching you at all," he reminded her. And himself, he admitted bitterly.
"I know," she said, breaking eye-contact for a brief moment. "But I- I don't want ya to stop either," she muttered, her head cocked, the desperate expression on her face doing horrible things to him. All her playfulness was gone, as well as her flirty tone. She just stared at him, with her bright wide green eyes as they stood on the brick of crossing-
They were well beyond boundaries now. He failed the moments their lips touched. But the question was, did she understand?
"Then what exactly would you like me to do to you?" he asked.
"I don't- I don't know," she exclaimed, shaking her head. "Make- make me feel good," she answered at last.
"How?" he asked.
"You're the one who knows what you're doing," she said. "Can't ya just do what ya know?" she asked him.
He groaned before he leaned in and kissed her. She moaned, openly, loudly. And he was glad he'd taken the precaution of sound proofing the closet they stood in.
"What had my counterpart said?" he asked next.
"That you're a putz. But with the way I was all over ya, he does understand and he doesn't blame ya, entirely," she conveyed, though it looked like she was holding something back.
"And?" he asked.
"And as ill advised as it might sound, that it'd be less harmful for ya ta finish what I started," she answered.
"And is that what you want, Rogue?" he asked.
"Ah-huh," she nodded, shuddering, almost as if a wave of pleasure had run through her body. The anticipation was building again, he could see it; she was squirming against him, seeking friction.
"Then I'll do as you've asked," he said, resigned, yet he knew he would enjoy this too. He gave her a soft peck on the lips before pulling back. "A simple kiss," he promised as he trailed his lips down her throat, against her collar bone-
He felt a knock on the door and had no choice but to lower the sound proofing.
"Rogue, like, are you okay in there?" Shadowcat asked, concerned. Max pulled his lips back.
"Ah-huh," Rogue called out. "Just taking my time, okay?" she asked as Max met her gaze.
"Me and Kurt are done," Shadowcat said as Max gave her a look; their time in this little room was vastly coming to an end. "How much time do you need? The Professor wants us to meet him in the food court by seven," she said as Rogue shook her head, the desperation in her features seemed to be a permanent fixture for this conversation, as she begged him with her eyes not to stop. "If you're, like, not sure about something, you could totally show me," she offered. He shook his head, before leaning in to kiss her forehead as he spun them back around and lowered her shaking legs to the floor.
"I think I'm getting everything, I was just making sure I liked it all," she said as Max reached down, into her bundle of clothes. He reached into the pile and pulled out her underwear; standing as he held them out for her take.
"Okay, cool," Shadowcat exclaimed as Rogue's desperation transformed, her eyes narrowing as she snatched the underwear out of his hand.
"Could y'all give me a few minutes ta finish up?" Rogue asked as she got her underwear back on. He raised an eyebrow at her choice of words, but her focus was still narrowed by her emotions and hormones, she clearly didn't realize what she'd said. He pulled his jeans back into place and zippered them.
"I just need ta get dressed and my boots take a minute ta lace up," she stalled as Max pulled his finger up and twirled it, indicating what he wanted her to do and Rogue's gaze softened with surprise.
"We'll be up front," Shadowcat told her.
"Thanks," she said, as she turned as he gestured her too, until they both gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Max stepped forward and grabbed the string that held the garment to her neck and promptly pulled it. The top of the bikini fell over, revealing her breasts, but was still held against her skin by the last tie behind her back.
God help him, her body was perfection; an utter sight to behold. He reformed the shield, granting them privacy for another moment. Cocking his head, he placed his lips against the side of her neck, holding her gaze as his hands came around her front to take and squeezed both of her firm breasts. He pulled her back against him, ensuring she could feel how hard he still was, how much he wanted her. She gasped, her cheeks heating up.
"What's my counterpart saying now?" he asked against her neck.
"Ta be careful what I asked for, 'cause I just might get it," she paraphrased. And he chuckled against her neck, before playfully biting at her skin, not enough to leave a mark, but to send a wave of pleasure down her spine. The way she shuddered told him he succeeded.
"To be continued?" he asked, pulling back his left hand to pull out the knot in the last string behind her back, completely removing the bikini top, as it fell to the floor.
"Ah-huh," she nodded and he waved his hand, using the underwire of her bra to levitate it in front of her. He removed his hands and she looped her arms into the straps before he moved the cups into place. He then reached with his hands, hooked the bra securely behind her back as he kissed her neck again.
Now that he'd touched her, it seemed idiotic not to and the girl seemed to appreciate each and every gesture. Her reactions were so strong, watching his reflection like a hawk about to pounce.
"We're both going to regret this evening, you know that, don't you?" he asked her and she turned around to face him.
"I hope not," she said earnestly, placing her hands on his chest. He curled his fingers under her chin before tilting her gaze to his. Closing the space between them, he kissed her. Deeply.
"Right action, wrong time," he reminded her. "And both of us are combating irritating hormones that cloud our otherwise sound judgment," he remarked. And she actually snickered at that.
"I don't regret nothin'," she said, holding his gaze.
"We'll see," he said before he gave her one last peck. She smiled before turning to her clothes piled on top of her combat boots.
"Hey, you checked on Vincent, right?" she asked, changing the subject as she picked up her shirt and pulled it over her head.
'Vincent?' he asked himself, before his eyes widened at remembering exactly who she meant. That's what he had forgotten to do this summer. "Damn it," he muttered frustratingly. Some parts for the rebirth machine were difficult to find. He became preoccupied with his search, and most other tasks had clearly slipped his mind.
Rogue was standing again as she stepped into her jeans, glancing up at him as she said, "Yup, you were right, Magneto; he forgot." It took a moment to realize she was addressing his counterpart and not him. She zippered up her pants. He reached down and grabbed the hoodie, handing it to her. "Thanks," she said, taking it and slipping it on.
"I apologize," he said as he watched her zipper up the hoodie.
"It's only a problem, if he ain't at the carnival," she shrugged as he reached down and grabbed the bikini bottom. As expected, she couldn't take the soiled fabric to the register.
"I'll find Mesmero, ensure he's behaving," he promised dryly as he stuffed the bikini bottom into his jean's back pocket. He had to dispose of it later. She snorted as she stepped into her boots. "Stay here a moment," he ordered as he rendered himself invisible.
"Ah-huh," she said, kneeling down to tie up her boots as he lowered the sound proofing shield for the final time.
He opened the door, racing his way through the store, until he found a replacement bathing suit for Rogue, in the same colors. As he grabbed it off the rack, rending it invisible by merely touching it, he saw Shadowcat looking at some earrings on a turning holder as Nightcrawler kept her company, looking bored.
He quickly doubled back to the dressing room and saw Rogue was standing, holding most of the clothes over her left arm. He placed the hook of the hanger of the new bathing suit into her hand and she took it, folding it over her arm.
"I'll see ya around?" she whispered, even as he stayed invisible before her. Somehow, she was staring up into his eyes and he had no doubt she knew exactly where he was.
"Soon, after I've sought out this business with Mesmero," he answered in kind, knowing he couldn't afford another distraction.
"I can't call ya without pissing Prof off. That's my problem. But couldja call me ta set up dinner soon?" she asked.
"I promise."
She smiled at him before departing to rejoin her friends. He reached down and grabbed the last trace of his presence in the room, the bikini's top.
'What am I going to do with that girl?' he asked himself as he stuffed the top into his other back pocket. 'Mesmero first,' he reiterated. 'Mesmero first.'