“I love him,” Josette whispered into the confines of the car. “Love, love, love him,” she went on, and before Noc opened his door, she finished, “For you.”
I did too.
By the goddess.
I…did…too.
* * * * *
“My word, Franka, have we arrived in the lap of the gods?” Josette asked reverently.
I didn’t answer, though if I had, my answer might have been yes.
Noc did.
“No, babe. It’s just the Nordstrom shoe department.”
Slowly, her head turned and her gleaming eyes lifted to Noc.
“Can I—?” she started.
“Have at it,” he told her, tipping his head to the vast area beyond us filled with tables and shelves covered in a dizzyingly delightful spectacle of this-world shoes. “You find something you like, let me know. I’ll get you a salesperson and we’ll sort you out.”
“I love you,” she breathed, eyes still gleaming.
I pressed into Noc’s side, my lips curved into a deep smile.
Noc chuckled.
Josette hesitantly approached the first table of shoes, staring at it reverently, her manner one of care, such as you would approach a large chest tumbling over with such treasure you couldn’t quite believe your eyes.
Noc used his arm about me to curl me to his front. I took my gaze from Josette and lifted it to his.
“I cannot believe I’m asking you this,” he began. “I’m thinkin’ I’m breakin’ a seal I’ll regret. But you ready to learn how to shop?”
This confused me.
“Why would you regret this?” I queried. “You and I both are criminally wealthy. In this world, that would be literally. Thus I can afford to spoil myself, and Josette, without worry.”
His lips twitched before he answered, “Right. Probably good I explain. We’re gonna do this today. We’re gonna kick the shit out of it. We’re gonna set you and Josette up. Fill my Suburban with stuff that you dig that’ll make you girls happy and make you feel more comfortable here. And until you two can get around on your own, I have a feeling I’ll be doing that more than once. But just to warn you, when you get used to getting around by yourselves, you can ask me to go shopping with you once every five years. No more, but you could go with less. And if you feel like buying me shit, have at it. I have a feeling I’ll get off on watching you trying on clothes and shoes. I never get off on having to buy shit for myself.”
There was so much there, I had no idea how to begin.
I wanted to comment on the “once every five years,” but I suspected my best play with that was to let it lie and hope that I had many opportunities in my future to hit this quota.
So I focused on something else.
“You don’t enjoy purchasing garments for yourself?”
“Nope.”
I was even more confused.
“But, you always look so nice. Your selections are most attractive. They suit you completely. So much so they’d indicate you get great enjoyment out of making those selections.”
His eyes warmed at my words, and when I was done uttering them, he replied, “I failed to mention, Sue, my dad’s woman, likes to shop. Christmas and birthdays are off the hook. It makes Dad apoplectic. He keeps telling us we’re wearing his retirement. That doesn’t stop her. I haven’t catalogued it all, but I’m pretty sure nothing I’ve worn since I’ve known you I bought for myself.”
“Interesting,” I murmured.
His arm got tighter in a manner I wasn’t certain I liked.
When I caught the look on his face, I knew I was correct in having that feeling.
“And, just to put it all out there, Cora, the dead one, bought me a ton of shit when I was with her working undercover on that illegal gambling gig I was investigating.”
“Ah,” I whispered, quite in the know about this as it, too, had been shared with me (carefully) by the lovely, and alive, Cora, not to mention Noc had not spoken of it at length, but he also had not shied away from mentioning it before.
“Frannie,” he called, regardless of the fact I was right there.
“Yes?” I asked.
He was studying me closely. “Not that this is for Nordstrom shoe department, and I can make sure Josette is good for a while so we can go get a coffee if we need some alone time to hash it out, but things have changed with us and,” he kept studying me, “you seem down with that.”
“Well, I am,” I shared.
He looked dubious. “You are?”
I pressed closer.
“I am not your first lover, Noc, and you are not mine. It would be unkind to make you feel uncomfortable and definitely not contrite for having lovers before me, or further, making you feel unease in mentioning them when you speak of your life. But more, it would be a waste of words and emotion for both of us in going over such when it’s history. We’re together now and it’s only our future that interests me, not a study of the past we can do nothing about.”
He grinned. “Just in case you forgot, gonna remind you that you’re the shit, sugarlips.”
I smiled back. “Indeed I am.”
He bent and gave me a brush of the lips, lifted his head and queried, “Can’t believe I’m askin’ you this, but you want more shoes?”
I couldn’t believe he was asking that either.
Thus I didn’t answer.
I just broke free, took his hand and entered the lap of the gods.
* * * * *
I opened then closed the mirror which was actually a cupboard in Noc’s bathroom.