Crossover Crossroads (The Kell and Maille Story)

008: I can't wear that!

She did get in, and she didn't talk, as he drove them out of the parking lot and continued toward the main road through town.

Salt Lake at night wasn't Maille's thing. It felt too crowded. She preferred her home in Park City, or even in Montana. Although she'd been on a few dates, she'd never gone on one with a person like Kell. She only knew of him. And what little experience she had of him, had been the strangest experience of her life.

He pulled into a large strip mall and parked in the handicap space close to Barnes and Noble. He got out with all the force of energy that seemed characteristic, and when Maille would have opened her car door, he was there, to escort her.

"We'll go get you something else to wear, eh? You're not comfortable in this dress." He led her unresisting form to the Mervyn 's. There were stares as they went in, children pointed, and Maille kept her head up, though she was starting to feel unsure again. Her bravado came in little puffs, leaving her suddenly to fend for herself, in her customary shy way. He led her straight to the exercise clothing and began to load up her arms with spandex.

"I don't wear this." She bit her lips nervously.

"I have money this time, don't worry, an oversight, don't worry." He said, and piled several more black stretchy things atop the pile in her arms.

"I won't wear this stuff." She reiterated, looking at his choices of neon yellow and pink.

He cocked his head at her, studying her still form. "You look ravishing in that blue."

"Are you buying this for you, or for me?" she shot back at him.

"Both."

"Well, I won't wear it." She stomped her bare foot, reminding him that she needed footwear as well.

"Come, come come!" he demanded and Maille had no choice but to follow him into the sports shoe section while he grabbed several pairs of running shoes and held them up to her as if checking for not size, but color.

Unbelievable. Maille dropped the clothes and turned to walk out of the store.

He was there, in front of her.

How'd he do that? Faster than her own thoughts? "Just try the black spandex and blue top and I'll get you something soft to go over the top." He handed two items to her and indicated the dressing room this time. He told the check in clerk she'd be
trying on a few things and she'd be wearing them out of the store so to cut off the tags for her.

Maille went into the dressing room, closing the door and sitting on the small bench.

She undressed awkwardly, and let the heavy weight of the blue gown fall to the floor. Her feet were black on the bottoms and she stared at them as if they weren't hers. This was too weird. She pulled on the black spandex and turquoise sport bra.

"Ready?" came his voice just outside the door. They'd let him in the dressing rooms? A guy?

Couldn't they see he was a guy?

"I'm dressed." She said in annoyance.

He pushed open the door and looked her over from top to toe. He was already dressed in the same outfit as her, and a black headband also. But he had white tennis shoes on with white socks, and she could see now, that without the full costume, he was rather built. All lean, hard muscle. His stomach showed, and she could count the definition if she cared to. What hadn't changed was his facial appearance. He flashed her a cocky grin and handed her some shoes.

"I can't put them on, my feet are black." She showed him her feet, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her out to the check-in stand and cut the tags off her clothes. He handed the woman there a card, and leaned far into her to whisper something in her ear. The woman stared at the card while she listened and then smiled and nodded. Kell grabbed her hand again and tugged her to the check-out stand and paid for their clothes.

"Are we just going to leave the costumes?" she asked him. "They'll send them to the studio."

"You do this often?"

"Sometimes." He offered her a gamin smile and a toss of his head that she now saw sported dreadlocks, rather than the tricorn. Messy. She didn't like dreads, he'd have to cut them out. They weren't all dark brown either, but some seemed blue-black, or frizzy black. She shook her head.

He had a sack over his arm so this time he didn't offer her his arm for which she was profoundly grateful. He opened the trunk and dropped in the rather large bag of unknown clothing, and then when she would have stood next to her door waiting for him to open it for her he started walking toward the Barnes and Noble. The change of character was so dramatic, Maille was taken by surprise. He wasn't the buccaneer gentleman anymore, and he didn't hold her arm, or open her door, but expected her to simply follow him, like any other modem man. She quirked an eyebrow and ran after him, her bare feet burning on the pavement even though it was night.

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