SYNCHRONICITY (The Lone Wolf)

9

Topher and Sebastian were walking behind the girls as they window-shopped the long corridor of the large mall when Alison squealed and ducked into a large clothing store, taking Judy with her.

"Let me guess, the plum-colored suit?"

"Yes..." Alison hissed, her eyes searching the clothing racks.

"This looks like a job for the guys," Judy said.

The girls turned around to find the boys standing just outside the threshold of the store both staring helplessly as if their presence was about to be requested. Judy motioned to them with a curl of her finger and Topher took the first step, grimacing as if he were about to spontaneously combust.

"Whipped," Sebastian whispered, garnering him a scowl from his friend.

"Come on Bastian, you as well," Judy said smiling brightly.

Sebastian grumbled as he took a step over the threshold, stopping next to his friend.

"Gentleman, Ali needs your eyes," she announced.

"Wot," Sebastian replied.

"She needs you to hunt and gather!"

Sebastian nodded. "Oh." He walked toward Alison as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, a tentative smile on his face. "What are we looking for," he asked.

Alison explained what the two piece suit looked like and pointed out the color. Sebastian's eyes scanned the large store and quickly located the clothing hanging from a waterfall fixture on the wall. Alison squealed and planted a kiss on Sebastian's cheek for a job well done, then she and a sales associate approached the wall and she pointed up without uttering a word. The sales associate nodded and looked her up and down then grabbed a long metal tool that the young men thought looked like a weapon or possibly a torture device. They watched the woman reach up and expertly take hold of the plastic clothes hanger and brought it down. The woman then tilted her head.

"It's not a good color for you hon," the woman said. "How about a different one?" Her eyes scanned the wall and she appeared to ruminate a moment. "Oh! I got it! Come with me!" She threaded her arm through Alison's and turned her head and winked. "Bring your boyfriend, so he doesn't get lost?"

"Huh," Alison peeped. "Oh!"

She held out her hand toward him and she watched his eyes grow large as he barely shook his head.

"Come on, you big chicken," Alison chuckled taking his hand pulling him along. "I won't let anything happen to you in this sea of fabrics and pleather, I promise."

Sebastian grumbled, although he was beaming inside at having been assumed to be hers. The woman led her to a rack on the floor toward more suits of the same style, only in jewel-tone shades. The woman pulled a green colored suit from the rack and held it up and shook her head.

"Nope, lets go the other way..." She replaced the garment and walked around the other side of the rack returning with a suit in violet. "To complement his eyes," she said, her own eyes twinkling.

Sebastian's face reddened.

Alison nodded and smiled and then pointed toward a chair just outside the fitting rooms where Sebastian was to sit and try to look comfortable. She held out her large fuchsia-colored canvas handbag and motioned that he should take hold of it. He grimaced and took the handle between his fingers, holding it as far away from himself as if he'd contract some viral bug, or worse, cooties. He looked up into her eyes.

"Wot," he asked quietly.

"I'll make it worth your while," she whispered.

"You'd better," he replied, appearing as if he were being punished. "You're damaging my inner cub you know?"

Alison's lower lip jutted out. "Ooooo..."

Watching him roll his eyes, she ducked into a changing room. Minutes later she emerged from behind the curtain, clad in only the trousers and blazer and stood before the three-way mirror. Sebastian stood behind her. Noticing that she'd removed her bra, he looked her up and down.

"I think I rather like it," he said quietly in her ear. "Lovely cleavage."

She gazed into the mirror at their reflection, her brow craned high. "I'd be wearing a blouse."

He sneered, his lip curling as he shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Judy walked up carrying a pinned striped white blouse as well as a pair of colored coordinated shoes. "Here, try these," she smiled.

Alison took hold of them gratefully.

"Think I'd have liked the no shirt look a whole lot better."

Judy punched his arm. "Arse."

He looked into her blue eyes. "Wot," he chuckled. She stomped off, shaking her head.

Alison returned to the mirror and stood before it once again. Sebastian's gaze brightened and he stood and nodded. He set her large handbag on the chair and moved behind her again. Reaching out, he took her long hair into his hands and pulled it up off her shoulders, piling it up and landing it all on the top of her head.

"It's a little messy, but it's a good look for you," he said.

"Remind me to return the favor, she replied flatly and she fingered his long hair. She turned her head to the side and he breathed in deeply. "You really think it's a good look?"

He nodded. "Mmhmm. Worthy of a magazine photo shoot," he said in a low voice.

"I don't think I look that good."

"Well I do and I'm the one who's gotta look at you."

"You don't gotta."

"But I wanna."

She turned to face him and he let all her hair fall, most of it landing in her face. He splayed his fingers and threaded them through her tresses, pulling the hair from her face. He leaned closer and lowered his face to hers as he lifted her face toward his.

"You look good, Ali, okay?" He pulled away and nodded, then he smiled.

Judy stood by and sighed as did Topher.  "For a second there, I thought he was gonna make a move."

Judy huffed a sigh and nodded her agreement. "I know. Is he really that thick?"

Topher smiled apologetically. "I honestly think it's because he's not really free to act on it."

"Well, the party should take care of that."