Preston Forest Shopping Center
The Preston Forest Shopping Center is large and classy. The entrance is open and spacious, a rectangular fountain surrounded by potted trees leading up the middle of the mall, with pathways on either side for shoppers. One can easily see both floors from here and the lighting is amazing - beside the typical electric bulbs, the roof is comprised of glass allowing the sunlight to filter in.
Shops and businesses spread out here both east and west as well as to the back of the mall. Hidden away in the back corner one can find the escalator to the second story, as well as washrooms and a bank of payphones.
It's a quiet Saturday afternoon, before any shopping rushes, so much so that it's hardly an afternoon at all. James opens up a small bag before him while glancing into it. He pulls out a nacho and quietly, thoughtfully, chews it over while looking into the shop of horrors: a shop designed exclusively for women, pale pastels and many a shoe and dress and hosiery and the like within. Yet, he's tried to stay outside for as long as possible but duty calls and that means stepping back into no man's land. He tosses the empty bag aside, dusts his hands off onto the thighs of his jeans, and slowly begins to meander into the feminine store. All the while, his wallet cries out in agony within his back pocket.
—-
"I really, really should be good, and look for a pair of boots, because apparently," here Mignonette's voice lowers, as if she's telling some great secret, "I'm not allowed to go to the Stockyards without them. But clearly, no one bothered to check the calendar. The season's just come in. Now I ask you…" Here she waves a hand in the direction of the racks and racks that exist, as they do in every show store in Texas, of very feminine cowboy boots, "The latest in cowgirl fashion…" and then towards the incoming new season of dress and dinner shoes, "Or Prada? Oh! Jimmy Choo's. Honestly? Is there even a decision to be made?" With that, a grin sent in the direction of the doctor who's come in with her, just proceeding James. "Exactly." Mignonette steps away then, heading towards the most fabulous pair of snakeskin stilettos. She's not dressed completely casually, but she's as close as she can get, in a pair of dress slacks and a pinstriped semi-casual dress shirt.
—-
Tasha is currently enjoying one of those delightful afternoons out shopping. These moments of downtime are rare in the life of a busy medical resident, but there are few things better than retail therapy. Not a woman to be rushed into her decisions, Tash approaches shoe shopping with as much grit and determination as she does everything else in her life. Still, she takes a moment out of assessing the shop in order to consider Mignonette's dilemma. "I suppose there is a time and place for boots," she grants, as a born and bred Texan having come to accept this reality. "But no, I think this is neither the time nor the place. Of course, you could do the responsible thing and get both," she points out pragmatically, and it's hard to tell whether it's just a dry sense of humour or if the woman is actually serious. She casts a glance back over her shoulder to make sure James hasn't escaped while the ladies have been distracted by the smell of leather, even as she begins gravitating towards her own selection.
—-
Now that his impromptu break from these shopping shenanigans is over, James tucks his hands into the front pockets of his faded jeans and offers a stiff smile to the nearest woman who looks his way. He's taken though, by a best friend and girlfriend, so he leaves it at just a smile and continues along after the pair's wake. The smell of leather is strong. He also smells some other products, but he isn't quite sure what comprises a shoe; rubber, he mutters dryly under his breath. He wrinkles up his face at the thought of buying two rather than one or the other and though he starts to speak up, he keeps himself quieted and docile. "This is your day out, you two, so, uh," he pauses briefly, glancing from one spot to the other, "Pick anything and everything that's reasonable…" He's probably falling into some sort of trap, but when looking from Tasha to Mignonette and back between the two of them, he's feeling rather out of his element and league to argue against whatever they decide he has to do for them.
At least Officer Young is smart enough to know that. It makes him smile again.
—-
Mignonette has made her way over to the Jimmy Choo's, and she pulls down the pair that she likes. They're rather out of keeping with her normally rather sedate work look, but perhaps for an evening. Because they are snakeskin and they are fabulous, they're also…natural snake print. "Can you say fabulous?" She keeps the shoe in hand, as she looks back over towards the doctor, at her suggestion of buying one of each, "Oh, I do like how you think, Doctor Cox." The title is used easily though, in a companionable fashion, rather than in the manner it might be used professionally, as a distancing technique. Mignonette's free hand wags a finger in the other woman's direction, before she watches her walk off to find her own perfect pair. And with her gaze wandering, she finally settles on James, flashing him a welcoming smile as he comes up to join them, "James, James, James, how can I possibly be reasonable, in the middle of all this fabulosity? You wouldn't want me to go out on my date looking less than spectacular…would you? I think not."
—-
"Yes, I'm quite certain I could say that," Tasha replies with a faint smirk, again with the dry humour. She studies the shoe that Mignonette has selected, considering it a moment before giving a nod, as though it passes some sort of judgement. Not quite her thing, but there's no denying that they are quite stunning. And how wrong can a woman go with Jimmy Choo's, really? "There's no sense in limiting yourself unnecessarily. As you said yourself, the boots are strictly practical." And while 'strictly practical' is all well and good, in Tasha's mind, that basically negates the boots from being an actual 'shoe shopping' purchase. James earns himself another look, and Tash is almost amused at his slight nervousness in this unfamiliar setting. "I'm always reasonable," she points out; though her definition and his vary widely. As she moves off to look at her own options, she doesn't drift too far, keeping one ear on the conversation of the best friends.
—-
James arches his eyebrows questioningly towards Mignonette and while he's looking so suspiciously and dubiously the werewolf might as well go on and question her in return, "Is that even a word?" That's all he has in trying to counter that woman while looking to the other woman and opening his mouth to comment on how much Tasha really is reasonable. "You two are- you know, okay," James gives up and holds up both of his hands, forefingers lifted to the both of them as he speaks to them: "You get three pairs each today, no more, no less - three."
—-
"It is a word for me." Shoe shopping does have its own vocabulary, as any women well knows. Mignonette does take some consideration, "Strictly practical is not on the menu today." And with that, she moves to signal one of the store attendants. "You're so sweet, James. But I don't need -three- pairs. And if you try to indulge me like that, I'll have to buy another house just to convert it into a closet." Mignonette takes a moment away from the conversation, to speak with the attendant who comes over, and it's not long before a pair are being brought out from the back in just her size. Which are promptly carried over to one of the free seats for slipping on new shoes to be self-modeled. "I usually never buy more than one pair at a time. I need to give them my undivided attention. But if you insist, I can certainly try to meet your demands."
—-
Tearing herself away from further assessment of the shoe shop, Tasha takes a moment to consider James's offer, looking thoughtful before finally giving a small nod. That sounds acceptable to her, though she does glance briefly towards Mignonette as the other woman insists she doesn't need three pairs. Should Tasha try to refuse as well? But there isn't much time for self-doubt. "Three sounds like an acceptable compromise. You do, after all, already owe me one pair." So really, it's only like she's actually getting two, free and clear above what's simply owed. Finally finished with her initial scan of the shop, she waves over another shopkeeper, pointing out several different styles to bring, and the small range of sizes she's in. No sense having to wait again if the sizing is off.
—-
James lifts an eyebrow questioningly and then angles it suspiciously towards the two of them. He was expecting some sort of argument and the use of wit. He gets neither and that creates a moment of him looking on with his guard raised and responses ready for rapid-fire counterattack; yet, still, he's in a public place and they're just his most favorite women so he can relax and he does. Soon enough he is sitting in a chair near to them and quietly watching them try on shoes. He should probably tell them how pretty they look with them, maybe, "Those're nice enough on you, right?"
—-
"These shoes would even make you look good in drag, James." The shoes do fit like a dream, and the slide on like butter, without the need for those awful little foot booties they have around. She thought ahead to wear hose. And as Mignonette walks over towards one of the mirrors, turning this way and that, even doing the little foot tilt thing as she admires, the look on her face, well, it's very much like that look you get when it's the hottest day of summer, and you take that first bite of an ice cream sundae. Like being in heaven, without having to go through the messy business of dying. But she finally does slip them off, carrying them back over to the attendant that's hovering. And who wouldn't, when the price tag on those shoes would be enough to rent most apartments for a month. The shoes are handed back over, with a soft word, and then Mignonette is quite content to move on, moving back into the rack to pick out a few more to try on. All of which end up piled near her seat of choice for this expedition.
—-
While she waits for her array of shoes to be brought out from the back, Tasha spares a glance for the delights that Mignonette has found for herself. "They are quite becoming," she adds with a nod, still a little awkward socially about this whole expedition. James, at least, earns a small smile for his efforts to partake in the exercise: at least neither of them have made him hold their purses yet, right? As she catches sight of the shopgirl coming out of the back with a precarious stack of boxes, she moves over to find herself a seat as well, indicating to the girl that she can set the boxes down there. Then begins a systematic approach to trying on the middle size of each style, before moving up or down accordingly, and only then assessing the shoe, to be placed into the yes, no, or maybe piles. Still, this is her idea of fun. Organized fun.
—-
James isn't quite sure if he would look good gussied up so he does the manliest thing that comes to mind and readily grunts with distaste. It's not really offensive to him, but it's something he doesn't do: dress in drag. "Yeah, well," he states it matter-of-factly with a touch of being defensively surprised, "Yeah, they look better on you." The man then turns his attention over towards Tasha to make sure everything is above and beyond just merely perfect with her, and then there's a glance towards Mignonette to make sure she's just as well, all culminating in him sitting back within his chair. He folds his arms over his chest and not-quite-casually waits to shell out a couple hundred for just shoes, thanks to them.
—-
"Yes, they do. Thank you." The first is said playfully, the second is said sincerely. However much Mignonette might seem to be having just a lark, there's no doubt that she treasures what little time, given their busy schedules, she has to spend with her best friend, and she's certainly enjoying getting to know his better half, so it's a win-win situation. But for now, Mignonette returns to her selections, and she's nowhere near as organized as Tasha, the two making quite an interesting if complementary pair of opposites. But she still somehow manages to begin winnowing down the almost two dozen she had brought over to a respectable six. Now…the true test begins.
—-
Tasha glances over with some dry amusement as Mignonette teases James about dressing in drag; she's not terribly surprised at his response, though it is nice to have it confirmed beyond the shadow of a doubt that she isn't going to have to worry about her shoe collection being raided. It's more that she's incredibly protective than anything. After a bit of silence, she's worked her way through the current selection, and sits back to survey her handiwork. Biting down lightly on her lip, she considers the fact that her yes pile is five high, with another couple still in the maybe. "If you're insisting on my sticking with only three, I may need to start over," she muses. But then, reconsidering that, she decides to stick with her current shortlist and just start over from there.
—-
James does not budge from his current positioning but since they still want to talk to him even while he tries to look his best when it comes to intimidating and scary he eases out of folding his arms over his chest and relaxes some. It's only some though. He rests his hands on his knees and sits straighter, looking to Mignonette and her various choices before focusing in on Tasha with a slow shake of his head. "Oh, no, hell no," he says in reply. "There's no way I'm going to stick around here all day, let alone another hour from now. You better make it quick." He could probably say more, but he holds himself to just that much. It's enough.
—-
Mignonette makes a mock-disgusted sound at James' comment, looking over to Tasha past the array of shoes that are spread around, "He's so bossy. How do you even put up with it?" But there's a wink somewhere in there, and a teasing smile, as she digs into the final selection, taking the half dozen pair back out for a second test drive, before she makes it slowly five, then four, and finally, the fabled three. And that means she now has to get the rest of her potentials away from her before she even has a chance to reconsider. Because that might lead to a disaster of epic proportions. No, she'll settle back on her seat, with the three boxes perched neatly in her lap. "I have conquered the mountain."
—-
"Somehow, I manage," Tasha replies, feigning a put upon sigh at Mignonette's teasing. She looks over to James, leveling him with a look, though it's not an especially serious one. "You cannot rush this process. And we're here because you owe me." No, she's not about to let that particular one go until he's actually paid the debt in full - with 200% interest, apparently. Still, she works steadily on narrowing down from the five that she's picked, ruling out the 'maybes' on principle to make the process quicker. There's a long moment as she has to deliberate between two of them, but finally, with an expression that's almost pained, she sets aside two boxes onto the large 'no' pile, leaving her with three remaining. "All right, I believe that should- No, wait…" She begins to reach back for the topmost 'no' box, before shaking her head and doing her best to remain firm. "Yes, these ones."
—-
James looks from one to the other before standing up and dusting off the faded length of the thighs of his jeans once more. Now that they have decided, they can go. That's his logic. So, with shaking his hands in a gesture for them to head over to the register he offers to them both, "And since the two of you've been so quick about things, I'll promise to carry everything." He pauses to gauge the echo of himself within his mind and he winces, because the two of them are not done shopping. "Well, most everything, but there's dresses and makeup and whatever else you want to match and I'm crazy right now for allowing this," he admits it, "So, c'mon. I'm hungry and we haven't hit the food court or the entertainment and electronics places yet." The werewolf pauses to breathe and in that moment he watches them for a reply.
—-
Mignonette rises, clutching her three perfect pairs to her chest, as she follows the direction of James' hands and starts towards the cash register to have their purchases rung up. "Thank you, James." It's a girl's dream, even a grown one, to have a princess day, and the man of the hour certainly is giving his two girls that. And it's more than appreciated. Still, she really can't help it, as she moves in to step closer to Tasha, her voice a stage-whisper, "What exactly did you slip into his coffee this morning?" And to turn back, flashing her most innocent smile to the man coming up behind, before she sets her purchases down on the counter. "Definitely the food court next. I'm starving." Shopping is -hard- work.
—-
Tasha is clearly quite surprised by James's most generous offer, but she's not about to look a gift horse in the mouth right now. He gets a sweet smile as she moves to rise, gathering up her chosen three boxes to hand them off to the shopgirl, leaving the rest for the staff to put away. They've certainly made a dent in this place. "Yes, thank you. I suppose, after this, I shall have no choice but to consider you paid in full." There's a quick grin with that, before she turns back to Mignonette, just giving a bemused shrug at the whispered question. "Must be something in the air," she murmurs, before speaking up to acquiesce to the decision. "The food court then," she agrees with a nod.
—-
"Har-har-har," mockingly laughs James, but they're stroking his ego so he cannot truly complain one way or another. He glances over his shoulder towards the two of them and then offers a light, amused grin instead of some witty retort of his. It's all coming out of his wallet and today he doesn't really mind it, so he shells out the cash easily enough and even upholds the promise of carrying the bags. "Food, yes, that's what I did all of this for," because they both know he loves it.
—-
"Now see? That's exactly why you like having us around. It's the constant laugh track that you like." But, for the time being, the laughter fades, and the purchases are assessed and the damage done to the poor police officer's wallet. But it's not all for naught, as he is getting great company and food and, well, probably a few good, if, for his gender, slightly useless fashion tips. But, they might work on date night, so thumbs up for Tasha. And then, they're off, with James in the middle, loaded down with what's sure to be the first set of many bags, and after a glance to Tasha and a gesture of her hand, a woman on each arm, as they head back out to brave the food court and then…makeup.
