“Ford.” Jack gave me a look I didn’t like.
“Oh God, not you too.”
“I like it. Fits you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” But I didn’t tell him to call me by another name.
“Get her out of the house. She’s gonna crack being locked up like this. I know you agree.”
“Fine. But only because her clothes are…”
“Distracting?” He provided for me.
I shot him a disgruntled look. “If anything happens, it’s your fault.”
Jack grinned. “What could possibly go wrong shopping?”
* * *
Stupid shopping. Stupid Jack and his stupid ideas. Stupid short, repetitive sentences.
“Hey, Grumpy Face?” I looked up to see Suzie standing in front of me snapping her fingers. “Didn’t your mother ever warn you your face would freeze like that?” She pressed a finger in between my eyebrows and some of the tension relaxed out of me.
“No,” I said. My mother only gave orders, things like "find my pipe" and "don't tell the police about the people from last night" but those weren't refreshing anecdotes.
Then I noticed Suzie’s outfit. “What are you wearing?”
“You said casual clothes.” She twirled and stopped with her rear end facing me. She stood up on tiptoes and arched her back, as though it needed any more emphasis.
Her very well-sculpted derriere filled out a pair of cut off shorts—and then some. Her full cheeks peeked out from the ripped bottom hem, like an apple ripe for biting. Her top was a skin-tight white shirt with thin straps doing nothing to cover her black lace bra.
She continued to strut in the mirror, turning side to side and cupping her breasts to lift them. “I think it looks good. You don’t like it?”
“I think it’s great.” This came from the gangly teenage boy who waited for his mom in the chair across from me.
“Thanks, doll.” Suzie smiled. In the reflection of the mirror, she focused on me and her smile fell away. “See, he likes it.”
I glared at him until he went back to playing on his phone.
“The goal was to get casual clothes for day-to-day activities. You look like you’re about to go to a barn dance to get laid.”
“You’re just uptight.” She snapped her gum with a loud pop.
Right then, the teenager’s mom came out of the dressing rooms. She took one look at Suzie and clucked her tongue. I gave Suzie a pointed look as the woman yanked her gawking son away.
“Fine.” She blew a large bubble before sucking it in with another loud pop. “What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t know. Stop chewing your gum like a cow chews its cud. And no bubbles. No popping either.”
She pulled her gum out of her mouth and stuck it to the face of my watch.
“Better?”
I snagged a tissue from the register nearby, peeling the gum off to throw in the trash. I wiped the surface until it gleamed perfectly again. Suzie stood with arms akimbo, tapping one foot impatiently. I tried to think about what my students wore but honestly, I never paid attention. “We should have brought Jack.”
“Like he would know?”
“No. But he’d charm a salesperson to help.”
