"I look completely ridiculous," Honorera tugged at the dress that Cora had given her. Although it had been a modest dress for a slim old lady, it was too tight across her breasts, and much too long on her petite frame.
"Don't worry, it's just for a couple of hours, then you'll be back in your own clothes," Gabriel said soothingly. But the dress was killing him too. The enticing cleavage being forced out the top nearly undid him. "Get in the truck, let's go."
It was a forty-minute drive into Rutberg along a road that wound through the valley, and past old farmhouses and mostly defunct farms. They called Rutberg a city, but really it wasn't much more than a town that got lost in the mountains. "Where are you going?" Honorera asked as they veered left off the old highway. "The Walmart is down that way." She pointed in the other direction.
"We aren't going to Walmart."
"But, you said we would get clothes?” Her forehead wrinkled in confusion.
"Yes." Gabriel had gotten the name of an upscale women's boutique from Cora, and he drove to that location. He pulled the truck into the small parking lot. Honorera sat looking at the sign, her face screwed up in a frown.
"No, not here,” she shook her head in protest. “This place is very expensive. Please take me to Walmart. Or there is a thrift store in the downtown plaza."
"Honorera, you need to get used to nice things. Now come on. This will be fun." He opened his door and trotted around to the passenger side to help her out.
"Fun? I think visiting the dentist for a root canal sounds more fun," she grumbled, tugging at the front of the dress. The bell over the shop door tinkled when they entered. The store even smelled expensive. There were racks of designer clothes, mannequins dressed stylishly, dramatic lighting, and mirrors. Lots of mirrors. An elegant, middle-aged woman floated out from behind the counter to greet them.
"Welcome! I'm Elizabeth. How can I help you?" She cast a puzzled and rather disdainful look at Honorera, and her ill-fitting, practically indecent dress, but turned to Gabriel with a welcoming smile.
"My friend here lost her clothes in an unfortunate accident. So we are shopping for a new wardrobe. Do you think you can help her?" Gabriel flashed her a dazzling, charming smile, and it had exactly the desired effect. Although she was twice his age, she practically stumbled over herself in her eagerness to please him.
"Of course, we can. Why don't you have a seat, and make yourself comfortable, sir? Miss, come with me. Tell me what you like."
Honorera sent him a desperate and worried look, like a deer caught in a hunter's snare. He waved her off, and mouthed, "go" to her, with an encouraging smile.
"Now dear... do you need undergarments?"
"Yes, please," Honorera said shyly.
"What is your size? Double-D?"
Honorera blushed, feeling ashamed of her breasts, which had always seemed out of proportion to her petite frame. "Yes ma'am."
"Okay, let's see what we have..." Elizabeth darted around different displays, pulling down bras, panties, and various lingerie. "Oh, this color will look divine on you." She said, holding up a deep maroon baby-doll nightgown with matching lacy panties.
"But, I don't---"
"Just try it on dear," The older woman winked at her, "I bet your boyfriend will love it."
Honorera glanced nervously back at Gabriel. He wasn't her boyfriend. Or, was he? He said he was her mate. Was that the same thing? She shyly took the assortment of clothes into the dressing room. She was used to cheap cotton sport-bras and sensible, not necessarily pretty underwear. These were lace and silk and satin. They were sexy and elegant. The lacy bras lifted her large breasts instead of flattening her chest like a sports bra. She searched for price tags, wanting to take care not to pick anything expensive, but for some reason, none of the clothes had tags. That couldn’t be a good sign.
She chose a few bras, and a few pairs of underwear... and then hesitantly put two pieces of lingerie in the pile. The maroon baby-doll nighty, and an emerald green teddy. She couldn’t imagine a scenario where she would actually wear the garments, but she liked the way they made her feel, like a grown-up, sensual, desirable woman. Not the trailer-trash girl who only wore second-hand clothes.
"Go ahead and wear this set while we try on other clothes dear, that way we will get a good fit." the saleswoman said, handing her back a bra and underwear set. Honorera pulled Cora’s ill-fitting dress up over her breasts again and stepped hesitantly out of the dressing room. "Now what kind of clothes are you looking for?”
"Um. Comfortable. Casual." She grimaced. "Not tight."
"You go ahead and have a look around, and I'll grab a few things you might also like," Elizabeth suggested. Honorera wandered around the store, but the outfits on display really weren't the kind of clothes she was used to. She was a plain-jane, jeans and t-shirt girl. She favored sweatpants and hoodies. She found a pair of jeans she liked, and a couple of tops that were simple and pretty. Honorera wandered back to the fitting room, where to her horror, Elizabeth had gathered a whole heaping pile.
"Ugh. Really?" She groaned. Just the idea of trying on so many clothes made her start to sweat.
"Now dear, enjoy this. Trying on clothes is fun. It’s like trying on different personalities and finding the one that best suits you. When you are somber and serious, you pick something like this," she lifted a dark pantsuit with a rose-colored shell. "When you want to be fun and flirty, you look for something like this," she pulled out a dress that was low cut, fitted through the waist, flared at the hips, and fell just above the knee. "Professional," she pulled out another outfit, "or romantic." Elizabeth held up a flowing floral maxi dress with a flourish, “Or casual."
Honorera dutifully tried on the different outfits. Elizabeth had a good eye for size and fit and chose clothes that would flatter her petite and busty figure. Honorera discarded the fancier clothes and chose more casual, comfortable outfits, and a couple of dresses.
Then there were shoes, socks, accessories, and jewelry.
"Oh, please stop!” Honorera finally begged. "You know I can't buy all this. Let me just pick out a couple of my favorite outfits, and then I'm sorry, but I'll have to put the rest back." Her mind was already racing, trying to figure out how she would ever pay Gabriel back for what must have amounted to hundreds of dollars worth of clothes. How could he even afford it? They had never discussed what he really did for a living. Were werewolves inherently wealthy?
"No." Gabriel appeared behind her, his hand on her back, sending sparks shooting up and down her spine. "We will take it all."
"Gabriel, no you can't." Honorera chewed her bottom lip, "Just get me a couple of outfits, one to wear and one to wash."
"All of it," Gabriel told the grinning clerk firmly.
Honorera's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. "Why are you doing this?" In her life, people didn’t just do nice things for her for no particular reason.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Because you deserve all of this and more." The warm brush of his breath against her neck made her shiver, and her knees went weak, even as the words made her stomach twist with an unfamiliar emotion.
He leaned back, satisfied. Spoiling Honorera was going to be a difficult, and immensely enjoyable endeavor, Gabriel decided.