”Well, you’re in for a treat, then.” Kit smile but he wondered privately if this scheme would help or only abate matters. When he steered her through Clothes and Stuff’s doorway, Margo spent a full minute in the center of the main aisle just staring. Then she gave a low sound of utter ecstasy, turned in a complete circle to gape at shelves, display racks, and glass cases, then ended with a wide-eyed, “Shopper’s freaking paradise!”
She thereupon bolted for the nearest dress racks.
Malcolm took one look at Kit’s face and convulsed with silent laughter.
”Oh, shut up,” Kit groused. “Some help you are.”
”Kit, you have to admit, there’s a pretty darned funny side to this. She’s eighteen. She’s female. She’s just been given an expense account in heaven.”
”Oh, great. Make me feel better.”
Malcolm’s long face creased in a wide grin. “I suspect the Neo Edo can support it.”
”Huh. Your taxes aren’t due next time Primary cycles.” Malcolm’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, yes they are. I just don’t have enough income for it to matter.”
Kit thumped his shoulder. “Just wait I’ll take care of that little problem.”
”Thanks,” Malcolm drawled. “I’ll go from owing zip to owing a third of whatever you pay me.”
”Well, I could just pay you two thirds of what we agreed on ….”
”Fat chance. A man’s got his pride, after all. Hey, look, Connie has a new line ready for the London season.”
He wandered off to do his own window shopping. Intrigued as always by the content’s of Clothes and Stuff, Kit cruised the aisles as well, just to get a feel for what they’d need. Neat racks displayed costumes appropriate to La-La Land’s resident gates. Costumes were situated in carefully arranged groupings, neatly labeled as to geographic location, exact time period, and appropriate occupation or social occasion. Items could be either rented (for those on a budget) or purchased (for those with essentially sky’s-the-limit funds).