Chapter 16 The Shopping Spree
Leela ran back upstairs to her room to grab her wallet from the duffel bag. The one with the whole in the bottom that Elana had so graciously pointed out.
She paused in front of the floor-length mirror. The oversized sweater and black leggings Elana had lent her actually looked good on her. She looked cozy, soft and safe.
Then, she looked down toward her feet.
Elana was right, her sneakers were a tragedy. The once white canvas was gray with grime, the laces were fraying, and the sole on the left one was starting to separate from the shoe, looking like a hungry mouth. They were the shoes that had carried her away from her parents' house, through the rain and into the fog.
She wiggled her toe, watching the hole in the canvas expand.
"Time for you two to go," she whispered to her feet. "It's been a good run."
She smiled at her own comment--a little gallows humor that felt surprisingly light. She wrapped the handle of the wallet around her wrist and headed back down.
Fennigan was waiting in the foyer, twirling the keys to one of the bulky SUVs on his finger. He straightened up when he saw her, his eyes doing a quick, appreciative sweep.
"Ready?" he asked, extending his hand.
Leela took it. His skin was warm, his grip steady.
"As I'll ever be."
The town of Blackwood Falls was exactly what Leela expected: a charming mix of high-end boutiques for tourists and rugged outdoor outfitters for the locals.
They hit the outdoor store first.
Fennigan was on a mission. He marched her to the footwear section and started pulling boxes.
"Waterproof," he muttered. "Reinforced toe. Good ankle support."
He knelt in front of her like Prince Charming with a glass slipper, only the slipper was a heavy-duty, black tactical boot with aggressive tread.
"Try this," he said, sliding it onto her foot.
It felt heavy, but solid. Indestructible.
"It feels like I could kick a door down," Leela said wiggling her toes.
They bought the boots. Then the sneakers (two pairs, per Elana's orders). Then the house slippers.
Then came the leather. They went to a shop that smelled of tanning oil and metal. Fennigan picked out a fitted leather vest--something he said was good for riding and for "stopping a claw if things get rowdy during training. "It made Leela feel tough just holding it.
But then, the dynamic changed.
Elana's voice seemed to be echoing in Fennigan's head: Anything she wants.
They walked into a boutique that smelled of vanilla and money. Leela stopped to look at a delicate gold necklace with a green stone that matched the vines on her bed. She admired it for maybe five seconds.
Fennigan plucked it off the display. "We'll take it."
"Fennigan, no," Leela protested. "I was just looking."
"Looking is buying today," he said, handing it to the clerk.
It became a game. Leela would drift toward a rack of sundresses, run her hand over a soft blue fabric, and turn around to find Fennigan already carrying the size he thought she was to the counter. She tried on jeans that hugged her curves, and before she could even check the price tag, they were in the "Yes" pile.
She looked at a buttery soft leather purse to replace her holy one, into the pile. She paused at a display of earrings. Into the pile.
Then, in a small gift shop, she stopped.
Sitting on a shelf, tucked between a scented candle and a picture frame, was a small, plush wolf. It had muddled gray fur and smiling amber eyes that reminded her of Fennigan.
Leela picked it up. It was soft, squishy, and looked like the eyes were genuinely happy.
"He looks like you," Leela giggled, Poking the wolf's nose.
She went to put it back, but a hand intercepted hers.
Fennigan took the stuffed wolf. He looked at it, then at her, his lips twitching.
"I am much more handsome than this," he declared.
Then he tossed it onto the counter with the pile of luxury soaps and scarves. "Add the mini me to the bill."
By the time they were done, the back of the SUV was filled with glossy shopping bags. Leela sat in the passenger seat, buckled in and looking a bit overwhelmed.
"Fennigan," she said, looking at the reciept from the last store. "Your mother's credit card...it has to be smoking. I think we melted the chip."
Fennigan laughed, putting the SUV in reverse