Page 31 of French Martini

Wearing a sapphire blue shirt and a charcoal suit, I step out for Sam’s assessment. He taps his chin, then smiles.

“One second.”

He moves to the back of the store and returns minutes later with a pair of black dress shoes. They have very pointy toes and large buckles on the side.

“You need at least one pair of designer dress shoes,” Sam says. “Try these. Size eleven, right?

“These say forty-four.”

Sam laughs softly. “That’s the euro size.”

“Uh, okay.” I take the shoes and return to the dressing room to put them on. I can hear Sam talking to a clerk.

When I step out again, Sam smiles, fanning a hand in front of his face. “Sharp. Your man is gonna drool.” He turns to the clerk. “We’ll take that suit in the charcoal, the black, and…” He pauses, turning to me and tapping his chin. “And the merlot.”

“Excellent choice, sir.”

The clerk goes off to gather the suits while Sam grabs several dress shirts in different colors. “We can’t get a tux here. You can rent one.”

“I own a tux already.”

“From this decade?” he asks with sarcastic sweetness in his tone.

“Yeah, actually. It’s just a few years old.”

“Okay then. I think you’re set.”

“Awesome. I appreciate your help, Sam.”

“My pleasure. Plus you’re buying me sushi. Win, win.”

Laughing, I nod. “Fair.”

“Hope you brought your credit card. This place isn’t cheap but you’ll look like a million bucks.”

“That’s important.”

It’s over thirty minutes later when the clerk is done wrapping all my items, including the shoes and some fancy silk briefs Sam threw into the mix, insisting I needed them “for the plot.” The total is shocking, more than I’ve spent on clothes collectively in the last decade, but hell, you only live once. Lowen is worth it.

We walk back to my truck and I pile everything in the back seat as Sam climbs in.

“What’s your favorite sushi joint?” I ask as I join him.

“Sakana on Sixth.”

“Off we go.”

Right before I pull into traffic, my phone buzzes with a text. I pick it up and swipe the screen, staring at the words.

Lowen: I’ll reimburse you for whatever you purchase.

Me: It’s all good, Low. Thanks.

Lowen: Are you done shopping yet?

Me: Yeah. Taking Sam to grab a bite to thank him for helping.

Three dots pop up then disappear several times. Sam leans over, glancing at my screen.

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