Page 37 of A Thistle Beyond Time
Cormac let go of Jenna’s hand for the first time since they’d begun their journey. He stood where Antonio directed him and let his eyes wander about the shop.
Antonio was tut-tutting all around Cormac with his measuring tape, and taking notes on a pad of paper as he went. “Okay. Follow me into the dressing room and I’ll bring in something I think will be perfect for you.”
Cormac obediently went in behind the curtain and gave Jenna a look of desperation just before Antonio closed it on him. “Remove your clothes,” Antonio called. “I’ll be right back. We’ll have you out of here in no time.”
Antonio strode through the shop picking shirts, ties, jackets, and pants with the ease of a professional who knew exactly what he was doing.
Jenna sat in a comfortable armchair by the window and waited.
“You are such a busy lady; I’m surprised you have time to come in here with your friend.” Antonio said, selecting a bow tie from a nearby rack.
“I took a few weeks off. I needed to get some rest, you know, with everything that’s been going on lately.”
“You mean, Jonathan, right?” Antonio asked astutely.
“Yeah. He’s a piece of work for sure.” Jenna forced her shoulders to relax and smiled at Antonio. It was amazing how quickly word travelled in her circle. She rarely saw Antonio, but he knew all about her troubles. “I know I run my parents’ foundation technically, but really it runs like a well-oiled machine, with or without my input.”
“It’s good you can get away. I should tell you, though, Jonathan has been in here recently. He bought some clothes and told me to charge them to your account. Of course, I refused. I told him I couldn’t do that without your express permission. He was very angry, but I naturally assumed you wouldn’t want him accessing your account, especially after everything that’s happened.”
Jenna smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Antonio. You did exactly the right thing.”
“Well, I’d better get to work, so you can get on with your day.” Antonio turned toward the curtain and pulled it open. “Oh, my!” Antonio swiftly pulled the curtain shut again and rushed over to grab a pair of boxer briefs from a nearby rack. “No underwear,” he stage-whispered to Jenna – who nearly choked on a giggle. This was turning out to be quite entertaining.
Cormac hadn’t uttered a sound and she wasn’t sure how he would survive all the attention being lavished on him by an obviously thrilled Antonio. The curtain opened again and Antonio asked, “Shoes?”
Jenna nodded and while Antonio went to locate a few pairs for Cormac to try, Jenna checked her texts on her phone and reconfirmed the time of the Ball on her calendar. Eventually, the curtain opened and she gasped at the sight in front of her. She couldn’t believe how amazing Cormac looked in a tux. She stood and walked up to him, looking him over from head to toe. She circled him, nodding in approval as Antonio stood proudly in front of Cormac, hands clasped together as if he would applaud at any moment.
“Wow!” Jenna exclaimed. “You… you look amazing.” She turned to Antonio. “That will work perfectly, Antonio. Put it on Dylan’s account, please. Maybe that’ll teach him not to back out of our plans at the last minute.”
Antonio laughed and asked, “Is there anything else we can get for your friend?”
“No. I can’t think of anything else he needs,” Jenna answered, still checking out Cormac in the tux. Antonio took Cormac by the arm and escorted him back into the dressing room, even as Jenna continued staring.
“I believe I can take care of getting this off, thank you, Antonio,” Cormac said stiffly from behind the curtain.
“Are you sure? It’s no trouble, really.” Antonio sounded hopeful and Jenna chuckled.
“Nae. I’ll call ye, should I need yer help.”
A visibly disappointed Antonio left the dressing room and headed towards the cash register. A few minutes later, Cormac had his own clothes back on and he emerged from the behind the curtain. Antonio’s face lit up when Cormac appeared. “I’ll pack your tux and get it ready to go, Cormac. It won’t take a moment.”
He headed into the dressing room and Cormac wrinkled his brow and shook his head at Jenna.
She just laughed. “It seems Antonio has taken quite a liking to you.” She lowered her voice, ensuring only Cormac would hear her words.
“Unfortunately, for the poor man, I only be interested in ye.” He gave her a roguish grin that set her heart to beating as if she had a hummingbird trapped inside her chest.
Antonio came back with the tuxedo and other accessories neatly packaged, including the shoes they had found. Jenna was grateful it had only been a one-stop shopping expedition for Cormac’s sake.
Antonio followed them as they walked out the door of the shop. “I hope to see you again, Cormac. It’s been a pleasure,” he called as they headed down the street.
They rounded the corner and came to another shop, where Jenna picked up her own gown and some accessories, along with her shoes and then they made their way to her favorite pizzeria for lunch.
“I normally only order a slice, but something tells me you’ll want more than that.” She ordered the house special pizza for Cormac and a Margherita pizza for herself. She figured whatever she didn’t eat, Cormac would. She also ordered an Arugula salad to share.
She could tell Cormac was doing his best to appear relaxed and in his element, but it was obvious to her that he was anything but. Jenna wished she could put him at ease, as he seemed so out of place. She didn’t know what was wrong with her today, but she couldn’t stop smiling at him. She had been disappointed to wake up alone in her bed this morning. She must have fallen asleep out by the fire and Cormac, ever the gentleman, carried her to her bedroom and tucked her in. She hadn’t even woken up in the process. Somehow, she had come to a realization about him. It simply didn’t matter to her that he was leaving in a few days and that he didn’t have a penny to his name. She was going to enjoy every minute she had left with him. Tonight would be fun and she was quite sure she was not going to get drunk or fall asleep before she got to know Cormac MacBayne a whole lot better.
They enjoyed their pizza and salad. As she expected, Cormac ate most of it. He had a very satisfied smile on his face the whole time.
