Encounter

“You look… I mean…”

Wren blushed. She had wanted this kind of reaction from him before, but she would take it now.

“You should get it,” Talon said.

Wren shook her head. “No. I have no place to wear it to, but thank you. I am glad you like it.”

Talon nodded and watched as she went back to change out of it.

On an impulse, Talon went to the clerk as she was changing.

“I would like to buy that dress,” he informed her with a smile.

She returned his smile and rang it up for him.

“Could you send it to this address, and any other accessories that go with it?” he asked.

The clerk gave him a nod.

When Wren came back out of the dressing room, Talon was still leaning back on the couch.

“Ready?” she asked.

Talon nodded and stood. “Shall we?”

They left the store and continued walking along, stopping at a music store where Wren found a new piano book.

They strolled slowly. Talon let Wren set the pace and decide which stores they entered.

He found himself watching Wren and enjoying the time and her reactions to everything.

Wren came to a halt in front of a lingerie store.

She pulled Talon down onto a nearby bench and looked right at him.

“Stay here and do not move. I will be back in fifteen minutes.”

“Better make it ten. We need to meet up with the others,” he said.

“Fine, whatever, just do not follow me.”

He watched as she headed into the lingerie store.

“Just started dating, huh?” came a voice on his left.

He looked over to see an older gentleman sitting next to him.

“What?”

The man laughed. “I see. You are still in the stage where she wants to wait for you to see what she got in the bedroom.”

He nodded toward the store. “But she is not confident enough to let you help pick them out yet.”

Talon looked at the store. What was she doing in there anyway?

He had been through her laundry. She had enough of those skimpy underwear and lace bras to fill their own basket.

What did she need more for? Talon turned red just thinking about her red thongs.

The man next to him just laughed. “You will be having a long, enjoyable evening tonight.”

Talon stood. It had been five minutes; he was going in.

***

“Can I help you?”

Talon looked at the woman before him, trying not to look at the garments around him and not stand out too much. He let out a snort. Like that was going to happen. He was like an elephant in a china shop.

“Uh, I am looking for a petite, long-haired woman with glasses who came in here a few minutes ago. Have you seen her?”

“Oh yes. She is in the dressing room right now. Follow me.”

There was a knock on the dressing room door just as Wren had finished taking off the first garment.

“Are you done yet? We need to get going.”

Wren let out a gasp and quickly covered her mouth. It was Talon!

~What are you doing here?~ “I will be out in five. Go away!”

“No.”

“Now! I promise, if I am not out in front of the store in five, you can come back in here, but please, please, please go away!”

“Why?” Talon asked. “What are you doing in there?”

“What do you think I am doing in a dressing room? Now, please, just go.”

The saleslady smiled. “Sounds like she wants it to be a surprise.”

Talon looked at the saleslady and shrugged. “Five minutes and then I am coming in.”

“Fine, fine. Now just go, please,” Wren begged.

“All right.” Talon headed back out of the store.

Sure enough, five minutes later, Wren came out of the store carrying a bag.

“I was just about to come back in after you,” Talon said.

Wren blushed. “There was no need. I told you I would be back in time.”

“Yes, but what were you doing in there?”

“What do you think? I was getting a few new garments.”

“Why? You have plenty at home.” Talon shook his head. He did not understand women and their fascination with undergarments. “Would you like me to carry that one as well?”

“No, no. I got this one. Thank you.” Wren was still a bit embarrassed about him coming in after her.

To have him carry the bag with the store logo on the front was just too much to think about.

“What did you buy?” Emerald appeared at Wren’s side. She took the bag out of Wren’s hand and peered in.

“Oh my! They are so pretty and so…not like you. Is this what you wear underneath all of that? I would never have guessed.”

“What? Let me see.” Carrie took the bag.

“Oh, very nice. I had no idea you had such taste. You are quite the naughty little girl.”

Wren blushed, and Talon did not know if he should blush too or try to sneak a peek at the contents of the bag.

“Naughty? Who?” Lily asked, coming up to the group and peering over Carrie’s shoulder.

“Pretty, yours?”

“Nope.” Carrie shook her head and pointed at Wren.

“Hers.”

“I had no idea you had such good taste. I will need to take you with me next time I go.” Lily gave her a smile and handed Wren back the bag.

“What? Do the men not get to see?” Eric asked with a grin as Wren blushed and Talon looked away.

“No.” The answer came from three women.

“Well… Since we are all here, shall we head back?” Michael asked, changing the subject.

“All right.” Carrie nodded.

“Wait. Carrie, can we please eat before we go back? Please?” Emerald begged.

“That would be so much fun,” Lily agreed.

“I am game, you guys?” Michael asked.

Everyone readily agreed, and soon they were all seated in a nearby restaurant.

“So,” Lily asked Wren once they were seated, “did you find everything you needed?”

“Yes.”

They spent the next hour lounging and chatting as they ate, but all too soon they were heading for the car.

“I am stuffed.” Evan rubbed his stomach.

“I do not think I will be able to eat for a whole four hours.”

“Please…you will be heading for the kitchen as soon as we get back home, complaining that you are starving.” Emerald rolled her eyes.

“So sad, but very true,” Evan agreed.

“I am a growing boy.”

“The only growing you will be doing is sideways if you do not watch it, young man,” Carrie warned.

“No, I won’t,” Evan argued amiably.

“I spend too much time fighting with you guys in training to put on any weight. Just look at how much Wren has lost since she came. She is downright skinny compared to her size before.”

Wren flushed. “Thank you for letting us eat out. I really enjoyed it.”

“At least it was not Chinese,” Carrie muttered.

As Carrie turned to give Evan a piece of her mind, Lily beat her to it.

“Evan. It is not nice to comment on a lady’s weight.”

Wren was about to step in when she was suddenly hit with an uneasy feeling in her gut and stopped. Something was wrong.

“Uh, guys…”

Talon stopped as well. “I see you finally noticed it as well. Took you long enough.”

“What is it?” Wren asked, looking around, trying to figure out what was causing the feeling.

“That.” Talon pointed to a shadow in the nearby alleyway. “It is a Being.”

“Shall we take care of it, or do you want to let Wren try?” Eric asked, suddenly quite serious.

“What!?”

“We could do it,” Emerald volunteered.

“No,” Carrie shot her down immediately. “You are not of age yet.”

Emerald pouted but said no more.

“Wren?”

Wren looked at all of them looking at her. She was not ready for this.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because you need the experience, and we are here to protect you if something goes wrong,” Lily patted her arm reassuringly and was pleased to notice Wren did not pull away from her touch as she had when she first arrived at the compound.

It seemed Talon was not the only one who was opening up and letting walls down.

Talon spoke up. “Do not worry. I will be next to you.” He handed the bags to Lily before turning back to Wren. “As your partner, it would be disgraceful for me not to help.”

He peered into the shadows. “Besides, it is only a level one, and you were able to defeat one of those on your first try.”

“That was pure dumb luck. You said so yourself.”

“Buck up and let’s go,” Talon chided. “This time, luck will have nothing to do with it.”

Wren let out a sigh. He was right. It was only a level one, and with everyone here, there was no chance that she would be in danger.

She just hoped she did not embarrass them by asking for their help. They would never let her live it down.

“Let’s go.”

As one, they turned and headed toward the alleyway.