Cam sighed, reached for his wallet, and passed over a bill. “Dammit, Liam, how’d you know she’d come back here?”
Liam blew on his nails and buffed them on his shirt. “Because I am one of Meryn’s biggest fans.”
Cam looked over to the guard. “Make yourself comfortable.” Turning to them. “Okay, Meryn, what did you have in mind?”
“Will it be just you and Liam?”
He nodded.
“That’s not too bad. First order of business is tech gear for Zoe and some jeans. Then we indulge in coffee.”
Zoe looked down and realized that compared to Meryn, Pip, and Pierce, she and Gage stuck out a bit.
Liam pointed to a side hallway. “Extra clothes are down there, Gage,” he frowned. “We don’t have anything for Lady Zoe, though.”
Meryn grinned and reached into her bag. “She can wear this until she gets her own clothes,” she said, holding up a satin bag.
Zoe looked at the smaller woman. “Meryn, I appreciate the thought, but I don’t think I would fit in your clothes.”
Meryn swung the bag back and forth. “This is my super gown. The Gown of Éire Danu, it will adjust to fit you.”
Gage eyed Meryn. “So, those are your clothes?”
“Yup.”
“And you packed away the gown instead of wearing it?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Then you were planning on coming here all along,” Gage stated, sounding a bit exasperated.
“Look at you, thinking and stuff,” Meryn teased. “Zoe, reward him later.”
Zoe covered her mouth to hide her smile. “Thank you, Meryn.” She walked over and kissed the tiny woman’s cheek, causing her to sputter. Taking the bag, she smiled at Cam. “A dressing area?”
He pointed to the same hallway. “Laundry area on the left for Gage, bathroom to change on the right for you, Lady Zoe.”
Holding the bag close to her chest, she walked with Gage to change for their afternoon outing.
*****
First order of business had been clothes shopping. After discovering jeans and sweaters, she returned Meryn’s super gown to her. Once she had tried jeans on, she vowed to wear them more often. They were more comfortable than they looked, and fashionable. The girl at the store showed her how they could be ‘dressed up’ and she ended up buying half a dozen pairs.
Despite the fun, Zoe was torn. She loved that the entire city was comprised of things she had only ever read about. Cars, tall buildings, and technology everywhere! But as excited as she was, she also hated it. There was too much of everything. It was too loud and too bright, and the noxious smells made her nauseous.
Meryn’s concerned face looked up at her. “I’m sorry. I forgot how loud it was. Can you hang in there long enough to grab some coffee? We got most of your stuff already.”
Zoe looked over at Gage and gave him a wan smile. Her poor mate was loaded down with shopping bags. She had no idea what tech gear she now owned, but Meryn assured her it was all very necessary.
“Maybe someplace quieter?”
Izzy took her hand. “I know just the place. I applied there once because it was cute, but took the other job because it was closer to my apartment. It’s about a five-minute walk from here.”
Zoe squeezed her hand. “That sounds lovely.”
They started walking and Meryn, for the fourth time, pulled Pip out of the street and away from the cars whizzing by.
His eyes were wide, and he looked around with a childlike wonder. The entire time they explored the city, he stayed under his silken parasol. “Meryn, that man over there, he had metal in his face!” Pip exclaimed.