"Hey, honey… what's this bit? Y-You know you can have anything you want, don't you? We've got it now… money in the bank… whatever you need to make you happy. Come on, don't twist Daddy's testes like that? Just name it, doll, and it's yours!"
"A-All I want is a pair of shoes, Jay… and I'm not even sure I can find them in the center," she calmly managed, gazing idly through the window as she smoked. "I-I thought I'd stop in at Stan Wilson's…"
"Okay, let's give it a shot, hon! I could use a pair of kicks, myself!" He bounded up from his chair. "This little gem can spare me the morning. Come on, baby! Lover-man's going to take you shopping! Goddamnit, you're going to have all the shoes you can carry home…!"
CHAPTER TWO
Beth couldn't remember when she'd been more uptight, unless it was at her junior prom when her aunt had been chaperone-in-charge, and she'd dated a senior with a reputation of being the coolest, swingingest guy in school! He'd had to drive her home in his father's car with her aunt in the back seat, and the entire way Beth had breathlessly tried to restrain his hot, young hand secretly smoothing up and down her trembling inner thigh for fear Aunt Zelda would get wise and lay an egg right there! And that had been that! He'd never asked her out again! Somehow, this seemed like a repeat performance of that disastrous night!
At the moment, her doting husband, in the most unconventional garb his blatant taste could imagine, was guiding her along the walkways of Edgemont Heights shopping center. Not that there were any fashion-plates in the area, and not that she gave a damn what other people thought, but a pith-helmet, shooting jacket, and bedroom slippers…? And worse, he was sure as the devil about to louse up her vampish little scheme! He had all intentions of accompanying her into Stan Wilson's store and trying on shoes, boots, whatever it was, dumping his big frame right in the seat beside her, and how could she do one damned thing?