Taking A Chance

Choosing Outits

'So, what do you think?’ asked Adam.
‘I Iike the tails,' said Lance, pointing to a suit on the nearby mannequin, ‘but I don't want the top hats. Do we have to be matching?’
‘Not at all,' said Gabe. ‘You could choose complimentary colours.' Gabe picked up a book from a nearby table. ‘These are the colours the suits come in.’
He flipped open the book to reveal swatches of fabric.
‘Okay,' said Lance. ‘So, black for Keith…’
‘What about this one for you?’ asked Adam, pointing to a midnight blue swatch.
‘Ooo, I like that one,’ said Lance, ‘yes, that for me. I saw you had coloured shirts.'
‘This way,’ said Gabe. ‘Our largest range of colours are in the silk shirts, but they are quiet expensive.’
‘That's fine,’ said Lance. ‘I want red for Keith, and blue for me.’
‘Give me a moment,' Gabe said, and he disappeared into the back room.
'Has Keith said anything about wanting May to come to the wedding?' asked Adam.
‘No.’ Lance frowned. ‘I wouldn't think he'd want her to.’
‘She's been trying to call Shiro, but he won't answer her calls, so she rang me.’
‘You spoke to her?'
‘I didn't look at the number before I answered. She wants to come to the wedding.’
‘And you want me to talk to him.’ Lance looked across to where Keith was, then back to Adam. ‘I'm worried it would push him over the edge. He says he's moved past what happened, but he was scared that night we went to Amaya's and Haru's.'
Gabe returned and they turned back to the counter.
‘This is what we have in red shades, and these are the blue one's,’ Gabe said, spreading the shirts on the counter.
‘Um, this one for Keith,’ said Lance, ‘and...this one for me.’
‘You should look at shoes,' Adam said.
Once they chose the shoes, Gabe hurried into the back room again.
‘I don't want to upset Keith,' said Adam, ‘I don't even know if I want you to ask him.'
‘Do you think she should come?’ asked Lance.
‘Until the other night, May and I got on really well. It's so hard to know...’
‘Is it hard? She made Keith keep what Andy did a secret from you, ever after she found him bleeding on the floor. How did she know he wasn't severely injured.’
‘I know…’ began Adam.
‘You do know I can hear you.’
They both turned to find Keith and Shiro behind them.
‘I asked you not to say anything,’ Shiro snapped at Adam.
‘We're not fighting about this,' said Keith. ‘The answer is, no I don't want her at the wedding.’ He turned to Shiro. ‘Adam was right to bring it up because it's not your decision.’ He sighed. ‘Please don't fight. I have enough bad memories, and I just want to make happy one's.’
Shiro nodded. He reached out and took Adam's hand. ‘I'm sorry, to both of you. I was out of line.'
Gabe and Dave came back with their arms full. ‘Now, let's get these all tried on.’
Shiro and Adam sat in the seats in the viewing area, while Keith and Lance were whisked away to the massive fitting rooms.
Dave followed Lance in a began laying out the clothes.
‘What the hell?' he heard Keith say.
‘Baby, are you okay?'
‘No, he's trying to take my clothes off.’
‘Give me a sec,’ Lance said to Dave and hurried to where Keith was.
Keith was backed up against one of the walls, with Gabe frowning at him.
‘It's okay' said Lance. ‘This is part of his job. He's here to make sure everything is a good fit.'
There was such anguish in Keith's eyes when he looked at him.
Lance turned to Gabe. 'Can we do this all in the one fitting room?'
Gabe smiled. ‘Of course.'
Dave, having heard them, brought Lance's clothes around.
Adam and Shiro worried looks at each other when they heard the exchange. Shiro stood, but Adam grabbed his hand and pulled him back.
‘Lance is with him now,' said Adam, softly. ‘He'll look after Keith.'
‘l...I know. I hate knowing part of his issues were caused by my family.’ Shiro continued to hold Adam's hand. ‘We promised to keep him safe, and we didn't, and it happened more than once.'
‘I feel the same,' Adam assured him. ‘But we have to respect his wishes and trust him, and Lance, to deal with it, like they just have.’
Shiro nodded.
Their attention turned to Jaya, who climbed onto the lounge chair next to Shiro and wanted with them. The kit looked excited as he gazed towards the door of the dressing room, while Molly napped in Adams arms.
When Keith and Lance came out of the dressing room Shiro and Adam stood and stared at them. They looked so grown up, and with a pinch of sadness, Shiro realised neither of them were kids any more. They were young men who had family responsibilities, and who, when they looked at each other, you could see they were totally in love.
Jaya jumped off the lounge and ran over to them.
'Pretty,' he said.
Lance smiled. ‘Thank you, little man.’
‘You both look wonderful,’ Shiro said.
Adam nodded, as tears fell down his cheeks.
Shiro pulled out his datapad and took a photo of them.
‘Keef,’ Jaya said.
‘What's up?' asked Keith.
Jaya pointed to a kids mannequin that wore suit, and looked at Keith hopefully.
‘Do you have that in his size?’ Keith asked Gabe.
‘Hmm, let me see what I can find,' Gabe said. It was on a few minutes when Gabe came back. ‘I don't have that exact suit, but I have this.’ He unzipped the suit bag he carried. ‘This was made to promote a suit we had in stock, it was made for a very small mannequin.’
He held a small black suit, with a waistcoat, white shirt, and a bow tie.
Jaya went over and gently touched it, then looked back at Keith.
‘Do you want to try it on?' asked Keith.
Jaya nodded.
Taking his hand, Keith, Jaya and Gabe went into the fitting room.
Fifteen minutes later, they came out of the fitting room. Jaya had a huge grin on his face.
‘Wow, very nice,' Lance said, smiling at the kit.
‘It's a little big,' Gabe said.
‘At the rate he's growing it will fit him perfectly in two weeks,’ Keith said.
Shiro crouched down. ‘You look very handsome.’
‘Pretty?' asked Jaya.
Shiro laughed. ‘Yes, pretty.' He then took a photo of the grinning kit, and forwarded it to Lance.
Jaya looked up at Keith. ‘May I have?'
‘Yes, you can have it,’ said Keith. ‘Let's all get changed so we can buy them.’
With the suits hung in their protective bags, Lance paid for them.
‘Do you want them delivered so you don't have to carry them?' asked Gabe.
‘That might be better,' said Adam. ‘Shiro can drop them off next time he sees you.’
They thanked Dave and Gabe for everything and left.
Outside the stone, Keith saw a barber across the road. He reached up and touched his hair wondering if he should get it cut.
Lance grabbed his hand. ‘Don't even think about it.'
‘But you hate my hair,' Keith protested.
‘I do not,’ said Lance. ‘I love it, so don't you dare go and cut it.’
Keith looked at Lance totally confused, and Adam laughed.