Titans of Chaos

The reaction to that was more enthused.

We had none of us left the store yet. I had gotten the money out from the fourth dimension whereit had rested for so long, and everyone but me was all decked out in his finest, with old clothesballed up in shopping bags.

And all seemed amenable to a last night out on the town. Vanity and I still had one or two thingsto buy. Because who knew when we would get the chance again?

But since sensible people (girls) like to, you know, actually look at what we are buying andactually make informed decisions, it was driving certain not-so-sensible people (boys) slowlycrazy, especially since they were standing around in tuxedoes I hadn't paid for yet.

So Colin and Victor wandered off to look at something else, or maybe I ordered them to find aclerk and find out where the checkout was. I don't remember. It just seemed natural at the time.

Quentin went with them.

We were going back into the dress department when Vanity's cell phone played the theme fromthe William Tell overture in electronic cricket chirps. That is what phones do in America insteadof ringing.

Vanity was giggling, and her emerald eyes were dancing with light, and her cheeks turnedever-so-pink (her light complexion lends itself quite easily to blushing) and she was holding thelittle gizmo-phone in both hands, so that she could cover her mouth with her fingers to hide thegiddy smile---

Okay, I am not an idiot. It was not Victor or Colin calling her, see?

Vanity, blushing red as a beet, snapped shut the little phone and, looking only at my chin or ear,said she had something else she had to do right now, and did I mind? She could put in a call toVictor and Colin, and have them come here from wherever part of this vast store into which theyhad wandered, so I would not be left alone.

"I need to go look at something over by the jewelry counter," she said.

My first thought, of course, was that Quentin was going to pick out a wedding ring. When else domen look at jewelry? But maybe she just wanted him aside to herself for a little snogging practice.

I did not want to be left alone, but, just at that moment, I saw something shining so brightly, souseful, even through the intervening walls and floors, that I knew I had to get it.