Marcie and Leo Ch. 122

(Hello Gentle Reader. This is a continuation of the last chapter. So if you didn't read it, you may get lost for a bit.)

I dislike shopping for clothes. I dislike it so much that there was a time that I actually had a box with T-shirts to avoid going to the store as much as I could. It wasn't until the company took off and we had to make sales calls that Matt, my business partner, persuaded me to buy a couple of suits. I bought a black one and a grey one. Those two suits are still in my closet. Well, they're in the closet I share with Marcie. More on that later.

A few years after when business was better, I was persuaded again by Matt to buy a couple more suits. I bought a blue pinstripe suit and a black pinstripe suit. So, I had four suits I would use for work. I would take the best care of them I could, not being a suit guy. In my mind, I was good on suits.

Then Marcie told me around Christmas that I needed some new suits. Marcie and I share a closet. This is because we live in her modest two-bedroom rambler that her late husband bought and worked his keister off to make sure in their Golden years that his Queen, Marcie, would have a roof over her head. Thus, we share a small closet and in that small closet are the four suits I just mentioned. This meant she saw the suits every day.

Mitchell, her late husband, owned two suits that he used for special occasions. He was buried in one. The other was donated to the local charity. Still, Marcie never mentioned that I needed to think about acquiring new suits until recently.

I know, gentile reader. I believed Marcie was thinking about something. So, I was cautious to try to pay attention as she drove me to the local men's clothing store to work on buying two more suits. As we walked in, I was nervous. Did I ever mention how much I dislike shopping for clothes? We walked towards the suit section and found one of the salespeople.

"Good morning," he started. "Are you Mrs. Mercer?"

"I am, thank you," Marcie replied. "This is my husband."

The salesperson looked at me. Unlike previous salespeople I have dealt with, he didn't seem sleezy or underhanded. That's not to say every salesperson was like that. The salespeople in my circle of friends won my respect for being professional and courteous. Plus, they know their stuff. Not to mention that although Matt is a "sales guy" normally, he had an edge because he was my best friend since childhood.

"Mr. Mercer, what do you like in a suit?"

I looked at him.

"To be honest, I just wear them. I need them for work for shareholder meetings and sometimes for sales calls. I prefer not to wear them otherwise."

"Your wife told me when she called that you own four suits total. Are they custom or are they off the rack?"

I took a breath.

"They are off the rack, sir. I never have done a custom suit."

"Well, your wife selected a few different fabrics and has asked me to have our tailor measure you so we can make you a few custom ones. Is that alright?"

I looked at Marcie. She had the biggest smile on her face at that moment. It was that alone plus the fact that I trusted her that made me turn to the salesperson.

"It is. She knows."

It was then that I went through the process of getting measured. Marcie was watching every step of the way as they measured what seemed like my whole body. It was then that we sat down, and the salesperson showed me the fabrics she picked out. They felt different than what I was used to. It wasn't until we walked out of the store that Marcie started telling me what was going on.

"Can we go somewhere for lunch?" she asked.

I agreed seeing that I was in the passenger seat. We ended up at our new favorite Mexican place. For once, Marcie ordered water. This was a clue. Normally, this was a margarita spot for her, and it usually meant that I'd be driving home.

"Leo," she started grabbing my hand and holding it. "I am presenting to you a three-part present. The suits are one part. I saw you when you presented during some of the meetings and thought you needed a couple of new suits. Do you understand me?"

I looked at her and nodded.

"Do you forgive me?"

I smiled.

Then she continued.

"This represents that I want to support you as my husband at work. You worked for so long to help Matt put that business together. There are times when I get lonely because you work really hard. At the same time, it helps me because I get you when you come home, and we make up for it."

She started blushing a little when she said that. I then looked at her.

"So, there are two more parts?" I asked.

"There are. Except you are going to have to wait until after lunch for part two."

We started to enjoy our lunch together. Luckily for me, she knows me as much as I know her. My theory was that we were doing something else after lunch and it didn't involve going home yet.