Henri - 3

 

 

Henri felt as if he was being watched as he, Allyn, and Ransom walked from Allyn's car to the clothing store. He glanced around, trying to see who might be interested in him.

 

Ransom slung an arm across Henri's shoulders. "Deep breaths. It's the ladies, not someone working for Xavier."

 

"How did you know?"

 

"You should have seen the look on your face. Trust me, the only ones interested in us are the women. After all, we are a trio of studs."

 

Allyn snorted. "Me and Henri, maybe. You, Ran, are just your average big, brawny dude in slacks and a shirt."

 

"And that can't be studly?"

 

"Not next to us sexy guys." Allyn grinned and danced away when his husband took a swipe at him. "Okay, we have arrived," he said seconds later, holding open the shop door.

 

Ten minutes later, Ransom was shaking his head, muttering, "I could get something like this at Target and it wouldn't cost me a hundred and forty dollars." Henri had to agree with him.

 

"Not even close," Allyn said. "Look at the workmanship, the style, the fit."

 

"I haven't tried it on yet. How do I know what it'll fit like?" Ransom said.

 

Ignoring his protestations—and Henri's—Allyn picked out several shirts, long pants and shorts, distributing them among the two men, then pointed to the changing rooms.

 

It took half an hour, but finally Henri and Ransom were outfitted to Allyn's satisfaction, from the skin out, with three outfits each. He paid the bill, ignoring Ransom's insistence that he could afford to buy his own clothes. "Hush," Allyn whispered. "Henri can't. If I buy everything, he won't feel as if he's a charity case."

 

"Good point," Ransom agreed.

 

The three men walked out of the store carrying bags, Ransom and Henri each wearing new shirts and jeans.

 

"I feel like… Well, I guess the way women do when they walk into a bar and all the men eyeball them," Henri said, noting the stares he and the others were getting from several women—and men—as they walked back to the car.

 

"Not used to it?" Allyn asked. "You should be. You're really quite sexy."

 

Henri dipped his head at the compliment. "I… Not really." He chuckled. "When I was living in Paradis, if I went wandering around like this, people would think I was crazy. I'm… I was a guide. I'd take tourists out on Bayou des Allemands in my airboat, so I dressed accordingly. For sure not in designer jeans and shirts that cost enough to clothe a small family."

 

Ransom stepped in before Allyn could reply with some blistering comment. "What we bought is needed to maintain the image we're trying to project. Before you get pissy, you know why Allyn has to do that. As for Miranda…? Being the rich socialite is a way to explain how she can afford to make sizable donations to all the charities she supports."

 

Henri blew out a long, remorseful breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't know—about her, that is."

 

"There's no reason you should have," Allyn told him.

 

"I've been living in the same house with her and John for six months."

 

"She's not one to brag about what she does. Half the time she does it anonymously because she doesn't want the resulting publicity. It could bring unwanted attention to us for the wrong reasons—like someone wanting to know how we managed to have so much money in the first place at our age, if you get what I mean."

 

"I… I do," Henri said after a moment's thought.

 

"Good. Now, let's get back so you can show Miranda what you bought."

 

"She'd better approve," Ransom grumbled. "There ain't no way I'm going back and exchanging anything."

 

Allyn laughed as he unlocked the car. "In your case, it's me that has to approve, and since I helped you pick things out, you're safe."