Moving Forward - 53. Chapter 53 (13.2)

The store looked as though it had been stocked with this cruise in mind, including clothing for the man who liked to go out in drag. Lee guided them past the racks of glittery dresses to the more conservative part of the store.

Marshall was hoping fancy didn’t mean having to wear a tuxedo. No offense to the guys who liked to wear them, but they weren’t really his style. Luckily, he didn’t see any of those here. What he did see were some pretty nice suits, though.

He’d never really needed a suit before. He liked to dress up, sure, but usually that meant Western style, with maybe some expensive boots to go with the clothes. These suits had matching vests and everything.

He fingered the material of one of the jackets. It felt nice to the touch. But he had no idea what might look good on him. He watched Lee as he went through the racks. He knew Lee had good taste, and he trusted his judgment.

There were some bright-colored suits, Marshall noticed, but he wasn’t sure how well they would look on him. When he touched a bright blue jacket, Lee shook his head and moved his hand away from the offending suit.

“No,” he said simply, “that is not a good look for you.”

Marshall had known that, he was just yanking Lee’s chain. “So maybe yellow?” he countered with a grin.

“Only if you’re planning on being a rodeo clown,” Lee snorted. “I think you should wear something more like an earth tone. It’ll compliment your hair. And if we get the right shirt and tie, it’ll make your green eyes pop, and show off the color.”

Marshall was impressed, as always, with how much Lee knew about things. It wasn’t surprising that Lee knew what to do. He’d been making clothing choices for Marshall his whole life. If it wasn’t for Lee, Marshall would have only known second-hand clothes. When his mother had stolen him from Lee, that’s all he got from her, if he was lucky. Otherwise, he depended on donations, and those didn’t always fit.

Lee moved to a different rack, Marshall close behind. He noticed Denver and Dustin were nearby. Denver was holding up a gray suit to Dustin, but he shook his head so Denver put it back. Personally, Marshall had to agree that the color didn’t suit Dustin, but he didn’t say anything, turning his attention back to Lee.

“What do you think of this one?” Lee asked.

“What color’s that? I kind of like it,” Marshall said.

“It’s a kind of rust,” Lee said. “This particular shade is cognac. It has a matching vest. Like it?”

Marshall nodded. He did like the color. Lee held it up to him, and Marshall saw the approval in his eyes.

“Suits you,” Lee said. “Let’s pick out a shirt and tie and you can try them on.”

Just then, they were approached by a well-dressed man of indeterminate age. He looked critically at the suit in Lee’s hand and then at Marshall, as if assessing them both, then gave a vigorous nod. “That will look very good on him, I agree. Can I show you our selection of shirts? I’m sure you’ll find something to you taste.”

“Lead the way,” Lee said agreeably.

Marshall was surprised at the selection the shop had. The helpful clerk found a white shirt with green and silver threads running through it, and a patterned tie that he called mauve. At first Marshall wasn’t sure, but he took everything into the dressing room and tried it on. It all fit well, he had to admit, but the real test would be Lee’s reaction.

He got his answer when he stepped out of the dressing room and watched Lee’s eyes light up. Confidence boosted, Marshall did a slow turn, so Lee could see it from all sides. “What do you think?”

“I think you look amazing,” Lee said frankly. “Do you like it?”

“I do. Should I change back into my clothes?”

“Yeah, go ahead. We have a little time before dinner. Don’t want to get it mussed up.”

A few minutes later, Marshall came out of the dressing room, casually dressed once more. “Your turn,” he said, and they began to hunt for something for Lee. Lee ended up choosing a black suit, as he tended to be more conservative than Marshall, but he got the same shirt that Marshall had, along with a maroon tie. When he came out of the dressing room, he took Marshall’s breath away, he was so handsome.

While they waited for Denver and Dustin to find something for themselves, Lee and Marshall browsed about the shop, and ended up getting some black socks as well. Lee charged everything to their room, and the clerk who had waited on them was more than happy to wrap their purchases.

Once Denver had done the same with their purchases, they stood just outside the shop for a moment. “Guess we’ll see you at dinner,” Lee said.

“You betcha,” Denver agreed, and the two couples parted company for a little while.