Chapter Eight #2
Victor looks around and notices Madame Jeanette walking a few aisles away. She smiles when she spots them and starts walking over. She is wearing dark plum-colored slacks and a matching jacket, with a cream-colored blouse.
“Madame Jeanette, you look different,” Victor says when she arrives.
“I clean up good, no?” Madame Jeanette responds. She gives each of them a double-cheek kiss. “I am happy to see you here, chéri. I was beginning to worry that you were not going to come. Have you been fitted for your suit yet?”
“He hasn’t,” Leo answers. “We just arrived, and I’m showing him around.”
“Very good. Whatever you do, avoid Monsieur Clarence. They can be pretty intense.” She gives Victor an air kiss on the cheek, “Au Revoir, chéri.”
When Madame Jeanette turns and leaves, a flamboyant individual walks in their direction. “Looks like she jinxed us,” Leo mentions as he notices them.
“Who is he?” Victor inquires.
Leo’s focus remains on the person approaching them. “That is Monsieur Clarence. And they have been expecting you.”
Clarence has a fire in their step as if walking down a runway.
They are wearing black with white pinstripe slacks, a powder-pink cummerbund around their waist, and a white shirt with frills at the cuffs and down the middle.
A tomato pincushion is around their wrist, and a tape measure hangs around their neck like an open tie.
Clarence has little makeup on, but it is still noticeable.
Their eyes give zero fucks at what you think because they know they look good.
They stop three feet away from Victor, cross their arms, and place an index finger at the corner of their mouth.
Clarence lightly purses their lips and studies Victor.
Victor holds out his hand, “Hello, I’m Victor Russo. I understand you are Clarence.”
Clarence doesn’t speak immediately, but they look at Victor, which feels almost judgmental. Victor slowly lowers his hand back to his side, pondering what Clarence is thinking about him.
“Strip,” Clarence finally says in their Essex accent.
“Excuse me?” Victor asks with some confusion.
“Strip,” Clarence orders.
Victor looks over at Leo, who shrugs his shoulders.
“Hello, I’m over here,” Clarence demands while snapping their fingers. “Don’t look at him; look at me.”
Victor directs his response to Leo, “She wasn’t kidding about them being intense.”
“Are you going to remove your clothes, or will I have to do it for you?” Clarence says aggressively.
“Okay, okay,” Victor responds as he slowly pulls his shirt over his head.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Clarence pulls Victor’s shirt off and throws it on the floor beside them. They take a few steps back, puts hands on hips, and look up and down at Victor’s bare torso. “Very good. Now, the pants.”
“I’m sorry?” Victor interjects.
“Pants, now,” Clarence demands once more.
“I don’t know who you are, but I’m not–” Before Victor can finish, Clarence pounces on Victor and tries to undo his belt. “The fuck, Dude! What’s your problem?!” Victor shouts.
Leo places one hand on Victor’s shoulder and holds up the other hand toward Clarence to make them back off. “Victor, would you please take off your pants?”
Victor looks at Leo with disgust. “Seriously? I’ve already removed my shirt, and now you want me to take off my pants? Am I going to get dinner out of this?”
“If you play your cards right,” Leo winks.
“I need to see what I’m working with here,” Clarence barks in frustration.
Victor takes a deep breath and growls in the back of his throat. “Fine.” He unbuttons his pants and forcefully drops them to the floor.
“Nice, nice. Turn for me,” Clarence requests as they twirl their finger. Victor slowly turns around with his pants around his ankles while Clarence starts to mmhmm under their breath. “Good, good. Nice frame. Broad shoulders. Great legs and ass.”
“Thank you?” Victor questions, unsure how to respond.
“This way,” Clarence gestures to a stall with floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
Before Victor follows Clarence, he removes his pants from around his ankles.
He feels a little awkward walking around in his briefs, but no one seems to care.
When Victor steps up, he’s caught off guard when Clarence begins taking measurements.
Victor wants to comment, but instead, he submits and spreads his arms and legs.
Clarence’s hand gets much too close to Victor’s family jewels once or twice.
When Victor thought it was over, Clarence starts taking other measurements.
They measure the distance between Victor’s nipples, and then he wraps the tape around Victor’s ass and crotch.
Victor looks at Leo in the mirror, and Leo shrugs his shoulders.
“Are all these other measurements necessary?” Victor asks Clarence.
Clarence looks at Victor in the mirror. “You want your suit to fit well, don’t you?” When Victor nods, they go back to work. After three questionable minutes, Clarence finally stands up and steps behind Victor. “What colors do you like?” Clarence asks Victor.
“Well, I guess . . . “ Victor starts before he’s interrupted.
“Don’t guess; just tell me,” Clarence commands.
Victor shrugs. “I don’t know. Blues, purples, maybe red.”
Clarence steps down and tosses a robe over to Victor. “Put this on. Don’t get dressed right away. I’ll be back shortly.”
Victor puts on the robe and gives Leo a look of frustration. “Was all that really necessary?”
“You’ll see why I prefer to come here rather than the other tailors,” Leo answers as he places his hands in his pockets and leans against the wall.
“I just feel so . . . violated. How are they still working here?” Victor grimaces.
“You’ll soon find out.” Leo nods to Clarence as they walk around the corner with a couple of suits. They are carrying a dark blue suit, a charcoal gray one, and several shirts and ties in various shades of blue, orange, and yellow.
Clarence hands Leo the shirts and ties when they return. “First, which suit do you like more?” Clarence holds up the two suits for Victor.
Victor looks between them, “Is there any difference?”
Clarence steps up and looks Victor in the eyes.
“Your suit is your armor. But it also represents who you are as a warlock. The vibe you give off tells me that you’re strong, but you’re not there yet.
” Clarence holds up both suits. “You need a suit that helps you control that, as well as to be able to take on powerful attacks.” Clarence holds both suits up higher. “These two suits can do that.”
After a moment, Victor points at the charcoal gray.
“Very good,” Clarence says, tossing the blue suit onto a chair against the wall. Clarence gestures for Leo to come over with the shirts and ties. “You said you like blue, purple, and red, but that’s not what I’m getting. The only color I’m feeling is blue. But sometimes orange or yellow might fit.”
Victor looks over the shirts Clarence holds out for him. “I like this shade of blue.”
Clarence ponders Victor’s choice as they look into Victor’s eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Victor responds.
“This is the color that calls out to you more?” Clarence clarifies.
“Yes, I like this shade,” Victor explains.
“Why blue?” Clarence probes.
Victor is slightly confused by Clarence’s question. “Why does it matter?”
“It matters,” Leo answers.
Victor takes one of the blue shirts and a tie, a few shades darker than the shirt. “It was my mother’s favorite color. And it’s mine too.”
Clarence folds the other shirts over their arm. “That’s good enough for me. Now, get dressed in room four. I also left several pairs of shoes for you to try on.” Victor gathers the garments and scurries over to the dressing room.
Several moments later, Victor emerges dressed in his new suit and shiny new black shoes.
Clarence nods with approval, and Leo is in awe.
“What do you think?” Victor asks.
“You look stunning,” Clarence responds as they snap their fingers. The snap sounds like a crystal chime in the air.
“Now, I see why you took all those other measurements,” Victor comments as he looks at himself in the mirror. “Who knew I could have a snatched waist?”
Clarence walks over to Victor and takes a lint roller to the suit. “Tell me your cock and ass don’t feel like they’re floating on a cloud in this suit.”
Victor looks at Leo in the mirror. “What do you think?”
Leo snaps out of his trance. “You look great. I got a couple of gifts for you while you were getting dressed.” He hands Victor two boxes: one is a small, square box, and the other, a long, slender box.
Victor opens the small box, revealing a black and silver watch. “Thank you, Leo.”
“You’re welcome,” Leo smiles as he helps Victor place the watch around his wrist. “This watch not only tells time but helps you keep track of your energy when you start to use magic. That way, you can learn how to conserve energy but still throw a powerful attack. This will be a great tool for your lessons.”
Victor opens the long, slender box. “A dagger?” He picks up a small, silver dagger with a blue handle and a sapphire gem embedded at the end of the handle.
Leo pulls a sheath with a clip on the side from the box.
He opens Victor’s jacket and clips the sheath inside one of the pockets.
“You’ll learn that sometimes blood will be needed, so you will need something to prick your finger or slice your hand.
It’s also useful if you need to open letters or defend yourself from an attack. ”
Leo closes and buttons Victor’s jacket, then smooths out the sleeves. He pulls out a solid silver tie clip from his pocket, attaching it to Victor’s tie, and pats it. “There, that looks good.”
Clarence and Leo take a few steps back as Victor turns back to the mirror.
Victor looks at himself in the mirror. “I know I wear a suit while working, even though it’s a uniform. But this feels and looks different.”
“That’s because you feel and look different,” Clarence mentions. “No other suit will ever look or feel the same now that you start wearing this. And I’ll select another shirt and tie to complement your dark blue suit. Take both, and remember to dry clean, don’t wash.”
Clarence walks away while Victor keeps looking at himself in the mirror. “You ready to go?” Leo asks.
“Where are we going?” Victor responds to Leo in the mirror.
Leo steps up next to Victor and smiles back at him in the mirror. “Well, you mentioned that you should get dinner for getting undressed the way you did. So, let’s go have dinner.”