Chapter Eight #3
Aspen returned the pants to the display before grabbing the exact same style in a color described by the tag as Saharan Desert. “Perfect.” Aspen tossed them in Mo’s direction, watching the woman react at the last second to catch them. “Now, you need some shirts.”
“I have some cotton—”
Aspen cut off Mo with a snort, moving toward the sweat-wicking polyester shirts a few displays down.
She grabbed two medium T-shirts, both cobalt gray, and moved toward the long-sleeved ones on the next rack.
“Cotton would be terrible. Poly is a far better fabric and makes a great base layer for underneath your jackets. Gray okay?”
Mo pulled the T-shirts from Aspen’s arms, grunting favorably in response.
Skirting through the hangers quickly, a forest-green long sleeve with neutral horizontal speckles caught her eye and she pulled it out.
After a few seconds of admiring the articulated pattern, Aspen turned and pressed the shirt against Mo’s chest.
After the initial shock wore off, Mo asked, “Does it look okay?”
“Yep. Brings out the green in your hazel eyes. Did Annie like to dress you?”
Mo choked out a laugh. “Actually, no. Style, in any form, wasn’t really her thing. If I had told her I was struggling choosing something, she would have just struggled right along with me.”
That admission made Aspen smile as she tried to picture what Annie looked like and how the two of them would have done this together.
She watched a goofy smile slowly appear on Mo’s face, letting her know that this was definitely the shirt.
“Well, I think Annie would agree with me. So you are getting it, no exceptions.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The two held an earnest stare that had affection spreading deep inside of Aspen’s chest. The deep green seemed to burst out of Mo’s pupils, causing the golden-brown perimeter to look like the sky behind a wondrous fireworks display.
Aspen felt like she could lose herself forever in those eyes, unable to look away.
So she followed her gut, reveling in the feeling.
Her lower lip crept between her teeth as she watched Mo’s eyes drift to her mouth.
Aspen found herself wishing their lips would meet, the middle of Blau’s be damned.
But before she could really expand the moment, Mo turned to face the displays, severing the connection.
With disappointment, Aspen kept holding the shirt up in midair, where she used to have it against Mo, before allowing it to naturally drop to her side.
“Okay, so that is three and three. I need a rain jacket now?”
“Oh yeah, right.” Aspen turned toward the jackets. “They’re over there.”
“Am I really going to need one?” Mo asked as the pair made their way over, Aspen’s mind still buzzing about the lost moment.
“Uh…” Aspen righted herself, remembering the task at hand. “Yes. You should know that you always need a layer to protect against rain. Nothing ruins the fun of hiking like being soaked to the bone and miserable.”
“You’re right. I have lived more than a decade in the Bay. I should know that rain is a thing.”
“I prefer Marmot for a midrange, waterproof jacket,” Aspen explained, scrolling quickly through the Marmot rack. She found an offering in forest green, pulling out another medium, which she figured would size best with Mo’s frame. But seeing it off the rack showed that it was a quarter zip. “Shit.”
“What?” Mo asked, moving closer to her to glance at the jacket.
“Quarter zips are terrible. I was hoping it was a full zip,” Aspen whined before taking in more of the jacket’s features. “And no pockets or hood? Someone at Marmot has lost their damn mind. Ugh, I really love the color, though.”
Mo didn’t respond, instead moving to another rack nearby. Aspen sighed, rehanging it before continuing to peruse. Assuming quarter zips were the new craze with men, she considered moving toward the North Face rack when a gleeful cheer from Mo had her turning around.
“Is this what you were thinking?” Mo presented another forest-green jacket displayed proudly in her hands. “Has a full zipper, hood, and more pockets than I’d ever use.”
“You do have an eye for style,” Aspen exclaimed, walking over to inspect the jacket. It was exactly as described, and she quickly checked that the waterproofing matched her expectations. “That’s a winner. Good job, Mo.”
“I just followed orders, ma’am,” Mo replied jokingly, standing at attention and giving her a quick salute.
“At ease, private.” Aspen played along, rolling her eyes playfully. “What else do you need?”
“Uh…food, I guess?”
“I’ve got that in droves. Do you have any allergies?”
“No, but maybe since it’s my trip I should…” Mo’s face fell from its previous happy lilt.
“No worries, my stock of backpacking meals are to die for,” Aspen said. “Well, live for. Do you have shoes?”
“Yes,” Mo answered, almost too quickly.
“All right…I saw some of your gear the other day so you should be good with just this. I’m sure you’d know what you’re lacking otherwise. Let’s go get my sports bras then skedaddle over to The Thrifty Squirrel.”
“Skedaddle?” Mo questioned, but Aspen ignored her, skipping toward the women’s clothing.