For Kaila

The Fitting

This series of events describes the meeting from Kaila's point of view:

It's late on a Friday morning and things are dragging. Not many customers, orders for the weekend have been filled. Will this shift never end!?! Kaila sat, perched on a stool behind the counter, she had finished stocking the shelves with new inventory and was aimlessly trolling the Internet.

The door chimed, indicating a customer had entered the store, Kaila looked up to see a tall scruffy faced man walk in. She hopped down from her perch.

"Welcome to Claytons. is there anything I can help you with?" She asked brightly.

He removed his sunglasses, folded them, tucking them into his shirt pocket. "The airline has lost my luggage. I was on my way home for a wedding. I'm in need of a black suit."

She gazed up at him. Kaila was tall for a girl, at 5'8", but even in her 3"heels she was looking up at him! "We should be able to do that no problem, Mr. Clarkson. When is the wedding?"

"You know me?" He was mildly surprised, she didn't appear to be the type of doll to be interested in cars.

"Who doesn't know you in this country?!" She countered. "But in all honesty, that beard did throw me off a bit." To herself, she thought he looked a bit rough and very exhausted. These last few weeks of BBC reprimand and press drama haven't been good to him. "When's the big day?" She asked. He looked at her baffled. "The wedding. when is the wedding you need this suit for?"

"Oh! Of course...its tomorrow afternoon. Is that even going to be possible?" He was relieved that it was the wedding and not a TV program she was asking about.

"Don't worry," she cooed "we will make it work. Do you know your sizes, Mr Clarkson?"

"Jeremy or Jezza will do, Kaila" he said peering down to read her name tag. "No, I don't know....big?" He laughed a bit uneasily at himself.

Kaila flushed a bit at him leaning in to read her name tag. She grabbed her long tape measure and a pad of paper. "Let me take your jacket for a bit" as she reached out to help him shrug out of the soft brown jacket. She took his jacket and a bag of shopping he was carrying and placed them on the counter. "Ok turn around so I can measure you" she instructed.

He did as he was told, turning his back to her. A bit nervously, she smoothed the tape across his big shoulders, secretly in awe that she getting to run her hands over him. "Ok now put your arms out." she instructed, measuring his sleeve length and scribbling it down. "Do you know your collar measurement?

He turned to face her looking like a lost puppy. "I'm afraid not. I hate buying clothes, especially suits."

"Well, it's not that bad. Come here, now" she said leading him over to a raised platform in front of the tri-fold mirror. She stepped up onto the platform, giving her an extra 4" of height. The top button of his blue gingham shirt was already undone, she threaded the tape around his neck and pinched the ends together. "Stand still. You're as fidgety as a child." she chided.

She never realized what he was doing was trying to check out her bum in the mirror behind her.

"I don't want it too tight or you'll be uncomfortable all day. Too loose and it will look just sloppy." She adjusted a bit. "Ok now how does that feel?" She inquired.

He flushed a bit, her touch felt nice. "I think that will do." was all he managed.

"Waist." She reached around him with the measuring tape. Oh god! She thought....that was nice, as her face brushed the front of his shirt. Jeremy Clarkson smells fantastic! Who knew?! Inseam was next...wow, this was going to get personal, she flushed hotly at the thought. She bent down and softly ran the tape from his groin to the hem of his pants.

His eyes momentarily closed. Clarkson, you dirty old man, he scolded himself, as he felt a distinct stirring in his trousers.

"Ok. I think that's all the measurements I need, Jeremy" she said as he gave her a hand to help he rise. It gave her a tingly feeling all over to call him by his first name. "What style suit were you wanting?"

"Black." he responded.

She giggled. He smiled liking the way she laughs. "I meant single breasted, double....you don't have a clue do you?" She giggled again and he smiled warmly. "In my opinion, for what it's worth, tall men are served best in a single breasted three button jacket. it serves to minimize their abnormal height"

"Oh abnormal am I!?" He said mockingly.
"Nooooo!" she said waggling her finger at him. "Now that's not what I meant! I rather like tall men myself, they know how to control a situation." Immediately she blushed at her own boldness.

She selected several black suits from the racks and drew down a crisp white shirt. "Try these for a start and we'll see if you like anything." She opened a fitting room. "Now remember we can hem the sleeves and pants.". As his door shut, she drew out her phone to text Colleen....she'll never believe this!

"No!" He bellowed over the door. "I don't like this one with the white pinstripe."

"Ok...no pinstripes." she replied. "Hand it out."

He swung the door open wearing the partially buttoned white shirt, gray boxer briefs and socks, and handed her the suit back. She couldn't help but run her eyes down the length of him. He shut the door again as she hung the suit back up.

"What do you think of the next one?" She inquired after a few moments of rustling. He grunted in reply. "I take it that one's a no as well..." The door opened a fraction and an arm thrust out the suit.

Finally on the third try, he was pleased with the suit. "Yeeeeees!" He bellowed. "This is it!" He opened the door and stepped up to the big mirror.

Kaila slowly took in the sight of him. Any man In a suit looks good, but a tall blue eyed silver fox in the right suit is breath taking. She walked up slowly behind him smoothing her hands over the jacket on his shoulders.

"Now the tie...what color?" She asked.
"Blue?" He offered.
"No. Red." She replied "Blue would compete with your blue eyes"

She drew a long, solid, bright red tie from the rack. Instead of handing it to him, she stood on the platform in front of him. Eye to eye, she found him very intoxicating. She lifted his collar, buttoned his top shirt button, and proceeded to tie a perfect trinity knot. She laid his collar back in place, realizing he was watching her intently. She stepped aside so he could view himself in the mirror.

He took a good long look at himself. Slowly his cocky smile came out. "Yeassssss" he purred. "This is it."

"Very sharp, Jeremy." Kaila commented, much to his delight. "I'll have the seamstress come mark the hem for the pants."

She admired him from a distance as Maria marked the trouser legs for hemming. The jacket had fit him perfectly. He retreated back into the dressing room to put his clothes back on.

She took the suit from him and set Maria to work on the minor alterations. She helped him select a belt and socks, and began to ring up his purchase.

"May I ask what you drove here today?" She asked honestly intrigued.
"Oh I brought my black AMG Merc." he said, surprised she would ask. They chatted about cars for the next 30min or so until another customer arrived.

Jeremy's relaxed demeanor changed a bit. He bit his lip, bringing his hand up to his face as if pondering something. "What would you say to lunch?" He asked hesitantly. He really hadn't pursued a woman since Frances left, but he was remarkably enjoying the company and wasn't ready for it to end.

She blushed hotly, a bit startled by the bold offer. He liked having that effect on her. Kaila replied "Only if you show me the Merc too! I get out of here at three, is that too late?"

"No, of course not" he looked at his watch. What was he going to do for the next three hours?! "I'll see you then" he briskly exited the store back into the city streets. Now he had agonizing time to kill and he was not a patient man.