Katie's Hellion

"No idea."

"It's always chilly here, more so now that it's autumn. We're in northern Europe, so you can't go wrong with sweaters."

Megan wandered, looking through piles of sweaters and pants. The walls were lined with blouses, formal wear, business wear, jackets, and other kinds of clothing, while displays of knit shirts, sweaters, jeans, and slacks spanned out before her.

"Megan, how much do these cost?" Katie asked, lifting a cashmere sweater.

"Free. One of the perks of our job."

She replaced the sweater and began hunting in earnest. She selected a few items, enough to get her through a few days in the new world. Light sweaters, long-sleeved shirts, a couple pairs of jeans. Megan helped and stacked socks and underwear in her pile and then brought her a light wool jacket, leather gloves, hat, and scarf. The Amazonian picked out a couple of T-shirts, her thick upper arms exposed in the tank top and jeans.

Katie gathered her clothes into a wool satchel and slung it over her shoulder. Megan led her down the hall to a room dedicated to shoes. Most were either boots of various kinds or running shoes, but there were a few more stylish pairs. Katie chose a pair of wool-lined clogs, shower sandals, and waterproof ankle boots.

She almost felt normal. Next Megan took her to what looked like a large drug store, where she plucked a few items from a shelf filled with top of the line skincare products. Katie's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized a brand of moisturizer that cost a few hundred dollars.

She grabbed the moisturizer and its cleansing counterpart and eye moisturizer. When she'd gathered everything she needed for bathing, she trailed Megan through the maze of hallways back to her room. Megan left her alone, and she unpacked. Then she grabbed her shower gear, sandals, and a plush towel and headed to the showers.

Steam and dampness clung to her as she set foot in the bathing room. No less than twenty showers separated by waist high walls lined the area before her. Another door led to a chamber with several bathing tubs. Still another door led her to a locker room with mirrors along two walls and another door to the restrooms. The final door led to a sauna. Several women bathed in stalls, the easy banter between them marking their camaraderie.

The hot water pounded over her body. She sighed deeply as it beat against her sore muscles. They responded and began to relax. She stood for a long time, letting the hot water pour over her, before she lathered herself up from head to toe. When she finished, she felt refreshed for the first time in weeks. She shut off the shower and wrung out her hair, then wrapped herself in the thick towel. She turned and gasped.