"Why are we stopping here?" Judith asked as Mike parked outside a woman's boutique.
"I thought perhaps you could advise me on a purchase, Judith," Brian said. "Would you mind? I need a present for someone special to me."
Judith shrugged and followed him into the store. The smell of money scented the air with the finest perfumes. Soft, pale pink lighting muted the daylight and added an aura of elegance. Hidden speakers, faint chimes and tinkling bells added to the impression the buyer had entered an enchanted world.
A smiling woman descended on them with the grace of a sleek jungle cat. "May I be of service?" she asked.
"Yes," Brian said. He turned to Judith. "I need you to help me choose."
Judith frowned. "Well, I don't know…I'm not an expert in this field."
"Well-maybe you can advise me on the color?" Brian asked.
"Uh…yellow. Yellow is my favorite color." Judith replied. She fingered the hem of a wispy skirt which seemed to be made of cobwebs. "Everything looks very nice, in here. Whatever you choose, she'll love it," she said. She returned to the entrance and stood there, waiting.
"Mike, what size do you think she is?" Brian asked.
"Size? I would guess a size six, sir," Mike replied, glancing at Judith's waist.
"Seems small to me…" Brian said, frowning.
"Oh, no, sir. She has her clothes tailored to hide her gun. She told me."
"Gun? Does she wear a gun all of the time?"
"Only when she's on duty, sir. Like now." Mike grinned, then joined Judith.
Mike tapped on her bedroom door a short while later and handed Judith the yellow dress. "Mr. Miller would be very pleased if you would consider wearing this when you join us for dinner," he said.
Judith stared at Mike, then took the dress and touched the floating fabric of the skirt. "For me?" she asked, her voice catching in her throat. "But I thought he needed it for someone special…" She swallowed the words, took the dress, and closed the door.
For a moment, she simply looked at the gleam of the dress hanging in her hands. She squeezed a handful of the fabric; it felt the way she knew moonlight would feel, if you could clasp it in your hands. She slipped it over her head.
Judith walked to the floor-length mirror, feeling as if she were floating. The fabric of the skirt swirled around her legs, stroking her skin. In the mirror, her reflection stared back at her in shock. Her shoulders gleamed naked above the bodice, which opened low, almost exposing her breasts. The skirt exposed more of her legs than she cared to show. She was about to remove the dress when a knock came again at her door.