FSE

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When we entered the store, I was no longer wearing my usual jeans and jacket. Max had me go through Martin's closet for something that almost fit me. I hadn't said anything about a lot of Martin's clothing still being at his father's house, but it made me wonder how serious he was about the house he'd bought.

Martin was a little taller than I was, and bulkier, I would never gain the muscle mass he had, even if I spent the rest of my life working out. There had never been a cheetah body builder, we just weren't designed for that. The suit hung loose on me in every way. I'd wanted to use a belt, but Max said no. That I had to hold the pants up was part of the look he was going for.

I was already tapping Max's ability so I heard the Fox behind the counter recognize him, the congratulate himself for doing that from a picture he'd studied as part of a file on all the rich people in the city. His smile was wide as he stepped out from behind the counter.

"Mister Cormoran, it is such an honor to have you here. How can I help you?" He glanced at him and wrote me off as inconsequential. I knew the judgment was coming and that it really didn't matter, in the grand scheme of things what a stuck up fox thought of him. It didn't change the fact I wanted to speak up so he'd pay attention to me.

Max extended his hand. "Thank you. What is your name?"

"I am Julien," the fox replied. He took Max's offered hand in both his to shake it. But He's considered giving his last name instead-- Harmilian --but he'd decided it would make himself sound too snooty.

"Julien, this is a good friend of mine, Denton." Max placed a hand on my shoulder. "He's come into a bit of bad luck, as you can see from the clothes he's wearing."

The fox looked at me this time, studying me from the tip of my ears to my toes. I had two extra pairs of sock on so Martin's three hundred dollar shoes would stay in place. He wondered for a moment if he knew me, then dismissed the thought. Even if I'd come in wearing a good fitting suit, he'd had remembered me.

I guessed that jeans and a jacket was as good as invisibility to a guy like him.

He wondered if the bad luck was that I'd lost my fortune,

he rejoiced at the thought, and I had to rely on the Cormoran family for my subsistence now.

"It is apparent your friend needs a suit."

"No," Max said with a wide smile. "He needs a good suit."

The fox returned the smile. "You have come to the right place." He pulled out his phone. "Extend your arms ans spread your legs."

"Shouldn't I at least take the jacket off? I'd rather this next suit fit me." I wasn't lying. As much as I wasn't someone who wore suits, I was getting tired of holding these pants up.

He rolled his eyes. "Please, this isn't some off the shelve phone. The scanner will easily go through the clothing." The only way he'd sound more condescending this time was if he wore a crown. Obviously he didn't think much of someone who wasn't rich anymore.

He thought he could make some money himself by selling the resulting scan. He made a list of women who would pay him the most to see me naked. Max shook his head emphatically at me as I opened my mouth to let this Julien know what I'd do to him if he disseminated them. Fortunately for both of us, The fox was now focused on me. The bastard was already running the scan and recording the result. He thought his cock was bigger than mine.

Max thought loudly at me to keep my mouth shut.

The surprise kept me quiet. I didn't know I could hear someone I wasn't focusing on. I took the position and made sure to be perfectly still to keep the pants in place. I'd deal with his invasion of my private parts later. He walked around me, he envied my ass. Damn it, what is it with guys an my ass, even this straight one wanted it.

"It'll be a moment while it forms your composite body." 'Don't', I thought loudly. Max tilted an ear.

'Why not?'

'I don't need you defending my honor, anyway, asking about what he did with the scan once is was done isn't going to do any good. He might be wearing a thousand dollar suit--'

'Three thousand,' Max corrected.

'Whatever. Under it he's a profiteer. That's a type of guy I know and can deal with. By the way, how come I heard you? I wasn't listening at you.'

'You can hear someone you're not listening to, if they think loudly enough. Most people don't think all that loudly, that's why we need to focus.'

"There," the fox said, "I have a few models here that can fit you with a minimum of modification."

"I thought all your suits were hand made to my measurements," I asks.

He smirked. "Those are more expensive," he said, thinking I probably couldn't even afford what was off the rack.

"Why don't we see what he recommends for you," Max offered.

I shrugged. This was his show, I had no idea how to get the

fox to think about what we wanted, short of telling him to think about it.

He lead us to the counter and inserted his phone in it. I appeared projected above it in three dimension. I whistled, this was the first time I'd seen a hologram. I mean in the real world. Every science fiction show in TV had those.

My duplicate wasn't detailed enough to be considered anatomically correct, not that he was nude long enough for it to matter. He was now wearing a brown suit.

"This is a nice Wallow suit," the fox said. "It's very stylish, very much the modern gentlemen's suit. It will be at home at the office, as well as any reception or a share holder's meeting." He doubted I'd ever go to one of those again.

I was really starting to dislike this guy. Scratch that,

I'd been disliking him from the first.

"I don't like the color," Max said. "What do you think?"

I looked at it. "I don't think brown is my color."

"Brown would go very well with your fur," the fox said, the tone of his voice light, the one his in mind annoyed. "Maybe it's too light. Can you darken it?"

The suit became a deeper brown.

Max shook his head. "No, that still isn't right. How about green? Or.... Wait, can you lighten the cuff? And maybe the hem of the suit? I saw something like that on a guy a few days ago and

I thought it really made the suit stand out."

Julien entered a command and the cuffs and hem went back to the previous shade.

"That still isn't right." Max looked thoughtful, and with how annoyed the saleman was becoming with us I thought about listening in to the cougar's thought, but I couldn't afford to miss anything. "You know, now that I think about it, it wasn't the entire cuff, it's was this band at the cuff, and it wasn't just lighter, I think it was white, maybe silver, the light caught on it."

The fox didn't show his surprise, but he wondered where Max had seen a Hamilton suit.

"Do you know the kind of suit that could have been?" Max asked.

"I'm afraid not, sir. It could be one of any alteration made to a suit. It might have been made by the buyer after he purchased it."

"You're right. That's too bad, I really think that would have been a perfect suit for my friend."

The fox couldn't stop his eye roll. As far as he was concern I didn't even deserve to see a Hamilton suit, let alone wear one. I'd probably turn out to be someone like that Meshek fellow and wake him up in the middle of the night instead of going to a hotel like any decent guy.

"Tell me," Max said, "Would you happen to know if another friend of mine dropped by? Meshek said he was going to when he was in town."

"No sir, I'm not aware of any Meskek." But what he wondered how Max knew Meshek Saracen and if that meant the man was trouble. He'd have to call him to make sure he was out of the house.

"It's Meshek, and that's all right. I just thought he might have mentioned where he was staying, we're suppose to get together but he hasn't contacted me yet."

"I wish I could help you."

I got a clear image of him writing an address down. That surprised me, I hadn't gotten any images at this point.

"That's all right, I'm sure he'll call me soon." Max looked at my duplicate again. "And you were right, that first brown color was perfect for him. Once the alterations are done, have it couriered to my house, and bill me, I have an account with your company."

I wanted to object, I didn't want him to spend that kind of money on a suit that wouldn't be used. But if we left without buying anything, he'd be suspicious. He couldn't know what we did, but he might wonder enough about the questions to let

Meshek know we'd dropped by.

He thanks us for coming in and we left. I ran to my car as soon as we were out of view from the store. I had to make it to that address before the fox called Meshek.