Free The Red Fox: A Romance by Kim Hunter Page B

they walked in they were met by a gray haired, elegantly dressed lady.
    “ May I help you?” she asked.
    “ Yes, Ma'am. I'd like to buy my friend a new dress, new socks and new shoes.”
    The lady looked troubled. She stared at him a moment, then at Leaf.
    “ Is everything all right?” Jay asked.
    She turned to him and smiled. “Oh, yes. Please excuse me, it's just that I haven't heard that phrase in a long time. It brought back a very old memory.”
    “ Of whom?” Leaf asked.
    The lady smiled politely. “Just an old customer of mine. One of the most amazing customers I've ever had.”
    “ My Nanna,” Leaf said, stepping forward, “always bought me a new dress, new socks and new shoes from your store. Every year for the first four years of my schooling. Is that who you're thinking of?”
    “ Oh, my,” the lady said. “So you're Leaf.”

19.
     
    Football practice had just finished and the team was in the locker room getting changed. Berkley took off his training gear. He'd always waited until everyone was finished with their showers before he took his.
    “ Make way,” he said. “I don't want to knock you over with my Beast.” He took off his towel and quickly showered. When he was finished he was quick to cover himself up.
    As he was getting dressed Brick drifted over and began talking with him.
    “ You got your suit ready for the Ball tonight?”
    “ Yeah, same one as last year.” He flexed his biceps, “When you've got puppies like these,” and he pointed to his groin, “and a Beast like this, you don't need a new suit to pull the ladies.”
    “ What are we going to do if New Guy shows up with Leaf? You going to squash him?” Brick smiled his goof ball smile.
    “ If I beat him up,” Berkley said, “Leaf will just feel sorry for him. I don't want that. I want her to see him for what he really is. A coward. That way she'll turn back to me, looking for a hero.”
    Brick looked rather relieved.
    “ So no head cracking?”
    “ No. We need to use some wisdom. Outsmart him. Make him look like a fool.”
    “ What do you suggest we do?”
    “ I suggest we intimidate him. Make him afraid, make him run—like he always does. Like the scared little weasel he is.”
    Brick wiped the sweat beads off his forehead with his giant forearm and produced another goofy smile.
    “ It's good that we don't beat him up. I don't want my brother getting pissed that I beat up one of his friends.”
    Berkley turned to Brick with a confused look on his face.
    “ New Guy and Brad are friends?”
    “ Yeah, of course they are,” he lifted his hand and began to swirling it around his ear. “They're both from New York, dummy.”
    “ Dude, there are 19 million people living in New York.”
    “ I know that. What do you think, I'm stupid or something?”

20.
     
    The three stood in Dacy's and talked. It turned out the lady's name actually was Dacy. She had been selling clothing there for twenty years.
    “ I remember the first day your grandmother walked in here,” she said. “To my shame, I wanted her out as soon as she entered. She walked in here, just like you did, and said she wanted to buy 'a new dress, new socks and new shoes.' ” Dacy laughed. “I found it amusing because at the time I assumed anything anyone ever bought was new,” she smiled at her two customers, “but obviously that's not true for everyone. I realized that later.” She walked the counter. “I didn't know what to do. It was obvious to me she couldn't afford to shop here, and I'd never had to throw anyone out before, so I just let her browse. Finally, she came over to the counter and pulled out $400 cash, looked at me a second time and said, 'I want to buy my granddaughter a new dress, new socks and new shoes—and I want the very best you have!'”
    She glanced over at Leaf, “And you got the best.”
    Leaf smiled. So did Jay.
    “ Well, one year later she walked in again. This time she just put her money on the counter and said the same