MARVEL: BUYING GODHOOD

Once we went inside, I walked past the men’s section without stopping.

Gwen noticed and asked, “Don’t you need something too?” I told her I’d choose theirs first, which got Sara’s attention.

“Wait.

You’re choosing what we wear?” I nodded and told her, “You can choose mine afterward.” Sara thought about it before saying, “Fine, but don’t complain about what we pick.” I smiled.

“Then don’t complain about mine.” Sara accepted that, although she still reminded me that accepting my choice didn’t mean I was paying for it.

I started with Sara.

Her red hair made her choice easier, and after going through several dresses, I found a dark emerald-green gown with an off-shoulder design and a long skirt.

I handed it to her, and Sara held it against herself before looking toward the nearby mirror.

Her eyes moved over the dress before she looked back at me.

“Isn’t this a little overboard? We’re only going for lunch.” I told her to try it first because I thought it would suit her.

Sara looked at the dress once more before giving in.

“Okay. But this is definitely more than what I expected when Gwen invited us to lunch.”

Gwen was next.

With her short blonde hair, I wanted something darker, and after looking through several choices, I found a navy-blue gown.

I handed it to her, and Gwen opened it properly before looking over the dress.

“I like this one.” She held it against herself and looked toward the mirror before turning back to me.

“You picked the color because of my hair?” I nodded.

“It’ll suit you.” Gwen looked at herself again before smiling slightly.

“Okay, I’ll try it.”

Choosing for Emily took me a little longer.

With her black hair, I went through several dresses before deciding a lighter color would suit her better.

I eventually found a light cream gown with a soft floral pattern and handed it to her.

Emily looked over the dress and then at me.

“Why this one?” I told her, “The lighter color will look better with your hair.” She looked toward the mirror while holding it against herself before nodding.

“I wouldn’t have picked this myself, but I can see it.”

Before they went to change, I called over one of the female employees and showed her the three dresses.

I asked her to find accessories that matched each of them, including jewelry, shoes, clutches and something for their hair if it worked.

Sara looked at everything we’d already chosen and asked, “Accessories too?” I nodded, while she reminded me, “We still haven’t agreed you’re buying any of this.” I told her I remembered, and Gwen quietly added, “He remembers. He just doesn’t care.” Sara looked at her.

“You’re really not helping us.” Gwen smiled.

“I warned you.”

The employee started with Gwen’s navy gown and found blue-stone earrings with a small matching necklace, along with dark heels and a clutch.

Since Gwen’s blonde hair was short, she kept the hair accessory simple.

For Sara, she chose emerald jewelry with small gold details, dark-green heels, a matching clutch and a small gold-and-green hairpiece.

Emily’s choices were lighter, with pearl earrings, a simple necklace, cream heels, a pale clutch and a small floral accessory that matched her dress.

Sara looked at everything once the employee finished.

“This is getting very far away from just having lunch.” I reminded her that we were still going to eat afterward, but she answered, “That’s not the part I’m questioning.” Emily picked up the pearl earrings and looked at them before admitting, “I do like these.” Sara pointed at her.

“Don’t give in already.” Emily looked at her.

“You already said you liked your dress.” Sara paused before answering, “That’s different.” Gwen laughed.

“How?” Sara ignored her and went toward the changing rooms.

They went into separate changing rooms while I waited near the mirrors.

Sara came out first wearing the emerald gown and matching jewelry.

The dark green worked exactly as I’d expected with her red hair.

She looked at herself in the mirror before turning toward me.

“Okay, I like it.” I nodded and told her, “That’s why I chose it.” Sara looked at herself again before saying, “Don’t look too pleased with yourself. You got one right.”

Emily came out next.

The lighter gown suited her better than a darker one would have, and her black hair stood out against the cream color.

She checked herself in the mirror and admitted, “I thought this would look too light.” I told her it didn’t, and Sara looked over from beside the mirror.

“He’s two for two.” Emily smiled.

“You’re keeping score?” Sara answered, “Someone has to.”

Gwen came out last in the navy-blue gown.

The darker color worked well with her short blonde hair, and the blue jewelry finished everything without being too much.

She looked at herself in the mirror before turning toward me.

“Okay, I really like this.” Sara looked over and nodded.

“Yeah, that color definitely works on you.” Emily agreed, and Gwen smiled before looking at me.

“Looks like you got all three right.” I stood and answered, “Of course I did.” Gwen rolled her eyes.

“Don’t get too proud. We still get to choose yours.”

It was my turn, and the three of them stayed in their dresses while we went toward the men’s section.

I found a simple black suit that would have been enough, but before I could choose anything else, an employee came over and offered to help.

I was about to agree when Gwen said, “We’ll do it.” Sara immediately joined her.

“You chose ours, so we choose yours.” Emily agreed, and the employee smiled before telling us to call her if we needed another size.

Once she left, I looked at the three of them.

“You really want to choose everything yourselves?” Gwen was already looking through the suits as she answered, “You chose everything for us. It’s only fair.” Sara moved toward another section while Emily started checking the lighter suits.

I left them to it, although it didn’t take long before I noticed that all three of them were choosing around the clothes they were already wearing.

Sara’s choice was easily the most noticeable.

Instead of the black suit I’d picked, she chose a dark emerald-green jacket with black trousers.

Under it, she added a deep-red shirt and a dark patterned vest, along with a matching red pocket square.

The colors matched her emerald gown and red hair almost perfectly, and the small gold details she chose finished it without making it look too much.

Emily went completely in the opposite direction.

She chose a cream suit that was almost the same shade as her gown, then added a black shirt and a dark patterned vest underneath it.

She kept the rest simple, choosing a black pocket square and a small gold floral pin.

Beside her cream dress and black hair, it was obvious what she’d been thinking when she put everything together.

Gwen took longer than the other two, but when she finally came back, her choice was different from both of theirs.

She had chosen a fitted midnight-blue double-breasted suit with a champagne-colored shirt underneath.

There was no vest or tie, and the only other things she’d added were a champagne pocket square and a simple watch.

The navy matched her gown while the lighter shirt was close enough to her blonde hair to make the contrast obvious.

I looked at the three outfits before looking at them.

“You’re matching me with yourselves.” Sara glanced at Emily and Gwen before looking down at her own choice.

“I didn’t know they were doing it too.” Emily nodded.

“Neither did I.” Gwen didn’t seem bothered at all.

She held up the navy suit and said, “Mine is still going to look better.”

Sara immediately disagreed.

“You haven’t even seen him wearing any of them.” Emily held up the cream suit and added, “That’s why he needs to try all three.” I looked at the outfits again.

“I’m only wearing one.” Gwen answered, “We know.

You still have to try them.” Sara held hers toward me first and said, “Mine first.” When Emily asked why, Sara simply answered, “Because I finished first.” Gwen shook her head.

“Very scientific.” Sara smiled.

“Thank you.”