"Are you dressed yet, Bear?" Ma'am called from her wardrobe.
"Slacks and a nice shirt, okay?" asked Bear in return. "It's a warm, sunny day outside."
Without hearing an answer, Bear thought,
"I might as well just show her,"
and walked across his bedroom and through the door to present himself.
He entered her wardrobe, finding Ma'am bending forward, one foot on a chair to get the seams on her stockings aligned.
He was going to speak but just paused, as she took his breath away by doing the simplest of things.
Without turning, Ma'am queried,
"My bum again?"
"Actually, it's all of you, to be perfectly honest."
"Ooohhh, I will take that as a compliment," Ma'am replied.
Then she stood, turned and looked him up and down.
"You will do for now," was her reply as she walked past him and out the door. Bear spun on his heel and sought to catch up and just stopped in time from bumping into the back of her. She stood poised in the hallway, opening two double doors he had assumed to be storage space. Actually, the doors revealed a lift, and this caught him quite by surprise.
"No stairs?"
"Come inside and close the outer doors. We are going to the basement and I like the direct route."
"Basement?" Bear asked,
"Where I keep the cars. My treat, so you get to choose, but I get to drive."
"What's on offer?"
"You'll see, it's nice to have a little mystery and with show and tell, it's show that comes first."
With that, Ma'am moved out of the lift and into the carpeted basement as the lights flickered and then came fully on. As this occurred, Bear came to a complete stop.
Before him parked up against the far wall was a Ford GTO, a Tesla, and two BMWs, one being an X5 and the other a convertible M4.
Ma'am stopped and looked back.
"Come on choose,"
"Are we going far?"
"No."
"The M4 then, as it's a nice day and having the top down will be a treat."
"Good enough."
Ma'am then pressed down on the Fob unlock button and as they moved toward the car. In response, the roof neatly stowed itself into the trunk.
Ma'am approached the car and detached a cable, tossing it back out of the way.
Bear looked at her quizzically.
"I hate waiting for anything and dear Bear when I want to go, now is the only option. So I have the oil in the cars preheated. Get in and just stamping on the gas first thing is very satisfying."
This said. She pushed the start button, and the car slid forward and climbed up past the opening garage door and out onto the street.
At the next set of lights, Ma'am pulled into the turning lane alongside a Porsche Cayman.
Bear glanced across at the Porsche driver, who was staring back fixedly.
"No turn signal, so I feel you are going straight and my guess from here is the Porsche guy will not let you in."
Ma'am just shrugged and pressed the M4 sport performance button on the dash.
"Is this standard or have you had it tweaked?" Bear inquired, looking again at the furiously glaring guy next to him.
"Oh yes, Bear, I definitely took this car to the shop for modifications, but really, they are not needed, as I intend to cheat."
With this said, Ma'am, judging the cross street's lights had turned red, accelerated a second earlier and was halfway across the intersection as their light processed to green.
"Oh yes," Bear let out a whoop. "I do like being pinned to the seat."
Ma'am turned to him, eyes dancing with excitement.
"I'd forgotten how much fun it is throwing down the challenge at the streetlights. You do bring out the best in me." And with that she laughed loudly, ending with a long "Wahoooooo!"
A short drive later they pulled in to parking lot close to a store's entrance and Ma'am immediately got out saying,
"This is an old client and we should be able to get you suited up for this evening."
Ma'am moved into the store with liquid grace and was still smiling from the race at the lights.
"My God, he makes me feel alive. I haven't felt this good in years. Just wait till tonight. They're all going to have a fit when I arrive, plus one. Mmmmm with this in mind, I do want him to look stunningly sheik."
"Antonio," Ma'am called out, having got halfway through the store.
A kindly stooped man looked up from a bench at the back of the store and fairly beamed as he saw Ma'am striding towards him.
"Vita Mia,"
"Antonio, I know it has been too long."
"I forgive you. I can not do otherwise. So with that said, how can I help my God Daughter today?"