Chapter 9

We were done eating by the time we got home. We gathered up the trash, throwing it away.

"Let's go shopping for clothes for the play, in the morning?" I said.

"You mean after you get back from work?" Amy responded as I expected her to.

I explained what happened at work, and she leaned into me and said, "I like being called a priority."

We went to bed, made love a few times, and then fell asleep with her in my arms. I'm not only in love with her; I want to be with her for the rest of my natural days.

We got up together, and showered. I fixed her breakfast for a change. We cleaned up together and went off shopping.

We found a western clothing store that had snap-down shirts, along with button-down. Amy found a design she liked, trying on a few to get the right size. I suggested she try on a size smaller ... she understood why.

She came out, with the snaps causing her bust line to be enclosed very tightly inside. She looked at it and said 'perfect!' and got enough for each performance. She also got a few in her correct size.

I paid for everything, as we next went to a JC Penny's, and she got some one-size-too-small brassieres, to help her on-stage persona.

Lastly, we drove to the other side of town to a Victoria's Secret. She was excited ... never having been in one before. A gorgeous asian woman with the nametag Kylee approached us.

"Hello, what can I help you find?"

"I'd like my fiancée here to get some new dresses, her choice – no limit!" I said.

Amy looked over at me and said, "Really?"

I just smiled at her and let them go off together. This early in the day allowed me to see each outfit she tried on. There was a dress, and the color was called Cantaloupe Craze. She came out in it; it was strapless, and she looked so pretty in it.

"Kylee, we want that dress in all available colors please?"

"Yes Sir."

"Keep going, we have time," I said to the ladies.

Amy just giggled and went back to the dressing room.

Two full hours later, I put my credit card down and the total came to just under $3,000 – money well spent.

After having something to eat, and dropping off all the goodies we had purchased, we left for the theatre. In case Kevin wanted to cover what we had done the previous rehearsal, Amy changed into the outfit I would tear off her. I think she was hoping that we would.

We were early enough that we went over dialogue from previous scenes.

Kevin honked, telling us he was there. We got out, and Kevin tried not to look at what Amy was wearing, but lost the battle.

"Sorry, I'm old enough to be your father, and here I am drooling," he said.

"The whole reason I wore it was to get your attention, Kevin. This is what I was thinking of wearing when the can opener scene starts," Amy said.

"Now that I see it closer," Kevin said, "it's obviously a snap shirt, so you don't have to be topless for the rest of the second act."

"In case I do destroy the shirt during the scene, we got plenty of the same design that we'll keep backstage and in the tent," I explained.

"So, why don't we go back and do that again, if it's OK with both of you?" Kevin said sitting in the front row of the audience.

"I think Amy is something of an exhibitionist," I said as we got into position to restart that scene.

We went back and did it all again, word perfect, including tearing her shirt open and breaking the cheap bra underneath getting to that point.

Michael: I guess who has the can opener ... has the power?

Amy: (snapping her shirt back together) Give that back to me Michael?"

(Hesitatingly, I threw it at her)

Amy: It doesn't have to be a power struggle, Michael. Here, I'll make a peace gesture ... we share the can opener. (She picked up a can, opened it, handing me a piece of sliced peach from inside.)

Michael: (I take it and eat it) Why didn't you just share it without all of this crap?

Amy: I would have, if you had asked me instead of ordering me.

Michael: (We sit on an upstage log, which for now was a couple of chairs)(She takes a piece and offers me another one) OK, in the future I'll ask. I'll do my best to clean up my language—No masculine nouns or pronouns. Any other 'recommendations' I must obey to get along in this new world of yours?

Amy: You've missed the point completely Michael. I just want to be your equal, not your boss.

Michael: (getting up and walking away) Well maybe I don't want to be your equal. If we get equality in the world, it will only be because you forced me into it.

Amy: Look at your name? Michael Adamson Chauvin III. Do you want your progeny to trace their ancestry back to your great-grandfather? Shorten your middle name down to Adam—it means 'first man'.

Michael: Well, until I decide to change it, just keep calling me Michael.

Amy: (with a great big sigh) If that's what you want.

Michael: (moving back to the log) As for the progeny, I haven't decided if there's going to be any, so isn't that a bit presumptuous of you?

Amy: Yes, I suppose it is, but since we're the only two humans left alive that we know of ... and there aren't any more birth control pills in the world...