this is me trying [perdita]

"Hurry up, you have five minutes to pack a bag and then we gotta catch our portkey," was how he greeted her at an ungodly hour of the morning.

Well it was 11am but Torr was not a morning person so this was early for him. He also didn't typically show up at Perdita's like this unannounced at this time, but after their little chat, he was at least trying. Kind of. Torr was not about to second guess himself, he fucking hated that so he just made a waving motion for her to hurry up as he followed her back up the steps to her bedroom so she could pack.

He leaned against her vanity table, dressed in his usual black jeans and boots, but had opted for a light blue button up that made his eyes seem brighter. When he had apparated to Nessa's a few moments ago to pick up a last minute request, she had asked him why he wasn't dressed like the grim reaper like usual. He had flipped her the bird before disapparating to Red's. "Hot weather, casual, but at least one dressier thing. Maybe the red backless dress I like?" he told her as she asked about what kind of weather to pack for. And look, he had even suggested instead of demanded the red dress he had a particular penchant for. See how nice he could be. So gentlemanly. He deserved a fucking reward or something.

"No, I'm not telling you where we're going so stop asking," he added again, smirking despite the ungodly hour just because he liked to needle her with the lack of information. He knew it would be worth the wait, plus she was cute when she pouted.

@Perdita Bloom

"You should have turned up earlier, then," came the snippy reply as she brushed past him and disappeared into her walk-in wardrobe, grabbing her leather weekend bag as she passed. In went her perfume, her make up bag and toiletries as she perused the racks of clothes. She heard him mention casual and Perdita let out a loud laugh - she didn't even own a pair of trainers.

She placed some underwear and after a minute or two of thinking, decided on two sundresses and carefully folded them, along with some shoes, pausing only when  he mentioned the red dress. Stepping backwards, she poked her head around the door and offered him a grin. "Why?" She asked, her eyes narrowing before she smirked. "Have you been thinking about me in it?" She teased before disappearing again and not waiting for his reply.

It was here somewhere. Perdy hadn't touched it since that night. Thankfully, she'd taken the time to colour-code her clothes (from that one time she had a fight with him and decided not to answer the door to him) so after picking through the hangers, extracted it. She held it out at arm's length, admiring the fit before she scowled. "You'll have to hang on," she called out as she folded and packed the dress. "I need to find the lipstick that matches."

Returning soon with her bag, pink cheeked and out of breath, she rolled her eyes. "I hate surprises," she lied, despite her body feeling jittery and excited. She then noticed the pop of colour in his otherwise monochromatic palette. "You look nice," Perdy blurted out without meaning to. He really did. He looked brighter, a little bit more handsome; he'd actually made an effort. Clearing her throat, she dropped the handle of her bag into one of his hands.

She blinked. "Well, I'm not carrying it," she shrugged before offering him a sunny smile, all sweetness and light. She watched Torrence for a moment. He really had no right to look so comfortable in her bedroom. "Let's go," she poked him in the chest. "There's a beach I need to be on," she took a wild stab at a destination, eyebrows raised, before she sighed in frustration when he gave nothing away.

"Earlier? No thanks," he said shortly with a sound of disgust as she disappeared into her closer and he sighed. "We can't be late, Red," he called as he heard rustling from within. She didn't even need that much, it was only a few days. Couldn't she just throw some things in a bag and get out of here? That's what he had done.

Torr just rolled his eyes at her as she peeked her head out of the closet with that siren smile she had and waved a hand at her to hurry. They really didn't have a lot of time to spare. There was always the option of paying off the guy to switch the portkey time with some other bloke, but Torr was not in the mood to try to be charming. He just needed to hurry her along. "No, not at all," he told her sarcastically. The truth was any short, backless dress would work, but he did have a particular liking for the red one he had first met her in. He wasn't sure why.

"For fuck's sake," he muttered under his breath as she gave another excuse to make them later than they already were. "You don't need--" he started to call out loudly to her and only stopping to regulate his voice once she was moving towards him and dropping her bag into his hands. It was heavier than he expected. "Merlin, what the hell did you pack in here? Bricks?" he complained, glossing over the compliment she gave him and instead peered inside her bag, noticing a few items that looked unfamiliar. He reached in to grab something, smirking at her. "Haven't seen these before? Want to try them on to make sure they're good before we good?" Torr asked as a pair of panties, black and lacy, hung on his index finger.

Hell, on second thought, maybe he would just bribe the portkey bloke. Or just owl Reed to pull a few strings for him with all his Ministry connections. But he was moving in the next moment anyway, dropping the panties back into her bag and standing up before hiking her bag onto his shoulder. Torr shook his head at her with a grin. "Still not telling you, Red," he said as he shuffled her toward the door with a slap on the ass. "If we're late, I'm going to be mad."

"Stop complaining, then," she tutted darkly, thankful that Torrence hadn't seen her give him the middle finger. Perdita didn't like to be rushed. He was unpredictable and spontaneous but he'd given her absolutely nothing to go on.  What would he have done if she turned out to be busy today? Would he reschedule or force her to? Absently, she poked around her closet before deciding to pack a pair of pyjamas - she wasn't going to make assumptions on their sleeping arrangements.

"Liar," she grinned at his protestation before arching her eyebrows. "Listen," Perdy began tartly. "I can either look cute or I can look like a crazy person with mismatched shoes," she levelled with him, hands on her hips with her head tilted.

"Essentials," she corrected him with a bright smile and a nonchalant shrug before snorting with laughter. "Maybe I had you in mind," the tall brunette said coyly with a slow smile. "I thought we only had five minutes," Perdita cooed as she brushed past him, pausing to drop her hairbrush into her bag. "If you like those, you'll love what else I packed," she purred, eyebrows wiggling.

Torrence refused any more information and she scowled. "If I didn't pack correctly, you're buying me a whole new wardrobe," she mumbled, happy to be pulled along like a ragdoll as he ushered her to the door, letting out a yelp as her backside was smacked. With wide eyes, she turned, laughing breathlessly. "Oh?" Perdita asked him quickly with a slow smile. "How mad are you going to be?" She questioned coyly, fingers on the buttons of his blue shirt.

Her free hand went to his wrist as she turned it over to glance at his watch. "We've still got two minutes," she informed Torrence before she took advantage of him holding their bags. She yanked on his arm, forcing him down to her level as she cupped his face and kissed him deeply, standing on her tiptoes as she smirked against his mouth. "Minute and a half," she whispered as they kissed, as though they had all the time in the world. If they did miss his surprise portkey, he'd just have to take her somewhere else instead.

"We need to go," she informed Torrence after she'd broken the kiss and gave him a gentle shove backwards, leaving him in her doorway as she ran down the stairs, taking two at a time, pausing only to snatch her house keys before closing the front door behind them. "Come on," she urged him, clearly taking pleasure in the role reversal as she laughed, taking long strides and practically skipping down the street. It wasn't far before they ducked into a quiet tree-lined side street and she looked at him expectantly, holding out her hand for him to take, ready to go. "After three?"

"I'll just buy you new ones," he told her impatiently, tapping his heel against her vanity as she gave him a look. He ended up smiling because she was so slight and yet thought she could go toe to toe with him. "Hurry up or I'll pick out your clothes for you," he threatened, the idea taking hold. Maybe he wouldn't even tell her next time so he could do just that. He had done it with other girls before, a young chit at a family tea party in a particularly risque dress that almost made Gran keel over came to mind, making him snicker.

Torr lifted her bag again as if doing a bicep curl, shaking his head once at the weight. "You'd need more than bricks, love," he said with a smirk as she added more to the bag and he gave her a loud sigh, his eyes lighting when she mentioned other items. His smirk was slow and sinful. He had half a mind to discover what else she was hiding from him right now.

But no. He thought he might get a little more appreciation when they got to their surprise destination. And he liked Perdy's particular brand of appreciating. "I'll buy you whatever you want if you just hurry the fuck up," he grumbled at her as they walked out, her coy look distracting him and making him want to change plans before he pushed her hands away and nudged her to get moving again. "Guess you'll be finding out soon enough," he added but it was upstaged by the hard kiss she gave him, the bags almost dropping to the ground before he remembered he had breakable shit in his, making his frustrated that he couldn't grab her like he wanted, his lips hard over hers, and for too short a time, glaring at her as pulled away with a sassy quip. Minx.

The Regan grumbled all the way down the stairs, the kiss cut off way too short, but they were out of her late minutes later and with a glance at his watch, Torr perked his brows. They might actually make it. He hiked their bags up on his shoulder a bit more, his long legs keeping up with her skipping steps easily before he grabbed her hand and nodded. "3.. 2..--" and he gave her a grin and no warning before he touched the old boot and felt the sucking sensation of the portkey as it transported them across the globe.

It felt like minutes and hours and mere seconds all at once, but when he blinked his eyes open, there they were. In Singapore.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Perdita assured him over her shoulder with a grin that made her eyes sparkle. Torrence was consistently threatening to buy her things and she wished that he would. They'd gone lingerie shopping together a few times and he'd bought her some actually tasteful and very beautiful jewellery in the past but dresses were a whole new ball game. She wanted to try him out, press his buttons, see what he was really like when she made him put his money where his mouth was. Plus, she was under no obligation to actually wear them.

The portkey, as always, was disgusting. The horrid feeling of nausea and disorientation was short lived as her feet found solid ground again. Wasting no time, she glared at Torrence for setting off without warning her, her knees weak before she blinked and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Piss off," she gasped in wonder as the scene unfolded before her. The warm air rushed up to meet her, the noises of the unfamiliar city as the neon and twinkly lights flickered and danced across the garden. Perdita opened her mouth and then closed it when the words didn't come out, causing her to look like a rather confused goldfish. For the first time ever, Perdita Bloom was completely speechless.

With her head tilted back, she gazed upwards, her attention being pulled in a hundred different ways. It was a garden, with a lake and plants but also...with huge metal structures that looked like trees? She was entranced as she watched them change colours, completely stunned into silence. She looked like a child on Christmas morning. Her eyes were wide and bright as her face lit up, rushing forward to wrap her fingers around one of the railings.

Perdy wanted to sprint off and explore. She could hear running water. There was a fancy looking restaurant with hanging flowers. Her heart rate sped up. Eventually, she turned to face Torrence again, a smile on her face as she leaned as casually as she could against the railing, playing down her excitement as she bit her lip. Her skin was tingling as she shifted, her sheer joy almost visible.

"So," she went on, fighting to keep her voice calm as her eyes strayed from him to their surroundings. "Cool place," Perdita offered as her eyes followed the trail of lights that ran up and down the structures before managing to pull them away to focus back on him. A moment of silence passed before she could no longer keep up the charade.

Pushing herself off the railing, she strode over to him. Without giving him a change to protest, she leaned up on her tiptoes, her hands cradling his face as she kissed him gently, her arms looping around his neck as she took full advantage of him not being able to fight her off. She smiled against his lips, kissing him once more before letting him go. "Singapore, hm?" She asked with a grin. "See? You can keep a promise," she teased as she backed away, hands on her face as she thought she might accidentally squeal.

Her words were sardonically juxtaposed to the wonder and surprise on her face and Torr could only smile as he watched her.

He had said he would bring her to Singapore during that fight and he did. The promise had mostly been thrown out insincerely, to prove a point, as a way to convince her into doing what he wanted, but since that night, his intent had morphed in his mind to something else. He was lucky enough that it had timed up well with her birthday too. A birthday surprise. How fucking romantic.

No matter how much she tried to play it cool, leaning against the railing like that, he saw through it and it made him smirk. "Just 'cool'?" he questioned, with one brow arched. He pushed because he wanted to hear the words even though that expression on her face should have been enough. Torr was feeling greedy today.

He didn't hesitate as she strode toward him, bags be damned, and dropped them at his feet as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her into him, his hands on her waist, his lips hungry for hers. She kissed him once more, too quickly, and he nipped back at her bottom lip before she let go, but he kept her close with his hands holding her to him. He gave her a short nod as he looked down at her and then a hint of a crooked smile as she teased and he let go with one hand to grab their bags, looping both around one arm, the other grabbing her hand.

"Told you I would," he retorted even though promises and actually following through on them was new territory for him. "Let's drop these bags off and then I'll show you the city," he added another promise. Why the fuck not. He was on a roll already.

They were at his flat moments later, apparated to the balcony that overlooked the city. He unlocked the door with a flick of his wand and stepped inside, smelling of fresh linens and freesia. It was an open floor plan room in soft whites, creams, and white maple, vastly different to his flat in Dublin. Different city, different feel. "I'll be right back," he told her with a glance over his shoulder as he brought their bags in to the master suite.

"Really cool," Perdita conceded as she grinned, clearly enjoying the vibes. It was fun. Her fingers itched to get moving. She hadn't been to Asia before. In fact, she didn't really move too far from Europe, except that one time she went to California as a teenager and it scarred her for life (why did everyone look like they'd been left to soak in a vat of tea?). Her eyes strayed from Torrence again, distracted, before she looked back at him and grinned - properly - dimples and all.

"Oi!" Perdita laughed, playfully swatting at Torrence's chest as he bit her lower lip, causing her to uncharacteristically blush. "We're in public. Tut tut," she scolded him playfully, trying her best to ignore the way her lips tingled from the way his moved over hers. Now wasn't the time. "But you can do that again," she batted her eyelashes as she dropped down to her proper height, eyes wide at his next suggestion.

"Do I have to tip the tour guide? I don't have any money," she commented innocently with a smile, slipping her smaller hand into his and squeezing before they zipped off across the city.

They landed and Perdita wobbed, suddenly finding herself high up in an unfamiliar place. She turned and looked over the balcony railing before back to Torrence as the door opened and her jaw dropped. That was twice in one night where she was stunned into silence. Like a lost puppy, she trailed after Torrence as they stepped in and she blinked. He was going somewhere? Oh, the bags. Still in shock, she simply gave a thumbs up, an action she hadn't done in about ten years.

"Fucking Hell," she whispered, her eyes as wide as dinner plates as she lingered awkwardly in the living room, suddenly feeling like she wasn't worthy. This place was thoroughly modern. Perdy liked his flat in Dublin with its rich tones and dark wood but this was something totally different. Was this where he disappeared to when she didn't hear from him in weeks? She stepped in, running her fingertips gently over the edge of the coffee table as she found herself drawn to the view.

She stood at the floor to ceiling windows, nose almost pressed against the glass as she watched the night slowly draw in. She folded her arms across her chest, no fear of heights as she peeked down. This was technically their first trip abroad together. Perdy didn't count the times he'd turned up in both Italy and Greece because he hadn't been invited. And it was her birthday, no less. It was impossible not to read into it. "Why Singapore?" She called after him, interested in why he'd picked somewhere so different and far away from home.

"Good," was all he said to her 'really cool' comment, but he felt this thrill shoot inside him and he didn't exactly hate it. He didn't like it either though. Shit, what was this. Whatever. He was kissing her in the next second and that was distraction enough. "Later," he told her at her request to do that again, but Torr was always for instant gratification so he leaned down and kissed her hard and quick again before pinching her ass lightly. "I'm sure you'll think of some other way to show your appreciation, love."

Torr glanced over his shoulder at her, smirking at her stunned expression and then chuckling at her very out of the ordinary thumbs up expression. He liked putting her out of sorts. It almost made him want to surprise her more often. A warning bell sounded somewhere in his mind at that so be focused on the bags, dropping them on the cream settee on the side of the room before grabbing his wand and some muggle cash he had exchanged at Gringotts yesterday.

He was glancing down at it, shuffling the money clip around the bills as he came back into the living room and saw her by the floor to ceiling windows, giving her a shrug. "You said you'd never been," and that was reason enough for him. "Good as place as any to spend your birthday," he added without thought. If she wanted a fucking romantic, she should've looked elsewhere.

Perdy liked his kisses, she noted, as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him back before letting out a squeak as she was pinched. Her eyes narrowed in warning. "That hurt," she pouted as she rubbed the left cheek before she raised her eyebrows. "Oh, you have no idea," she grinned wolfishly, caught up in the city lights and the thrill of anticipation.

Torrence's flat was cool and quiet and she wondered how often he came here. The place was immaculate, nothing out of place, a pure oasis. Hearing him behind her, she turned, arms folded with a smile. "That's true," she agreed with him - his explanation checked out. Maybe he had some business here and her birthday just seemed to coincide with it? He could kill two birds with one stone, she supposed.

He'd gotten her sapphire earrings one year and now a trip to Asia for this birthday. Christ, she really needed to up her gift-giving game. Torrence would be turning thirty this year, if they were still on speaking terms by November. They could never really plan ahead. "I also haven't been to Hawaii," Perdy went on with a slow smile, clearly only teasing. "Or Bali, Buenos Aires, Cuba or Cape Town," she grinned before she shook her head, turning away from him to look at the view once more.

She glanced at him in the reflection of the glass so she needn't face him. Perdita was finding it impossible not to overthink this. Even the men she'd dated in the past hadn't whisked her away, let alone one she wasn't even seeing. "But thank you," she told Torrence gently. "Honestly. This is really nice." And easily the best birthday gift she'd ever received. She turned around again. "Do I need to change?" She asked, gesturing to her dress. She could walk for miles in heels so there wasn't a need to switch her footwear.

"Don't whine," he said in reply, smirking, wanting to pinch her other cheek just to make it even. When she smiled at him like that, he got all sort of ideas in his mind that almost had him changing his mind about showing her the city. Almost.

Torr shoved his money into his pocket, his wand into his boot, straightening as he caught her look and shook his head at her. "And how is that, little heiress? You'd think you spend some on travel or have you still not kicked your unhealthy obsession with buying more shoes?" he teased right back with a smirk.

His cobalt blue eyes met hers in the reflection of the glass, the sun going down beyond as the city came alive in multi-colored lights. Her genuine thank you made him feel uncomfortable, unaccustomed to it. Torr came up behind her, running a hand from the center of her back, over her shoulder and then draping it across her collarbone as he stood behind her, his other hand on her hip. "It's nothing," he told her, stopping her from turning around to face him so he could hold her like this for a few moments longer as they watched the sun set behind the city.

At her question, he barely glanced down. "No need," he told her. He liked what she was wearing, it was still warm out, and he knew she could walk across the globe in heels and never tire. Plus he liked her in heels. He was quiet for a few minutes and when he caught himself enjoying the scent of her hair, he thought it high time to get the fuck out of there before he started acting like more of a fool.

"Food, shopping, or sights first?" he asked her, uncharacteristically giving her free reign to choose even though that didn't exactly come naturally. It was her birthday, after all. Might as well go all out.

Perdita didn't like being told what to do and so, she pouted, hands on her hips. "I can moan, if you prefer?" She asked innocently as she batted her eyelashes, looking as if butter wouldn't melt before she smirked.

Him calling her an heiress, though true, made her nose wrinkle in distaste before she laughed. "Guilty," she admitted as she held her hands up as Torrence mentioned her vast shoe collection. He wasn't wrong. Whenever Perdita was sad, she bought herself some shoes or if she was really sad, she bought a handbag. "I never had anyone to go with," she announced with a careless shrug. Perdy didn't dislike travelling by herself and eating alone at a restaurant hadn't once bothered her but going to a romantic beach alone was...almost lame. She shook her head. Torrence didn't have to go with her and she certainly didn't expect him to offer. Nor was she asking.

As his hand snaked up her back, Perdita shivered as she watched him in the glass. The sunset was beautiful but she couldn't look away from his reflection. Torrence's hand slid over her shoulder and as his arm looped around her neck, her eyes fluttered to a close briefly as her breath caught in her throat. It wasn't nothing. It was definitely something. She relaxed against him, her body soft and pliant. If this wasn't perfection, then she didn't know what was. It was almost too much and on the same beat, not enough. Perdy could rationalise it but what was the point? Safe. Warm. Wanted. Her eyes opened again, just to catch the last of the sun's rays dip below the horizon.

Great, she was appropriately dressed. Perdita didn't move because if she did, she thought the spell might break. She wasn't much of a hugger. She didn't think she was particularly touchy-feely but she didn't hate it. Especially not from him.

Torrence gave her a choice and she grinned with him. It was only around 11AM back in London, so too early for food. It was getting dark out, they wouldn't be able to see much. "Shopping," she settled on with a smile, glancing over her shoulder. "Am I spending my money or yours?" She asked innocently. There had to be an Asian division of Gringotts in the city somewhere so she could withdraw some. "Maybe you can help me pick something out?" She offered lightly. "I did only have five minutes to pack," she said in jest as she crossed a hand over her waist to place a hand on the back of the one he had resting on her hip.

Torr smirked as she batted her lashes like that, giving in to his urge and reaching out to pinch her other cheek. "Moans are always preferred." But of course, she knew that. Moaning and begging and-- Torr stopped himself before he went too far down the road otherwise they would never even leave the flat. Besides, they'd have plenty of time for that later and a few little gifts that he couldn't quite decide if they were more for her or for him.

He glanced down at her confession as to why she hadn't traveled and gave her an incredulous look. "Should've just gone by yourself then," he said with a small shake of his head. She hadn't traveled anywhere by herself? He didn't understand that at all. Hell, he almost always wanted to go by himself places rather than wait and plan for someone to go with him. Maybe that's why no one but her had been to this flat so far.

But it was something that faded to the background, inconsequential as he felt her body relax against his. He liked that feeling, her leaning in to him, knowing he was keeping her upright, a sure thing she could rely on. The irony of that thought didn't escape him, but perhaps that's why he reveled in it. It's not like he was in the reliable/steady as a rock department normally. He could see the appeal though. He brought his chin down a few inches so it could rest against the top of her head.

He should have known that's what she would pick and he gave her hip a little squeeze as she gave him a mischievous look over her shoulder. "I'll buy you whatever you want, love," he said graciously. It was her birthday after all and Torr had never been stingy with her or anyone really when it came to expensive gifts. He knew the idea that his generosity with material things didn't make up for his lack of giving in other areas, but it was something at least. He felt her hand cover his as he grinned. "I can pick out whatever I want and you'll wear it?" he asked, confirming, his mind already filtering through ideas, some great, some downright devilish.

At the pinch, Perdita made a point to step forward and into his body. Crowding his space, she turned her head to let out a soft sound into his ear. She lingered, a hand on his shoulder, running her fingers down his arm to squeeze his bicep. It felt particularly naughy, especially since they were out in the open. Pulling back, she shrugged. "That'll keep you going for a few hours," she smirked.

Annoyingly, Torrence was right and she stewed in the revelation by chewing on her lower lip. There wasn't anything stopping her, really. Perdy had tried to drag Mary to Italy for months now and she could do with a girls' weekend away - away from stress, people, the rain and tattooed Irishmen with a filthy sense of humour. She shrugged. "Who would carry my shopping bags?" She joked - kind of. "I might," she conceded. "I hear Spain's lovely this time of year." And she did like Spaniards.

Annoyingly, Perdita was distracted by how nice this felt. She wasn't usually so touchy-feely but every single time they spent the night together, they always woke up entwined. Even when unconscious, their bodies found each other. She indulged in a smile as Torrence's chin rested on top of her head and her eyes slipped to a close. She thought she should be alarmed at the pleasant sensation of closeness but she decided to shunt it to the back of her mind. She could worry about this at a later date.

Quickly, she laughed at Torrence's offer. "Ooh," she gushed with wide eyes. "You're going to regret that," she admitted with a slow grin before she kissed the corner of his lips and set about carefully untangling herself from him.

His proposal made her arch her eyebrows in question. Why not? They were in Singapore. In a vast city where no one knew them and it was highly unlikely that Perdita would ever return to. "What are we talking?" She asked Torrence. "Dress? Shoes? Bikini?" She paused before she grinned wolfishly, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Underwear?" She laughed. "Sure," she shrugged. She liked giving up control sometimes. "Let's go."

"We'll see," he mused, a mirroring smirk on his lips, still feeling the echo of her touch across his shoulders and arms. He had always liked how demonstrative she was and this was no different.

Torr gave her a nod and a one-shouldered shrug. Spain was nice. "Greece is better," he said, thinking of her vacation house in Mykonos and again derailing himself and the conversation as he thought of her by the pool. Damn. Maybe it was better if they stayed in and explored the apartment more rather than the city because as much as he wanted to show her around, his thoughts kept drifting back and back again to one thing.

The kiss she left at the corner of his mouth only teased him further and he brought up a hand to cup the side of her face, bringing her back to him so he could give her a proper kiss, lingering, sucking on her bottom lip, before pulling back slowly, a whisper away as he said, "No I'm going to enjoy it."

Her wolfish grin told him her thoughts were right in the gutter with him and he smirked at her. "All of the above, especially the last," he perked his brows once before he grabbed her hand and his wand and then was apparating them a moment later. The squeeze of apparation felt both nauseating and familiar, but it passed in a second and Torr led her out of the back alley and onto one of the busiest shopping streets of Singapore. "What's your fancy?" he asked, looking more at her, rather than the multitude of different shops she could pick from.