ALLURA'S NEW GROOVE - PART 9

“What about this one? Tasia?” Allura holds the top against herself and looks at me for approval. “This blouse with that A-line skirt?”

“Hmm...I think you ought to just stick with the corset minidress. It’s a nice fabric, and the blue goes great with your eyes.”

“But...” Allura bites her lip. “It’s all snug at the top, it doesn’t cover my knees, and - there’s no straps. It’s pretty, but...I’d feel so naked.”

Lynne gets a devilish smirk. “What’s this, the brave pilot of the Blue Lion acting like a batter-fried chicken?”

Allura pouts. “I am not chicken.” She looks around at the dress draped over Caro’s arm and chews a nail. “I just don’t know...”

“Bawwwwk, bawwk bawwk bawwwwkkkk,” Lynne says with a laugh.

“Oh...pooh.” Allura takes the dress from Caro and assumes a haughty air. “I’ll show you.” She turns to Shannon. “What sort of shoes should I pick to go with this?”

“Let’s go have a look, hon.” Shannon guides her over to the shoe section. I shake a finger at Lynne. “Bad, bad girl. Ain’t you stirred up enough trouble for today?”

“Yeah,” Caro says. “Tying up Lance and Dexter, feeling Dunkirk up...”

Lynne gets red in the face. “I wasn’t ‘feeling him up’. I was diverting his attention so I could get away from him.”

“Bet your hand slipped,” Caro teases.

“It did not!”

Desi looks around from replacing all the empty hangers on a rack. “Did you give him some tongue at least?”

“I don’t think,” Caro replies, “or she’d be redder than that.”

Camille rejoins the group from where she was standing watch at the front of the store. “Hey, I just spotted Hunk eight doors down from here. And he’s got a radio.”

“That means they’re getting determined,” Lynne says. “But they’re also spreading themselves thin. We’d only have to deal with one or two of them at a time.”

“But the moment one signaled, the rest would come running,” Desi says.

“Well, I say it’s time to jet, sistahs. Let’s see if Allura got her shoes.”

“Want me to run interference with Hunk?” Caro says brightly. “I volunteer!” She waves a hand. I bump her in the direction Shannon and Allura have gone with my hip.

“This is Black Team to all units, repeat, Black Team to all units. Give us an update, guys.”

“Red One to Black Team. No sign of the vixen brigade yet.”

“Blue Two to Black Team, ditto.”

“Yellow One to Black Team. I’m covering the ladies’ shops on the second level. No sign of them in the bath and beauty store, I’m headed for the nearest clothes shop.”

“Yellow Two t’ Black Team. I’ve got nae a sign o’ them.”

“Green One to Black Team. I’ve got a position outside a manicurist’s shop. Doesn’t look like anyone’s planning to get their nails done just yet.”

“Green Two to Black Team. Just got some interesting information. There was a whole lot of commotion at the Ladies’ Loft earlier because they got an informal visit from a very special customer.”

“Is she still there?”

“Negative. She arrived about an hour and forty-five minutes ago and left again.”

“Roger, Green Two. Good work. Attention all teams. We now have official confirmation of an Allura sighting. Switch to high alert. Black Team out.” I look around at Dexter. “Shit, she really is here at the mall. And this place is huge. She could be anywhere.” I run a hand through my hair. “I have stress.”

“I have an idea. Let’s pretend that you and I are a couple of gals going shopping. we get our hair done, chances are we’ll buy some nifty new clothes, some lingerie...” Dexter trails off and looks thoughtful. “You know, I saw this really nice teddy in that one shop we passed by. It was red satin, with lots of lace...”

“Dexter, you’re beginning to scare me.”

He makes a face. “I was thinking about Tasia wearing it, not me.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Besides, red isn’t my color. I look best in blue or black, especially when I have suspenders to go with the ensemble.”

“What?”

He laughs. “I was joking, Captain-Captain. You are way too wound up, you know that?”

“Yeah, Dexter, I suppose you’re right. Nothing to worry about with the princess running around in a crowded mall full of people, where who knows what could happen to her, and if something does happen then I’ll have to go back and make a report to Coran, and he’ll ask me how could that be when Allura’s been shut up in her room all day, and then I’ll have to tell him that her lady friends conspired to help her escape, and he’ll ask me if my will is updated because the firing squad is just outside his office.”

“Amazing. You did that all in one breath.”

“You’re my back-up, Dexter. If I go down in flames, you’re going right along with me. Just remember that.”

“Keith, take a deep breath, count to ten, and listen to me. What I was planning to say to you before the whole teddy thing distracted me is, after ladies do a heavy round of shopping, they tend to congregate at the nearest available food court to sip cappuccino and look over all the goodies everyone has bought. Princess Romelle could be counted on to do it every time, and she and Princess Allura have a lot in common, no?”

“You’re right...and we have enough people to cover all the food courts. Once they pick one to settle in and chat, the one who spots them can signal and we close in.”

“Exactly.”

“Good job, Dexter.” I inform the rest of the guys of the change in plans, then I lead the way to the main food court and we pick an out of the way table to watch and wait.

“What about this?” Desi holds her wrist out to Leila. Leila sniffs at it and makes a face.

“No, it’s not you. Not at all. This is more you.” She hands Desi a different bottle. Desi takes a whiff and agrees enthusiastically. Shannon is busy helping Allura pick out some lipstick, and she gently swats the princess’s hands every time she reaches for anything in a soft pink. Camille and Caro are trying to decide on just the right shade of nail polish. Tasia is still trying to choose between a bottle of Evening Star musk and Crystal Blue perfume - one of my favorites, a floral scent that’s rich without being too heavy-handed. I’m wearing it now, in fact, and that’s how Dunkirk picked up on us right off the bat.

Darn it, why am I thinking about Dunkirk all of a sudden? So he liked my kiss. Big deal. Lots of guys like my kiss. And I wasn’t being serious anyway. It was entirely strategic. That’s all, strategic.

I set aside the compact I’ve been fiddling with and take a quick glance toward the storefront. I’m supposed to be keeping watch, not daydreaming over a handsome, brawny redheaded rogue. And he’s not all that handsome anyway. Just because he’s got that sparkle to his eyes and a charming smile doesn’t make him handsome. Not really. So there.

“Lynne...oh, Lynne...” Shannon waves a hand in front of my face. “Arus One to Lynne. Come in, Lynne.”

I blink up at her. “What?”

“We got everything. You ready to go?”

“Oh, yeah.” I get up from the courtesy settee and join the rest of the girls. Shannon gives Caro a nudge with her elbow.

“I think her hand did slip after all,” she says with a sly grin. I make a face, advance on her and she ducks behind Camille, giggling all the way.

“Ladies, ladies,” Desi admonishes. “No fighting. We’re supposed to be having fun. Speaking of which, where are we going to go from here?”

“Not the castle,” Camille says. “The guys’ll probably be waiting in the vehicle bay to ambush us when we go back.”

“Simple then,” Shannon says with a shrug. “We don’t go back. Not right now, anyway.”

Allura looks at the impressive collection of shopping bags clustered on both sides of her. “Where will we take all of this, then?”

“We can all hang out at Lynne’s place for a little while,” she replies. “She’s the one with most of her stuff unpacked and settled in.”

“Can we rest for a little bit before we go?” Allura asks. “I’m thirsty and my feet are killing me.”

“I could use a soda myself,” Desi says. “Let’s stop at the food court right over there for a minute.” She points toward the area, and we all agree. The loot is gathered up at random and off we go.

“So what did you get, Dexter?”

I pull the tiny plastic-wrapped package from my kiddie meal. “I got Hamhock Hooligan. What about you?”

Keith reads the packet. “I got the Basher Supreme. Who the heck is that, anyway?”

“He’s a loudmouth and a cheat. He hasn’t won a belt yet because he always plays dirty.”

“Are you sure Pidge collects these?”

“Pretty sure. You gonna eat those fries?”

“No, be my guest.”

“Greiza.” I pick up a french fry, dip it in ketchup and take a bite. As I go for a second dip, I notice a group of girls entering the food court on the far side of the room. I stop cold with the fry halfway to my mouth. “Can we say, ‘bingo’?”

“Huh?” Keith twists around in his chair to see what I’m looking at. Tasia is setting shopping bags down while Lynne, Caro and Desiree push some tables together. Once they’ve made a space large enough they start taking seats. A blonde girl plunks down in the chair on Tasia’s left, followed by Leila, Shannon and Camille. The pretty stranger is wearing a blue blouse with a scoop neckline and a denim skirt. She laughs at something Shannon says and I recognize her immediately. My hand goes slack and the fry drops onto my tray. Keith seizes my arm in a vice grip and points in the girls’ direction. “Dexter...!”

“Yeah, I see. Nice blouse.”

“Nice. Yes, of course. Nice.” He steeples his fingers, nods briskly and gives me a frozen grin. “Are you at all familiar with Arusian Oak, Dexter?”

“Not really. Why do you ask?”

“Nanny has a rolling pin made of the stuff. A very solid, very heavy rolling pin. And she’s a black belt in the technique. She’s going to take one look at Allura with her cleavage displayed for all the world to see, and then she’s coming right at me with that rolling pin. And when she’s through beating on me, the only thing that will be more tender than my poor, battered body is a cube steak. Then Coran will get his turn on whatever’s left.”

“Keith, I think you’re overreacting just a little bit. Her cleavage isn’t showing that much, not compared to some of the styles I’ve seen.”

“I know that, and you know that. In fact, Coran and Nanny know that, too. But you haven’t seen how they get whenever Allura tries to do something that’s out of line with their concept of royal behavior. I remember the time she came swimming with us and she wore a bikini. Hoo-boy.” He shakes his head.

I shrug at him. “Princess Romelle wears a bikini all the time. And sometimes Sven gets to play oil boy and rub suntan lotion on her.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. They spent a weekend at luxury resort once and Sven was doing just that when a photographer snuck into the area and snapped off a few rolls of film. The pictures were all through the local paper for weeks. The press had a field day with it. Even King Avok busted on Sven about it and asked him if that meant he was serious about getting involved with his sister.”

“Wow. Sven’s never mentioned any of that whenever I speak with him.”

“Next time you do, ask him if Princess Romelle has tan lines and watch his reaction.”

“I may just have to do that. In the meantime, let’s round up the rest of the guys and go collect our wandering princess before she decides to get her belly button pierced or something.”

“Okay, we have to sort these bags so we know which ones are which when we take them out to the cars.” Tasia picks one up and begins to poke through it. “Whose is this with the slip dress and pantyhose?”

“If it’s green, it’s mine,” Camille says.

“Nope, it’s wine-colored.”

“That would be mine.” Caro raises her hand and Tasia gives her the bag. As the sorting continues, I notice a group of men gathering on the other side of the food court. A group of very familiar men. I slap Shannon on the shoulder. “Shanny - !”

“What, Lynne?” She looks in the direction I’m pointing. “Uh-oh…!”

The rest of the girls look up as well. Allura blanches at the sight of a very perturbed-looking Keith and company marching across the room toward our table. “Oh no, I’m smashed!”

I blink at her. “Smashed?”

Allura turns thoughtful. “I’m...shattered? Cracked?”

“Busted, hon,” Tasia says. “You’re thinking ‘busted’.”

“Oh.”

“What do we do now?” Desi says. “If we run for it, we’ll have to leave all the stuff behind!”

“I am not giving up my new dress!” Allura clutches the bag to herself defensively.

“Hold on,” Shannon says. “I have an idea.” She leans around in her chair and taps a girl in a seat nearby on the arm. When the girl looks at her, she points in Keith’s direction.

“Hey,” Shannon says with excitement in her voice. “Look - isn’t that Keith McLachlan of the Voltron Force? I think it is!”

“Really...?” The girl studies him for a moment, then her eyes widen. “Oh my gosh, you’re right!” She grabs her friend’s arm. “Rhianna, look! That’s Keith!”

“Ohh, where?” She turns to look, as do an entire table of girls that overheard the first girl’s declaration. I can see the excitement rippling from chair to chair as dozens of young female heads turn to catch a glimpse of Arus’s Number One hero. Then a wide-eyed admirer three tables away from us leaps to her feet with arms outspread.

“Keith, I looooove you!” She exclaims at the top of her voice.

The entire food court falls silent. Keith and the guys stop dead in their tracks. For a full second nothing happens. Then there’s a tumult of overturned chairs and rushing feet as a gang of shrieking adolescent girls rush at the guys en masse. The guys do the prudent thing and turn to run like hell. The girls begin to chase them, squealing all the way.

“Oopsie,” Shannon says as she stifles a giggle. “Looks like I overdid it.”

I arch an eyebrow at her. “That’s not the result you wanted?”

“Not exactly. I figured they’d just crowd him for autographs and that would slow them down enough for us to get away.”

“That crowd looked wild,” Allura says with concern. “They could get hurt.”

“I don’t think so, princess, not really. They should be able to outrun the fastest of them.” Shannon replies. “But they might lose their shirts over this, at the very least.” She grabs her bags and gets to her feet. “Come on, let’s get going before they have a chance to double back after us.”

As we reach the parking lot and begin searching for our cars, I notice a half-dozen giggly teenage girls clustered in a group. One of them has Hunk’s shirt, and is showing it off to her friends. Caro sees the girl, sees the shirt, stops and stares for a moment. Then she drops her shopping bags and marches in that direction, right up to the girl in question.

“Hey!” She yells and snatches the shirt from the girl’s grasp before she can react. “What do you think you’re doing? Do you realize who this belongs to?” She shakes the piece of clothing at the girl. “This is the property of one of the members of the Voltron Force. Those men work twenty-four seven to try and keep this planet safe so you can hang out at malls and waste time with your friends in peace, and this is how you repay them? You rip the shirts off of their backs?” She plants her hands on her hips. “How could you do such a thing to someone who works so hard to protect you? Have you no shame?”

The girl withers at Caro’s blistering tirade. “I - I’m sorry...” She manages with a cringe.

“You ought to be. You’re lucky I’m in a generous mood. I happen to work at the castle, so I’m going to give this shirt back to him and tell him you said you’re sorry. And you are sorry, right?”

“Yes, Ma’m.”

“All right then. You can go now.”

The girl and her friends promptly flee the scene. Caro watches after them until they pile into a car and drive off. Then she rejoins the rest of us, smiling as she arrives.

“Caro, that was wicked,” I tell her.

She’s all innocence as she shrugs. “Was it? I thought I was just recovering some property that belonged to a good friend, that’s all.”

Tasia tilts her head at Caro. “So you’re gonna give it back?”

“I said I was recovering the property. Surrendering it is another matter entirely.”

We laugh and shake our heads as we load up the bags.

To Allura's New Groove: Part 8

To Allura's New Groove: Part 10