"bud sparhawk - the suit" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sparhawk Bud)

collection of womanтАЩs red heels appeared on the screen. They were
elegantтАФmore suitable for an evening out, I thought, than a business
office.

тАЬThose are lovely,тАЭ a husky voice announced from behind me. тАЬI
admire your taste. IтАЩll bet your wife or girlfriend would be very happy with
any of those.тАЭ I turned to find myself facing an attractive redhead. тАЬUnless
they are for you?тАЭ she added.

тАЬFirst,тАЭ I corrected her, тАЬI am not shopping for anyone, and, I should
add, there is no way I would wear these,тАЭ I pointed at one pair of highly
decorated four-inch heels, тАЬunder any circumstances.тАЭ
 She tilted her head to one side, put a finger to her cheek, and looked
me over. тАЬI donтАЩt know,тАЭ she grinned. тАЬYouтАЩd probably look cute with
thoseтАФtaller, for sure.тАЭ

тАЬTheyтАЩd probably look better on you,тАЭ I replied and returned the smile,
thankful for that extra tuck on the waistband. She was awfully cute.

Before she had a chance to answer, her obviously distraught robot
interrupted as it rolled up. тАЬMadam,тАЭ it declared obsequiously. тАЬYour
selection, please.тАЭ Its screen was displaying an array of cordovan,
tassel-free, menтАЩs loafers.

She glanced over her shoulder and then at me. тАЬI was shopping for a
pair of evening shoes. In fact, those.тАЭ She pointed to one pair on my
robotтАЩs display panel. тАЬApparently the store has gotten our accounts
confused.тАЭ

The robots insisted, but slightly out of synch, to each of us. тАЬArenтАЩt-t
these-se what-t you-ou requested-ed?тАЭ

There was quite obviously a serious glitch in the storeтАЩs inventory
software. Instead of continuing to argue with the witless robots, I said as
plainly as possible. тАЬIтАЩll take those cordovans,тАЭ and pointed at a pair on the
womanтАЩs display. тАЬIтАЩm sure those red shoes will look great,тАЭ I added in an
aside.

тАЬPerhaps, but only with the right dress,тАЭ she replied. My suit alerted
me to a download request for my profile. Flattered, I responded with a
request of my own. A man two aisles over smiled and waved for no obvious
reason.

тАЬAny dress would look great on you,тАЭ I answered gallantly, hoping I
was not overstepping the bounds. Flirting had gotten less perilous of late,
but the threat of a harassment charge still loomed large. For some reason
her data wasnтАЩt coming across.

She clapped her hands and called up a green dress on her robotтАЩs
display. тАЬThis is the one I already picked. It comes with the latest e-dress