In the store's parking lot, Ivan hugged a sobbing Annette.
"I just want him to be normal!" wailed Annette into Ivan's chest.
"He is normal. He just has some odd tastes and odd preferences that he'll likely grow out of Annette. Don't worry" said Ivan soothingly.
Annette's sobs slowly subsided, and she regained her composure.
"I suppose you are right. But I am still worried about his odd fascinations and his cold demeanor" she said as she dried her eyes with a box of tissues Ivan held out for her.
"Well relax a little. It's his 13th birthday. Please, let's celebrate it and not make Aaron feel like an oddball" Ivan urged.
"Alright" Annette sighed as they made their way back to the shop.
Annette and Ivan entered the shop waiting room to find a giggling Mei Ling sitting next to Aaron.
"My goodness! That must have been quite a unique experience. This Kate person sounds quite intriguing" she laughed.
"What's going on?" asked Annette.
"Young Master Aaron here was just telling me about his experience in a shoe shop. I must say it was quite illuminating and amusing" said Mei Ling.
Annette pursed her lips remembering that particular incident. It had not been amusing in the least, but remembering her promise to Ivan, kept quiet.
Mei Ling, sensing Annette's discomfort changed the subject.
"So what drew you to black leather Young Master Aaron?" she asked him.
Aaron thought carefully for a moment before speaking. "The texture, smell and look seemed to exude a power that I cannot explain" he observed in his cold and calculated demeanor.
Confusion furrowed Annette's brow. She had never thought of fabrics that way, as long as they were durable and comfortable, she didn't care what her clothes were made of.
Mei Ling on the other hand, nodded sagely. "Leather has had connotations of wealth, power and dominance across many cultures. I'm surprised you picked up on it so intuitively." she observed.
"Why is that?" asked Ivan.
"I suppose it is due to the fact that you need to kill an animal to obtain it. It's also durable and versatile, yet expensive and takes skill to work with" said Mei Ling.
At this point. Mr. Thompson entered the waiting room, "Come along, young master Aaron, the suit is ready for final alterations" he announced.
Aaron closed his eyes, took several deep breaths and opened them as he ran his hands over the soft black leather of his new suit.
The suit was tailored to fit him perfectly. The blazer accentuated his broadening shoulders, tapered his narrow waist and added length to his upper body.
The black leather pants were slightly wide to accommodate the black leather ankle boots, the black satin shirt and black silk tie finished off the look, giving him a sharp monochrome silhouette. Mr. Thompson offered him a small tube of hair gel, and he slicked his thick black hair backwards.
As he stepped off the raised platform of the fitting room, he felt a strange sense of power and belonging wash over him. The heady scent of the leather, the sound of it creaking as he moved combined with the clicking of the boots he wore, filled him with an energy and confidence that even his uniform couldn't hope to match.
Ivan let out a low whistle as he saw Aaron approach. "Damn son, you look good! I was skeptical at first, but damn!" he said in awe.
Mei Ling looked Aaron up and down appreciatively. "You look very handsome, young master Aaron" she complimented him, blushing slightly.
Aaron turned his cold gaze towards Annette, who stared right back at him. "Something wrong Mother?" he asked coldly.
Ivan looked at Annette in concern.
Annette's expression was not of pride or admiration. It was of acute fear. She surveyed Aaron's black leather clad form and felt a chill of fear run through her. If he looked intimidating in the black blazer, pants and Oxfords of his school uniform, this black leather suit, black satin shirt and plain black tie made him look downright dangerous!
Forcing herself to remain calm, she gave him an unconvincing smile. "I-I think it looks good on you" she said quietly averting her eyes from him.
Aaron, for the first time, didn't feel the surge of pleasure at scaring and intimidating someone. He realized that this was the warning that Mei Ling had talked about.
He turned towards Ivan. "Father, the passes you got for the play admit two people each right?" he asked.
"Well yes" replied Ivan unsure of where this was going and worried about Annette's reaction to Aaron. He had seen the fear in her eyes as well.
Aaron turned towards Mei Ling. "Ms. Ling, This may seem forward of me, but would you like to join us for the play and dinner afterward?" he asked her.
Mei Ling blushed and giggled "I would love to" she said.
"Mr. Thompson, is that alright with you?" asked Aaron.
"Oh it's fine by me. Off you go and get changed Mei, remember it's a black tie affair" chuckled Mr. Thompson as Mei Ling hurried to the back of the shop.
"Master Aaron, could you wait in the fitting room while I speak with your parents in private for a minute?" asked Mr. Thompson. Aaron nodded and left for the fitting room.
"What's wrong Annette?" asked Ivan in concern, his arm around Annette. He had been shocked by the fear in her eyes at the sight of Aaron.
Without Aaron's presence, Annette's fear subsided, replaced by guilt and shame. "I don't know what came over me. I just felt he looked dangerous" she said holding back tears.
Ivan squeezed her shoulders in reassurance. "He may have looked intimidating, but he's still our Aaron. You don't have to be scared of him" he said soothingly.
"Aaron's Stoic demeanor doesn't show it, but he's a very sensitive and perceptive boy. He could see that you were distressed, and his offer to Mei Ling was partly for her to keep you company Mrs. Zakhrov" said Mr. Thompson.
"And here I thought that Aaron had actually asked a girl on a date" grumbled Ivan.
"Oh he did. This is just a bonus" chuckled Mr. Thompson breaking the tension and causing both Annette and Ivan to laugh.