Maria's sense of acute embarrassment only deepened. She abruptly flinched, as she heard the locks of the shop click closed behind her.
She turned to see the neon sign in the window go from reading "Open" to flash "Closed". She turned back to the shop owner in time to see a wall pull apart revealing a hidden space that lay behind the sales counter.
"Follow me deary. We'ze got to get you outfitted. What's your size honey?"
Maria told her and the older woman giggled with exuberance, "I'ze got just the thing for you! We'ze gonna load you down with surprises for Mr. Gideon!"
Maria hurriedly stuttered out, "I…… I don't want lingerie….…"
"Lingerie!" The shop owner screeched out indignantly. She picked up an automatic pistol laying on a nearby workbench and emptied the entire clip into some of her creations within the secret room.
Turning with smoking gun in hand the black woman jerked a thumb over her shoulder, "Now honey, any of your lingerie ever do that before for ya?"
Maria peered around the woman at the evidence that was plain to be seen and stated softly, "I can't say that it has."
The shop owner went on as if she hadn't heard Maria, "This ain't lingerie! It's art!"
Maria stepped past her and picked something up, "Do you have this in my size?"
"The older woman smiled richly, "You bet I do honey! Wait till you see what else I got in your size!"
"What does this do?"
"Oh no honey! You don't want to touch it like that! You'd get an awful nasty surprise. See what I mean?"
"I see what you mean!" Maria affirmed, as Elsie demonstrated the working effectiveness of the object in question.
"You make sure you tell Mr. Gideon about that before he takes it off of you! Wouldn't be wanting him to get no such surprise when he's unwrapping your goodies. My land's child you sure do blush a lot! How long you say you two been together?"
"Two days."
The shop owner guffawed into another fit of laughter, "You got a lot more to experience of Mr. Gideon then just two days will get ya! You hang on to him for life honey, if you know what's good for you!"
"What did he do for you?"
"Somebody done stole my son from off school property and Mr. Gideon was the only one who knew where to look. He helped give me back my soul, when he saved my son. Then he set me up with this store so I could support myself. I sell the stuff out front to the freaky people who want to go whaling away at each other for no good reason, while I get to practice away with my art in here and sell it on the side to people recommended by Mr. Gideon. Sure enough set me up for life he did! That was ten years ago now. Funny thing about it is Mr. Gideon just ain't never aged. I sure has though!"