Nick's mind was acting more quickly than hers. Jill didn't notice his releasing her and shrugging out of his coat. She was still staring stupidly down at herself when he suddenly forced her arms into the coat, and drew it closed around her. In the next moment they were weaving their way through and around groups and couples, then Nick suddenly tugged on her hand and they headed down a side street.
"Where are we going?" Jill gasped, struggling to keep her feet.
"The parking lot. My car's there," he said.
Jill glanced anxiously behind them. At first she thought they'd given John the slip by veering down this road, but then she heard an alarmed cry and saw a lady stumble into the street and her gaze narrowed on where the woman had come from. Sure enough, John's head popped briefly into view.
"He's still behind us," she told Nick, wondering why she wasn't out of breath. Jill wasn't the most athletic person. Her life revolved around her shop for the most part and she spent a lot of hours there, leaving very little time for other things, including exercise, yet this race wasn't leaving her breathless as she knew it probably should.
Another cry drew her gaze over her shoulder and alarm raced through her as she realized John was gaining on them. The problem was that Nick was trying to avoid people, weaving through the crowds to avoid jostling anyone. John, on the other hand, was charging through the crowd like a football player, sending people stumbling and sprawling in his wake. He'd soon catch them at this rate.
"He's gaining on us," she gasped to Nick and he suddenly veered to the left, dragging her through the door of a store.
"Can I help you?" a clerk asked as they charged past.
"Just looking," Nick called out before dragging Jill behind a rack of sunglasses. He stopped so abruptly then, Jill nearly knocked them both over slamming into him.
"Do you see him?" she asked as Nick stuck his head around the rack and peered toward the front of the store. "Did we lose him?"
"I'm not sure, he—There he is," he interrupted himself and eased back a bit to make himself less conspicuous as he watched the front window of the store.
"What's he doing?" Jill asked anxiously.
"He's stopped on the sidewalk out front," Nick said, a frown tightening his lips as he watched. "He's looking around the street."
"He must realize we ducked into a store," Jill said with a sigh.
"Yes, but he doesn't know which one."
Jill shifted and drew his coat closer around her as they waited to see what John would do. Oddly enough, she felt more naked now with Nick's coat on than she had when she'd actually been naked but looked dressed. She thought that was strange.
"Is there something I can help you find?"
Jill glanced around sharply. A sales clerk had approached, eyeing them as if they might be shoplifters. Not surprising, she supposed, they were acting oddly after all.
"I—We were just—Umm." Her gaze slid to Nick for help. She was at a complete loss as to what to say to explain their behavior.
"We're just looking," Nick assured her and dragged Jill to the next row to get them away from the woman. Jill immediately picked up one of the boxes on the end display to "look," silently praying the woman would go away. She was so busy trying to look interested in what she held, it took a moment for her to realize it was a box of condoms. Ribbed for her pleasure.
Flushing, she set the box back and asked, "What's he doing now?"
"He's still in front of the store," Nick said on a sigh. "It doesn't look like he's going to move until he figures out where we've gone."
Jill glanced nervously toward the store clerk and noted that the woman was staring narrowly at her naked legs and feet. The phrase No shirt, no shoes, no service immediately ran through her head and she felt panic begin to claim her. She was positive the woman was going to throw them out at any moment.
"We can't stay here," she hissed to Nick. "The store clerk is already suspicious. It's just a matter of time before she throws us out."
Nick glanced toward the woman, then picked up a box of condoms and turned it over as if reading instructions. He then leaned out to glance to the front of the store. His unhappy expression told her John was still there. "We can't leave until he leaves."
"And we can't stay," Jill said firmly, glancing at the clerk out of the corner of her eye. She was sure the woman was just working up the nerve to handle them.
"We have to separate," she decided.
"What?" Nick peered at her with alarm. "But—"
"He knows I'm with you now. It doesn't matter what form I take, he'll follow you if there's anyone with you. We need to let him see us and then separate. He isn't interested in you. He'll follow me."
"But—"
"Once I'm away from you I can change form and give him the slip," she pointed out urgently.
Expression grim, Nick gave a reluctant nod. "How?"
Jill leaned past him to see that John stood on the sidewalk at the opposite end from the entrance. She pictured the storefronts on this street in her mind and then turned to ask the store clerk, "There's a bookstore next door, isn't there?"
The clerk seemed startled by the question, but nodded.
"It's on this side of the store?" She gestured to the right of them.
The clerk nodded again.
"Thank you," Jill turned to Nick. "We'll go out, pause long enough for him to see us, then I'll duck into the bookstore next door while you take off up the street. He'll follow me I'm sure. I'll slip into an aisle and quick change to give him the slip."
Nick nodded slowly. "I'll head to the parking lot. My vehicle's a big red SUV. Meet me there after you give him the slip."
Jill smiled. Rather than be relieved to be free of her, he was arranging to meet up with her again. She wanted to grab him and plant a big kiss on his lips. Unfortunately, they didn't have time. "I'll head for the parking lot as soon as I can."
How will I know it's you?" Nick asked with a frown.
Jill grinned and simply said, "I'll tell you."
"Right." He glanced to the front of the store before turning back to ask, "Ready?"
Jill took a deep breath and then nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."
"Okay." Squeezing her hand, he drew her back the way they'd come, using the aisles to hide them until they'd reached the door. John was still there but his attention was turned in the other direction as they slipped out of the store. Rather than head off right away, Nick urged her toward the door to the bookstore. They'd nearly reached it when John turned and glanced in their direction.
There was one moment when all three of them froze, then Nick took off running. Jill immediately rushed into the bookstore. A glance back as the bell above the door jangled showed John hurrying after her, leaving Nick to escape as she'd expected.
Heart pounding, Jill rushed up the first aisle, then took a sharp left and headed for the back of the store, glancing up each aisle she passed. Jill didn't see John, but she saw a lot of other people. There seemed to be someone in every aisle she passed, which made those aisles useless to her. She could hardly shift in front of witnesses.
Jill was starting to panic when she reached the last aisle and—much to her relief—found it unoccupied. Her relief was short-lived. She hurried up the aisle, wildly scanning the books on display in search of a picture of a person she could turn into. It only took a second for her to realize she would have no luck here. The aisle was filled with Christmas items: cards, calendars, and children's books all featuring elves, doves, Santa, Rudolph… Almost every last one was drawn or a cartoon image that was useless to her. At least she didn't think she could turn into a three-dimensional, life-sized cartoon image. And even if she could, John would know at once it was her.