She nodded. When she took the coat, it was to hug the mass of damp polyester against her front, both arms wrapped around it. One of her hands pulled away, the wrist still holding the cloth in place, and her eyes fell on the moving fingers. Without the ‘smooth’ setting, they moved like her prosthetic fingers did—a subtle difference.

“Super minor project that doesn’t matter much, she said?”

She bit her lip, nodding.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ve got a glimmer of that same feeling. And I think we should take that feeling and run with it.”

“Run how?”

“You and I are two completely different, unrelated people, with none of the baggage and history, none of the current worries, and all of the great taste.”

“I’m not sure I have taste.”

“I think you do,” I said. I reached out for her arm, and my finger touched the hard surface, while appearing to depress the skin that was being projected there. The tattoo was there, with bold outlines and flat colors. “You’re an artist. Come on. First stop is winter stuff.”

She let me lead her out of the bathroom and into the mall concourse. Kenzie and the Ashleys were already gone, but Rain and Erin were at a kiosk where books and movie DVDs were set up on revolving stands, each of them with some candy and a drink. Rain seemed oblivious to us as we passed them, but Erin managed to get it after double take, before shooting us a thumbs up. Rain said something to Byron, who was deeper inside the kiosk.

“You don’t get cold, right?” I asked.

“Not as much. I kind of get brain freeze, but I have to be pretty cold for that.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. Once I get it, I have to warm up the rest of the way to get rid of it. But no, cold doesn’t usually bother me much.”

“That lets us be more flexible, then. Thrift store?”

“I was thinking I’d be willing to buy a nice coat if I’m going to be wearing it outside the next few months.”

“We’ll keep that in mind as an option, but, as sad as it is, a lot of people sold their extra things when money was tight, and the thrift stores are currently a gold mine.”

“Okay.”

“You seem to gravitate toward the hippie, bohemian, surfer style? Flowy, cascading, loose, long, printed or patterned?”

“I guess? I had to pick a few things that I liked, after I got a body, I rushed my choices because I was shopping with Weld and I didn’t want to keep him forever, so I just went with stuff, half of it was stuff he liked. Then when I get new clothes, I get clothes that fit with what I already have.”

“But do you like it?”