It was at that moment two visitors entered the store in quick succession. The first was a wizened but authoritive looking older man with long, brilliant white hair and a beard to match. He was wearing a blue cape and appeared authoritive and scholarly. Not far behind him was an elderly, bedraggled looking woman dressed from head to toe in black.
The male customer spent a while perusing the store before the statue of Nicola seemed to pique his interest. Meanwhile the old woman seemed more intrigued by James than any of the products in Meredith's shop.
"Aren't you cold like that dear?" she asked the young man as she gazed gleefully at his manhood.
"No, the breeze against your skin is quite pleasant when you get used to it" James replied.
"Excuse me, madam!" the old man suddenly announced as he ran his hands across Nicola's stone buttocks "how much for this statue?"
"Hey, she's not for sale!" James quickly blurted out.
"Excuse me?!" the wizard turned towards James, looking affronted and pointing his staff ominously in the naked young man's direction.
"Leave him alone, Jasper!" the elderly female customer shot back, strangely protective of her new friend.
"Five thousand pounds" Meredith answered before the situation could escalate.
"Done" the man agreed authoritively "send her to my place will you?"
"Certainly sir" Meredith nodded before waving her arm at the Nicola statue which instantly vanished from the shop. The wizard nodded at the store keeper and left.
"Hey, you can't..." James protested to Meredith before the witchy customer put a shoulder on his hand to silence him.
"How much for this young man?" She asked Meredith as if James was an object.
"Five thousand pounds, Elspeth" Meredith smiled.
"What?!" James exclaimed in disbelief.
"Deal" the witch grinned before her new aquisition could protest any further "put it on my tab"
And with that the old woman dissapeared from the shop, taking James with her. Meredith smiled to herself. Her debt had been repaid far quicker than she had inagined. As for her two clumsy customers and their new owners? Well, that was none of her concern.