33. Chapter 33
33
K ara picks out a pair of black socks with red roses embroidered around the cuff, and a couple necklaces. One with a small heart charm, and another with a yellow daisy sitting in a clear resin pendant. Neither of them really seem like her style, but she doesn't say a word as she forgoes a bag and places them in her purse.
“Are you in a hurry to head home? Or do you think we could do some shopping?”
I glance at her suspiciously.
“What are you shopping for?”
She shrugs.
“Nothing in particular. It’s been a while since I came to the mall.”
I clock out on the register, say my goodbyes to Paige who now has everything she needs to close up the store tonight, and walk out the door with Kara. The place is pretty packed today, which makes me a little nervous. I’m surprised she doesn’t seem nervous. All it would take is one wrong person to spot us, and our secret won’t just be ours anymore.
Clearly thinking about it way less than I am, she grabs my hand and pulls me towards the shoe store across the way. I’m terrible about buying new shoes. All of the ones I own are filthy, and falling apart.
There couldn’t be a worse store for us to visit.
“Hey, Rey!” I look up to see Steven standing at his checkout counter. The store is empty, despite all of the foot traffic passing by.
I never gave him permission to call me Rey. It makes me cringe a little every time he does. I only like it when Miles calls me that.
“Hi, Stevie.”
I don’t think he cares for that nickname either. I guess it makes us even.
“Not working today?”
We fall into a little bit of small talk about our days, I complain about my meeting being rescheduled. I can’t help but notice the whole time I speak, that his eyes are on my company.
I get it. She’s everyone’s type. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t irk me to see his heart eyes directed at her right now.
I finish my sentence, only for him to not respond because she’s so distracting that he wasn’t even listening to me. With our hands still locked, I turn us towards the far wall where I know the women’s shoes are. If he protests, or decides to act like he was actually interested in what I had to say, I don’t hear it.
“He’s definitely losing points for that,” I mutter.
“Losing points? What are you talking about?”
I didn’t mean to say that out loud.
“Uh, nothing.”
She gives me a look that I have come to learn means, yeah, that’s bullshit . I pick up a sneaker that I would never wear. It looks oddly futuristic with its “breathable design.”
Anyone with trypophobia is having a terrible day when they see these bad boys.
“I guess me and you will have to do something for my birthday. That could be fun! We could go out of town, like you mentioned a while ago? Maybe the beach or something. Do you like the beach?”
Kara grabs the shoe from my hand and puts it back on the display.
“Explain.”
“Well, I really like the beach. I used to live closer to the coast as a little kid, and my dad would take us all the time. Even when it was cold and rainy.”
Her nostrils flare.
“The points thing, Reya. Now.”
She’s lucky she’s hot when she’s bossy.
“You’re lucky you’re hot when you’re bossy.” I roll my eyes. “I’m not actually keeping track of numbers or anything, but sometimes when people do things I decide that they lose or gain points. If they lose enough, I act accordingly.”
“Go on.”
“The guys who lived in your apartment before you? They were way in the negatives. So far in fact, that Autumn had Freddy with her one day and I let him pee right in front of their door. Could’ve stopped him, didn’t want to. I held Autumn back.”
She cracks a smile.
“If you ever smell dog piss while walking into your apartment, now you know why.”
I follow as she makes her way over to a pair of heels. Something I couldn’t picture either of us in, but I have to admit they’re pure sex. I’m already all over this woman, but if she put these on for me? We’d be stuck in her room for days.
“How many points do I have?” she asks.
“There’s not an exact number, but…” I genuinely stop to think about how many times I’ve felt the need to subtract from the starting line. “For obvious reasons, you started low. I’d say you’ve just barely made your way past neutral territory.”
She spins to face me so fast that it’s a jumpscare. One of the black heels is now in her hand, and she lightly pokes my chest with the sharp point.
It just got so much warmer in here.
“Neutral? You mean to tell me that you’ve received all those orgasms from me, and I’m barely past neutral?”
She presses a little harder, although not enough to hurt. I take a step back, and she goes right with me. The heel to chest contact doesn’t stop.
I’m going to have to buy these ridiculous shoes.
Two more steps and the back of my head hits the shelving behind me.
I don’t care, I could catch fire and I still wouldn’t break away from her stare.
Assuming someone would notice and put me out.
“I gave you just as many, which made us even.”
She steps back with a smirk, and I know she got exactly what she wanted. To get me all hot and bothered when there’s nothing to be done about it. Not only have we not broached anything sexual recently, but I’m not one for fooling around in public places.
On second thought, if she pulled me into a bathroom stall right now, I’d do anything she wanted.
“‘Even,’” she repeats. “We’ll see how long that stays true.”
“Okay. What about him?” I point to guy I would’ve gone for back when I still giving the opposite gender a chance. His hair is black, and shiny. He has a Nirvana shirt on with dark blue jeans.
“Stop staring, his girlfriend looks like she’s rip the head off anyone that breathes on him.”
I’m surprised to notice she’s right, I hadn’t even clicked the girl standing next to him.
“Do you find him attractive?”
“No.”
“Okay, what about him?” Tall. Blonde. Skinny. Has a child with him in line to get Subway.
“Not at all.”
I peer over her. “Is it because he has a kid?”
“No! It’s because if he had darker hair, he would look a little too much like Miles.”
Miles would never wear sweats in public, but I don't tell her that.
“Good thing he doesn’t have darker hair.”
“I don’t feel any attraction to him at all. To any of these guys.”
I pause, weighing my words before they fall out.
“Do you think it might just be because you like me so much? Maybe it’s not that you’ve switched sides, maybe I’m just so special that no one could catch your eye right now.”
She fights a smile, and I can’t help mine in return.
She points to a girl sitting alone on her phone.
“She’s pretty. I don’t know that I would run up and grab her number or anything.” She looks at me. “I already like someone a lot. But I think that girls chances are still higher than any of the men in the building.”
“Got it,” I say as I feel myself blush.
It doesn’t get old to hear her admit she likes me.