Chapter 29 Gio
GIO
“Thanks for the ride.”
Madison Torres is a pretty girl—blonde, sweet, and with a rocking body that most men would notice automatically.
I would know—as a recovering manwhore, myself, I’d definitely taken note of a girl like her.
The primary reason I’d never hit her up, though, is the fact that even with all of those points in her favor—the body, the look, the personality—she’s not the kind of girl that gives it up for anything other than a relationship and until Juliet, I didn’t do relationships.
It doesn’t really surprise me that one of the douchebags from the football team last year got with her.
What surprises me is the fact that she fell for his shtick.
Because despite the sweep of blonde hair that falls over her shoulders as she leans up from the back seat of my car, she’s also on the honor roll.
In all likelihood, she’ll be either valedictorian or salutatorian at graduation.
“No problem,” I say, sliding my gaze to Juliet as she hops out of the passenger seat of my Firebird and turns back to help her friend out of the back.
Once both women are out, Juliet shoves the seat back into place and ducks down to narrow her eyes on me suspiciously. “Are you going to sit out here?” she asks.
I shake my head and repress a smirk. “Nope. I’m gonna go find a parking spot and meet you inside.”
Her eyes widen. “What?”
Now, I do smirk, letting my amusement stretch my lips wide. “What’s wrong, Prep Girl?” I taunt. “Don’t want to show me what you’ll be wearing to the winter formal?”
“No.” Even her eye roll turns me on. “I don’t trust you to be that close to a dressing room while I’m getting naked.”
A bark of laughter escapes me at her honest response. I shake my head and wave her away. “Go on,” I tell her. “I’ll be right in and I promise—I won’t seduce you in the dressing room.” I cross my fingers over my chest and hold it up solemnly.
She flips me the bird and shuts the door, turning and giving me a delicious view of her perfect ass beneath a very complimentary pair of jeans. A groan of desire sticks in my throat and I have to force my eyes away as she and Mads head for the front door of the secondhand formal wear store.
Five minutes later, I’ve parked and pocketed my keys and am walking straight into what can only be described as someone’s personal hell.
I stop just inside the doorway of the massive store.
Yeah, it’d looked like a warehouse on the outside, but once inside, it stretches as far as my eyes can see with large industrial lights hanging down from the open beams of the rafters.
Women of all ages mill about—some rushing and shoving as they pore over racks that are stuffed full of every fabric that’s known to man—and most likely some that aren’t. My gaze falls on what’s probably the reason for so many people—a big-ass “75% OFF TODAY ONLY” sale sign.
“Shit,” I hiss as I march forward, cursing Nolan to hell and back. Not that I mind being around Juliet, but this place is like a maze. I should’ve just made the girls walk with me instead of dropping them at the front. I have no idea how I’m going to—
“Oomph!” A small body slams into me, nearly knocking the breath from my lungs. I cup the woman’s rounded shoulders covered by a sweater, and set her away from me before I realize who it is.
“Oh, thank fuck.” Mads blinks up at me with wide eyes and a bit of a shell-shocked look on her face. I arch a brow. “Were you expecting this much of a madhouse?” I ask.
She shakes her head back and forth. “No,” she admits. “I mean, I knew about the sale, that’s why I wanted to come, but this is…” She drifts off and looks over her shoulder.
I glance up, following her gaze and sigh in relief as Juliet appears around the side of a rack of poofy dresses.
Her brow is furrowed and her face is set in a scowl.
She catches sight of us and picks up the pace.
When a woman dives in her way to rip a dress off one of the racks, I nearly launch myself at my girl.
Her expression full of annoyance and murder, she skirts the rude woman and doesn’t stop until she’s right next to Mads and me.
“This is a nightmare,” Jules mutters as I reach for her hand. She lets me take her and even moves closer, pressing into my side.
“Agreed,” I say.
Mads sighs. “I’m sorry,” she says, dipping her head. “I thought this would be a good place to shop because of the sale—I didn’t think it would be this busy.”
Juliet and I exchange a look. Had I known about the sale myself, I’d have been able to warn them. I’d gone with my mom enough times as a kid for back-to-school and blow-out sales. Some people are just fucking insane when it comes to getting deals.
“If we try to shop here, I’m pretty sure someone’s going to lose a limb,” Juliet comments dryly as two older women stumble into one of the tables full of bins, their hands wrapped around either end of a hunk of fabric, glaring desperately at each other.
“One of us or someone else?” I ask, curious and amused by the show. It’s like watching a horrific play.
“Definitely someone else.” Juliet’s response is accompanied by a curled upper lip as she steps back and out of the way of the two fighting women. Mads yelps when one of them smacks into her shoulder—not that either of them notices.
“All right, that’s enough,” I say, grabbing Mads by her biceps and yanking her back. “We’re leaving.”
Mads doesn’t say a word and Juliet keeps pace with me as I rush the two of them toward the sliding doors that spit us out into the parking lot.
The second the glass closes behind us, the madness dulls into something I can finally breathe through.
I exhale, long and heavy, feeling the sting of winter air in my chest. Juliet doesn’t let go of my hand, her grip tight, almost stubborn, but I release Mads as soon as we’re not in the center of a crush of psycho women.
The silence follows us to the car, thick and scratchy at the back of my neck. I glance at Mads, whose head is turned down and arms are wrapped almost protectively around her form, then to Juliet, whose shoulders are rigid and face pinched.
When we reach the car, Mads sinks into the back, her chin tucked down, and Juliet slides into the passenger seat without a word. I get into the driver’s seat just as Madison speaks.
“I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t mean for this to…” In the rearview mirror, I watch her curl in on herself even more. “This was supposed to be… fun. And I ruined it.” Her voice and tone are both flat and desolate.
Juliet twists in her seat, her face softening. “Hey. No, you didn’t. That place was insane.”
I snort. Talk about an understatement. Juliet’s eyes flash to me and she balls her hand up, punching me in the shoulder. I gape at her.
What the hell did I do? I mouth the words, not wanting Mads to realize we’re fighting up front as the other girl wallows in what’s obviously a moment of pity or insecurity.
Juliet’s lips press together as she glares at me and shakes her head. Dumbass, she mouths the word at me before focusing her attention on her friend. I rub my arm. Fucking women. I’ll never understand them.
“I just… I don’t know where else to go,” Mads says.
Juliet remains silent. One look at her face and I can guess why—she hasn’t exactly been the shopping queen since her family lost all of their money.
The stores she used to frequent are far too expensive now and even though the guys and I are pretty set on paying for whatever dress she wants, I know my girl well enough that she won’t even think about getting a dress worth several hundred dollars.
I thump my head back against the seat and then pull out my cell. There’s only one woman I’d trust to help us now—besides, we’re in Tangier. If anyone knows this turf like the back of her rich, pale hand, it’s Ma-Ri.
Instead of saying as much to the girls in case it doesn’t work out, I shoot off a quick message, praying the old woman has her cell phone on her. Juliet and Mads are quietly chatting back and forth, trying to come up with alternative ideas as I tap my fingers restlessly on the steering wheel.
Come on, Ma-Ri, I mentally pray. Don’t fail me now.
Either the universe is smiling down on me or the old woman actually has her phone on her for a change, because she texts back within five minutes. Her message makes me grin. I look up the address she sends and realize I know the area and won’t need GPS.
“Buckle up, ladies,” I say, interrupting whatever they’d been saying.
Juliet swings her head my way. “What?”
“Plan B.” I toss my phone into the cupholder and start the car. “I’ve got the perfect place.” Well, Ma-Ri does, but I’m the one driving them there, so it’s kind of like my idea too.
In the rearview mirror, Mads lifts her head and I realize she’d been crying. Oh, thank fuck Ma-Ri answered, I think. I do not do well with crying chicks.
Juliet flips around and reaches for the seat belt as I pull back out onto the main road and Madison scrambles for her own. My lips twitch in amusement.
Fifteen minutes later, I slow the car and turn off into an older plaza.
A few of the storefronts are boarded up with ‘for rent’ signs posted in their windows.
The store we’re looking for is towards the end, away from the road.
It’s a narrow boutique wedged between a laundromat and a shuttered secondhand bookstore.
“Gio?” Juliet’s eyes look over the building skeptically and I shake my head as I park and turn off the vehicle.
I shoot her and Mads a reassuring smile. “Let’s go,” I say as we exit the car and head towards the shop that only has one word on its faded blue-and-white sign that reads Sunny’s.
Inside, the shop smells heavily of potpourri. I grimace at the thick layer of dust coating the windows, almost giving them a gray lining that dulls the sunlight outside.