Seventeen #2
Then turning back to me, he very sincerely states, “You know, I’d give you anything you want, right?
And I think the whole car shopping idea has merit.
While you girls are shopping for whatever girly shit you shop for, Dean and I are going to buy you a car.
You should probably go get ready, babe.” He accentuates the babe at the end.
Walking down the hallway, back to the bedroom, I call out, “You’re not buying me a damn car, Zac.”
I hear him laughing just before I shut the door.
He is joking, right? There’s no way he is actually going to go shopping for a car.
That’s crazy… of course he’s joking. Clearing my head, I get changed into a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a tank top.
I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, lacing up my Chucks, as Zac walks in.
His eyes travel up and down my bare legs. “Uhh, sunshine, I think you’re missing some material on those shorts of yours.”
Standing, I walk over to him, ignoring his remark about my shorts. It’s December in Sydney—it’s bloody hot out.
“Thank you for driving us. I really appreciate everything you do for me. You know that, right?”
He tilts his head. “Yeah, babe, it’s my pleasure to do things for you. Are you okay?”
“Well, I feel a little bad about making you think I wanted to drive your car. You looked really stressed out there.”
He wraps his arms around my waist. “Sunshine, I love you, so damn much. I wasn’t stressed about you driving the car, and I know this will sound irrational, but I was worried about you being out without me. Especially right now, when we have no idea what Caitlyn is capable of.”
I get he would be worried about my safety, but that stress was definitely more about his car. I raise an eyebrow at him silently. After a minute, he relents.
“Okay, maybe I was a little worried about my car too. But there is not a shadow of a doubt that I love you way more than I love that car, Alyssa.”
Laughing, I reach up and kiss him. “I believe you. Now, let’s get going. There’s only two weeks until Christmas and I haven’t bought a single present yet. Also, you know you can say no to me. I’m not a princess, Zac. I’m not going to have a tantrum if something doesn’t go my way.”
Zac walks over to his dresser and, as he pulls something out, he says, “I know, but I have the means to give you whatever you want, and the desire to see you happy. Here, I had this ordered for you.”
He walks out the door, leaving me standing in his room holding a black credit card with my name on it.
I follow him out of the room while waving the card around like a looney and screeching at him, “Umm, Zac, this is a credit card. Why would you give me a credit card?”
He laughs. “I know what it is, sunshine. It’s linked to my personal account—there is no limit.” He looks at me like I’m the crazy one here, like he just hands out credit cards to everyone he meets. What is he, Oprah?
Bray swipes the card out of my hand. “Damn, you gave her the black card? Bro, you wouldn’t even give me a black card.” Bray whistles then looks at me.
“If you don’t want this thing, Lyssa, I’ll be more than happy to take care of it for you.”
Zac snatches the card out of Bray’s grasp. “Shut up, idiot.”
He places the card back in my hand. “Sunshine, it’s for you. Use it… don’t use it. But I want you to have it, please.”
“Okay, I’ll hold on to this, but I’m not using it, Zac. I don’t need your fancy money. I work too, you know. I have my own money. Well, maybe not like your money kind of money, but I have money.” I’m rambling because the fact that he just gave me an unlimited credit card makes me nervous.
Does he think I’m with him for his money?
That I need him to buy me pretty, shiny things to be happy?
Oh god, is he going to expect me to become a kept woman?
To stop working, stay home and go to brunch with the ladies?
I look around at everyone, and they’re all staring at me.
Oh god, I’m hyperventilating. I don’t think I can live up to those kinds of expectations.
I went my whole life having to work and fight for everything I needed to survive.
“Sunshine, breathe in… out. It’s okay. I’ve got you.” I feel Zac’s arms brace me.
“Zac, I don’t think I’m the kind of girl you want. I will never be okay with being a kept woman. I can’t become fully dependent on someone.”
He rubs his hands up and down my back, then brings them up to my face.
Holding my face still so I’m looking into his eyes, he responds quietly, “Alyssa, you are the only girl I want, however you come. I don’t need you to be anything but who you are, okay?”
I nod, not able to form words right now. Zac leans down, kissing me until my body feels like it’s melting into him.
He pulls back and questions, “You good?”
“I’m good. Sorry, I kind of had a tiny freak-out moment.”
“I don’t mind—just gives me an excuse to hold you longer before you disappear on your shopping trip.” He smirks.
“Uh-huh, let’s go.” I turn around to see the living room empty. “Wait, where did everyone go?” I ask, looking around the now empty room.
“I told them we would meet them in the garage.” Zac picks his keys up off the hall table and throws them at me. “Come on, sunshine, you’re driving.”
Ah, wait, what? Running out the door, I catch up with him at the lift.
“Zac, I can’t drive that thing. No way. I can’t. I mean, what if I scratch it? Or crash, or worse?”
Zac scrunches his eyebrows at me. “Babe, what could be worse than crashing it?” Laughing, he pulls me into the lift.
“I don’t know, Zac. Stop laughing at me.” I try to give my best glare, but he shrugs it off.
“Let’s get you to the mall. I’m looking forward to seeing the look on Bray’s face when I tell him he’s going with you girls shopping.”
“Why are you making Bray go on our girls’ shopping trip, Zac? We will be at the mall. It’s a really public place. Nothing will happen.” I try to reason with his overprotective nature.
“You won’t even know he’s there, babe.”
I look at him like he has lost his mind, because if he thinks Bray could be anywhere and not be noticed, then he for sure has lost the plot.
“Doubtful,” I say as we exit the lift into the parking garage.
We’ve been in the mall for two hours and I still have absolutely no idea what I can get Zac for Christmas. I mean, what do you get the guy who has everything?
“What about socks?” Sarah asks, unable to keep a straight face.
“Socks? You want me to get the hottest man on earth socks for Christmas?”
“I object to that statement. He may be in line for number two, but I definitely have the number one spot, sweetheart.” Bray smugly smiles while draping an arm over my shoulder.
I look at the arm he has on me then raise an eyebrow at him. “You know your brother will probably lose his mind when he smells your scent all over me.”
Bray immediately drops the arm. “Harsh, Lyssa, harsh.”
“What about Victoria’s Secret? I mean, the thing Zac seems to want most in the world at the moment is you, so why not get something a little sexy that he can unwrap off you?” Reilly suggests.
“You know, I’d be all for unwrapping you on Christmas morning, princess.” Bray waggles his brows at Reilly, who is too busy examining her nails to acknowledge him.
“Hey, maybe I could do that for my boyfriend this year, since you think it’s such a great idea and all, Bray,” Ella so sweetly drops while winking at me.
Bray stops walking, turning around to Ella and pointing. “No, Ella, just no. Wait, you don’t have a boyfriend, right? No, you’re not allowed to have boyfriends yet, and you sure as shit are not allowed to wear anything from Victoria’s Secret ever. Fuck.”
“Okay, Bray.” Ella shrugs her shoulders as she walks around him.
Ignoring Bray’s little meltdown, Reilly links her arm with mine. “What do you think, Lyssa?”
“I think it’s a great idea actually. Sarah, do you think you could get your photographer friend to meet us at our place tonight?”
“Yeah, I’ll text him now. Wait, are you doing what I think you’re doing?” she asks.
Nodding my head, I respond, “Yep, I’m going to do a boudoir photoshoot. It’s a good thing my best friend is a makeup artist. Think you can fit me in today?”
“It’ll be tough, but I think I can manage.” She smiles as we walk into Victoria’s Secret.
Okay, I’ll need wine, lots of wine, to have the courage to go through with this.
I can’t believe this is what I came up with.
I mean, get me alone in a bedroom with Zac and I can be brazen.
Posing in lingerie in front of a photographer, I’m not so sure.
But I want to do this. I want to give him something that will blow his mind.
My phone blares “Stuck Like Glue” from my pocket. I still haven’t gotten around to changing it yet. I quickly turn my phone to silent. Pulling it out, I see a text message from Zac and a smile automatically grazes my lips.
My own GQ: Sunshine, hope you’re having fun. Quick question, if you had a choice between white or red, which colour would you go for?
Laughing, because I was literally just thinking the same thing standing in front of the red lingerie. I take a selfie in front of the rack and send it to him.
Me: Funny, I was just thinking the same thing. I’m leaning towards the red. What do you think?
Immediately, the little dots on the screen start bubbling, showing that he is replying.
My own GQ: I think you just gave me a damn hard-on. RED!!!
My own GQ: Please tell me you are not in a lingerie shop with my brother right now. Dammit, I knew I should have come with you.
I knew that wouldn’t pass his attention. I take a snap of Bray and Ella arguing with each other at the front of the store and send it to him.
Me: Don’t worry, Bray is too busy arguing with Ella.
Apparently, she is not allowed to wear Victoria’s Secret.
His words, not mine. Ella says she’s been wearing Victoria’s Secret since she was fifteen, and that she’s had one of your fancy little black cards for a while and you’re not very good at checking the receipts.