Who would've ever thought I'd manage to land a date thanks to Naomi?
Everyone knows how it works. A guy who's happily taken is a harmless guy, and any girl in the world would feel comfortable going out with someone harmless.
I guess that's why Kimberly agreed to go out with me.
She also seemed pretty happy when Naomi walked up to her at lunch and said: «This afternoon, Jace and I are going to Fifth Avenue for a cocktail and some shopping — he really needs to update his wardrobe. Do you feel like coming with us? At least you can help him buy something decent too.»
Let me get this straight… she dresses like the frontman of a rock band from forty years ago, and she's the one lecturing me about fashion? And she's not even the only one.
Even Veronica always tells me to stop wearing nothing but tracksuits and start dressing like a proper, elegant man. But tracksuits are way more comfortable, and no one will ever convince me to wear those damn tight jeans that crush my dick the moment I even get the slightest hint of an erection.
So, was it supposed to be a simple outing, just me, Naomi, and Kimberly? Obviously not.
Kimberly and I are sitting on a bench, chatting about this and that.
We're waiting for my so-called girlfriend to arrive when my phone starts ringing — it's Naomi calling.
«I'm sorry, but something unexpected came up and I can't make it just yet. You two go ahead with the shopping, and make sure you listen to Kimberly's advice! I'll catch up with you as soon as I'm free, okay? Kisses!»
Oh no. What a shocking plot twist. Who could've ever guessed that Naomi would suddenly have an unexpected issue?
«So… what do we do now?» I ask, pretending to be puzzled and caught off guard.
«Well, um… your girlfriend said we should start shopping,» Kimberly murmurs with a shy smile. «I should warn you, though — I don't really understand much about fashion. I just hope I won't make you buy something your girlfriend ends up hating…»
It's the first time I've seen her smile like this — that shy, embarrassed smile she wears as she agrees to stay with me even without Naomi. And damn… she's fucking beautiful.
That contrast between her angelic, innocent face and that bombshell body… she's like an erotic angel fallen straight from heaven!
«Don't worry. Whatever you tell me to buy will definitely be better than what she would've chosen,» I say, returning her smile. «You must've noticed by now that… fashion sense isn't exactly her strong suit.»
«It's not very nice to talk about your girlfriend like that...»
Shit — she's right! I really need to start talking about Naomi as if she actually were my girlfriend… damn it, I'm not used to that.
«Oh, don't worry. She knows I think that about her. I piss her off a couple hundred times a day, but after a good fuck she always gets over it. That's probably why she loves me so much.»
The moment the words leave my mouth, I realize it's too late. Kimberly immediately turns red as a tomato and lowers her gaze.
«I-I'll just pretend I didn't hear that…» she murmurs, clearly embarrassed.
What the fuck, though — you can't say anything anymore? Then again, considering the religious circles she hangs around, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Come on, we're just teenagers. It's not like I told her I murdered someone…
That awkward silence drags on far longer than I expected. It takes a while to break the ice with her — this girl is seriously way too shy. It's like she's afraid that something might go wrong at any moment.
What is it? Is she scared I might assault her? But she thinks I'm taken… or is it because of the rumors going around about me? So she wasn't being completely honest when she apologized for treating me badly because of those prejudices, huh.
From what little she tells me, she moved to the United States from Italy one years ago. She loves jazz music, collects ancient books, and stays up late reading them. And as if that weren't enough, she dreams of becoming a world-renowned archaeologist.
Definitely not your average American teenager — and that only makes her more interesting to me. She's way more fascinating than you'd think just by looking at her church-girl appearance.
«Here we are,» Kimberly says, stopping in front of one of the most luxurious and renowned places in all of New York. Exactly the kind of place Naomi and Veronica would love to see me walk out of wearing brand-new clothes.
«T-To be honest, I've never been in here before…» Kimberly admits. «Collecting ancient books is a really expensive hobby, and it eats up all my allowance. So I usually just wear whatever my mom buys me. But some of my richer friends say this is the most well-stocked boutique on Fifth Avenue — actually, in all of New York. So… since your girlfriend put me in charge of your outfit, I didn't really know where else to take you to be on the safe side,» she concludes, flashing that same sweet, awkward smile that drives me crazy.