Jimmy remembered Maury’s warning about his heart and his dick getting mixed up, drowning the thought with another drink.
“Yeah, figured you might,” Rowena said with a wink. She chugged the rest of her drink, setting the empty mug in the sink. Gesturing for Jimmy to do the same, she huffed, “Come on.”
Jimmy nodded obediently, tipping the mug back. He frowned when he saw Rowena leaving the kitchen and making a beeline right to his room. “Uhm, what are you doing?” He chased after her.
“Roddy said you needed a new wardrobe,” Rowena said as if what she was up to was obvious, already digging through his closet and then moving to his dresser.
“Pretty sure he just meant for the party?” Jimmy said, watching her thumb through his underwear drawer in horror.
“Pretty sure I can interpret it however I want,” Rowena challenged with a big smile. “And, okay, yeah. You need some new threads, sweetie.” She picked up a rather dismal pair of boxer briefs that had several holes in them. “Desperately.”
“Oh, God,” Jimmy giggled, wishing he could sink into the floor. He was already feeling pretty buzzed, and his legs felt like rubber. He leaned against the wall and pressed his hands to his face, groaning, “I know, it’s so bad.”
Rowena giggled, enjoying his embarrassment as she started prancing to the door. She left all of the margarita supplies except the bottle of Goldschlager, shoving that down into her big purse.
“Don’t you worry. Roe is gonna take care of you. Come along, sweetie,” she cooed with a waggle of her brows. “We’ve got some serious work to do.”
Chapter Seven
It was a very good thing Rowena had arrived in a limo because neither she nor Jimmy were in any shape to drive. They stumbled out of Jimmy’s apartment building together, arm in arm, laughing and chatting. It was so easy to be comfortable around Rowena. Her warm and happy energy was positively infectious. They piled into the backseat, Jimmy in awe of the plush accommodations.
“I’ve never been in a limo before,” he confessed, stretching out his long legs over the seat.
Rowena sat opposite him next to the built-in bar, pulling out the bottle of booze from her purse with a giggle. “Oh, it’s just the fucking best, Rod spoils me rotten.” She grinned at Jimmy, poking at his feet playfully. “He’ll spoil you, too, you know.”
Jimmy put his hands over his face, hiding a tipsy smile. “Ohhhh, come on.”
“I’m just saying. Roddy is very good to the people he cares about,” Rowena said, picking up a small phone that connected her to the driver. “Jerry? Hi! Yeah, we’re ready. The usual, but save Volturo’s for last. Thanks!”
Jimmy wasn’t sure if Cold truly cared or if he was merely invested in their deal. The way Rowena kept talking about it was giving Jimmy a lot of hope that he wasn’t sure he should hold onto. He watched Rowena hang up the phone and pour them drinks, mixing in a clear citrus soda and a splash of grenadine.
She had clearly done this many times, able to pour the drinks with the limo in motion without ever spilling a drop. She practically shoved the glass into Jimmy’s hand, cheering him, “Now! Here’s to you, Jimmy Poe!”
“To me?” Jimmy didn’t understand, but toasted anyway, sipping at the syrupy sweet concoction.
“Yes!” Rowena said, pointing a finger at him. “I haven’t seen my brother this happy in a very long time.”
Jimmy’s cheeks were hot as he smiled bashfully. “I think you might be getting your hopes up about what exactly your brother wants from me.”
“Trust me,” Rowena said, arching her brow. “I know him better than anyone. The other night when we met at the hotel? I haven’t fuckin’ seen him smiling like that in years.”
Jimmy knew exactly which smile she was referring to. “That... that was because of me?”
“Uh huh,” Rowena mumbled over the rim of her glass as she drank. “Sure was. I don’t know what you’re doing to him, but keep doing it, okay?”
“Will do,” Jimmy giggled.
They arrived at the first store, and as Jimmy crawled out of the limo, he realized he was really out of his league. They were in the uptown shopping district, and he had never felt so out of place. Rowena seemed to sense his discomfort, looping their arms together again.
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” she purred. “We’re gonnaPretty Womanthe fuck outta you, okay?”
Jimmy laughed as Rowena dragged him into the store. She wasn’t kidding about buying him an entirely new wardrobe, the sales attendants barely able to keep up with her grabbing things from the racks and tossing them into his arms.
Button-down shirts of all colors and patterns, vintage band t-shirts, slim fitted jeans, lots of jeans, shoes, more shoes.
Jimmy stared in awe at Rowena making her rounds through the store. She never once stopped to look at a price tag. She’d sporadically pause to glance back at Jimmy, squint as if lost deep in thought, and then continue on. If she couldn’t make a decision between two items of clothing, she simply bought both.
It was the same everywhere they went, from one store to the next, Rowena bought whatever she wanted for Jimmy and eventually started letting him pick out some things for himself, too.
