Instead of her blushing or smiling as most women did, a look of mild disgust appeared on her face, and he could practically read her thoughts, knowing that she probably thought that everything he said was bullshit. Nikos walked down the aisle with her on the opposite side of the rack as he continued to shift through it until something caught his eye. He pulled out a black mesh rhinestone crop top and matching biker shorts.
He knew that Allison asked him to find something that he would like for her, but when Nikos saw it, all he could imagine was Honey wearing it and how good it would look on her brown skin, how it would make him want to drag his tongue against the material just to taste her.
“How about this?” Nikos said as he offered her the hanger. Honey took it from him and raised it up in front of her, taking a closer look at it, and he could tell that she was imagining herself in it too.
“It looks like something you’ll like. You like wearing sparkly things, right?” Nikos said, thinking about the outfits she had worn in the past before. Most of the time, something was bejeweled, and she often stuck to neutral colors instead of bright neon ones. “I’m certain it’ll look great on you.”
Honey glanced between him and the outfit before she passed it back to him. “No, thank you.”
Nikos was not at all surprised by her decision, and though he didn’t know Honey that well, somehow, he hadn’t expected any less from her. As Nikos walked around the rack and into thesame aisle as her, he said, “Is it not to your liking, or do you simply not want to try it on because I picked it out?”
Honey’s eyes turned on him sharply, and she looked like she wanted to argue before she shrugged. “You’re right.”
“You’re very stubborn, aren’t you?”
“I’m stubborn. You’re obnoxious. I guess we both still have things to work on,” Honey said matter-of-factly.
“Ouch,” Nikos said as he clutched his chest mockingly. “Obnoxious. I’ve never heard that one before.”
“And what do people usually call you?” Honey asked, humoring him.
“Handsome, charming, funny. Did I mention handsome?”
“Those people could be blind, and their sense of humor must suck because you haven’t said one funny thing yet. Don’t quit your day job,” Honey said as she pulled an outfit from the rack.
“But you didn’t deny me being handsome,” Nikos said.
“Beauty is subjective,” Honey said smugly. “Not everyone thinks that you’re handsome.”
“Not everyone has to,” Nikos said, shrugging. “But you do.”
Honey shook her head as she focused on the outfit she held. It was a nude brown fishnet body harness, similar to the color of her skin. Even as she held it against herself, Nikos could tell it complemented her.
“I like this,” Nikos commented, again letting his fantasy take control as he imagined it on her. But then again, he was certain that Honey would look good with anything on.
After hearing his words, Honey shoved the hanger back on the rack.
“Oh, come on!” Nikos said, laughing as she continued down the aisle. Nikos picked up the nude bodysuit harness and held it along with the mesh rhinestone outfit before following after her. “You can’t possibly be this stubborn.”
“I’m not stubborn,” Honey said, shrugging. “I just don’t want to wear something that you like.”
“That’s the definition of being stubborn,” Nikos said. “And why would that bother you anyway? Afraid that I’m going to think that when you’re up on that stage you’re thinking about me?”
“Exactly,” Honey stated. “That’s probably exactly what you’re going to think, aren’t you?”
When he didn’t deny it, she rolled her eyes. “So why would I wear it?”
“Because I’m probably going to think that anyway,” Honey lifted a brow in question, and Nikos explained himself. “Whenever I watch a stripp—”
“An exotic dancer is the correct term,” Honey interrupted.
“An exotic dancer,” Nikos said, correcting himself until the shorter woman was satisfied, “perform, I think that she’s only performing for me. That’s the fantasy. I block everyone else out, and it’s only me and her in the room. But she has to be a good enough dancer to make me believe that, to create the fantasy that when she got ready to perform that night that she slipped on her clothes thinking about me.
“So, it wouldn’t matter whether I picked it or not,” Nikos said as he leaned toward her ear. “When you dance, it’s only me and you. Everyone else disappears.”
“Funny,” Honey said, looking him in the eye with her chin lifted. “When I dance, I see neither you nor anyone else. I dance for myself. There’s no me and you.”
After she finished speaking, Honey stepped back from him but not without taking the nude brown harness. “Thanks for letting me know that, though. I actually really like this one.”
