“You have a pretty face, June.”
I jumped when Tiffany caressed my bare shoulder. Her delicate fingertips grazed my skin, and my eyes locked onto her full, red lips, which looked like two ripe cherries.
“Even without makeup.”
James barged into the room with the grace of an elephant. “Are you done or should I get you guys a hotel room?” Tiffany and I immediately backed away from each other.
“Did you really make me a sandwich?” she exclaimed all happy.
“The hell I did. It’s—”
James was at a loss for words for a few moments when our eyes met.
“—mine.”
The way that James looked at me was nothing like the tender way Tiffany put her velvety eyes on me. There wasn’t that sweetness. I felt overwhelmed by a warm wave that emptied my head, made my hands shake and my stomach clench. It can’t be, June. In the movies and novels I often read, the bad boy was won over by the good girl’s unexpected beauty, turning him into the model boyfriend. The reality was completely different. James was used to really attractive, bold girls. Tiffany was one of them. I watched him devour his sandwich with his eyes glued to the screen, while she finished dolling me up.
“Earrings yes or no?”
I shook my head no.
“Let’s go. I’m pissed off, I’ve been ready for half an hour,” he urged, annoyed.
James pushed me with his shoulder, offhandedly taking my place in front of the mirror.
I couldn’t help but look at him as he buttoned up his white shirt, satisfied with his own reflection.
When Tiffany went to the bathroom to reapply her makeup, James and I took advantage of her absence to stare maliciously at each other.
“What is it?” I asked nervously.
I should’ve slapped him for the almost indecent way he was looking at my body. Instead I felt a shiver when he smiled.
“Fucking nothing. Why are you asking?”
I took advantage of that moment to ask him something else. “What kind of party is it?”
“Why do you care?”
“Because I wanna know where I’m going. I don’t even have an invite.”
“You’re coming with me. Nobody will have anything to say, Snow White.”
“Ma—”
I watched him take two steps toward me, looming over me.
“Did you think I’d leave you in my room to pick up my boxers?”
“Eww,” I retorted indignantly.
“Yeah, yeah, eww.”
I wiggled away from his imposing figure before he could push me against a wall like he usually did, and walked in front of him without even looking at him.
“And you put on cologne like that—”
I saw him turn around to follow my footsteps.
