“You will be the first to know if there is anything else to tell, okay?”
“Fine," she fake sulks.
I go to pull my head back into the shower as she starts again.
“Hey, Claire…”
I look at her, waiting for her to finish.
“Sorry for interrupting your pizza porno the other night.” She breaks into laughter as I pull my head back and snap the curtain shut.
“Ass!”
Once I’m dressed and ready to go, I check the time. Stores should just be opening up. We devise a plan of attack for finding the perfect outfit and both decide that hitting the mall will probably give us the most bang for our buck. So, we’re off to the Center Springs mall to score a knockout dress and an Auntie Anne’s pretzel.
Honestly, I’m not sure which I’m most excited about.
21
Jamison
“Dude, why are we here?” I walk reluctantly next to Ronan, my eyes wandering to the rows of stores on either side of us.
“Because you have your first official date with Claire tomorrow, and I’ll be damned if you wear work boots and your “going out t-shirt” to a fucking nightclub," Ronan answers.
He had Mikey open the restaurant today when he heard about the party. Being that Zeke also warned me about wearing my work boots to Neon Nights, he was okay with me taking the morning to hit the mall — something I thought I would never do.
“I just can’t believe I let you take meshopping.”
Another way Ronan and I are total opposites. When I was younger, I got used to having a few shirts and a pair of shoes to my name, and once I started making my own money, I didn’t feel the need to broaden my wardrobe. Ro, who used to not care at all about his appearance, was the opposite. He used clothes as a way to give the middle finger to everything that happened so to speak, and take on a new identity. Now, you’d never know it, but hidden beneath his apron are Levi’s in all different shades. And on the rare occasion that he isn’t throwing pizzas, he’s usually sporting crisp new crewneck tees and clean high-top Converse.
On the other hand, being that I go out like once a month, I can usually get by with a black t-shirt and one of my two pairs of jeans — which was my plan for tomorrow — until Ro found out. Now he is adamant that the occasion calls for something better.
“It’s a party, man. At a club. You need something you haven’t owned sinceyourtwenty-first, and I need to know my best friend is lookin’ his best.”
He’s probably right. I haven’t been anywhere worth dressing up for in a very long time. Let alone with a girl I wouldn’t hate to impress.
“Alright, first stop.” We’re standing outside of the Vans store. “I know you’re not a Converse guy, so this is a close second.” They’re practically the same thing, but as I look around, he’s kinda right. Despite being very similar, I think I can get on board with Vans a little more.
I pick out a pair of black low tops with a matching black sole, much like the one I wear on the inside. Near the register, I see a shirt I don’t particularly hate. Okay, so it is a black t-shirt but unlike my usual, there is a pocket in the upper left corner with their sloganOff The Wallwritten in teal. Adding it to my shoes, I kill two birds with one stone. I show Ro the shirt as we exit the store.
“Alright, so more like a pivot than a complete one-eighty, but not bad. Now, jeans.”
He is multiple strides away from me when he realizes I’ve stopped walking with him. He turns back and gives me awhat-the-helllook, but my legs have stopped working because I’m staring at Claire. At this point I should just expect to see her everywhere I go —even outside of Maple Grove apparently. Did this happen before we met too? Is it possible that we've been in the same place even before this week?
Ronan looks toward my view and then raises his brows at me. Sucking my teeth, I nod as if to say, “Yep. That’s her,” and he closes the gap between us.
“Which one?”
Claire and the same girl that she first came to Monroe’s with, are standing in line for Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Both girls are holding several bags from stores I’ve never even heard of. Claire is wearing a pair of cut-off shorts and a tank top, reminiscent of the first day we met. Her friend is in bike shorts and an oversized graphic tee that I can’t quite see from here. The blonde must say something funny because Claire throwsher head back laughing, and I’m immediately jealous that I wasn’t the one who caused that reaction. Her hair hangs in waves behind her, her perfect chin pointing to the ceiling. Even from here, I can see her long dark lashes, and the carefree way she holds herself, once again, puts me at ease.
“Tall brunette.”
Ro lets out a deep breath. “Oh, thank God.”
I’m confused by his response until I turn to see him staring a hole through Claire’s friend. Now I’m the one throwing my head back. I’m also curious what he would have done if I had said Claire was the petite blonde one.
Suddenly, like two opposite poles of a magnet are drawn to each other, even from afar, she looks in my direction. Her mouth drops open in surprise, then much like mine, shifts as if it should be expected.
