I roll my eyes. “You’re allowed one extravagant shirt per trip.”
He perks up. “So I canbuyone on each trip.”
“No, one total. You already have?—”
“Too late. I heard I could buy one. I now can’t hear anythingelse.” He beelines it for the men’s section before I can even open my mouth.
I need to catch up with him, but I find myself pausing and taking a second look at what I’m not buying.Back in high school, I wouldn’t have thought twice about the length of what I was wearing, and I’m tempted to try to be that woman again.
But I shake my head. They’re not for me.
When I catch up with Nate, he’s holding a pink and yellow shirt that hurts my eyes. “Look at this! Does it complement my features?”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” I mutter. “Itdistractsfrom your features.”
“Maybe that’s how I get all the ladies.” He shrugs. “But I do want you to be seen with me, so what about this one?” Nate surprisingly pulls out a blue and green one that’s tolerable.
“Deep down, youdohave a sense of style. Even though you’re wearing sweatpants today.”
“I was waiting for you to comment on that. They were for the plane, berry.”
“And you’ll be wearing something normal tomorrow?”
“Now, I can’t promise that, but they’ll be normal pants.”
“I guess that’s as good as it’ll get.” I shrug and eye the checkout line. “Are we ready to go?”
“Yeah, I think so. I need to go grab a set of socks and then I’m good. You go ahead and get in line.”
“You forgot socks?”
“I’m ashamed.” He sighs and claps his hand to his cheek, which isn’t red in the slightest. “You can make fun of me later, but I need to fix this.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I laugh. “Have fun in the sock section.”
When I step into line, I let out a sigh of relief. Things are completely and entirely normal between us. This is what I need.
Nate doesn’t return until a few minutes later, and others haveentered the line behind me. I wind up paying before him and I wait at the door until he’s done.
“Are you a man with socks now?” I ask.
“Definitely. Maybe I have too many socks.” He shrugs. “I can never be safe enough. What if I step in suspicious liquid every day on this trip?”
“That’s the same logic as bringing too much underwear because you might pee yourself multiple times a day.”
Nate eyes me. “And how many did you bring?”
“E-enough.”
“Make fun of me all you want. We have thesamelogic.”
“Oh, the horrors,” I mutter. “At least I didn’t forget socks.”
“At least I didn’t forget shorts.”
I’m considering throwing my bag at him when he calls another ride home and holds the door open for me. Once we get back to the hotel, I fold everything in my suitcase and add the new pairs of shorts.
“Hang on,” he says as I’m about to close up.
