Page 32 of Somewhere Only We Know
I felt slightly guilty about how worried they must be, but it didn’t override my desire to have this break. For once, I wanted to think about myself. Not my family, my managers, or my fans. I didn’t want to be driven by obligation or guilt. I wanted to be driven byme. To take advantage of this free day I managed to carve out for myself.
But still, I had to be careful not to be recognized or found.
With this paranoia hovering over my every move, I found that following Jack weaving through people kept me calm, like when I focused on Ren in crowds of fans. My eyes stayed fixed on his dark green shirt, the sleeves rolled up. I didn’t know I liked boys in rolled-up sleeves until today. Yes, this was decidedly something I liked.
We were hiking up quite a lot of stairs. I glanced down at my slippered feet. “Hey, Jack. Can we stop by a shoe store or something?”
He paused to glance at me as I trudged up the stairs behind him. “Do I have to buy your shoes now, too?”
“Calm down, Cheapo. I’ll pay you back.”
“Cheapo? I’m fronting this day of whimsy,” he said. Despite hiswords, he flashed me a smile. “My luxury apartment must have given you the wrong impression. I’m actually a starving artist.”
When I reached him, I put my palms together under my chin, a praying pose. “Pretty please? They don’t even have to be nice. Only… not ugly.”
“Where’s the nearest Target when you need one?” he grumbled. But then his eyes lit up with an idea. “All right. Follow me, Slipper Peasant.”
We walked a few more blocks and I noticed the businesses getting hipper. Dry goods gave way to coffee shops and boutiques. Young people strolled around, taking photos. I saw more than one girl posing with her latte strategically, either taking a selfie or being photographed by some patient dude with a tripod. The Instagram game here was strong.
“Give me a second,” Jack said, stopping in front of a particularly hip boutique before slipping in.
I gazed around at my surroundings, feeling nervous at being left alone. A movement behind a bush caught my eye.
A cat!
It was a big tuxedo cat with green eyes, its tail stubby and face dirty with gray smudges. I crouched down, cooing at it. One of the things I missed most about my life back in the US was having pets. My parents’ Pomeranian was a hot mess, but it was nice to have a little furball around.
The cat came up to me, rubbing its sturdy body against my legs as I petted its fur. It sprang away the second Jack stepped back outside, opening the storefront door with a loud bang.
“Hey, Fern. Come on in,” he called out. When I stood up, he glanced over at the retreating cat. “You might want to be careful. The cats here are fleabags.”
“He didn’t mean it,” I crooned to the kitty. I walked over to Jack reluctantly and waved goodbye to the cat.
Once inside, I glanced around at the tiny store, which was empty save for an intimidating cool Asian girl behind the counter. The walls, floors, and furniture were all stark white, the merchandise sparse and artfully displayed.
“Fern, this is my friend Lina. She’ll hook you up with some shoes,” Jack said.
Lina, with the monochromatic wardrobe and delicate forearm tattoo, walked out from behind the counter and glanced down at my slippers, her eyebrows raised. “Do I wanna know?”
Suddenly, I was aware of how visible I was to this random stranger. I stepped back, closer to Jack. “Um. Long story,” I replied, my voice quiet.
“What size shoe are you?” Lina asked. Her friendly tone made me relax some.
I told her and she went into a back room, coming out a few minutes later. “These should work,” she said, carrying a shoebox.
I sat down on a bench covered with a sheepskin throw. When I opened the box, a pair of black sneakers were nestled in tissue paper. I recognized the brand and my eyes widened. “These aren’t cheap.”
“Well, they’re kind of a loan,” Jack said, flashing a smile to Lina.
She rolled her eyes, leaning against the counter and tucking her shoulder-length bleached-blonde hair behind her ears. She had a nice face with strong features—a straight, slightly large nose and dark, expressive eyebrows.
It was one thing to feel indebted to Jack. But to this random girl? I wasn’t comfortable with it.
“I can pay you as soon as I get back to my hotel,” I said stiffly, pulling the shoes onto my feet. In Korea, I had all the top fashion brands throwing things at me. It’d been a while since I’d had to think about buying clothes.
She smiled at me, then raised an eyebrow at Jack. “No worries. Jack’s handling it.”
I stood up and closed my eyes blissfully. “Ooh. Arch support. I forgot about you.”
