Page 43 of Bourbon Truths
“You look fucking sexy in this. It will be taken home tonight.”
“Are you getting it for me?” she asked, a little shocked.
“Yeah. Isn’t that what guys do for girls on dates? They buy them things.”
“My, my, my, Kace Haywood, you’re a regular charmer.”
“What can I say?” I said, shrugging.
I started toward the register, but she stopped me. “Wait, I need to get you something.”
“I don’t need anything,” I answered honestly.
“But I want to. How about some hot sauce?”
“Nah, that’s just novelty crap.”
“Beignet kit?”
“Rather go to Café du Monde,” I replied, liking this little game.
“Magnet?”
“No fridge to put it on, and to hell if I’ll be sharing my magnet with Diego and Blane.”
She looked around the store and then her eyes lit up. “Oh, I know.”
I cringed when she walked over to the graphic T-shirts. I was very much a plain T-shirt kind of guy. I didn’t think much about my style, and I never wore novelty shirts, especially of the city I was born and raised in, but by the way Lyla’s face lit up, I knew that rule would be changing quickly.
“Lyla, not a T-shirt,” I said, hoping to avoid the thoughts that were running through her mind.
“Yes, a T-shirt. Oh, these are great. Let’s see, shall I get you a classic NOLA shirt? Maybe a fleur-de-lis? Maybe an alligator rowing a… wait.” She squatted to reach a stack of shirts on a lower shelf. “You’re a medium, right?”
“Large, sweetheart. Man’s got muscles,” I replied, making her snort.
“How could I forget,” she said sarcastically. “All right, this is perfect. I’m getting it.”
“Let me see it.” I reached for her arm, but she snuck past me and practically ran to the register. She pulled money out of her wallet and asked about the return policy, telling the cashier she needed to write “no return allowed” on the receipt.
I shook my head at her ridiculousness and thought about how, in one short evening, Lyla had been able to lift the dark cloud that’d been hanging over my life temporarily. She had a way of making me forget everything that had happened to me in the past and possibly look forward to the future. It was confusing, but damn if I didn’t like it.
“I don’t need a bag, but thank you.” She turned to me. “Once you purchase the mask, we can get you changed into your new shirt.”
“Why do I feel like taking you out is going to come back and bite me in the ass?”
“Don’t worry,” she whispered in my ear. “What I have planned for you next will make up for it.”
My pulse skipped a beat as she rubbed her soft body against mine. Was the date over? I wouldn’t mind too much if that meant I was able to go back to her place and slip under her covers with her, and possibly worship that perfect body of hers.
I paid for her mask, all the while the cashier giggled about the shirt I was about to put on, making me wonder what kind of shirts they sold in this shop that could be that bad.
Taking my bag, I took Lyla’s hand in mine, and we left the store. Outside, I turned her so she was facing me and pressed her up against the side of the building.
“Do I get my shirt now?” I asked, eye-fucking her to my best ability.
“Are you going to wear it?” she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at me.
“You think your pretty eyes are going to convince me?”
