Chapter 203: B - At Kimberly's place
Kimberly catches only a brief glimpse of Naomi slapping me before running away in tears, but of course she has no idea what happened before that. And, in the middle of all this misery, it turns out to be an unexpected stroke of luck.
I can literally make up whatever I want, and Kimberly has no way of knowing whether I'm lying.
"Naomi... Naomi's seeing another man. She just confessed it to me..." I begin, doing my best to look completely devastated — though, honestly, I don't even have to fake it that much.
I'm genuinely crushed by what just happened between me and my former best friend, but wallowing in self-pity won't change anything, so I might as well move on.
"She told me it's been going on for two weeks... and after everything, she actually asked if we could stay friends — to leave our love behind as if none of it had ever happened! As if I could just switch my feelings for her off! And as for the slap... that was my fault. After she admitted she'd cheated on me, I completely lost my temper and said something no woman should ever have to hear. I truly regret it, and even after everything she's done to me, all I can do now is wish her the best. I just hope her new boyfriend can make her happier than I ever could..."
"Oh... damn. I'm really sorry. You two looked like such a perfect, happy couple from the outside. I never would've imagined Naomi could do something like that..."
It's probably just one of those things people say when they hear someone's been dumped, and yet... her words sound genuinely sincere.
Still, there's one thing about all this that I especially like.
Now Kimberly knows I'm single.
And despite that, we're still walking side by side through Times Square.
Seeing me this broken must've changed the opinion she had of me.
Maybe now she sees me as someone who's capable of loving someone — a sensitive, caring guy.
Something she probably never would've believed, considering all the rumors about me at Ordrienne High.
She probably still has doubts about my morality, and if I push too hard or move too fast, those doubts will only come back.
And yet, every time I picture her in that tight blue dress, covered in diamonds, with that daring slit running up her thigh, I get hard instantly.
Kimberly is simply too beautiful.
The more I look at her, the more beautiful she becomes.
So beautiful that even I start feeling a little insecure, wondering if I'm really good enough for someone like her.
Can you believe it?
Me — the guy who, at thirteen, was already sleeping with a woman like Veronica — feeling like I'm not good enough for a girl my own age?
Unbelievable.
"By the way, that gorgeous blue dress... have you had a chance to wear it since I gave it to you?"
"Actually... I returned it the very next day, and thankfully they gave me a full refund," she replies with a shy smile. "Which I obviously plan to pay back as soon as possible. Speaking of that, since I don't really feel comfortable walking around with that much cash... could we stop by my place before you head home? That way I can give it back to you."
"I don't get it... why did you return it? Didn't you like it anymore? If that was the problem, you could've just exchanged it for another one. And if there'd been any price difference, all you had to do was tell me and I would've taken care of it. Seriously, why'd you do that?" I ask, sounding genuinely concerned — even though, truth be told, I couldn't give less of a fuck about the refund.
What stuck with me was that sweet, melodious "could we stop by my place."
Things are looking promising.
"There isn't any particular reason I returned it. It just didn't feel right, that's all. It's obvious you come from a wealthy family, but eight thousand dollars is still a lot of money, and I didn't do anything to deserve it. I didn't want you to buy it just because that pushy saleswoman pressured you into it. So... that's why I thought it was better to return it right away."
It isn't the first time I've bought a girl a gift to speed things along.
And yet, this is the first time one of them has ever given it back to me.
And it wasn't just any gift, either — it was probably worth more than everything I've ever bought put together.
"So... I guess there won't be a runway walk to promote the new collection after all?" I ask.
"No, no, I'm still doing that. I gave her my word, and I intend to keep it. Actually, when I returned the dress, Elenoire seemed more worried that I might back out of the fashion show than about the money she was refunding me. It would've been hard to find a replacement with only two weeks left, and for some reason she really wants me to be the one wearing it... though, honestly, I have no idea why," Kimberly murmurs with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Non so se davvero non la capisce da sola o stia semplicemente fingendo per modestia. Ad ogni modo, una volta arrivati a casa sua, glielo spiegherò per bene.
The afternoon we spent together flew by in the blink of an eye.
First, I took her out for a drink at the best pub in Times Square. Naturally, it was my treat, even though she wasn't too happy about it. She insisted on paying at least her share.
In the end, she gave in after I told her, "I'm paying this time no matter what. But if you're really dying to reach for your wallet, then you can pay next time."
Yeah... next time.
And she agreed without missing a beat!
After that, we took a relaxing walk through Central Park, enjoying the sunset.
And finally...
"We're here," Kimberly says as she stops in front of the entrance to a fairly modest apartment building.
It's definitely not one of the coolest buildings in Manhattan, but it's no dump either.
Considering what apartments cost around here, she's probably doing pretty well for herself.
The moment I step inside, I notice her calm, composed demeanor visibly begin to crack as she pulls her keys out of her purse.
Her face turns bright red, her breathing slows, and her hands are clearly trembling as she tries to slide the key into the lock.
Ugh... what a pain.
Looks like I'll really have to shelve all my dirty fantasies.
With her this nervous and uncomfortable, it's better to take a step back than push my luck and risk ruining everything.
"All right, then. I'll wait out here," I say casually.
But the moment the words leave my mouth... something strange happens.
She hesitates for just a second, as if my response had caught her completely off guard.
The look of confusion lasts only an instant, but it's so obvious there's no way I could miss it.
"Oh, don't be silly, Axel. There are plenty of shady people around here, and I can't exactly hand you that much money out in the open. Go ahead and come inside. It's really not a problem."
I don't know whether what I said reassured her enough to let her guard down, or if she's simply doing a better job of hiding her anxiety.
The only thing that matters is that I'm inside.
And to think all of this happened because of that argument with Naomi. I guess there's some truth to the saying: every cloud has a silver lining.
So, I step inside the apartment.
The entrance hall and living room are perfectly ordinary, but her bedroom... well, that's a completely different story.
Yep, that's right. Her bedroom. That's exactly where I am right now.
"I hid the money among my clothes so my parents wouldn't stumble across it by accident," Kimberly murmurs as she rummages through one of her drawers.
Not the underwear drawer, unfortunately.
Holy shit... Her room is practically a national library!
She told me she loved antique books, but I was expecting, at most, a handful of dusty volumes on a shelf — not entire wardrobes crammed full of them.
There have to be at least two hundred books in here.
Now I get why I've never seen her wearing anything that cost more than twenty dollars...
She spends all her money on books!
At last, she pulls a bulging white envelope out of the drawer and holds it out to me.
"Here's the loot. I counted it three times — it's all there."
"Th-Thanks... even though I still don't understand why you went through all this. It was just a gift. It's not like you stole it..." I murmur, taking the envelope and slipping it into my pocket. "Well, I guess I should get going."
Unfortunately, I've run out of excuses to stay now that she's already given me the money back.
It's not like I'm in any hurry to leave Kimberly's bedroom, but I can treat this as a test.
If she comes up with some other excuse to keep me around a little longer... then it'll be in the bag.
"Thanks for the drink, Axel. But I'm warning you — if you don't let me pay next time, I'm really going to be mad!" she grumbles, puffing out her cheeks in the most adorably angry way.
Damn... Kimberly isn't just unbelievably sexy — she's sweetness incarnate.
How is it even possible for a girl like her to exist?
Well... things didn't quite go the way I'd hoped, but at least we've already set up a third date.
I'd call that half a victory.
At this point, it's only a matter of time before Kimberly sleeps with me.
I'm sure of it.