Chapter 46: Staying Hopeful
Instead of going to the hotel, Stefan and Jamal walked into a discount clothing store so they could get Jamal the clothes he needed for his new job description.
Rows of shelves stretched before them, stacked with shirts, pants, and jackets in muted colors. The store was nothing like the high-end boutiques Jamal was used to, but it served his purpose.
Jamal pulled a plain gray longsleeved shirt from a rack and held it up against his chest. "How do I look?" he asked, smirking.
"Like someone who’s trying too hard to be average," Stefan replied, crossing his arms.
"Perfect." Jamal tossed the shirt over his arm and grabbed another in black.
Stefan exhaled, watching him sift through a pile of chinos trousers. "So how long am I supposed to be here pretending to be you? Earlier she asked when I was leaving Westend."
"What? She already wants you to leave? You must have shown her how annoying you can be," Jamal teased with a chuckle as he picked up a pair of dark-wash denim and turned to Stefan.
Stefan snorted, "She asked because she wanted to know how much longer we have together."
"Well, today is Thursday. You can leave on Sunday. That was our plan anyway," he said, and Stefan groaned.
"What am I supposed to discuss with her? She wants us to have dinner tomorrow. I’m not sure how much I should say," Stefan said and Jamal shrugged.
"Be yourself. She doesn’t know what I’d say or wouldn’t. So, do you," Jamal said, and Stefan eyed him skeptically.