Page 24 of Dirty Desires
Everyone followed suit, hugging and thanking our hosts for everything, including the fun-filled weekend. And we all told them how they didn’t have to do that every time we came for a visit.
So, with money in hand, how could we not go along with our hosts to the markets?
That meant that alone time with Nina would have to wait once again, and that I’d have to keep my hands more or less to myself. It didn’t feel right to make any move, other than holding her hand as we walked around the shops.
Her hand moved over a gorgeous silk wrap. There were blues and greens woven through it, and it would look great on her. She pulled up the price tag. “Oh, no.” She quickly put it back.
I picked it up to see what the issue was. She’d just gotten a nice little bit cash, after all. “Nina. It’s just five hundred dollars. You can afford that.”
“No way!” She looked at me as if I was nuts. “Are you crazy? That’s way too much for anything like that.”
The way the saleslady looked at her made me cringe. We were shopping in the Hamptons. People around this place didn’t balk at prices if the item was worth it.
The woman waddled up to us, her nose turned up. “I can assure you that the wrap you’re looking at is an item that you could use with many other articles of clothing. It could work with everything, from adding a little splash to a black cocktail dress, to wearing it around your waist when you’re in a bikini. It serves many purposes and would add to your wardrobe, I can assure you.”
Nina looked at me over her shoulder. “Something this pricey wouldn’t quite match the rest of my wardrobe. Thank you, though.”
Nina walked away, and I leaned in to whispered to the saleslady. “Put it on hold, and I’ll be back for it in a little while.”
With a smile, she took it off the rack. “Thank you, sir.”
With a nod, I left to catch up to Nina, who had already made it to the next shop. I bumped her shoulder with mine. “You know, if your wardrobe needs some punching up, now is the time to do that. You’ve got more than enough money to do that right now.”
She looked around. “These prices are all outrageous.”
I had to agree, but she needed to get some things for herself. She deserved to treat herself. “Okay, how about the main things a woman needs in her closet?”
“Like?” she asked, with a shake of her head.
“You tell me. I’m not a woman.”
Tapping her chin, she thought about it. “I like to have a good pair of boots for the winter. Those things can be very expensive if you want good quality that will last.”
“And what about that little black dress that lady back there talked about?” I reminded her. “An expensive one would see you through many years. And each time you wore it, you could change up the look with an accent piece.” I knew I was making progress when her head started swiveling around.
“Yes, you’re right about that.” She went to a rack of stylish dresses and began looking through them. But then her eyes went to me. “And what about you? What are some things that you need and haven’t bought for yourself in a while?”
Shoving my hands into my pockets, I had no idea where to start. “My apartment could use some homey touches.”
That was no joke. I had one sofa. I had bought that brand new, though. It was nice, a dark leather piece. My windows had miniblinds on them, but I had never bought curtains to make it look homey.
My apartment wasn’t my sanctuary. It was the place I lived, and that was about it.
It was in a nice building. And the small two-bedroom, one bath, was very nice. All hardwood floors, tile in the kitchen and bathroom, granite countertops throughout the kitchen and bathroom, all the bells and whistles. But it didn’t feel like home. Mostly because I hadn’t ever made it into a real home.
Natalia would’ve made it a home.
I shook my head to clear it. I couldn’t be thinking about that. My life was changing, moving forward.
Julia and Lila showed up with their husbands, and the girls went crazy over all the clothing. We men were put on the back burner, and Artimus told them that we would be doing some shopping on our own. All they needed to do was give him a call, and we would meet back up.
I left with my friends and found Artimus taking us to a small Irish pub to grab a drink. We all sat at a small round table in the dimly lit place, which smelled of dark beer and salty bread. “Did this weekend earn you Nina’s favor, Ashton?” Artimus asked me with what I could only guess was his attempt at an Irish accent.
Duke jabbed me in the ribs with his elbow, joining Artimus in the running for the world’s worst Irish accent. “Did you get her where ya wanted her?”
“This weekend wasn’t exactly about getting her into bed. I think more of her than that.” I took the beer the waiter handed to me and took a drink of it. It was a stout beer, with lots of hops and barley. The foam was thick and creamy, and I took another drink. “This is good.”
Duke raised his mug, and so did Artimus. “Here’s to you and Nina. It’s about time.”
