Page 78 of Pretty Black

“Life is meant to be lived. Shoes are meant to be worn. I’ll buy another pair if you ruin them. I want you to enjoy them, and if that means they get a little banged up in the process, so be it.”

I hugged him, burying my face in his chest. “I don’t know how I deserve you.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing. We haven’t even gone on the date, and you are over the moon. Iris Rose, I think you’re easy.”

“I am easy for you.” I pulled on boxers, then the jeans, and set the shoes down to wait for him to reveal the rest of what I was wearing.

He slipped a tee out of the bag. It was a vintage Metallica one, but it had been doctored with rips, little spikes along the tops of the shoulders, and jewel and trinket embellished, hand sown details added in so well they looked like they wove them into the fabric. Almost like a Loewe moving coat I’d seen and loved.

I lifted my eyes from it to meet his. “You remembered.”

“I did.”

“I don’t know how you’re real.” I pulled it on and turned to look at myself in the full-length mirror.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Mine.”

“What are you wearing?”

“Pin striped pants and a tee. Maybe a vest.” He lifted a shoulder. “I was more worried about how you’d look.”

“Wear that new blazer with the sleeves pushed up.” I loved when he showed off his forearms.

“The jewel toned blue one? So we match?” Joy licked at his mouth.

“Why not?”

We got in the car with Felix and Elijah, and none of them would tell me where we were going, but when we turned onto Lake Shore Drive near the museum row, I had a good idea. Which had he picked?

We pulled up outside the Shedd Aquarium. “You’re kidding?” I’d always wanted to go here, but I’d never told him.

“Happy?”

“Very.” I squeezed his hand, feeling like a little kid watching out the window.

We didn’t park, instead pulling up right in front. Felix put the car in park, and they got out with us.

“You can’t just park here. You’re going to get towed.”

Felix laughed. “I can do anything I want.”

I shook my head. Maybe he’d pulled the famous card.

Caspian slipped his hand in mine, rubbing his pinky over the band of the signet ring. “Is this okay?”

I brought his hand to my lips, kissing the back. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

We walked up to the gates, and it occurred to me that there weren’t any people waiting in line.

“Where is everyone?”

There were people milling about, walking along the lake front and down to the planetarium, but no one coming in and out of the Shedd.

Caspian grinned. “I wanted to make sure your first visit went well.”

“What did you do?”

“I convinced them to let me rent it out on a training day. I told them we’d be perfectly behaved and not disturb anyone. Once they heard we had our own security and that I’d pay whatever they asked, they agreed pretty quickly.” He dropped his voice. “We might also have to come to their next gala.”

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