“You get filthy,” I replied knowingly.
“With the proper company, definitely.”
I sipped from my coffee, dwelling on this.
“You’re sweeter than people think.”
“You wanna run that one past me again?” He tilted his head, crossing his arms and smiling cockily at me.
“No, I mean it,” I insisted. “That night that I watched you perform, I saw how you stepped down at the end to let them all have the spotlight alone. And you’re careful in public because you’re the most prominent member of the group, right? So if they get into some small trouble, that’s just the guitarist or the drummer getting up to mischief. But if it’s you, then the paparazzi might have something juicy to seriously impact your band members.”
“Well…yeah,” he sheepishly admitted. “Honestly, I’ve never been the type to look out for number one. When I rise and reap the rewards, I take care of my own. I’m fine being Team Grandpa so that they can get up to trouble that doesn’t directly hurt the rest of us.”
I nodded as I took another bite.
He can be a cocky bastard…
Possessive, dominating, quick to anger…
But he can also be a seriously upstanding man.
“And people say men are simple,” I smiled.
“People are wrong,” he grinned back, a toothy, cocky grin stretching across his face.
After breakfast was over, we headed further into town on the rest of our trip. The sun was high in the sky as he took me straight to a few luxury-clothing stores.
As he followed me inside, I turned quizzically.
“You’re coming in? I couldn’t imagine that watching me try on outfits all afternoon is going to be terribly exciting. Anything in town you need to do?”
Trent smiled wickedly, his cap and glasses still on.
“Seriously? There’s nothing I’d rather do than watch you try on all sorts of sexy little outfits for me.”
And so the afternoon went on.
I piled up on clothes, always being careful to pick only a couple of things. It was only at his insistence that I stopped bugging out at the price tags.
As I continued being modest, he shook his head and snatched a few tops, shorts, or leggings off of racks and added them to my arms. When it came time to try everything on, the garments he had chosen looked great on me – and they were even the right size.
He certainly had a good eye.
I’d always been way more jeans and a tee than cute sundress, but I had to admit that I liked how these outfits hung on my body. It was something special to see myself change under the mirror to someone who could embrace who I was, rather than improvise with thrift store jeans and old shirts from years ago.
I poked out from the dressing room, doing a slight twirl for him in a silky black dress he’d plucked from a rack.
“How do I look?”
“Positively ravishing,” he nodded. “I’d tear into you right here and now if I could.”
I could feel myself blush a little.
I still wasn’t used to so much attention.
“He’s right,” a passing attendant commented. “That’s a fantastic look for you. Although…I would prefer that you didn’t do that in my store.”
Trent and I shared a smile, and the attendant started to walk away before she paused, peering at him closely. Recognition flashed across her face, all of a sudden.
“You’re…Trent Masters?”
Trent instantly looked displeased, glancing over at her from beneath the concealment of his glasses and hat.
“I’m very surprised you noticed me.”
“It’s the voice,” she smiled. “Although you always wear the same hat and glasses everywhere, so you kind of stick out.”
He grumbled, and I stifled a laugh.
“It’s a huge pleasure to meet you. I’m Jamie – I’m a really big fan of your band! I just love Extra Kings from your EP!”
I disappeared back into my dressing room as they briefly chatted, although Trent looked highly uncomfortable to have been spotted.
I went ahead and redressed in my street clothes, packed everything up, and stepped back outside.
He turned and rose to smile at me, but I spotted the attendant a short distance away. She was trying to inconspicuously snap a smartphone picture of us.
“Wait… that girl…”
Trent followed my line of sight, and caught her fumbling to hide the phone. Angrily, he stomped over towards her and held his hand out.
“Phone. Now.”
She looked like a deer, caught in headlights.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I saw you,” he explained. “She saw you. Delete whatever pictures you just took of us, right this fucking minute...or I’m finding the number to your district manager.”