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Rowan did not seem pleased, and in fact, I’d almost call him protective. “Shae will let you know which accessories we’re searching for that we might use for the shoot.”
When I turned to question him, he gave me a stern look, so I followed his lead.
“Right this way,” the woman said, guiding me to the bracelets available beneath a glass display. I couldn’t believe he was allowing me to choose anything, so I took my time searching for something I thought suited Kendall, trying to ignore the prices. No doubt the store would exchange the jewelry in place of a credit in the magazine, the exact thing they all salivated over.
Choices made, I met Rowan at the register, where he looked over my selections.
“Very nice.”
I nearly preened over his approval.
When our morning spree finally came to an end and all the clothing, shoes, and accessories were safely stored in the trunk, we filed into the back seat. “Now what?”
“We head back to Kendall’s.” Rowan arched a brow. “Unless you had something else in mind?”
“I sort of do?” I said hesitantly, knowing the idea that had popped into my head might not go over well. “And you might think it’s fun.”
“Your idea of fun is not always the same as mine, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“True,” I mused before straightening, the nerves kicking up in my stomach. “I just thought maybe we could…go shopping?”
His forehead creased. “Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?”
I shook my head. “Not for people like me.”
He glanced at my outfit, and besides the sweater and scarf he’d lent me, the trousers were a pair I kept in regular rotation for work. “What is it you need to shop for, besides the obvious?”
I lifted my foot to expose my knockoff Chucks. “Maybe a new pair of sneakers?”
“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he asked, and I laughed. “I thought you’d never get rid of those.”
“And I still won’t,” I said, and he frowned. “I just want a cool, trendy pair that’s more affordable than what you wear.” I bit my lip, unsure of my request. “If that’s even possible?”
His eyes lit up. “I know just the place.” He tapped the seat in front of us. “Edward, can you drop us off on Melrose Avenue and then head back to Ms. Jacobs’s place with our things?”
The driver eyed us in the rearview mirror. “Of course, sir.”
Edward began driving, and my pulse kicked up. I wondered if I was in over my head, but I trusted Rowan with this. At least, I thought I did. He was a wardrobe stylist, after all.
When we got to Melrose, I could see why he’d chosen the area. It was uber cool and trendy but not in a high society sort of way. It was grittier and way less pretentious, and when we exited the car, I couldn’t help taking in all the stores and cafés lining both sides of the street, as well as the array of people from all walks of life.
“This is definitely more my style.” In fact, some of the businesses reminded me of the East Village but slightly higher end.
He sniffed importantly. “I thought so.”
We spent the next couple of hours strolling at our leisure and looking at cool stuff like graphic tees, original street art, and handmade and vintage trinkets from local artists or independent shops—and this time, it didn’t feel like a chore. It felt like two friends enjoying an afternoon together. If that were even possible with someone like Rowan Abernathy.
When we passed a store that had stuffed animals on display, I pointed to a fluffy white dog, reminding Rowan of our joke from my interview.
“What are you doing?” I asked as he lifted it from the rack.
“It’s our office dog,” he replied, amused, fingering the pink rhinestone collar. “So you can walk Gucci every day.”
“It’s totally you, but you’re still absurd,” I said as he headed to the register to purchase it.
I was still smiling as we walked out with the bag and moved to the next store.
“Will Gucci have a schedule?” I asked.
His face scrunched up in confusion. “Schedule?”
“For potty breaks?”
“I dare you,” he said, and I laughed, trying to picture it on a busy New York sidewalk. Likely no one would give me a second glance.
“Here’s the place I was thinking of,” he said, opening the door to this shop that had a cool abstract art installation in the window. “I think you’ll find something you like.”
The store seemed to offer an eclectic mix of everything from magnets to coats, and as I moved through the aisles, I noticed a wall of trendy sneakers near the back. I immediately gravitated to a pair of faded blue ones because, of course, I did. But this time, the distressed look was on purpose. Rowan watched me try on several different pairs until I settled on the very first set I’d laid eyes on.
