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Start acting rich, Ciaran Galbraith, or everyone in here will know you don’t belong.
Matty shoved a pile of clothes in my arms and directed me to one of the changing rooms.
After two exhausting hours of trying on dozens of outfits, I walked away with enough clothing to fit in at upscale restaurants, attend casual get-togethers, and perform random errands in very expensive clothing. Shoes and accessories made the list, too.
The goal, apparently, was to wear high-end attire that resembled low-end fashion.
“It can’t seem like you’re trying too hard,” Matty explained to me.
I was scared to see the final bill, but Matty took care of everything since he had an active account with the store.
As we left, Matty whispered, “You looked so fucking hot in your new clothes.”
My face flamed red. It was then I noticed a small group of men across the walkway taking pictures of us. I was about to nudge Matty, but the men started yelling his name loudly.
Matty groaned under his breath.
“Don’t look,” Matty said behind his hand. “Paparazzi show up sometimes to see who might be shopping. It isn’t uncommon for celebrities to shop here.”
“Having a nice day, Matthias?” one asked in a gravelly tone. “You and your friends have fun out on the waves?”
“Were they watching us earlier today, while we surfed?” I asked Matty in a hushed voice.
“Probably.” We picked up our stride as the SUV came into view. “Don’t look up,” Matty advised. “While you get in the car, I’ll say a few words to the paps. We have a somewhat copacetic rapport. It isn’t fun, but you have to feed the beast from time to time to keep it happy.”
After loading the bags in the back, I slipped into the passenger side while Matty answered the paparazzo’s questions at the driver’s side. It wasn’t anything salacious. They asked about his dad’s new marriage and wanted to know where Zoey was. One of them even asked how his swimming training was going and if he was nervous about the upcoming tryouts.
Matty’s answers were short, to the point, but also polite. It was clear to me he didn’t want to be talking to them—anyone could detect it—but he did it anyway. I wondered if that was normal in their line of business. Would I have to get smart on interacting with the media and paparazzi soon?
Overall, the encounter lasted three or four minutes. For such a short event, they still took over a hundred photos based on the continuous camera clicks I heard.
Matty offered a gracious farewell before jumping in the SUV and igniting the engine. He waved one last time before exiting the parking lot onto the highway.
“Well, that was a new experience,” I quipped. “I thought photo day at school was terrible, but that was something else.”
“Unfortunately, it comes with the territory. I wish I could say it won’t happen again, but it will. Try not to focus on it. You’ll be identified as a “friend” who went shopping with Matthias Vaulteneau.”
My head snapped up. “My image will end up in the tabloids?”
Matty gave me an apologetic frown. “Yeah, sorry about that.”
“No, no. You misunderstand me,” I said with a laugh. “My friends are going to have a field day. I can’t wait to tell them. The memes will be epic, you just wait.”
With that, Matty’s shoulders relaxed and I saw a smile tease on his lips.
“So…” Matty started after a few minutes of silence while I fired off a series of texts about the paparazzi photos in my group chat with Raj, Rowen, Kinzy, and Brieana. “When we get home, do you want dibs on the shower?”
I looked up, confused.
We were close to the Vaulteneau gate when Matty asked it. His right arm was draped over the center console with his hand resting on my left thigh. It was less sexual and more casual, affectionate, as if we did this sort of thing all the time.
When I looked at him questioningly, he explained, “To wash off the sunscreen and sticky saltwater residue.” He gave me a wide smile. “You’d easily get mistaken for Casper the Friendly Ghost given all the zinc oxide on your face.”
I hadn’t been thinking about showers but after Matty’s question, I was instantly transported to the day I walked into the pool’s locker room and found a gloriously naked Matty toweling off. Everything about him ignited my blood—his physique, his sexy grin, his beautiful cock.
All the fantasies running circles in the background of my imagination meant I’d been in a near-constant state of arousal for days. The anticipation was a form of slow-burn agony.
The shower is big enough for both of us. Why not take a shower together?
