“So, do you want to?”
Turning back to him, she frowned. “What?”
“Go out? Be a couple?”
“Are you asking?”
He shot her a dimpled grin as he shifted lanes on the highway. “Erin Montgomery, will you go out with me?”
It was so juvenile and silly, but she loved that he voiced the question, framing it so there was no possible way of misinterpreting his intentions. Heat bloomed in her chest and she realized she’d been hoping he’d ask. “Yes, I’ll go out with you.”
“Then it’s settled. You’re my girlfriend.”
No matter how hard she tried to hide her smile, her lips stayed curved in a grin. Giovanni Mosconi was her boyfriend. She lifted her brows, still surprised by their connection and her attraction to him. Stranger things had happened, she supposed.
When they reached the thrift store, he loaded the boxes of her father’s clothes onto a cart and wheeled them inside. The clerk went through each item and tallied up the donations. “Do you want a receipt for taxes?”
Erin only wanted to be rid of her father’s personal things. “No, that’s okay.”
“Then you’re all set.”
“Thanks.” Erin turned away from the register, but Giovanni was no longer by her side.
She searched the rows of secondhand clothes and located him in the back corner of the store. When she reached him, he was intently rifling through a rack of tacky shirts.
“What are you doing?”
“There’s some amazing stuff here.” The swipe of metal hangers over the display pole continued as he perused the shirts. “Oh man, check this out.” He pulled away a hideous top sewn out of orange shag carpet and yarn. “I always wanted a genuine Muppet fur sweater.”
She laughed. “Who buys this stuff?”
He scoffed with feigned outrage. “You obviously know nothing about fashion. This fabric is exquisitely rare, up there with dragon tusks and unicorn pelts. Everyone in Milan, London, and Rome is dying to get their hands on similar garments.”
She snorted. “You wouldn’t be caught dead in such a thing. You’re more into labels than most women.”
He smiled at her, not bothering to deny the truth. “You think I’m prissy?”
She laughed again. “I think you’ve got a thing about appearances.”
He shrugged and proceeded to sort through more items on the rack. “I like nice clothes. That doesn’t mean I’m too pretentious to have fun.”
“Fine, let’s play a game,” she challenged. “I’ll find you an outfit, and you can find me one. We have to wear it out to dinner tonight.”
His jaw practically unhinged with a gaping grin. “Are you serious?”
“Yup.”
“You have to wear whatever I pick?”
“Yup. Out to dinner. Tonight. But the same goes for you, Mr. GQ. You have to wear whatever I choose for you.”
“Oh my God, I don’t think I’ve ever been more attracted to you. What are the ground rules?”
She thought for a second. “It has to be weather appropriate. I’m not wearing flip flops in the snow.”
“Holy crap, I forgot about shoes! Anything else?”
She couldn’t think of any other rules. She supposed most women might freak out about such a game, but what did she care? No one in Jasper Falls had anything nice to say about her anyway. Let them see her dressed like some sort of sideshow attraction. She had nothing to lose. “Do your worst.”
“Oh, I will.”
They divulged their sizes and broke apart. Giovanni rushed to the women’s section as she grabbed the shag carpet sweater and went in search of pants. She found an amazing pair of psychedelic printed bellbottoms for only two dollars in his size.
Over in accessories, she found a pair of glasses, one lens shaped like a martini glass, the other shaped like an olive. A metal ring belt would go great with the pants and she found just that by the shoes.
There weren’t many exciting options for men’s shoes, and she almost gave up until she spotted something red sitting on the floor. They were perfect. Ruby patent leather boots that rose to the knee. If Wonder Woman were a boy, he’d wear boots exactly like that.
At the register, she snagged a thick chain that looked made of brass but it was lightweight and plastic.
“Will that be all?” the clerk asked, as she bagged up Erin’s items.
“How much is that hat?” They kept the hats behind the register to keep customers from trying them on.
“This one?”
“No, the blue cowboy one with the pheasant feather.”
The clerk pulled it down and examined the price tag. “Nine-ninety-nine.”
Erin smiled. “I’ll take it.”
She paid the bill and waited for Giovanni at the front. He was taking a while and she wondered if that was good news for her or bad news.
Finally, he appeared at the front with a cart full of items and a grin cracked wide across his face. “No looking!” He skipped past her, giddy, and let out a maniacal laugh.
Erin chuckled. He was having a blast.