Y/N's POV
Giardini Naxos, where I had stayed with Martin, was located a few miles away from Taormina. The town on the rock was visible from practically everywhere in Giardini. We were supposed to go sightseeing there. What if Martin, Michał, and Karolina went along with the plan? What if we met them? I fidgeted restlessly in my seat and the Man in Black noticed. As if reading my mind, he said, "They left the island yesterday."
How could he know what I was thinking? I sent him an inquiring look, but he didn't so much as look my way.
When we reached our destination, the sun was already setting, and thousands of tourists and locals were swarming the streets of Taormina. The town was brimming with life, and the narrow, picturesque streets were lined with hundreds of small cafés and restaurants. Signboards of expensive boutiques beckoned to me. Exclusive brands? In the middle of nowhere? There were no stores like that in the center of Warsaw. The car stopped, and the driver stepped out, opening the door for us. The Man in Black offered his hand and helped me out of the large SUV.
After a while, I realized there was another car with us, just behind ours. Two tall men dressed in black emerged from it. Jimin grabbed my hand and led me to one of the main streets. His people followed us at a distance that was supposed to be inconspicuous. It all looked kind of grotesque—if they really wanted to remain unseen, they should be wearing shorts and flip-flops, not undertaker suits. It would be pretty difficult to hide those guns in tourist outfits, though.
The first shop we visited was a Roberto Cavalli boutique. As soon as we stepped over the threshold, we were greeted by a shop assistant, who sprinted from behind her desk, eager to please. A well-dressed older man appeared from the back room. He kissed Jimin on both cheeks, saying something in Korean, before turning his attention to me.
"My name is Antonio. I shall help you choose some more... appropriate attire," he said in fluent English. "Size thirty-six, I presume?" He sent me a probing stare.
"Sometimes thirty-four. Depending on the bra size. As you can see, Mother Nature hasn't been too generous to me," I said, pointing to my breasts with a wide grin.
"Darling!" Antonio exclaimed. "Roberto Cavalli adores such shapes! Come! Let Mr Park stay here and wait for the show."
The Man in Black began to sit down on a silvery satin couch. Before he even touched the soft pillows, he was offered a bottle of ice-cold Dom Pérignon, and one of the shop assistants filled his glass. Jimin shot me a lustful glance before hiding behind a newspaper. Antonio was hauling dozens of dresses to the changing room, helping me into them, all the time clicking his tongue with appreciation. I stared wide-eyed at the price tags of the outfits. That little heap of dresses Antonio prepared for me would probably buy you an apartment in Warsaw. Nearly an hour later, I finished picking clothes, and my choices were packed neatly into beautiful decorative boxes.
The story repeated in other boutiques: an enthusiastic welcome followed by an unending shopping spree... Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Louboutin, and Victoria's Secret to top it all off.
Each time Jimin would sit down and patiently wait for me, reading his newspaper, talking on the phone, or scrolling on his iPad. He seemed completely disinterested in what I was doing. On the one hand, I was happy, but on the other—it was getting on my nerves. What was wrong with him? Earlier, in the morning, he couldn't take his eyes off me, and now—when he had the opportunity to admire me in all these beautiful outfits—he wasn't paying attention.
This definitely didn't go hand in hand with my concept of shopping straight out of Pretty Woman—me, showing off in new hot and sexy outfits and him playing the role of my horny fan.
