Luce di Stella • Kenan Yildiz

Chapter 24: Shopping Day

🎶 Those Eyes — New West 🎶

Christmas time in Turin was magical - the lights that lit up the city when it got dark, the Christmas markets and just the feeling in the air that something special was about to happen, always made me anticipate the festivities. Serie A only gave the players a few days off and Juve played their last game before the holidays on the 23rd, so Kenan and I decided to meet up the day before that to do some last-minute Christmas shopping and enjoy our time in the city. He was recognised here and there after his recent promotion to the first team but until now, people and the media had left rumours about us two alone and we just told anyone who asked that we were friends.

"How do you guys celebrate Christmas? Do you have to buy gifts for everyone in your family?" Kenan asked as we strolled through the city centre.
"No, I'd go crazy if I had to, that would be more than 200 people" I chuckled. "My parents are going away to Japan this year - it's still really hard for them to sit at home here and stare at Dado's empty seat. So I'm going to celebrate with my godmother and her family in Monaco. Uncle John and his wife and kids will be there too, so I just have to get presents for them" I explained. "Do you guys really not do anything? A big dinner? Family reunions?" I asked and he laughed, shaking his head.

"No, there's no reason to. My mum goes to visit her parents on the 25th but they're not really supportive of my dad so also my relationship to them is quite distant" he explained before dragging me into Calvin Klein. My eyes started hurting as he scanned through the racks of horrible washed-out baggy jeans and ribbed tank-tops.
"Please... just no. And also get rid of this terrible black puffer jacket you're wearing, it looks like a trash bag" I whined, making him laugh.

"Ok, fine. Today, you're allowed to choose clothes for me and I'll buy them all" he offered, making my eyes light up and I almost jumped on him as I slung my arms behind his neck.
"Really?" I asked with a huge smile on my lips.
"Yeah, I know it'll make you happy" he replied and grinned, making me fall in love with him even more by that simple gesture. It wasn't about getting clothes, it was about making me happy.

"Ok, let's go!" I exclaimed and was about to drag him out of the store, but I stopped in my tracks, quickly turning around again, bumping into him.
"Whoa" he groaned, but I just pushed past him to the underwear section.
"Large will do" I said as I picked out a few packets of classic white boxers, a mischievous grin on my lips. He laughed out loud and I blushed - we had gotten far, very far in getting to know our bodies but had still waited to have sex. There wasn't a particular reason, it just hadn't happened yet, but I sure hoped it was soon going to.

"Ok, next stop: Zara" I announced and clapped my hands when we left Calvin Klein again with a bag full of boxers for him.
"Zara? I'd have thought you'd drag me to Prada or something" he replied, raising his eyebrows.
"You can get the basics at Zara or H&M for good prices, you just have to pay attention to some details like the stitches or the composition" I explained and he looked at me as if I was talking astrophysics. When we were in the store, I showed him what I meant and he was slowly starting to understand, so we got some new trousers and simple t-shirts, as well as a few nice sweaters and jumpers.

"With you, a shopping spree feels more intense than a really hard training day" he huffed as we left Zara again with a few more bags in hand.
"Next thing you need is a really nice suit" I stated and I knew he was rolling his eyes inside, even though he wasn't actually rolling them.
"Ok, but now we're going to Prada, right?" he asked and I snorted out a laugh, why was he so obsessed with Prada?
"Surely not, that's so nouveau riche. You're getting a bespoke one from Uncle John's tailor" I replied and started walking to his atelier.

Every business man in Turin would have envied Kenan for getting this possibility, but he probably didn't quite grasp this - I didn't care too much about it though. He just had a different upbringing than me, where stuff like this didn't matter. But in my world, it did. And if he wanted to stand by my side he'd also have to look the part, without this sounding too snobbish. But it's true when you say that clothes make people.