VEGASPETE🔞+HER CRUEL BODYGUARD

Chepter 14

PETE POV

A few hours later, I emerged from the bathroom, ready for the night, dressed in black hot pants and a short form-fitting black blazer with big golden buttons that made it look like a naval uniform. Beneath it, I wore a white bandeau top with narrow sleeves that left my shoulders bare. To make the look perfect, I wore a cute bonnet that rounded off the sailor look. Golden stilettos matching my buttons were the icing on the cake.

Vegas’s eyebrows rose when he spotted me. “When are we setting sail?”

I turned around myself to show him the look, knowing my butt looked spectacular in the hot pants. “I’m not someone who wants to follow a trend. I want to be the person who creates a trend. Clothes are more for me than a cover for my body. I want my looks to make a statement. They are a way to express myself.”

“And you’re trying to express your interest in hooking up with a sailor and live on a boat?”

Vegas stood. He’d put an effort into his clothes too. The black chinos ended above his ankle and created a nice contrast to his white sneakers. Thankfully, he was wearing sneaker socks like any person with a hint of fashion sense did. The white simple shirt hugged his muscled chest in a very pleasing way and his jacket just made it perfect.

“You can swear like a sailor,” I said with a shrug. “Maybe it’s a message for you.”

Vegas ignored the comment but I knew it would float around in his brain for a while. We headed out to a small restaurant near Sacre Coeur. Once we’d settled at the table, I felt a brief moment of worry that we wouldn’t have anything to talk about and it might become awkward, but Vegas nodded toward a guy who wore very form-fitting chinos and sandals with plush golden fur lining plus matching golden socks. I remembered the shoes and socks from the Balenciaga runway show in the fall.

“Explain this to me.”

“Well,” I said thoughtfully as I took a sip from the champagne. “It’s bold.”

“He’s wearing sandals in winter, with socks. How can this be fashionable in anyone’s mind?”

“Fashion always tries to break rules, at least if it wants to be progressive. Not everything is there to last of course. But someone once said you only regret the things you didn’t do, and I suppose that goes for fashion too. As a designer, you don’t want to do what everyone has done before you. You want to be innovative and surprise people. That becomes harder and harder over the years, and especially with fashion being such a fast business.”

“If something has worked for years, why change it? Why not reinvent old fashion trends and not create new completely insane ones.”

“That’s what I’m hoping to do. Rethink old trends and try to create something new and exciting with secondhand pieces. At least, I hope that’ll work out. I don’t know what to expect.”

“You always do your thing, Pete. I doubt a French fashion professor can stop you. And from what I’ve seen you always look good with your secondhand pieces.”

“Thank you,” I said, surprised. “Many people think I’m crazy for loving to shop in secondhand stores because I could afford the most expensive pieces.”

“You could, but then you’d look like all the other rich boys. You always manage to stand out.”

I set down my glass with a smile. “Did we just manage to have a conversation without fighting?”

“Don’t get used to it. I’m sure we’ll find something to fight about soon enough.”

“I have to say, I enjoy both, the fighting and the talking.”