Page 154 of Force Play
I just hope that I don’t fall any more than I already have.
Ari takes my hand in his and starts dragging me down the street. His muscles flex beneath his tight gray hoodie, and the wind catches the hairs sticking out from beneath his backward Stars hat.
I’m doomed.
“Let’s start here,” he says as he leads us to a storefront.
“This looks like a souvenir shop.”
“It is,” he shrugs. “But youarekind of a tourist right now, Luc.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “I’ve lived here for ten years.”
Ari smirks at me. “Yet you’ve never visited the best block in the entire city.”
“I never really had a reason to come before,” I say softly.
“Do you now?” he asks, eyes pleading.
“Yeah,” I breathe. “Now I do.”
Ari shows me things around the shop. This doesn’t seem like a typical souvenir shop. Most of the items here appear to be handmade, giving everything a much more personal touch than some mass-producedI Heart NYT-shirts.
Candles, jewelry, hats, bags, clothing, soap.
The shop seems to have a little bit of everything.
When I’m distracted by the candles, Ari comes up behind me and puts something on top of my head.
“What is that?” I ask, looking back at him.
He points to a mirror. “Take a look.”
I walk to the mirror and find that a headband is sitting on my head. “A headband?”
“Ayellowheadband. Your favorite color.”
He remembers my favorite color?
“It’s a little more gold than yellow,” I tease, and he shakes his head.
“It also has little pearls sewn on it. Matches the pearl studs you put in your ears before we left.”
I whip around to face him now in surprise. “You remembered my favorite color,andyou saw the earrings I put in?”
Ari smiles at me sheepishly. “I pay attention to you, Lucia.”
Butterflies erupt in my stomach, and I can’t fight them off. The gesture is small but meaningful.
I turn around and reposition the headband, tucking it behind my ears and letting my hair fall around it.
It actually looks cute with my outfit. Cream-colored sweater dress with thigh-high brown suede boots.
“It looks nice, Ari.”
I catch his eyes in the mirror. “It’s missing something.” He glances around the shop for a moment before he spots what he wants. He walks away before coming back over, carrying a gold chain with a green pendant.
“You’re adding some color to me today,” I say breathily, pulling my hair over one shoulder as Ari positions the necklace on my chest.
