Kimberly only manages to catch a fleeting glimpse of Naomi slapping me and then running away in tears, but obviously she has no idea what happened before — nor, of course, why it happened. And in the sadness of the moment, this turns out to be an unexpected stroke of luck in misfortune. I can literally make up whatever I want, and Kimberly would have no way of knowing whether I’m lying, especially since I just made her promise not to say a word about it to anyone.

«Naomi... Naomi is seeing another man. She just confessed it to me...» I begin, doing my best to look devastated, even letting my eyes fill with tears — though honestly, I don’t even need to act that much. I really am destroyed by what just happened between me and my former best friend, but crying over myself is useless, so it’s better to look ahead.

«She said it’s been going on for two weeks... and despite everything she even asked me if we could stay friends — to leave our love behind as if nothing had happened! As if I could just turn off my feelings for her with a switch! And as for the slap...» I murmur, bringing my hand to my cheek, still slightly reddened. «That was my fault... after she confessed to cheating on me, I lost my head and said something a girl should never have to hear. I deeply regret it, and even after what she did to me, all I can do is wish her the best in life. I hope her new boyfriend can make her happier than, apparently, I managed to do...»

Even though, to be honest, everything I said doesn’t stray that far from reality — except for the last part. Like hell I wish her happiness! She really did keep Tyler hidden from me during the early stage of their relationship, and she really did ask me to stay just friends. Okay, there’s the small detail that we weren’t officially a couple, but considering what we were doing together, it was practically the same thing. So yes, I guess in a certain sense it can be called betrayal.

Ah... I already relish the day Naomi will come crawling back to me, begging to be my slut again and to let me make her come like only I’m capable of doing. And at that point, well... she’ll really have to work hard to be forgiven — if you know what I mean.

«Ah, damn — that’s a really bad story. I’m sorry for you, I really am. You looked like such a perfect, happy couple from the outside, and I would have never imagined Naomi could do something like that...» Kimberly murmurs, lowering her gaze.

It’s probably just one of those stock phrases people say when someone tells you they’ve been dumped, and yet her words genuinely sound sincere to me.

But in all this, one thing pleasantly surprises me — now Kimberly knows I’m single, and yet, despite that, we’re still walking side by side through Times Square.

Seeing me this heartbroken must have reassessed her opinion of me — maybe now she thinks I’m a sensitive, sweet guy, capable of loving. Something she certainly doubted, given all the bullshit that goes around about me at Ordrienne High.

But one thing is certain — she doesn’t seem uncomfortable or embarrassed at all about being alone with me.

They say that when one door closes, a gate opens, right? And Kimberly is exactly the perfect door I need to get over Naomi’s betrayal.

I need to play my cards well. No — more than well. I need to be impeccable. She probably still has doubts about my morality, and if I push too hard or too fast, those doubts will resurface and she’ll close herself off again.

And yet, every time I picture her in that tight blue dress, with all those diamonds and that dizzying slit on her thigh, I get hard instantly. Kimberly is simply too beautiful, and the more I look at her, the more beautiful she becomes — so beautiful that even I start to feel a little insecure, wondering if I’m really good enough for someone like her.

Can you believe it? Me — who managed to fuck a woman like Veronica when I was only thirteen — feeling not good enough for a girl my own age?

«By the way, that gorgeous blue dress... have you had a chance to wear it since I gave it to you?» I ask, pretending genuine interest.

Bringing up that eight-thousand-dollar dress isn’t just a way to change the subject — it’s also a subtle reminder, meant to make her remember how generous and thoughtful I am. In short, the kind of guy worth going out with.

Kimberly smiles at me and shakes her head.

«Actually... I returned it the next day, and fortunately they gave me a full refund,» she replies with a shy smile. «Money that I obviously intend to give back to you as soon as possible. And speaking of that, since I don’t feel comfortable walking around with that much cash... I live nearby, so if it’s not a problem for you, we could stop by my place before you head home. That way I can give you the money back.»

«I don’t understand... why did you return it? You didn’t like it anymore? If that was the problem, you could have just exchanged it for another one, and if there was a difference to pay you could have told me and I would’ve come by myself to settle it. Seriously, why did you do it?» I ask, showing interest and concern — even though, truth be told, I don’t really give a fuck about the return itself.

What really stuck with me is that sweet, melodious "we could stop by my place".

«No particular reason, actually...» she murmurs. «It’s just that it didn’t feel right to me, that’s all. It’s clear that you come from a rich family, but eight thousand dollars are still a lot of money, and I didn’t do anything to deserve them. I wouldn’t want you to have bought it just because that pushy sales assistant pressured you into it, and not because you really wanted to. So... that’s why I thought it was better to return it right away.»

It’s not the first time I’ve given something to a girl to get her into bed — not that I ever really needed to, but it was that little push that helped me close the deal quickly. And yet, this is the first time one of them has ever given it back to me, and it certainly wasn’t just any gift — it was probably worth more than everything I’ve ever given put together.

«So... I guess no runway walk to promote the new collection, then?» I ask, throwing her a sideways glance.

«No, no, I’m still doing that. I gave her my word and I intend to keep it. Actually, when I returned the dress, Elenoire seemed almost more worried that I might back out of the runway show too than about the money she was refunding me. It would have been hard for her to find a replacement in just two weeks, and on top of that, for some reason she really wants it to be me wearing it — even though, honestly, I don’t understand why...» Kimberly murmurs, with a slightly embarrassed smile.

She may truly not understand it — or she may just pretend not to, out of modesty — but I, on the other hand, understand it perfectly. And once we get to her place, I’ll explain it to her properly.