Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous

Jack buzzed about the mall for another hour playing dress up – with me as his doll – as I shuffled behind him.

“Are you almost done?” I groaned as Jack browsed through another rack of shirts in another ungodly expensive store, pausing occasionally to hold one up to me then place it back as he shook his head.

He sighed. “This would be faster if you helped.”

“Helped how?"

“Pick something out that you like and can wear to a party,” he rolled his eyes.

“Jack I have plenty of clothes at home that I can wear out, I don't need any that cost more than my guitars.”

He looked at me with horror. “You don't own a guitar over five hundred?!”

I shook my head, and, dear god, I thought Jack was going to pass out. “Can we go now?” The mall was beginning to get crowded with Saturday afternoon shoppers and movie goers, and my anxiety spiked every time we walked through the large crowd.

Jack examined my expression for a moment before he nodded. “Yeah, alright,” he sighed, dropping the hanger in his hand back in its place. He slung his arm around my shoulders as we left the store. “Here's the plan, you're my date to Oli's party tonight. We're going to go back to mine, get ready, and go there. You can crash with me tonight if you're too far gone to go home.”

I tried to glare at him, but ended up shuffling closer to his side when a group of people walked too close for my comfort. “I-I never said I'd g-go to a party.”

He grinned at me. “Well I didn't think you'd say no to going with me.”

“N-No.”

“You stuttered.”

“I always stutter, asshole!"

“You don't when you're angry with me,” he winked and left my side. Only then did I notice we'd arrived at his car. I blew an irritated breath out through my nose and got in the passenger seat. “Plus,” he started as he backed out of the spot, “I'm driving.” He grinned wickedly before speeding off.

It took the whole half an hour of the car ride but eventually Jack got me to break.

“Fine! Fine, I'll go to the fucking party with you!” I sighed.

He smiled wide and cut the engine. “Good.”

I texted my parents telling them to not expect me home tonight as I followed Jack into his house. When I lifted my head, I discovered “house” didn't even begin to cover it. “Holy shit.”

Jack glanced over his shoulder at me. “What?”

I could only stand there stunned as I took in the marble floors and long halls. Jack begin to ascend the right of the two marble stairways that surrounded the stone archway to an unlit formal dining hall for at least twenty. I swallowed. “You live here?” It was bad enough he was unbelievably popular, but he was wipe-your-ass-with-hundreds rich, too?

He looked around and shrugged. “Yeah. Come on, would you?”

Somehow I managed to follow him up the stairs and down the hall to his room with out falling, because I wasn't even remotely looking where I was going. I couldn't get over the sheer size of the place. And I thought my house was unnecessarily large.

“Would you quit staring? It's weird,” Jack mumbled as he pushed open his door.

Jesus Christ. It was an apartment, not a bedroom. “Do you pay rent for this?” Oh god, I did not just say that.

I got a good look for that one. “No, of course not. Have you never seen a house before?”

I shook my head. “This is not a house, this is a mansion. No, actually this is more like a fucking castle. Are you even real?”

He shoved a bags of clothes from the afternoon into my hands, trying desperately to hide the blush engulfing his cheeks. “Go get changed. Bathroom's on the right.” He disappeared into a walk-in closet.

I opened the bag to find the first outfit Jack had made me try on for him. I glared at the pants as I took them out of the bag. I hate this guy. I spent about five minutes attempting to get the fabric from hell on, so when Jack barged in I was shirtless and just finishing a long struggle trying to get the belt through the loops.

“Whoops.” He didn't look even remotely sorry.

“Jack!” I whined scrambling to put on the shirt.

The blushing, modest Jack Barakat from earlier was replaced with the flirt I had first met. “I'm so glad I didn't knock.”

“You're not funny,” I grumbled as I could feel the heat rising to my face.

“No, but I'm great in bed.” Whack!

“Stop that!” I jumped. I'd bet money on the fact my ass was red from an entire afternoon of that nonsense.

Jack chuckled. “Your hair's a mess, cutie.” I glanced in the mirror at it and shrugged. He sighed. “Sit, let me see what I can do. If you go like this, they'll think we screwed in the car.”

My hair isn't that bad. “There is no way I'd get these,” I pointed to the fabric squeezing my legs, “on and off that fast.”

“But I could,” he winked.

I swallowed, determined to not let that turn me on even slightly – the pants were far too tight for anything like that.

I sat as still as I could while Jack attacked my hair with sprays and gels and flat irons. He kept seriously encroaching on my personal space, but I think it was because he liked watching me fidget uncomfortably until he moved. It seemed to take forever, but finally Jack stopped and admired his handy work.

I looked up to see him grinning at me. “Lookin' good, Lexy.” I blushed as I stood, but tripped on I don't even know what, stumbling right into Jack. You've got to be kidding me! I couldn't catch a break. “Easy there,” he chuckled steadying me. “You're a blushing mess today.”

“You're one to talk,” I muttered as I turned to the mirror.

I saw pink tinge his cheeks as he rolled his eyes. "C'mon," he grumbled.

Notes

Yay so summer break means I'll write more and post chapters regularly like a good author! Enjoy! ~ Anna