𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐲'𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞

39 | 𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝐷𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑊𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠

"Rule number one, men are attracted to the color red like a moth is to light."

"So... I do get this is what you're saying?" I scrutinized the cropped red tank in my hands, holding it by the curvature of the hanger. All I could make out was straps of fabric, not understanding how it could form a presentable shirt. "I just think it's showing too much skin and I mean, my reputation has done plenty of that already."

"Oh, I've heard," Victor drawled, scanning the store before grabbing at my hand and leading me out of the store. Accidentally, I released the hanger in my hands and the shirt splayed onto of perfume bottles as we exited the store. We walked into the gray and white hallway of the mall which distributed numerous skylights and rivers of sunlight. There was remarkably high ceilings that I kept looking upwards at. 

He snapped his head from one side to the other, unable to settle for one particular store. "Men like lace, high heels, anything complicated basically. It's like a challenge for them."

"This is a lot of work," I huffed.

"You're perfect the way you are, Rye Bread, but we gotta spice things up." His tone sounded optimistic and it almost made me believe that this was going to work. "But remember, we're not changing you, we're just adding a few outfits to make you feel good." 

While weaving through a few clusters of people, I say, "no, I want to look hot and attractive. I need him to fall in love with me." I bobbed my head proudly, taking a few confident steps closer to him and looking up. "You know all the secrets on how to impress a guy."

"Well--" He halted his words. "I know all the steps on how a girl impresses a guy," he corrected. "Oooh, let's go to this store!" He pointed to a pink and white alcove. "This looks girly."

I rolled my eyes as we continued laughing quietly to ourselves. We entered the white fluorescent store in search of something red, strappy, or anything complicated to possibly impress Sullivan. I began rummaging through the racks when he tugged on the loose clothing around my wrist to get my attention like a child would. "I think you'd look pretty in that."

I gazed up and saw what I was holding, it was a yellow fringe tube tank. My mother would kill me, but I nodded and took it off the rack. "If you think Sullivan would like--"

"I like it," he concluded, then shrugged. "Rule number two," he started again louder than the previous sentence. "Men like it when you don't base all your priorities around them, meaning that each decision you make is for yourself and only for yourself."

I look at the clothing in my hands. "Did I not just pick this up because it was your idea? Is this a test?" I widen my eyes and he keeps looking at me. "Are you testing me to see if I will take your advice and not base everything I do off what you say so therefore, I return the shirt?" 

He firmly replies, "no, you're wearing that. It's different when it's me who's ordering you around, I'm your teacher." He gives me a quick lopsided grin and drifts off through the racks. 

"Vicky?" I asked, trudging through the store in pursuit of following him. "I've always wondered this... but do you have any friends?" I ask abruptly. 

"Wow--well, if you didn't want to hang out with me--" He sarcastically bit.

"No." I chuckled as I spoke. "It's just, since we've officially become best friends, I need to know my competition," I reasoned, pivoting to him with the yellow tube tank in hand. That wasn't true at all though. I'd started to realize that I never actually saw Victor with anyone but hook-ups. 

He lowered his gaze and slouched his shoulders. "I've had friends, but since moving to Wyoming, I haven't really hit it off with anybody in particular. I talk to people, have a few acquaintances," he listed off, "but there's nobody that I could see myself hanging with outside of certain classes--"