When Hate Turns to Love

Ch. 10

The weekend came quickly and Nini found herself up early, waiting for Ricky. Kourtney was already there to babysit.

"So, this time, what are we going to do when we get home, Nins?" Kourt asked snidely.

Nini rolled her eyes. She wasn't quite forgiven for not telling them about the cheek kiss.

"I promise I'll tell you if there's any kissing. Which there won't be because we're just shopping." Nini said. "Oh look, there's my ride!"

Nini waved to her friend and made her way to the limo, once again being helped in.

"Hi." Ricky greeted, not looking up from whoever he was texting.

"Hi." She said back.

They were fifteen minutes into the car ride and she was getting irritated. Ricky hadn't even looked at her, let alone talked to her.

"Where are we going?" She finally asked.

"Shopping." He responded.

"I know that, moron. Where?" She responded, frustrated.

He finally looked up and she noticed something different.

"Your eyes..."

He gave her a sparkly grin and ran his fingers through is unruly curls.

"I know. Amazing, right?"

Nini scowled at him.

"No. They're different. They aren't blue."

"Contacts." He said, in a way of explanation. "Jen said that girls are more into guys with brown hair and blue eyes instead of brown hair and brown eyes."

"That's not true." She said, and then immediately regretted it when he laughed and slid closer to her.

"Oh, really?" He asked.

Nini pushed him away.

"I just mean that-"

"What?"

Nini crossed her arms and huffed.

"Never mind."

Ricky laughed.

"So you're into brown eyed guys?"

"No." Nini quickly rejected.

"Brown eyed girls?" He teased.

"NO!" Nini exclaimed. "Oh, just shut up."

"Mr. Bowen, Miss Roberts, we have arrived at our destination." The drivers voice came through the speaker.

"Thank god." Nini muttered.

Ricky jumped out of the limo and offered Nini his hand, which she accepted.

When she fully gets out of the limo, he pulls her close and leans in to whisper in her ear, "time to play pretend, sweetheart." Then he kisses her hand and she feels her face redden just slightly.

"Royale Plaza?! Are you insane?!"

Royale Plaza was a cluster of the most expensive stores in all of LA. She couldn't comprehend for the life of her why Ricky would buy her clothes from these stores.

"Ricky, I can't shop here. I'll look like a gold digger." She said.

"What's the big deal? I'm just getting my beautiful girlfriend some gifts," he said coolly, steering her into the first store.

It took a second for her to remember that she was the girlfriend. A middle-aged man in a luxury suit walked up to them.

"Mister Bowen, what a pleasure." He said in his thick French accent.