Chapter 5: Shopping

Words : 1393 Updated : Oct 23rd, 2025

Meanwhile, after Mario Walton saw Nancy end the call, it hit him that he'd said something way too suggestive. A wave of anxiety hit him. He knew almost nothing about women's lingerie brands; all he knew was that Nancy's panties felt soft and temptingly silky, and he wanted to keep them. He wasn't worried Nancy would make a fuss about it. From last night to now, all those teasing, ambiguous moments had taught him she indulged him more than a little. What really worried him was Ryder finding out. Ryder was his older cousin, after all. After hesitating for a moment, Mario took Nancy's panties to the bathroom, washed them, and hung them to dry on the balcony. With that done, he flopped down and pulled out his phone to play a game. He was in college now-it's not like he had to study right now. Honestly, Nancy kept treating him like a kid. He pouted at the thought, feeling irritated and a little hurt. He wanted her to see him as a man. "Nancy, why do you look so upset?" Just then, as Nancy's temper simmered, her best friend Clara sashayed up, hips swaying. They had arranged to meet at the mall entrance. Seeing Clara's cheerful face, Nancy quickly composed herself and said, "It's nothing. Ryder's younger cousin has been glued to his phone all day. I told him off and told him to study." "Ryder's cousin?" Clara blinked, searched her memory, then brightened. "Oh, that handsome kid. He's staying at your place?" "Mm. It's the holidays. Ryder asked him to stay a couple of days," Nancy said. Clara looked briefly uneasy. "Mario isn't that little anymore, you know." "He's… nineteen," Nancy said. "Does he have a girlfriend?" Clara asked. Catching the odd tone, Nancy finally realized what Clara was getting at. She furrowed her brow and snapped, "How would I know?" "I'm just reminding you. College boys these days can be trouble-hormones and all," Clara said. Clara knew Ryder worked long hours and that Nancy had once complained to her about a sex life that was far from satisfying. Unlike Nancy, Clara was bold by nature. She never shied away from risqué talk between best friends. She smacked Nancy on the butt and teased, "Or do you just like it like this?" "Eek!" People streamed in and out of the mall entrance. Nancy hadn't expected Clara to swat her in public. Heat rushed to her cheeks. She lowered her voice and hissed, "Are you crazy? There are so many people…" After a bit of fooling around, Clara saw Nancy's face had gone bright red. Not wanting to push her into real anger, she backed off. "All right, it's the weekend-let's go spend some money," Clara said, deftly changing the subject. By evening, Nancy came home loaded with shopping bags. She had bought two dresses for herself and a casual suit for Ryder. She didn't treat Mario like an outsider-after all, she let him stay over every holiday. From one of the bags she pulled out a pair of sneakers. "Mario, come try these on." He glanced down and saw they were Nike. Embarrassment pricked him. "Sis-in-law, these must be pricey, right?" He called her 'sis-in-law,' the way he'd always addressed his cousin's wife. "Not pricey-they're on sale, twelve percent off." Nancy dug out the packing, loosened the laces, and handed the shoes to him. "Even with the discount, they're still Nikes," Mario muttered. "Enough. There's nothing less attractive than a grown boy whining. Just try them," Nancy said. He didn't dare argue. He slipped on the sneakers. They fit like they were made for him; the soles felt light and soft, and they were surprisingly comfortable to walk in. "Do you like them?" Nancy asked. Mario nodded. "I do." "Good. I'm going to start dinner. You be a good boy and watch some TV," Nancy said, pleased. Mario hated those two words-good boy. They made him feel like she would always see him as a child. He changed back into his slippers and trotted into the kitchen to help. "Why aren't you watching TV?" Nancy asked. He grinned. "I'll help-rinse the veggies, chop stuff…" "Just don't make more work for me," Nancy laughed. Mario huffed under his breath, fished two potatoes out of a plastic bag, scrubbed them clean, peeled them, and tried to slice. He ended up cutting the potatoes into sticks as thick as his pinky. "Let me do it. Look at you, all thumbs." Nancy couldn't help but giggle. She stepped in behind him and took the knife from his hand. Their fingers brushed. Heat shot to Mario's head. He closed his hand over her smaller one. "Sis-in-law," he said softly. Nancy hadn't expected Mario to grow so bold. He was a hot-blooded teenager, and she had no idea how to steer him gently back to the line. If she gave him a stern lecture, she feared he would never dare come over again, and then what would she say when Ryder asked? While she stood there at a loss, Mario wrapped his arms around her. He stammered, "Sis… sis-in-law, I…" Nancy felt his burning gaze and lost her composure. Her face flushed so red it looked like it might bleed. Her heart was pounding. In a daze, Ryder's face flashed through her mind.

Chapter 5: Shopping

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