Liam looks positively moody and that makes me want to burst out giggling. He is literally sulking as we head to his car but it's okay. I mean, didn't expect him to just accept these new requirements and just do everything with a smile on. There wouldn't be a point in asking him to do this if he didn’t mind.

When we arrive to his car he opens his door and gets in, however I wait next to the passenger's door. Liam doesn't realise what I'm asking him to do so I fold my arms and put an annoyed expression on. Yes, I know it's not necessary for him to do this but I'm really trying to teach him to be a gentleman and to treat a girl nicely. Not because it's mandatory but because it's nice. Treating a girl like something precious is not misogynist, it's considerate. By opening a door for me you are not belittling me, you're being considerate and I can do the same for you. That's what I'm trying to teach Liam, that he needs to be more considerate towards the people that are around him.

Liam leans in to my side to look at me through the window so I just glare at him and, thank goodness, he gets it. He rolls his eyes and I think he snorts but then he gets out and walks up to where I am standing.

"You are getting on my nerves," he tells me but I just smile widely when he opens the door for me.

"Why thank you, kind gentleman."

He rolls his eyes again as he walks to his side, mumbling something. I can see him and I have to fight the giggles one more time before he gets in. "So, where are we going?" I ask looking at him whilst he turns on the ignition.

"Shopping," is his dry reply and now I want to roll my eyes. I kind of do it.

"Oh joy, how romantic," I mumble. "The perfect place to take your girlfriend for a first date."

Liam glares at me this time. "The party was our first date, remember?"

"Oh right, that counts as date," I reply. I'm not sure why I tend to forget that. It wasn't that traumatic as for me trying to repress the memory, plus I was officially presented as girlfriend that day, even the first pictures of us were taken.

My fake boyfriend glares at me briefly before snorting and focusing on the road again. "Shopping is nice. I'll get you something, okay?"

I don't reply to that statement because, somehow, it makes me feel offended but I'm not sure why yet. It's a combination between his tone and word order, like he's just trying to buy me with material things. Due to our situation since Mother died, I have learnt the real value of material things. They are irrelevant, you really don't need those things because they can go as fast as they come.

I know he's annoyed with me right now and he's trying to stop me with a present. What does he think I am? A cat that gets distracted with shinny things?

I don't give him a comeback because I don't want to start a fight whilst he's driving but my mood is ruined. However, staying silent only makes me grow grumpier because in a way I'm letting him win and I really don't like losing.

It's a good thing that the shopping centre is near and we don't take long to get there. I don't wait or try to make Liam open the door for me this time because I'm still pissed due to his comment. Now we both are in a bad mood and, I guess, it's fair. In my defence, I have noble intentions.

I don’t know exactly where Liam is planning to go, so I just follow him keeping certain distance between us. The centre is not crowded, but if it were, no one would think we are here together, just two people going in the same direction. I appreciate this because I’m really not in the mood to deal with him. I need other ten minutes.

“We’re going in,” Liam states without turning to look at me and make sure I’m there. I could’ve run away. I didn’t, but I could’ve, that’s the point.

Regardless of the things I could’ve done but didn’t, I follow him inside of one of those unnecessarily expensive brand shop. Yes, they have lovely items, but there are other options far more affordable. You don’t need to spend your whole paycheck on a pair of trouser. Of course, Liam’s paycheck equals twelve paycheks of mine; so for him spending money like this is like buying a bag of crisps for me.

I feel like I’m rambling too much today, even in my mind.

“What are you looking for?” I ask to distract myself and focus on something concrete.

“I dunno, whatever I like,” he replies and I roll my eyes.

“Great way to narrow things down. So you shop for the sake of shopping? What kind of human are you?” I ask because for me it’s so hard to understand people who actually enjoy going shopping. I do it only when I really have to, otherwise I won’t bother.

“What kind of girl are you?” he shoots back at me, turning around and looking shocked. I stop and fold my arms in what is a very defiant posture.

“How stereotypical of you, Liam. Not all girls love shopping, okay? That’s just a misconception. It’s like saying all boys love football. For your information, I don’t like shopping and I love football.”

I’m not sure what kind of response I was expecting, whether if Liam to apologise or insult me, but instead he only looks surprised; his eyebrows rise and his eyes shine with something new that I haven’t seen before. It’s not approval, though, of that I’m sure. It’s—

“Different,” Liam completes my train of thoughts and I blink in surprise. I’m sure we weren’t thinking the same but it gives me the creeps to know our both line of thoughts ended the same way.

“Whatever, let’s just get over with this,” I suggest because I don’t want to think of Liam and I having something in common, even if it’s a line of thoughts.

He stares at me for a tad bit longer before turning around. He starts looking around without a definite aim and I do the same just in case I find something he might like but I’m not sure if I could be able of doing that. His style is rather… well, not of a rockstar per say. He wears light colours and very fashionable, more like a model than an international star. I don’t really know Liam, though, as to think I could possibly find something that he might like and wear, so instead I just look around aimlessly until something catches my eye. I don’t even care if he likes it or not.

By the time I’ve found three t-shirts I like, I see Liam with a mountain of clothes. No kidding. Many trousers, shirts, hoodies, jumpers, t-shirts and other things I’m not sure what they are. I’m impressed and not in a good way.

“Oh, those are cool,” he says when he notices the three items I’m holding. “For me, right?”

“Uh… yeah I though that… but I think you got it covered,” I offer still staring at him in awe.

“Nah, it’s never enough. Let me try them on,” he replies in a considerably better mood. I hand him the tees as he requested and just follow him to the changing room. I don’t follow him inside, of course.

I’m still amazed by all the things he took with him and by the fact that no one seemed to mind that he took so many items with him. Isn’t like six items the maximum allowed in a changing room? I guess that's a perk of being famous: you do whatever you want, fuck the shop policies.

After a few minutes, Liam opens the door and appears with a whole different outfit. Black and skinny jeans —although not too skinny— with a white tee and a red plaid shirt on top. The tee fits his torso perfectly, allowing me to appreciate his muscles that, to my surprise, are quite defined. I look at him from head to toe and, despite that’s not exactly the kind of look I like in a guy, I admit he pulls it off.

“What do you think?” he asks me turning on his heels in three sixty so I can appreciate the full outfit.

“You look great,” I admit and when I see his conceited smile I realise I should’ve phrased that differently. I don’t mean lying, just not with that particular adjective.

“Then I’m taking this one,” is his comment before he walks inside again.

We repeat the same patter a few times and some outfits don’t suit him, they make him look tacky and I totally refuse to that. Incredibly, he accepts my opinion. When I tell him I don’t look certain clothing on him, he accepts it and discards the item. I don’t know if it’s because he’s that easy to convince or if it’s because he… trusts me.

In addition, the tees I picked for him fit him perfectly and I must confess, with shame, that I stare at him for longer when he models those for me. They are nothing too exotic or sophisticated, they are simple, fashionable yet classy and they make him look just like that… and I like that look on him.

I have to accept that Liam is really handsome, if it were not because he is an asshole ninety-nine per cent of the time, I think I could even have a crush on him. Celebrity crush, mind you.

When he finally finishes trying on all the things he wanted, we go to the cashier and he doesn’t even mind how much he spends on all those things; he just hands his credit card and makes the transaction. As easy as ordering at Starbucks. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone shopping so carelessly.

Once he has all his bags, Liam turns to look at me. “Well, now that we are done with this shop, let’s have lunch,” he proposes.

“This shop?” is what catches my attention, though. “Do you plan on shopping some more?” if I could open my eyes wider, believe me I would.

“Of course. We’re just starting. There are other shops I really like,” he speaks with a condescending tone.

“My God, give me strength,” I mumble.

“I should’ve come with a bodyguard so he could carry the bags,” Liam muses, completely ignoring my previous comment and I gape.

“Liam, you can’t treat people like that. He’s not your errand boy. His job is protecting you, not carrying your bags.”

Liam sighs irritated. “They work for me,” he reminds me as if that were excuse enough.

“That doesn’t mean you can treat them like objects. Objectification, no matter the circumstance, is wrong. You have to be more thoughtful because money can’t buy everything. Eventually, people will get fed up and leave you. Is that what you want?”

He doesn’t reply but I’m not sure that it is because my words actually reach him or because he just doesn’t care. I’m afraid it’s the second and I’m just wasting my time.

“You have to be nicer to people, Liam. Especially because you make a living out of people’s liking.”

Once again he doesn’t say anything, he just keeps walking and I sigh, kind of accepting defeat here. Words can’t reach him, I guess, so instead of insisting on this topic, I just follow him to a nice restaurant, the mood clearly different from before, and I’m not sure it’s a good different. Anyhow, I’m still on a date with him, I have to keep going.

-:-:-

Next update: Sunday