Flirt by Tracy Brown Page A

looked over at her and sized up her outfit. She wore a pair of denim capris that were so tight, he wondered how she had gotten into them. And her T-shirt looked like it was sized for a preschooler. “Why don’t you ever wear the sweater I bought for you?” he asked.
    “Oh,” she said, caught off guard. “It doesn’t fit. Too big. I gave it to Willow.”
    She noticed that Trey gripped the wheel a little tighter. Still, he said nothing. Figuring she was coming across as an ungrateful bitch, Chloe changed the subject and talked about all the compliments she was getting from the girls at school on the Coach bag he’d bought for her. She knew she would never wear thatugly-ass sweater, no matter how it hurt Trey’s feelings. With all the other countless articles of clothing he’d bought for her, why did that damn sweater matter so much, anyway?
     
    The following month, Rachel Webster warned her daughter again that she was letting Trey spend too much money on her. She liked Trey, but was wondering whether her daughter was in fact leading the generous young man on.
    “Chloe, be careful, I’m telling you. You let a guy spend this much time with you and money on you, and they start to feel like they own you. Trey’s a nice guy and I don’t think he’s like that. But I want you to be sure that you’re not leading him on and taking advantage of his generosity. Playing with people’s emotions can be dangerous. Especially because you two have been seeing each other for only a few months.”
    “Ma, I’m a grown woman. I can take care of myself.” Chloe hated when her mother acted like she was still a kid. Rachel should be saving all her lectures for Willow, who was still young, naive, and impressionable. Chloe was anything but.
    “I know you can take care of yourself, Missy. I’m just making sure that you’re not getting caught up.”
    “I’m not,” Chloe said simply. “But thanks for your concern.” She grabbed her new Bebe handbag and headed out for a day in the park with her two dearest friends.
    Dawn and Kim were sitting in Mahoney Park on their usual bench. It was a beautiful and sunny May day, and the girls were eager to show off their new gear. School was officially out, andthat meant lazy hot summer days ahead. Dawn waved at her friend as she approached. Chloe walked over to where they sat and smiled brightly as she greeted them.
    “Wassup, divas?”
    “Nice bag!” Kim snatched up the pricey clutch as soon as Chloe set it on the bench beside her. “Trey still ain’t tired of spending dough on you, huh? After three months of no ass, I’m surprised he hasn’t given up on you.”
    Chloe laughed. “First of all, my mom bought me that bag.”
    “But I bet Trey bought the matching shoes,” Dawn said, smirking.
    Chloe cut her eyes at her friend, but then chose to ignore her. She sighed. “Second of all, I think I’m finally going to give him some pussy.”
    Dawn gasped and clapped her hands. “Finally!”
    “Oh my God!” Kim’s mouth hung open in shock. “What brought about the change of heart?”
    Chloe shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “I really like him. He pays attention to me, he spoils me, and he’s very thoughtful and romantic. Plus he’s fine.”
    Kim nodded. “He
is
fine!”
    Chloe laughed. “I think he might have potential. I like spending time with him, talking on the phone with him, and he was a big hit with my mother. She loves him.”
    Chloe knew that was a lie. Both her mother and her sister had reservations about the man in her life. But Chloe liked him. In fact, Rachel and Willow’s hesitation to embrace Trey only made Chloe like him more.
    Dawn nodded. “That’s major. When the parents like a guy, it’s a good sign. Usually no guy is good enough for their daughter. So if Miss Rachel likes him, he must be a keeper.”
    Chloe smiled. She wished what she’d said was true. It used to matter to her a lot more what her friends and family thought. So far, Trey was