Jimmy found a shop to have breakfast, or rather, brunch, because it was indeed a bit late. Afterward, he started his shopping spree without a specific goal, buying whatever he liked, needed, and could afford, rather than just picking something up from a store and leaving immediately like the aimless wanderers, just going wherever his feet would take him.

He had been living in this apartment for almost a month now, and Jimmy had hardly added anything to the room, except for some kitchenware and cutlery at the very beginning. The rest came with the apartment, like the refrigerator, TV, air conditioning, and the like.

But usually, he didn't need anything special at home. Since he couldn't think of anything he needed, he'd just see what was available as he shopped.

After strolling down Fifth Avenue for a while, Jimmy already had a few small bags in his hands, containing T-shirts, ties, belts, and such. He thought about buying a pair of running shoes when he saw some athletic equipment but decided to postpone it, considering he still wanted to continue shopping. He figured he would purchase them on his way back; otherwise, carrying everything around would spoil his shopping.

After wandering for quite some time, Jimmy sat outside a coffee shop, ordered a cup of coffee, and took a smoking break. Though New York City had various smoking regulations, not many adhered to them strictly at that time, and right next to Jimmy was a middle-aged man puffing on a cigar.

While appreciating the beauties on the street, Jimmy savored his coffee. Having lived here for more than two years, drinking coffee had become a habit. The only difference was that back in Stonetown, he'd wear his police uniform to certain coffee shops, where he'd get a police discount. This was standard practice in big cities across the United States, where the discount for policemen could range from 0.5 to 2 US Dollars per cup.

Of course, coffee shops wouldn't lose out by offering this deal. Having police frequent their premises at least assured some sense of safety, and many shops were willing to do that.

Now Jimmy was no longer a policeman, and in New York, only NYPD and NYSD officers could enjoy discounted coffee. He had to buy it just like any regular customer.

As he watched the pretty ladies, suddenly Jimmy caught a glimpse of a familiar figure passing by. When he turned his gaze back to look, the person had disappeared into the crowd. Jimmy stood up, hoping to spot the person thanks to his height, but to no avail.

Perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him, Jimmy thought, as he sat back down and checked the time on his watch, making a mental note of it. He wasn't entirely sure if he had mistaken someone for Tom just now. Although he had only met Tom a few times, he was certain he wouldn't forget his face—after all, it had only been a year since Tom's death.

Perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him, Jimmy could only think that way. He jotted down the time and address, planning to ask Jones to check the surveillance footage of the intersection later.

After finishing his coffee, Jimmy picked up his small bags and walked back the way he'd come. The clothes and shoes he had previously looked at were ready for purchase.

Returning to the sports store he had visited earlier, Jimmy asked the salesperson to bring a pair of running shoes in his size and queued up at the counter to pay.

"Jimmy? What are you doing here?"

Turning around, Jimmy saw Dr. Mary Walter standing next to a blonde beauty, "Hey, Dr. Walter, what a coincidence." He stepped out of the line, as there was no rush to make the purchase upon seeing an acquaintance.

Mary pointed at Jimmy's denim hat: "Cool! This outfit looks great."

Jimmy: "Thanks, I'm just off duty, so I came out for some fresh air. What about you? And who might this be?"

Mary: "Jenna, this is Jimmy. Jimmy, Jenna."

Jimmy: "Nice to meet you. Are you guys out shopping?"

Mary: "We're preparing to go play squash on the fly and need to buy some sportswear. How about you? Want to join us?"

Jimmy: "Squash? I've never played before, but sure, I can join."

Mary and Jenna began selecting squash shoes and sportswear, and under Mary's recommendation, Jimmy also bought a set of quick-dry sportswear and specialized squash shoes. They said it was because the court floor was wooden, and running shoes could easily lead to injuries.

Jimmy was just twiddling his thumbs, bored anyway, so hanging out with a pretty girl and getting some exercise wasn't a loss.

Since he was accompanying a beautiful lady on her shopping trip, naturally the task of carrying bags fell to Jimmy. He lugged the big and small bags and got into Mary's car, arriving at a club. Dr. Mary was definitely a regular here, as she greeted the front desk and went straight in. They arrived at the changing room door, where Jimmy handed over their bags and took a tag to enter the men's changing room.

This was Jimmy's first visit to a squash court, a room with three solid walls and one transparent one. However, after tapping on it, Jimmy discovered that it wasn't glass but rather perspex, offering excellent light transmission.

Mary and Jenna went inside to warm up, while Jimmy rested at a table outside, taking the opportunity to learn a bit. There were two pamphlets on the table explaining the rules of squash, which Jimmy quickly reviewed to get a rudimentary understanding.

After warming up, Mary and Jenna started their match, and Jimmy enjoyed the sight of the two sporty beauties in action.

Mary and Jenna were both quite tall, of course, that's relative to women. They both had golden blonde hair tied back in ponytails that swung back and forth during the game.

The two women also had great figures; squash outfits are similar to tennis apparel, with men wearing shorts and women in skirts. Watching the two beauties in sportswear and skirts moving about was a feast for the eyes.

Later, Jenna took a break, and Mary began to teach Jimmy how to serve, return the ball, and the rules, then left him alone inside to familiarize himself while she took a rest.

Jimmy's athletic talent was truly something. Although it was his first time playing, and he missed the ball frequently at the start due to unfamiliarity with its bounce, stumbling around a bit, he gradually improved as he played.

Squash and badminton do share many similarities, once accustomed to it, one can assure hitting the ball and the wall even if practicing alone without competition.

Afterwards, Jimmy joined Mary and Jenna for over an hour, and the three of them essentially broke down any barriers, getting to know each other very well.

Since Mary and Jenna had other engagements in the evening, Jimmy was cast aside like a tool man, with Mary driving Jenna away while Jimmy had to hail a cab home alone.

Fortunately, he got their personal contact information, so he could arrange to do sports with them later on. Before, he used to contact Dr. Mary through her office phone directly, so this was an unexpected gain.

Squash seemed quite interesting and could make for a good hobby. Even though it was only a little over an hour of exercise, Jimmy was pretty much constantly active alongside Mary and Jenna with little rest, so he definitely exceeded his exercise quota. Hopefully, he wouldn't wake up sore all over the next morning.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.