Page 26 of Enemy Crush
Her cheeks turn pink and she smiles. “But what will your dad think?”
“He’s going to be wondering how in the hell I got so lucky.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “Always a charmer.” She goes to walk away but I catch her wrist and pull her back. “I have a lot to live up to with all those book boyfriends you have,” I say, leaning in to press my lips to hers.
The kiss is soft and slow but long, leaving me wanting more and ready to lay her down. I forget everything but her. I forget about dinner, about being on a time crunch, about having people waiting on me. All I can think about is her. I’m consumed. I start walking her backward to the bed and when I’m about to lay her down, she pulls back and pushes against my chest.
“We don’t have time for this,” she reminds me.
“Maybe just a quickie?” I try.
She laughs. “Not even a quickie.”
“Well, we can be a little late. It’s just Dad.”
She gasps. “We’re not going to be late. This isn’t just Dad. This is your dad, the man who raised you and whom I’ve never properly met. I want to make a good impression.”
“That’s the only kind of impression you can make, Stella. Have you seen you?”
She laughs and squeezes past me to pick up her purse. “No charming your way out of this one. We’re going to dinner, you’re going to introduce me to your father, and then maybe if you’re a good boy, we’ll get back to this later this evening. Deal?”
I roll my eyes like the child I am. “Deal,” I agree, heading for the door.
The two of us load up in my tuck and I drive us to the town’s only Italian restaurant. Dad’s old work truck is already in the parking lot, so I pull up next to it.
“You ready for this?” I turn and ask Stella as I’m killing the engine.
She nods. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
I climb out and walk around to open her door. She wraps her hand around my arm and the two of us walk into the restaurant together. We stop at the hostess station, but I can see Dad through the crowd. I lead Stella through the tables, all the way to the back.
“It’s good to see you, Dad,” I say, giving him a hug.
He hugs me and pats my back like he always did when I was a boy. “You’re looking good, son, and who’s this pretty lady you got with you?”
I place my hand on Stella’s lower back and pull her up to my side. “Dad, this is Stella, my girlfriend. Stella, this is my father, Jack.”
“Hello, sir. It’s nice to meet you,” Stella says, holding out her hand to shake.
Dad offers his friendly smile and takes her hand in his. “It’s nice to meet you too, Stella. Why don’t we sit and get to know one another?”
She nods and I pull out her chair for her before taking the seat at her right. Dad sits across from us, dressed in his gray suit that always reminded me of Bob Barker. He’s even tall, thin, has tanned skin, and gray hair just like the game show host.
“So, how did you two meet?” Dad asks.
Stella laughs. “He ran his bike through my dollhouse I was building in my front yard about twenty-some-odd years ago.” She glances at me.
“And I still haven’t heard the end of it,” I say to Dad, leaning in.
She giggles and playfully smacks me on the chest with the back of her hand.
Dad laughs. “You’rethatStella,” Dad says, seeming to think out loud.
She cocks her head to the side. “Excuse me?”
I grab the glass of water that’s in front of me and start chugging it while shaking my headnoat my dad.
Stella looks at me puzzled and Dad just laughs. “I remember many, many years ago, my son who was only about eight at the time, he came to me and said,Dad, there’s this girl I like but I think she hates me. What do I do?” He laughs. “So I sat down with him and I asked,what’s her name?And he said,Stella. Then he went on to describe you in great detail, all the way down to the shade of the freckles on your nose.” His smile is wide and his eyes are glazed over like he’s watching the moment instead of just recalling it.
