I wasn’t going to push Jennifer for something she didn’t want, but I wasn’t going to resist my flirtations. If she was my girlfriend this weekend, maybe, just maybe, I could find out if my affections were reciprocated.
I changed into fitted khakis with a thick brown belt, a bright blue button-up, rolled to my elbows, and a fresh pair of white tennis shoes. Jennifer’s eyes rounded slightly as they trailed down my body. I smiled confidently. At least she wasn’t completely immune to me.
“I like your dress.”
She flushed and rubbed her hands down the front of the yellow floral number. She’d paired it with a dusty-blue cardigan and brown sandals. I decided that I liked her blush.
“Oh, uh…thanks. I like your outfit too. You’re dressed up.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Too dressed up?”
“No. It’s very you.”
True. I’d always been into fashion. When I was growing up, other guys wore baggy cargo pants and oversize T-shirts. I never felt like myself in that kind of outfit. I wanted sharp lines, tailored cuts, and bright colors. I’d been made fun of for it in middle school. Jordan had stopped that with his fists. He used to take all of his anger issues out by fighting. I was so glad that he had Annie now to quell that response.
“What?” Jennifer asked.
That was when I realized that I had been staring at her. At the shine in her light brown bob, the strands brushing against her collarbone. It was the longest I’d ever seen it. She had on almost no discernible makeup, except some pink gloss on her lips that made me consider licking it off, and kohl lining her eyes. The eyeliner made her eyes almost impossibly large. The hazel turned a soft green in the slanted light coming in from the shutters, revealing the gold flecks that surrounded her pupils. Her pale skin was lightly freckled across the bridge of her nose. I couldn’t stop staring. Not when I had an uninterrupted view.
“You look beautiful,” I admitted.
She drew her bottom lip into her mouth. “There’s no one here for you to impress right now.”
“Yes, there is.”
Her cheeks heated. “You’re such a flirt.”
A deflection if I’d ever heard one. I was a flirt, but it hadn’t even crossed my mind. I couldn’t stop looking at her. But I had to.
I laughed and held my arm out. “You’re right. Shall we?”
She took a deep breath. “Yes. Let’s do it.”
We exited the bedroom to find that her mom had changed into some rust-colored dress. Her light-brown hair matched her daughter’s but appeared to have recently been permed. And then her dad walked into the room. A slight man with glasses and a flannel tucked into denim.
“Ah, you must be the boyfriend,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. He held his hand out. “Dan.”
“Julian.” We shook. “It’s a pleasure, sir.”
“This is the part where I say you have to take care of my daughter,” he said with a laugh.
“Dad,” Jennifer said.
He winked at her. “I know that you can take care of yourself, sweetie.”
“Barely,” her mom said under her breath.
“Connie,” he said softly. “Let’s have a good night.”
“Of course, dear. Are you all ready to go see Chester?” She nearly bounced at the name of her son.
Jennifer practically deflated.
What was I missing? Jennifer had said that graduation was going to suck and that she didn’t want to subject me to it. She’d said that her mom was tough on her. But it was one thing to be tough because of her job or boyfriend status and another thing to have a clear preference for Chester over Jennifer. I’d met Connie less than an hour ago, and I could already see that. No wonder Jennifer hadn’t wanted to come if she was always being compared to her brother by a parent with an obvious preference.
“Yes. Let’s go ahead.” Dan put his arm around Jennifer and kissed her cheek. “We’re really glad to have you here, honey.”
“Thanks, Dad,” she said softly.
“Tell me all about your latest project. You mentioned a portrait session?”
Jennifer brightened at the question. “Yes. I started a series of close-up artistic shots and just got a musician to sign on for the project, too. I think it’ll be the centerpiece. We’re going to do the shoot when I get home.”
“What does that pay?” her mom asked as we walked to their car.
Jennifer shrunk in on herself at the question. Some things weren’t all about money. Some things were art.
Then her dad looked up and whistled. “What is that?”
“You like cars, sir?” I asked as he ogled my brand-new Jag.
“Like cars? Sure. That car is altogether different. This your ride, son?”
“It is. Would you like to give it a whirl?” I produced the keys.
“Maybe later. It’s a two-seater.”
“You and Jen can take it. I’ll follow with Connie,” I said immediately.
Jen’s head whipped to me at the comment. I’d put money on it that she’d been dreading the idea of riding in the car with her mom, especially alone, and I’d found an easy solution.
“Dan, really,” Connie complained.
“Why not?” He took the keys from me. “Get the top down, kiddo.”
Jennifer laughed and dashed off after her dad.
“I can drive if you’d prefer, Connie.” I shot her a sweet smile.
She touched her chest and laughed. “No, that won’t be necessary.”
I covered a laugh. I’d done that on purpose to save Jennifer’s sanity, but she didn’t need to know that. I’d also won over her dad in one fell swoop. One down. One to go.
10
Julian
Well, this was more like it.
Connie pulled up in front of a mansion with a circular driveway. She’d filled me in on the fact that we were going to Chester’s girlfriend, Margaret’s, parents’ house. Apparently, her parents were rich. This house in Austin had to cost a fortune, almost like it would in Vancouver.
“Margaret’s father works for the state,” she explained. “Her mother is a surgeon.”
“Interesting,” I said as I got out of the car.
Jennifer’s hair was wild from the convertible top down being down during the drive with the with her dad. Her smile was just as wide and wild. I wanted to see that look on her face all the time. It was so infrequent that she let loose.
“We might have to drive all the way back like that,” she said on a laugh.
Dan tossed the keys back to me. “I approve. Smooth ride.”
I slipped them back into my pocket. “Glad you think so.”
“Let’s not keep them waiting,” Connie said.
Jennifer sidled up to me and slid her hand onto my arm. I jolted slightly at the surprised contact. Jen rarely initiated anything.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“You know what,” she said with that same genuine smile.
“Of course. You look so happy.”
“My dad loves cars.”