Always Yours | ✔

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter 13 - Dinner for Three

I tried to convince Parker that he didn't need to walk me to my door, knowing that my dad is home and he'll want to meet Parker.

Of course Parker insisted that he makes sure I get inside safely, even though I've become much more aware on the ride to my house.

I think it's just his excuse to embarrass me in front of my dad.

I open the door as quietly as I can, but dad having the ears of a bat, hears me right away and rushes to the door. "Oh hunny, it's already dinner time. Where have you been?" He scurries to my side concerned.

My dad and I are very close. If I'm not coming right home from school, I always let him now. So it's no wonder that getting home a couple hours late, has him scared.

"I fell at cheerleading practice. I was napping in the nurse's office for a while."

"Cheerleading practice?" He questions. It was as if he just then noticed the uniform I had on.

"Yeah, I thought I'd try it out again."

"Not going so well?" He sighs.

"No it is, this was another girl's fault." I smirk at the thought of what Courtney did.

"Oh, well she better not let it happen again." This is where my dad is silently hinting to remember he's a lawyer and that he's capable of suing. He doesn't do it to over any ego he has. He does it just because he's crazy protective over me.

"It won't dad. Drop it please." I give him my 'I'm serious' look that he knows all too well. He drops his shoulders in defeat and lets out a soft 'okay'.

"And who's this then?" He turns his attention towards Parker.

"I'm Parker, sir." Parker sticks out his hand and firmly shakes my father's.

"A boyfriend?" My dad wiggles his eyebrows.

Before my dad could get too excited I bust out with a 'no'. "He's just a friend dad. He gave me a ride to school and helped me home."

"Well how nice of him." My dad smiles gratefully at Parker.

"Yes, well he's leaving now." I hold my hand out, pointing to the door and Parker starts towards it.

"Wait a minute young man." My dad's voice cuts through the silence.

"Yeah?" Parker turns his head towards him.

"I didn't start cooking anything because Anna wasn't here and well, she's the real chef. It's getting a little late to start dinner now, so would you like to go out with us? It's on me for watching out for my baby."

"Thank you for the invite Sir, but I'll only go if that's what Anna wants."

My dad looks at me expectantly, like he knew he'd successfully force me to say yes, which of course he did.

"Great, it's settled then. Anna go change. We'll be going to 'Cilia's Cuisine' I'll grab one of my dress shirts for you Parker. We're about the same size."

Leave it to my dad to pick an expensive, fancier place. Cilia's Cuisine is very black tie styled. The girls wear fancy dresses and every guy wears a nice suit and tie. If you don't follow the custom, you'll receive bitter stares the whole time.

I rummage through my closet before deciding on a slimming black dress. It's very simple with some delicate embroidery at the hem, and it hangs mid thigh. I pull on some classic satin black heels, and settle on leaving my mother's silver heart locket around my neck.