Dealing with Karter

Chapter 19: Date

Be ready by 7. Wear something nice.

I reread Karter's text over and over again.

This morning, we started off carefully. Neither one of us trying to push the other. It didn't take long until we were back to normal. I forced it. I asked about his family, told him how I argued over the pronunciation of amygdala with my biology teacher who was a native speaker of French. Karter eased quickly.

Now he asked me out on a date. I think.

"That's so a date," Manny said from over my shoulder. He was sitting on my bed scrolling through Instagram before this happened.

"Right?" I raised my brows.

Manny's excitement was radiating. I think he was more excited than me. "It better not be ice cream again."

"What's wrong with ice cream? I like ice cream," I frowned.

Manny gave me a small smile. "I mean it better only be you two, not his whole family."

My lips shaped into an "o". I liked the sound of alone time with Karter.

Manny hopped off my bed and walked to my closet moving from hanger to hanger. He starts pulling out a few outfits throwing them on my desk chair beside him. It was his maybe pile. "So how sexy are we dressing?"

"Manny!" I blushed.

I could see the smirk creeping on his lips. I knew I was not going to like his next few words. "Are we dressing sexy under too."

I gasped, my cheeks feeling like they were about to melt off. "Manny!"

He threw his head back in laughter. I knew he was just saying this to get under my skin. "Alright, alright, we'll stay PG. But, you still need to tease him a bit or else it's no fun."

I think my cheeks have reached the point of no return.

"Are we talking LBD or taking her home to meet the parents?" Manny asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "He just said to dress nice whatever that means."

Manny nodded his head. "Okay, maybe somewhere in the middle."

We finally decided on a off the shoulder bodycon dress, some strappy heels and a choker to accessorize. I did my hair in loose waves and kept my makeup soft.

I waited with Manny for the remainder of the time, it mostly consisted of him saying things to make me blush and make him laugh.

Finally, there was a knock on the door. Seven on the dot. I tried running down the stairs as fast as I could in heels. To my dismay, my parents had already opened the door. Uh oh.

"Have her home by 10, by 10:01 I call the cops," my dad said sternly.

"You also keep your hands to yourself, if I see one hair out of place then I'll have your life ruined faster than you could say criminal record," my mom added.

God, they were frightening.

"I promise I will--"

Karter was cut off.

"That's the thing, I don't believe in promises," said my dad, taking an intimidating step forward.

"Whoa," Jared said stepping into the foyer. He put hand on my dad's shoulder pulling him back. "If he promises, then he promises, I trust this one."

Jared sent a discreet wink my way.

Our hero.

Upon moving my father, my presence was noticed by Karter. His eyebrows flew up to his hair line, his eyes roaming me from head to bottom, the gleam that can only be described as lust, his lips parted before he licked them.