2:29 AM

Chapter Eleven

"Colton," I say. He grins at me, like he thinks he's a real winner, and then sits down. My parents are gaping. "So, um, Mom, Daddy, this is Colton. My friend," I say. Colton holds out his hand to my dad.

Dad doesn't take it. "I'm Colton, sir," Colton says. Dad looks at me and then at Colton. He takes Colton's hand. He shakes it quickly and then abruptly drops it. "Hi, Mrs. Collins," he says. Mom smiles but it seems fake, like it always is.

We get handed menus. "Nice entrance," I mutter to him.

"I like your dress. Not as short or as tight as I would have liked, but still a start," he murmurs back to me. He wore slacks and a dress shirt like I told him to. The pants are black but the shirt is a dark green that makes his eyes pop. Damn, he looks good.

"You're a fucking pervert," I whisper to him, too quiet for my parents to hear. "Play nice, you're my friend, not my boyfriend," I say. He nods.

"Watch me be charming," he says to me, his lips turning up into a smile.

"You're as charming a dead rat that's been floating in the sewers," I tell him.

"Come on, Ace, be nice! If I have to play nice, you do too. You can't insult me. And we both know that I don't smell like the sewers," he tells me. The problem is that he does smell good. He smells like cologne and pine and eucalyptus. Fuck, he smells good.

"Maybe. Did you call me Ace? Pick one: Ace or Mo," I say.

"How about both?"

"How about one?" I turn to look at him. "Stop enjoying this so much."

"Enjoying what?" Colton asks.

"Arguing with me," I say. He shrugs.

He leans in, his lips brushing my ear, and whispers, "You're sexy when you argue with me." I have no response to that.

Luckily our server comes by. "Hi, can I get you started with something to drink?" She's a preppy brunette in a tight, little cocktail dress.

"Wine," Dad says. "What are your reds?" She rambles off a couple and he choses one.

"And you?" she asks me.

"Ice tea with sweetener," I say. She nods.

"And you?" she asks Colton. For his part, he doesn't look at her chest when she "accidentally" drops her pen and goes to pick it up, giving the both of us a nice view of her lacy bra. I roll my eyes.

"I'll have an ice tea too, but with extra lemon," he says. She nods and scurries off.

"So," Dad starts, "how do you know my daughter?"

"Ace and I are lab partners," he says. Dad doesn't ask him about the Ace part, thankfully. Our waitress comes back with our drinks. She sets them down and smiles at Colton.

Jesus. Give it a rest already.

"Are you ready to order?" she asks. We nod.

"Can I have the t-bone steak with potatoes and asparagus?" Dad says.

"The house salad," Mom says.

"The roasted chicken with steamed vegetables," I say. She turns to Colton.

"I'll split with her," he says, jerking a thumb in my direction. She nods and then leaves. We sit there awkwardly.

"You guys are...friends?" Mom asks.

"Yes," I say. Colton nods.

"It didn't seem like you liked him at first," she says. I smirk and Colton looks at me.