Never Too Soon

I Invited You

POV: Harper

"Dad, so I have I question." I teetered back and forth on my feet as my dad studied me. He is a lawyer after all.

"What is your question?" My dad took a bite of his dinner, but maintained eye contact after taking in my body language.

"Lauren invited me to go see downtown this weekend and I was wondering if I could go." I rushed out in one breath.

"Okay," he shrugged.

"Okay? That's it? No comment or life lesson?" I was taken aback and nearly stood up to back away from this strange man at the table.

My dad rolled his eyes. "You need friends. I don't care how old or young they are. Maybe you can get yourself a sugar momma while you're at it."

"Dad," I whined. "She's just a friend and will remain that way."

"Okay," he shrugged again in the same non-phased manner.

"Why are you being like this?" I frowned and crossed my arms.

"Oh, I'm studying a new technique for court. Apparently if I agree with someone on something completely out there when they didn't expect that answer from me, they will give the same answers or questions I would've given, therefore, they tell the truth or something else that would screw them over." He seemed genuinely excited. "Come to find out, it works."

"Not at dinner, Franklin." My Nan warned my dad and I snickered to myself.

My dad frowned and then squinted his eyes at me when he saw me cracking up.

"Keep it up and see if I let you go with Lauren this weekend." My dad gave me an empty warning.

"Yeah, okay." My Grandpa rolled his eyes. "That girl could ask you for a star and you'd give her ten."

My dad didn't deny it which caused all of us to crack up and continue the light conversations. My dad hasn't brought up my mom or the divorce in awhile. I'm pretty sure my Nan got mad at him or at least talked to him.

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"Harp, your woman friend is here!" My Grandpa yelled to me and I nearly bolted out of my room.

"You ready to roll, Harper?" Lauren greeted me with a smile in her black leather jacket that complemented her hair that was tied up in a messy bun perfectly.

"Um, yeah." I had to lick my lips after them becoming dry from my jaw being dropped for as long as it was.

"Be careful." My dad shot me a wink and I rolled my eyes. "Have fun, ladies."

"We will." Lauren continued to look me in the eyes and I was nearly putty in her hands.

My Gramps cleared his throat and it snapped me out of the bit of an unintentional staring contest Lauren and I were in.

"Bring her back by eleven. I'll have your head if you don't." My Gramps warned Lauren, and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh be quiet, Gramps." I huffed and walked out the front door. "Coming?" I looked over my shoulder to see Lauren watching me with a smile.

Lauren nodded her head and my Gramps closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry about him. He's overprotective over me after all that has happened." I nervously scratched the back of my neck and waited for her to unlock the car.

"It's okay. I get it." She gave me an understanding smile and walked over to where I was standing. "Am I driving or something?" I looked at her cautiously.

"Oh hell no. I'm just opening your door for you." She giggled and opened my door for me. "I never want to be in a vehicle that you're driving." She commented as I slid in and closed the door before I could say anything back.

"How do you know I'm a bad driver if you've never seen me drive?" I questioned with a huff as soon as she got settled behind the wheel and buckled.

"You haven't driven since you've gotten your license last year. A whole year without driving and I get a bad driver vibe from you." Lauren shrugged and smirked to herself as she backed out of the driveway, waiting for me to make a comment.

"A 'bad driver vibe'? Really?" I squinted my eyes at her and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Yes, I feel like you're reckless deep down and if you were given that kind of independence you'd be a hell raiser."

"I was a good driver."

Lauren didn't further comment. She wasn't going to budge on it anyways so there was no need in continuing the debate.

"Where are we even going?" I asked after a few minutes of silence that seemed oddly not awkward.

"Well, we're going downtown and then finding a parking spot in the middle of it, and wondering. If we find something to do, then we'll do it. We'll pick a place to eat dinner afterwards."

"My dad gave me one of his credit cards, so it's on me." I double checked to make sure the metal card was still in my pocket. You only get those special cards if you have money, and my dad has it from being a lawyer, his investments, and having his own law firm on top of being an assistant district attorney. He wasn't allowed to spend it before, and now that he can he picks a random card and hands it to me.

"Not happening." Lauren dismissed it immediately.

"What? Why not?" I nearly threw a fit on the spot.

"Because I invited you and I am paying. End of story." She tried to end it, but I am stubborn as a bull.

"My dad has a shit ton of money and nothing to do with it. I am paying. It won't even put a dent into it no matter what we do, and this is one of his many cards." I turned in my seat to further the disagreement.

"Too bad it's staying in the car and I'm paying for everything." She shrugged.

"No it's not." I tucked it further into my pocket.

"You aren't paying for a single thing. I'm not budging."

"Why not? I just wanna pay for at least something." I whined and tried my puppy eyes, but she wasn't looking.

"I invited you to come with me to explore downtown. I am not letting you pay for a thing. Not even a glass of water."

I huffed and looked out the window. "You're mean to me."

"Oh, you are so right. I am just so awful to you." Lauren scoffed and played along.

"You really are." I mumbled and tried to sound as tough as possible, but Lauren chuckling told me that I was far from it. Not to mention, her laugh made me smile and the act went downhill from there.

"You're too cute." Lauren giggled.

The blush that grew on my cheeks was bound to happen and impossible to avoid or prevent, so I looked out the window as much as possible so she wouldn't see it. I can't show that I have the slightest bit of a crush on her.

She's an adult with a career, house, and her feet under her. I'm a minor who is still in high school, living with my grandparents, and my feet have been swiped out from under me.

But here I am, going into town with her and catching more feelings for her than I can carry. Great.