9. Lunch and Lies
Lunch and Lies
Vandal
“You ready to eat?”
No, that doesn’t sound right?
“Are you ready to eat?”
Every way I say it sounds flirty not friendly. Lola and I…we can be friends.
Nothing more.
Great friends. The type of friend who makes sure that nothing bad ever happens to the other friend.
That would work.
Fly wouldn’t kill me for having another friend. Maybe I can make all of her friends into my friends. That would give me even more cover.
Keeping a pack of people around us will act as a distraction. Lola will be able to fade into the pack and disappear, while I keep her protected.
You’ve literally known this girl for a few hours and decided to become her protector. Have you lost your mind?
Yes, her smile took away any hope of me ever getting it back again.
Lola steps out of class with her friend Kerri by her side. Perfect.
Lunch for three.
Kerri nudges Lola, and the two of them turn towards where I’m leaning against the wall.
Lola’s entire face lights up as she smiles. The joy spreads like a virus, forcing a smile out of me. “You made it?”
Did she really expect me to ditch her even though I said I’d take her to lunch? “How was class?”
“Hard.” She grins. “There’s no way I’m going to get everything memorized.”
Does she ever stop smiling? I hope not.
“Yes, you will. I’ll help you study.” Kerri hefts her book bag onto her shoulder.
“Could you lend me your brain for the test? Seriously. Maybe I should have taken a few gap years and started all of this when I was in my twenties.”
I knew Lola was younger than me, but I didn’t know she was that young. A twenty-four-year-old has no business dating a teenager.
DATING! You aren’t dating her. Just friends.
That’s it. Friends who hang out in groups of friends.
Never alone.
No dating.
“You would have been so bored,” Kerri says.
“Lola would have loved traveling abroad.” Both women turn to face me.
That probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say, but it’s true.
Lola is fun and game for things. She would have had a blast running around, exploring the world.
“Are you two ready for lunch?” I slip Lola’s bag off her shoulder and onto mine.
The two women exchange glances…
Friends, just friends. I hold a hand out for Kerri’s bag.
She gives me a confused look but plops the all-too-heavy thing into my hand.
Are these two trying to curve their spines under the weight of their quest for knowledge? “What would you two like for lunch?”
The two girls look at each other, then start laughing at their inside joke before saying in unison, “Pho.”
Rice noodles and vegetables it is. “Sounds good. I know a place.” I know every place thanks to Fly’s attention to detail and never-too-prepared attitude.
Lola slips her hand into mine.
I should pull away, but instead my eyes are drawn to the connection. To the spot where she touches me. To where something so simple and mundane feels like a brand scorching a path to my heart.
How does it feel to already fail at the friends thing? Not going to lie, pretty amazing.
We stop in front of my car, and embarrassment starts to set in as I realize what it looks like. I bought this car to make me look like a rich playboy without a care in the world and more money than sense.
The car is all flash and size. It would have looked better if the club had added a few custom pieces, but I had to rely on the dealer.
At least Kerri isn’t going to be squished on Lola’s lap like she would have been if I brought the sports car that’s also part of my cover story.
Neither of which is me. Though I do like my motorcycles to match my outfit or mood. Would Lola ever get on the back of my motorcycle?
Don’t think about that.
“This is yours?” Lola’s voice is barely a whisper.
Does she hate it or love it? “Yeah.”
Maybe she’s one of those girls looking for a rich guy to take care of her. My heart twists at the thought of her only being kind because of my money.
Everything about me screams wealth, from the designer logos on my clothes to the limited-edition watch on my wrist, which is worth more than most people’s homes.
It would be easier to walk away if she started acting like I was a walking bank card.
I was planning on taking them to a little hole-in-the-wall Pho place that’s got some of the best in the city…but now I know just the way to get Lola to walk away from me…
***
The hostess took one look at my car and ushered us back to a table as soon as we stepped into the fanciest Vietnamese restaurant in the city.
A bowl of Pho for lunch starts at a hundred and twenty dollars.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
How is Lola going to react? Will she dump me before lunch is served, or is she going to start drooling over how much I’m about to pay for what is probably a perfectly fine bowl of soup?
Her friend, Kerri, looks a little green around the gills.
The price is probably way beyond most any college student’s budget. This would be cruel if I were planning on letting her pay for her own meal, but I’m not. “Order whatever you like. My treat.”
Lola raises an eyebrow at me, but proceeds to order.
The mixed signals are only a bit confusing. “What kind of doctor are you planning to be, Kerri?”
“I’m not. There’s no way I’m going to school until I’m almost thirty. Though I guess I’m going to get close. First, I’m going for my RN, then I’m going to start working and continue school to become a nurse practitioner.”
Wow. “Why not go all the way? Aren’t you close to being a doctor by then?”
She nods. “Yeah, but without the half million or more in student loans.”
“Smart.”
Lola tips her head at me but doesn’t say a word.
Does she think I’m judging her because she wants to be a doctor? Or is it because she’s going to end up in all that debt by the time she’s done?
“If you’ll excuse us, I need to use the ladies’ room.”
***
“So then the cat jumped out of the tree onto his shoulder, and he ran screaming around the park. We all tried to help, but he was the fastest runner of all of us.” Lola laughs as she tells the story.
My heart smiles right along with her. She told some of the wildest funny stories during lunch. A few have got to be tall tales, but who doesn’t like enhancing the truth to make a story even better?
The waiter comes by to take the empty dishes and asks, “Would you like a dessert menu?”
I’m not usually a sweet person, but I turn to the girls, who shake their heads. “Just the check, please.”
“The bill has already been taken care of.” He moves away before I can ask who paid it.
A quick scan of the room assures me that there isn’t a random family member or friend of the family who decided to try to ingratiate themselves to me, which leaves one person.
The two of us are going to have a conversation about that. Right after I stop smiling. Lola isn’t into me because of the money.
***
Like the jerk I’m supposed to be, I pull to a stop in front of the girls’ dorm and hop out to open the doors for the two of them.
Kerri immediately pulls her backpack onto her shoulders and says, “Lunch was fun. Thanks.”
“It was. I’ll meet you upstairs in a few minutes so we can start studying. I just need to talk to Van for a second.”
This is it. She’s going to break up with me.
My heart sinks.
Kerri nods and walks away.
I take a fortifying breath as Lola turns to me and says, “What was that, Van? You made Kerri uncomfortable, and you did it on purpose.”
Yeah, I did.
“It feels like you did it to test me or to push me away. I’m not sure which, but I don’t like it, whichever it is.”
How did she know that?
“Oh, don’t look so shocked. You’re a horrible liar. Every emotion you’re feeling shows on your face.” Lola walks up and pokes a finger into my chest. “What is going on in that head of yours? Did you really want me to hate you?”
“Yes.” I’ve got to stop with this honesty thing.
“Why?” Her hand flattens but stays firmly on my chest.
Even through clothing, it’s a brand forever marking me. “Lola—”
“No. If you want me to hate you, you need to be an actual jerk instead of pretending to be one.”
“I could really be a jerk. You don’t know me that well.”
She raises an eyebrow at me. “Do you really think because I’m pretty that makes me blind?
I watched your face when Kerri saw the prices on the menu.
You hated every second of that, but you did it anyway.
Then, when you found out I paid, you smiled all the way back.
That made me think you were afraid I was a gold digger. What is with all the mixed signals?”
“You should walk away from me. I’m not the man you think I am.”
“That’s the thing, Van, you’re exactly the man I think you are. And that has nothing to do with how much money you have, how fancy your watch is, or what car you drive. Are you hearing me? I don’t care about that. But I think I could really care about you, and I refuse to let you push me away.”
“Lola—”
“Is whatever you were about to say going to irritate me?”
I grin. “Probably.”
“Then just don’t. I’m not a silly schoolgirl who is going to let you push me away because you’re scared of whatever this is that we’re feeling. I’m too stubborn for that.”
“I’m beginning to get the stubborn part.”
“Good.”
“But Lola—”
“No. Stop. I don’t want to hear it. Whatever it is you’re afraid of, or whatever reason you feel the need to try to push me away before we’ve even gotten a fair chance…stop. I’m not letting go.”
“Lola—”
“See, I liked the way you said my name that time. Just stop fighting this. And stop making my friends feel uncomfortable. Got it?”
“You know, for this to count as a conversation, we both need to be able to talk.”
She shrugs. “Only if I like what you’re going to say.”
“You shouldn’t ask this of me. Especially when I have a hard time telling you no.”
“That sounds like a you problem.”
Why is she as cute as a button while being completely frustrating?
“Good. Now that we’ve got that settled, I have a class tomorrow morning. Should I expect to find you outside my door?”
“Probably.” How am I going to explain this to Fly?