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I roll my eyes. “I ought to key your car.”
He shrugs as he gets out. “People expect to see a car like this taking up two spaces. I don’t disappoint.”
I look out the back window at the mall, brightly lit with people going in bundled in their wool coats. I’m glad I wore my camel coat, but my jeans are gross. Pierce opens my door, and I hesitate. “I’m not dressed up for this place.”
Pierce reaches for my hand and lifts me out of the car. “Astrid, you’re the type of girl that sets the trend. You can wear any clothes, and people will want to buy what you have on. Come on. Let’s eat some real gourmet food, not that slop they throw on a plate in the dining hall. No offense.”
“There it is,” I reply, walking beside him, “your missing charm. I was worried you lost it.”
Pierce holds the door open for me as an older woman walks up. I pause, and he motions for her to enter. She smiles, scurrying past him. “Thank you. You’re a sweetie, dear,” she says.
He smiles. “You’re welcome, miss.”
The lady giggles and walks away like she’s floating above the floor. Pierce and I stroll through the mall and attract looks of curiosity as if people should recognize us. I think he’s right. No one is noticing my jeans because I have the best accessory by my side, a hot guy.
He holds the door open to an Italian restaurant with mood lighting, white tablecloths, and high-back booths. Fancy. The waiter hands us a menu and takes our drink order. I don’t even try to order alcohol, but Pierce orders an expensive whiskey. The waiter leaves, and Pierce smirks at my nervousness.
“You know why he didn’t card me?” he asks, and I shake my head. “Because he knows that I tip well when I drink.”
“The more you talk,” I sigh, glancing at the menu. “The more you’re making it hard on me to thank you.”
Pierce ignores the waiter as the man places the drink down. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“Because it makes us even,” I ask.
“No, it doesn’t.” Pierce pins me with a gaze as vivid as my own. “I did it because I knew you weren’t going to listen, and someone had to cover your back. Not because I wanted to make things even.”
My gaze lowers to the menu as what Pierce said sinks into my soul. I thought no one was looking out for me, but that’s not true. They all are. They’re just not flaunting it in my face, expecting me to pay them back. They’re not offering me a large bank account and taking it away because I won’t behave.
I smile. “Thank you for saving me and not telling me I told you so.”
Pierce laughs. “That was coming next, but you said it for me.”
The waiter takes our order. Pierce orders black ink pasta with oysters while I stick to plain spaghetti. He frowns but doesn’t shame me into ordering more. When the food arrives, I’m glad I ordered something simple. I can’t afford fancy food, nor does it look appealing.
“So, why do you act like a jerk around people you know, but you’re nice to strangers?” I ask, “What’s up with that?”
“Stonehaven is a weird place,” he says, poking at an oyster, “and it brings something out in me. It’s like I’m constantly being challenged. I lash out by doing shitty things I know I can get away with. I keep upping the ante.” He shakes his head. “I’ve got to graduate and leave that place.”
I keep probing into his mind. “So, what you did at Halloween, that wasn’t you?” I’m careful not to mention Ted. No matter how Pierce has acted, that would be an unfair comparison.
“That’s not sex; that’s power,” He looks me in the eye, ignoring his food. “You were threatening my status by slapping me and calling me names. Stonehaven isn’t the place to turn the other cheek. People resent weakness, and I had to make you look weak. Nothing personal. I just didn’t get you then.”
“And you do now?” I ask.
He pauses. “I owe you an apology for that as well.”
I push my fork into my spaghetti. “Forget it. We keep apologizing for all the shit we did, and our food will get cold.”
Pierce laughs and taps his whiskey to my seltzer. “It’s a countdown to the moment I piss you off again.”
“And why would you?” I ask him. “You literally saved my ass from Ted. You’d have to do something really fucked up to piss me off now.”
Pierce slides over in the booth until I have no room, and I have to look up into his eyes. He smirks a little, and then the smirk is gone. He leans in and this time, he kisses my lips. At first, I want to pull back, and then the spark between us takes me off in a different direction. Pierce places his hand on my cheek and pulls my mouth onto his tighter. I place my hand on his knee, leaning in so I can get more. We’re out in public, making out where people are watching us. But I don’t care if the whole restaurant stares as his kisses make my stomach do flips while the rest of me stays in my seat.
My mouth parts against his, and his tongue takes over mine. This is what I’ve been missing. Finally, I pull myself off him and catch my breath.
Slowly, I become aware that all the ambient sound has ceased as people are either staring at us or stealing glances at our table. Pierce holds up his glass in a toast and announces to the room, “Folks, she said yes.”
Is he crazy? People start to applaud, and a lady points at my ring. I squirm in my seat, waiting for the excitement to calm the fuck down. I glare at Pierce. “Yes to what?”
He sips his whiskey. “Sex, of course.”
I gawk for a second. “Don’t push your luck, you cocky fuck.”
