AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Gotcha," she muttered. "So I'm here to be the distraction?"
"Uh..." Well, that sounded shitty of me.
But she just laughed. "To keep them from giving you too much grief, you know? I'm ok with that. You can show you have a nice girlfriend - it's not even a lie - and that buys you a little more freedom from the texts or whatnot, right?"
"Pretty much," I admitted.
She thrust out her lower lip and nodded. "So what kind of girl am I supposed to be?"
"You," I decided. "You're supposed to be you. They already know you're a bull rider because they saw it on TV. I have a feeling they'll expect you to be hard, crass, and a little butch. You're not, so I figure this is going to be a hell of a lot of fun for me. Much better than last year, at least."
So she turned in her chair to see me better. "And you don't care if they like me?"
"Nope," I said. "Cody,Ilike you. I like you a whole lot. Screw my parents’ opinion, because if they had their way, I'd be sitting behind a desk in an office, wishing my life was already over."
"Yeah," she breathed. "Some of us just aren't made for that. Don't worry, I'll be mostly good, but not all the way."
"Sounds to me like J.D. might be corrupting you a little," I teased. "So you know, I approve."
Her giggle made me think she did too.
Chapter7
The restaurant wasn'tone of the chain types. This was a fancy-looking place. When Tanner and I made it inside, the lights were low, the ambiance was soft, and the staff were all wearing suits instead of uniforms. So, arealnice place.
"Can I help you?" a woman asked, moving towards us.
"I'm supposed to meet my parents here tonight," Tanner said. "Not sure if they've arrived yet."
He pulled out his phone, but the woman turned to a podium and ran her finger down something on the other side. "Paul and Lisa?"
"Burns, yes," Tanner agreed.
The woman gestured to the side. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your table."
Tanner reached back and found my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. Then he led, towing me sweetly behind him. The dining area wasn't large, but it looked like it was full. Soon enough, we reached a table with an older couple sitting there. Fifties, maybe? I wasn't sure, but they looked a bit older than Dad, so I was guessing they were Tanner's parents.
"Tanner!" the woman said, standing to open her arms, clearly expecting a hug.
"Hi, Mom." He stepped in and held her lightly before turning to his father and offering his hand. "Dad."
"Tanner," the man said, clasping his palm quickly.
"And this is Cody, my girlfriend," Tanner beamed, pulling me up to his side. "Cody, that's my dad, Paul, and mom, Lisa."
"It's nice to meet you both," I said as Tanner pulled out a chair for me.
I sat. He sat. And for a moment, there was a little awkwardness while I got myself into position. I felt like his parents were looking me over, trying to decide if I was good enough. The strangest part was that I hoped I passed their inspection. I knew Tanner didn't care, but I still wanted to make this easy on him.
"Cody, you said?" Paul finally asked.
"Yes, sir," I agreed. "I know it's normally a boy's name, but there's a long story behind it. I guess the ultrasound said I was supposed to be a boy?" I shrugged.
He chuckled, but Lisa was smiling at me. "And where did you meet my son?"
"Professional Bull Riding," I said. "Saw him in the arena."
"So you're a fan of the sport?" Paul asked.
