“No. My parents have stupid money, not me. I’ve just joined the workforce, so I’m not at all loaded.”
She stops at her car and double-clicks the fob to unlock the doors. “You seriously have a pair of five-hundred-dollar sunglasses?”
“More than just one,” I tell her with a teasing smile.
“Unbelievable. You’ll have to wear one of those fancy pairs to dinner. With me and my mom. Soon.”
“Uhm, when did I agree to dinner with your mom?”
She smiles up at me with a shrug. “Just now when you said, I can’t wait to show off my expensive sunglasses to your fancy pants mom.”
She laughs, and the sound is pure glee. “You don’t remember? Must be the old memory bank going,” she jokes and taps the side of her head.
“Now that you mention it, I recall something familiar. Dinner with your mom in exchange for a ride on the back of my bike. Yeah, I remember now.”
“Hey!” She points at me with a knowing smile. “I see what you did there, and you know what, Shades? I agree.”
Damn, this girl keeps on surprising me. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, sure. Why not? I’m curious to know what it feels like since you guys have made an entire lifestyle out of it.”
“Yeah? ’Cause you look a little bit terrified.”
“Oh, just a little bit?”
Her shoulders sag in relief. “I was afraid you could see full-0n terror.”
I don’t want to, but her words make me laugh. “Nah, you covered it pretty good.”
“Thanks.” She tugs on the door handle until it opens. “So, Saturday night at eight o’clock?”
If another woman was so presumptuous, I would have put her in her place, but Letty’s big blue eyes look at me in anticipation. When she says she wants me to show up for dinner, but she’ll accept rejection if I refuse her invitation, instead of shaking my head no, I find myself nodding.
“Yeah, sure. Eight o’clock.”
I can’t deny that a part of me wants to know more about this chick. A hell of a lot more.
“I don’t have to wear a tux or anything, do I?”
“Would you?” she asks with a giggle.
“Maybe one of those tuxedo t-shirts they sell on Venice Beach.”
Her blue eyes light with humor. “Oh, please wear that!”
“To piss off your mom?” The words come out harsher than I mean them to, but I refuse to be a pawn for some rich girl to piss off her parents.
“No, even better. She’s a bit of a snob, but she’s also a particularly good Christian. I’m curious how she could possibly find something kind to say about that shirt.”
“Hey,” I say as if offended. “What’s wrong with my tuxedo shirt?”
“The one you don’t have?”
“Yet,” I add with a smile. “I guess if I’m coming for dinner, you better give me your address.”
I hand her my phone, and surprisingly, she takes it easily and taps quickly before she hands it back to me. I look at the new address entry and smile. “Phone number too. Is that a hint?”
“There’s only one way to find out, Shades. See you, Saturday.” She slides behind the wheel with a dainty little finger and a smile, and I know I am in big shit with this chick.
Dinner with Letty and her mom.
Yeah, I’m fucking out of my mind.