all I needed to know. He was going to stay mad. Well, guess what? I was mad too.
I put a hand on my hip and glared at him. “Don’t what me,” I snapped.
“You set me up,” he barked.
“How could I set you up? I didn’t know you knew each other!”
“I don’t know that man. I don’t want to know that man.”
My temper was thoroughly piqued. “That man is my father. Have a little decency.”
“He wasn’t decent. He was an asshole and you sat there and let him talk to me like that!”
“What exactly did you expect me to do? Was I supposed to stuff my napkin in his mouth to make him shut up?”
He smirked. “I certainly considered it.”
“Xander! It’s my dad! Why do you hate him?”
“Your father made my life hell for longer than I care to remember. He is an asshole.”
“He is my father!”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I’m sorry about that.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t understand how he could be so callous and horrible. “Wow.”
“Yep, wow. I can’t believe you are his child. I would have never guessed that. Not in a million years.”
“Well, I am his child. I’m his only child.”
“Sucks to be you,” he shot back.
I bit my lip, thinking about what to say next. Unlike him and my father, I didn’t feel the need to lash out and say hurtful things. I refused to resort to name calling. “I guess it’s probably for the best if we leave this right here,” I said.
“This?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.
“Us. Whatever this was or wasn’t.”
He slowly nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“Goodbye, Xander.”
“Bye,” he said and stepped back inside.
I turned and made my way back to my car. I refused to look back. I didn’t hear the door close behind me and was unsure if that meant he was watching me or if I just didn’t hear it.
I felt sad. Whatever we almost had was never going to happen. I reached for my door handle, refusing to let him see how sad I was about the way things had gone down.
“Wait,” he called.
I turned to look behind me. He was walking across the black pavement toward me.
“What?” I snapped. “I will not stand here and listen to you insult my father or me. Whatever beef you have with him, that’s on you. I want nothing to do with it.”
“Why don’t we go get some real dinner?” he asked, completely ignoring everything I said.
“Dinner?” I asked with surprise. “Are you kidding me?”
He shook his head, that slow smile spreading over his face. “You promised me dinner. I’m hungry.”
I stared at him, wondering what the hell was going on. He was mad, and now he wasn’t. My dad’s warning echoed through my head. “You want to have dinner with me?”
“Yes.”
“You do remember who my father is, right? You’re not worried I might be tainted in some way?”
“Can we just get some food?” he asked on a sigh.
I thought about it and decided I was hungry. “Fine, get in, though. I’m picking the place and I’m driving. I don’t want you ditching me again.”
He grinned. “Not a chance in hell. Not when there is dinner involved.”
He walked around the car and got in the passenger side. I had no idea what I was doing. Playing with fire seemed like an appropriate term. Maybe it was my rebellious side finally showing up ten years too late. My dad didn’t want me to have anything to do with Xander.
Could that be the appeal?
I slid my key into the ignition and glanced over at him. His jaw was set, and I could see the anger was still there, hovering just below the surface. He was making an effort. Or was he?
Was he using me to piss off my dad? I took a deep breath and made the decision to do it anyway. Maybe I was the one using him to piss off my dad.
“Ready?” I asked.
He turned to me and offered me that playboy smile he brought out on occasion. “I am. I don’t think there is anything worse than what already happened.”
I scoffed. “Gee, thanks.”
“Just drive,” he ordered.
I put the car in drive and pulled out of his driveway. I was probably going to regret spending another minute with him, but I couldn’t seem to bring myself not to do it. I didn’t know if it was him or the idea of him that was pulling me in. I didn’t want to think about it just then.
I was hungry and