Love and Lies Read Online Free PDF Page B

into the restaurant.
    “ A deal?” Eric tilted his head down and to the side.
    “ Yes, a deal. I try an oyster, and you try one thing I pick. No questions.”
    “ Ahh, that deal. Yeah, I'll do it.”
    “ Good. Let's go eat. Didn't you say we had reservations? I wouldn't want to be late.” I laced my arm through Eric's and tugged him toward the door. If he didn't get out of his funk, I was going to be pissed off soon. Mad on your first date, never a good sign.
    “ Reservations are at seven. I thought you might want to walk around for a little while.”
    “ Eric.”
    He turned to face me with eyes full of uncertainty. I was clueless as to what put i t there or how to fix things. “Why are you acting like we're strangers? I don't bite...too hard.”
    Finally , he laughed. Some of the tension drained from his muscles as he pulled me against his chest in a bear hug. “I might like being bitten; you never know until you try. I'm sorry. It's just that I want this to be perfect. I've done enough in my lifetime to screw up. This time I'd like to do something right.”
    Whoa...hello mood swing. Such deep thoughts for a first date. I almost laughed , but I didn’t want him to think I was ungrateful or didn’t care.
    “ Umm okay. Well, when you decide we're done with soul searching and seriousness, let me know.”
    Eric ran his fingers through his hair. “Why do you do that?”
    “ Do what?”
    “ Become a bitch when people try to be genuinely nice to you.”
    “Why do you have to call me out every time?”
    Holy shit. What happened that my first date with Eric had gone from fun to worst date ever in half a second flat? Okay, maybe I could have been nicer. But he went on the defensive awfully quick. We both needed a minute to think.
    I closed my eyes, took a de ep breath, and counted backward from ten. When I looked at him, he stood with his legs apart, hands on hips, and his jaw clenched to the point his muscles twitched.
    “ I'm sorry.” His sentiment didn't match his stance, but we were going to have to start somewhere.
    “ What's really going on? You just snapped at me for no reason. I could have been a little nicer, but seriously. Where did you send the relaxed, laid-back Eric I’ve gotten to know recently?”
    “ Honestly?”
    “ Yes, please.”
    “ I don't know...your parents...I mean.”
    My parents? This again. What the hell? “You're not making any sense. Spit it out.”
    “ Damn it. This is what I thought you'd want. A nice restaurant, a walk around the French Quarter, the type of date you deserve. Instead, you don’t like oysters, the conversation is nonexistent, and this walk is boring as hell.”
    “ But that's not you, is that it? Do you really think I'd have agreed to a date if I expected you to turn you into someone different? Some who you thought I wanted.”
    “ Now you're confusing me.”
    Of course I was. Boys. They never understood anything. I'd have to spell it out for him.
    “You are the guy I want to go out with, Eric. Not some prim and proper country club member. If I wanted that, there are plenty to choose from at school. Do I have any friends, other than Alec—who's a whole other story—like that?”
    He shook his head.
    “Then why would you think I'd want to go on a date like that? Fun. That's all I want. To have fun.”
    “ Okay.”
    “ Let's go for that walk. Boring or not, I need some inspiration for some class assignments.”
    Might as well use the extra time to benefit me. I had an art portfolio due in a couple of weeks , and only half of my drawings were complete.

 
    CHAPTER SIX
    Whistling mindlessly an out of tune version of the Gilligan's Island theme song, I made my way through the herd of students. I cringed as soon as I realized what song I'd butchered. Away from home for a little over a year, and I still hummed or whistled the theme songs when I zoned out.
    Music filtered down the hall, drowning out my horrible rendition, and my grimace transformed into a wide