THE FIRST PLACE Jeremy took me on our date was the arcade. Dad didn’t make an appearance inside, thankfully. I think Jeremy chose it because he knows that it’s busy enough that we can get lost in the crowd but not so bad that we can’t even talk while we’re in there.
We are leaving the arcade when I spot Holly waving at me as she climbs out of Dad’s truck. She’s frantic, with wild eyes and her hands flinging around. My heart drops. It’s not like I didn’t know they followed me, but I don’t know why she’s out of the truck. Normally he stays put inside the truck and doesn’t bother me too much when I’m on a date. I think his objective is just to let the guy I’m with know that my dad is always watching.
Jeremy spots them and grins down at me. “We could put a show on for him.”
“You’re not funny,” I snap. “He’s such an ass.”
With an amused chuckle, he pulls me into his side and throws an arm around my neck. Our steps falter slightly as he bends down and places a kiss on top of my head. I give him a weak slap to his stomach but can’t help the budding smile that threatens to overtake my face and the blush that shows my excitement.
“What?” I mouth to Holly while looking her way. She points at the other end of the bushes where Dad is standing, his back resting against a tree. His arms are crossed, and he’s shaking his head. The fact that he’s not happy doesn’t tell me anything, because for the most part, he’s always unhappy. I narrow my eyes at him and shake my head. He’s been worse this time because it’s Jeremy. No doubt.
What an asshole.
Jeremy places his hand on my lower back and leads me toward my father. My nerves shoot to the roof, and I start to panic. I knew he would see Dad by the bushes, but I didn’t think he would approach him.
We’re barely five or six feet away when Jeremy says, “Sir.”
“Prospect,” Dad says. Holly slides up beside him and jabs him in the ribs. He doesn’t budge or even acknowledge her arrival. His eyes are hard as they fixate on Jeremy’s arm around my neck. I’m mildly uncomfortable with the attention until Jeremy clears his throat.
Dad folds his arms across his chest. “You remember the rules?”
“Yes, sir,” Jeremy says. “Gave you my word.”
“Dad,” I hiss. He doesn’t even look my way. Holly gives me a sympathetic pout and shakes her head.
“Where we going next?” Dad asks, his eyes still on Jeremy’s arm around my neck.
“Hell,” I shout in annoyance. “We’re all going to hell!”
“Chey, it’s cool.” Jeremy tightens his grip around my neck and places another soft kiss to my hairline. His voice is quiet and soft when he says, “Your dad just wants to make sure I’m doing right by you.”
Dad straightens and nods his chin at Jeremy as if he’s pleased with him. But Holly and I both know what total bullshit this is. Jeremy’s kissing Dad’s ass, plain and simple. It just so happens Dad enjoys a good ass-kissing every now and then, so he’s not calling him on it.
“Well, we better get going. Once traffic picks up, it gets harder to follow you two in the truck,” Dad says, claps his hands together, and smiles deviously.
Holly’s face turns beet red, and she looks away in obvious disbelief that Dad’s actually acting like this. She never did believe me when I told her that he’s batshit crazy. Well, she’s stuck with him now.
“Yes, sir,” Jeremy says. He’s starting to sound like a fucking robot. It’s making me want to give him a titty twister or something just to see some emotion from him. I duck out from beneath his arm, grab his hand, and give him a tug toward his bike. He follows silently. After he straps on his helmet and climbs on the bike, I get on behind him and try to ignore that Dad and Holly are behind us watching our every move.
WHEN MY AND Jeremy’s date comes to an end, it’s not nearly as romantic as I had been expecting it to be. I got a text from Daniel halfway through our date, which I ignored but Jeremy caught notice of. It took a good five minutes for the scowl to leave his face after that. I didn’t even see what it said before I clicked the screen off. And despite Dad and Holly’s following us, I didn’t think he would be so cruel as to watch our every move while Jeremy tells me goodnight on the front porch. I don’t even get a chance to ask him why he was adamant that I not wear lipstick.
I lean in for a quick kiss but find that Dad’s already clearing his throat and telling Jeremy if he doesn’t get going, then he won’t have feet to move with. As Jeremy leaves and Dad starts commenting on how well the night went, I decide it’s for the best to just head upstairs and plot my escape from this loony bin. If I stay down here with my father, he and I are going to have a huge fight, and nobody, especially Holly, is ready for that.
I’m up in my room less than a minute when my phone chimes from my back pocket. The overhead fixture above casts a warm glow of light around my room, illuminating the hot pink and black tones that have been used to decorate my personal space. Shutting the door behind me, I pull my phone out and smile at the message on the screen from Jeremy.