The Last Virgin Standing

Chapter 4: Linguine and Luke the Meanie

"No, Ian."

"Please?"

"Why should I?"

"It'll be yummy!"

Did he seriously just say 'yummy'? "What are you, five?"

"If that's the age you want me to be..."

"No, just act your own age. I'm not going to go on a date with you when I've rejected Alec and Beckett."

"Well who wouldn't reject them? They're losers."

"And you're not?"

"Glad you see it my way, kitten. So what do you say?"

"I still say no."

"Okay, how about if we go just as friends."

That couldn't hurt, could it? There would be nothing romantic about it...just friends. "Friends, nothing more."

He nodded. "Agreed, unless you want it to be friends with benefits? Because I'm okay with that."

I shook my head. "Fine, we'll do lunch. Where are we going? McDonalds?"

He laughed, like I told some hilarious joke. "I don't eat at McDonalds, not when I can make reservations for Pierre's."

Pierre's was an expensive, posh Italian restaurant in uptown Addison that required about a year's waiting list for someone to actually get to eat there. For Ian to get them on such short notice meant that he had connections. But I almost forgot who I was going to eat with; of course Ian Jameson had connections. He was loaded.

"Pierre's?" I sputtered, unable to believe that I was going to eat there. "But I can't afford it." I heard that even a tiny salad there was like thirty dollars.

He waved his hand dismissively. "When you're out with me, you don't pay."

"I feel kind of bad..."

"Don't. Any girl that would get this opportunity would be thrilled. So be like the other girls."

I smiled wryly. "If I was like the other girls, you wouldn't be taking me out to lunch, now would you?"

"Touché."

***

Lit passed by faster than normal. It probably was due to the fact that Ian had bribed the guy sitting next to me to switch seats with him. He was making fat jokes about our bald teacher, Mr. Smith. Rude, yes, but it was also entertaining.

It was time for our lunch date—wait—not a date. We were just going out as friends. Were we even friends? It doesn't matter. I've wanted to go to Pierre's since it opened. I heard it had the best lasagna in the state.

Waiting out in the front of the school was a sleek, black limousine. He even had a chauffer, who opened the door for us. The interior of the limo was very sophisticated. Black leather seats, a mini fridge, and there was even a television. Ian looked amused as I looked around in awe. I've never been in a limo before, and I was going to savor it. If I my future turned out the way I dreamed it was going to be, marrying Luke, then there was no way I was riding in one again.

"Are you done gawking at my limo?"

"Don't you mean your parents?"

He shook his head. "They have their own. This one's mine. I usually don't use it, but I figured you'd get a kick out of it, and what do you know? I was right."