With everything going on, along with a curfew in effect, Luka still wanted to take me out on a date. For that to happen, we needed a chaperone, who happens to be my dad. Yep, seventeen, and I get to have daddy chaperone me.
We pulled up to Luka's house in the truck, and I got out and knocked on his door. Niko answered it, he whistles then said, "Well, hello, hot stuff." My cheeks turned a light pink.
Luka came down and smacked Niko upside the head, "Quit flirting with my date."
"Hey, I can't help it if she's hot!"
He shot him a glare, "Yes, you can."
Luka grabbed my hand, leading me to the truck as I giggled. I climbed in first then him.
"Where to first?" Dad asked.
"The pizza place," I said, and with that, we were off.
"So, Luka, I've heard quite a bit of thing about you."
"Dad!"
"Mal, I'm your father. I have a right to know."
Luka snickered.
"What's funny?" I asked.
"Just thinking about Star Wars. The line Luke, I am your father."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Great, I'm chaperoning two comedians," dad grumbled.
Hey, he asked for it.
We pulled up in front of the pizza place and walked in. Abby spotted us, "Hey, guys!"
"Hey, Abs," Luka said.
"Table for three?"
"Two separate tables please," I said, giving dad a look, and he raised his hands in defense.
"Ah, gotcha," she winked as she sat Luka and me at one table and dad at a booth near us.
We ordered a pizza and ate. Yes, I ate a couple of slices.
"Malia, we need to talk about your eating," he said.
"Luka, I ate," I said defensively.
"Yeah, two small slices."
"Okay, so I don't eat a whole lot. No big deal," I said casually.
"But it is. Malia, I don't like to see you not eating. It bothers me." I looked at him with furrowed brows, "I worry about you. Promise me you will eat more."
I sighed, "Fine." I grabbed another slice, a bigger slice this time and ate. A smile curled upon his lips, "Happy now?"
"Yes."
As we ate, trouble made their way into the pizzeria in the form of the Sheriff and Deputy.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here, Henry. Two kids out past curfew."
Luka shot Henry a glare as he said, "Yeah, and standing here is a woman beater, you sick fuck."
Henry grabbed Luka out of his chair and yanked him up, "What did you say to me, boy?"
"You're nothing but a sick, sadistic pedophile that likes little boys," he said in a low voice.
"That's it. I'm taking you in," the deputy said as he threw him against the wall and brought his handcuffs only to be stopped by dad.
"Yeah, I would put those away if I were you and let him go," dad said.
"This ain't none of your concern," the Deputy said.
"It is. Luka did nothing wrong."
"He's out past curfew without a chaperone," the sheriff said.
"He's not. He's on a date with my daughter, and I'm their chaperone. So, I would advise you to let him go since you are already in enough deep shit with what you did to your ex," he said quietly to the Deputy.
The Deputy let Luka go, and dad looked at the Deputy and sheriff, "You may think you own this town, but you don't. I've already lodged a complaint with IA and read from your jacket; it seems you, boys, already have enough to strip you of your badges. Come near these kids again, and I'll be damn sure you never practice law again. Got me?"
They glared at dad.
"Come on, kids, I had enough pizza for one night." He tossed down money on the table, paying for our pizza before leaving with us.
I had a feeling this wouldn't be our last run-in with them.
"Thanks," Luka said.
"Don't worry about it. The sheriff and deputy have been abusing their power long enough."
We climbed into the truck, and dad asked, "Where to next?"
"The movies."
He started the truck, and we headed to the movies. Maybe having a chaperone wasn't so bad, after all.
******
While Luka and I were enjoying our movie, Damon hung out with Niko. They were up in Niko's room playing video games when Niko kept glancing at Damon, who was in full play mode.
Then his character got killed.
"Niko! What are you doing? You're supposed to have my back!"
"Sorry."
"Look, your mom is going to be okay. Now can we get back to the game," he huffed.
"Yeah, sure," he sighed.
As they continued to play, once again, Niko let Damon get killed because he wasn't flanking him properly. Damon stopped and looked at him, "Niko, come on! Pay attention."
That went on for a while until Damon got fed up, "Man, what's wrong with you?"
Niko didn't answer. He leaned over and planted a kiss on Damon's lips taking Damon by surprise. Damon pushed him off and stood up, "Niko!"
Niko stood up, "Sorry."
Damon started pacing, "Niko, what has gotten into you?"
"I said I was sorry."
He turned and walked over to him, "Look, right now, you have a lot going on. I get it; you feel confused."
"Was I confused that one night?" He asked softly, not looking at Damon.
Damon looked at him, "Niko, that should have never happened."
"Damon, I'm glad it did. He didn't get to me yet. He didn't get the one special thing," he said softly.
"But it shouldn't have happened. Come on, we were both drunk," Damon said to him.
"I don't care."
"I can't do this," Damon said, walking past Niko, who grabbed his arm.
"Please don't go, Damon," he begged as a tear fell down his face. "Please."
He sighed and said, "Okay, but no more."
Niko nodded. They went back to playing video games.
******
Luka and I sat there watching the movie while dad sat in the back. He leaned over and whispered, "Malia, I want to kiss you."
"Hmm."
"Do you think your dad will kill me?"
"Probably."
"That's what I thought."
He went back to the movie, so I leaned over and turned his face to me as I kissed him. This kiss didn't go unnoticed by my dad, who made his way behind us.
"The movie is that way not on your lips," he whispered as we stopped and looked at him. "Plus, I would hate to tell Joe why I had to shoot his son." He smiled and sat back. Luka sank in his seat and turned beet red.
Nothing like having your dad make your date uncomfortable. Thanks, dad.
After the movie, we walked along the boardwalk. Luka held my hand while dad kept a safe distance.
"Sorry about my dad."
"It's okay. If it were me, I would probably do worse."
"This wasn't how I thought our first date would be tonight."
"Me either, but I'm glad it turned out the way it did. I had fun."
"You did?"
He stopped and looked at me, "I did. Malia, will you be my girlfriend?"
I gave him a look, "Moving a bit fast, aren't we?"
"Eh, I figure why not claim you before someone else does."
I had to laugh.
"But seriously, will you?"
"Hmm, let me think about it," I said, tapping my chin, causing him to groan in anticipation. "Okay, fine, I guess I can be your girlfriend."
"Gee, thanks. It makes me feel special," he said, rolling his eyes at me as I laughed even more. He gave me a peck on the lips, and we continued to walk.
"So, what was that back at the pizzeria with the Deputy?"
"Huh? What? That? That was just nothing."
I stopped, "Luka."
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, "fine. The Deputy is Niko's dad."
"Okay."
"He has a problem with keeping his hands off, Niko."
"What kind of problem?"
"He likes to hurt him. If it's not physical, it's sexual," he said gravely.
My eyes widened, "Oh god."
"I only found out because Niko came home, and when he was changing, I saw the bruises. He brushed it off. Said he didn't allow himself to be a toy that night."
"What about that guy that you and Damon roughed up in the hallway?"
"It seems him, and his buddies found out and decided to have some fun with Niko. They tied him up, stripped him and wrote homo along with fag, and daddy's plaything on him, in permanent marker. So, Damon and I found the leader and took care of him," he said.
"Do you have a problem with gay people?"
"What? No, of course not! Malia, it wasn't about if someone is gay or not, it's about humiliating them and not respecting them."
"Sorry, it's just when I heard what you and Damon said to him that day, it made me think you had a problem with them," I said to him.
Luka looked at me, "We only said it so we could humiliate him just like he did to my brother. Honestly, gay people don't bother Damon or me. Disrespecting someone does."
I reached up and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him since Luka was a bit taller than me. Compared to his six-foot height to my five foot four height, he was a little bit taller. I felt his arms wrapped around me as he picked me up.
"This better?" He said.
"Much," I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. A few minutes later, he set me back down on the sidewalk. We continued walking until we left. Dad dropped him off. He gave me a quick kiss through the truck window and went inside the house.
"Well," dad asked.
"Well, I got a nice date and boyfriend out of the deal. I think I'm going to like this town," I smiled.
"And I think I'm going to clean my guns," he added. I just rolled my eyes. Only a dad would say something like that.