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it.
    I got to my feet, grabbed Luke’s arm and started toward the door. “We’re going out,” I said as I nearly bumped into my father.
    Dad stood before us. “What’s going on here?”
    I sighed. “Dad, Sullivan’s pestering us, and we’re going out.”
    “Where will you be you taking my daughter?” Dad looked up at Luke, his hands on his hips.
    “ Dad! We’re just going for a hot chocolate or coffee or something.”
    He frowned indecisively. “ Or something? Is your homework done?”
    “Yes,” I uttered, halfway out the door.
    “Be back by nine.”
    We put on our coats and got into my mom’s Jeep. I cranked the engine and backed out of the driveway.
    “Your dad seems really nice,” Luke said at a red light.
    There were dozens of cars in front—it was close to rush hour. Rush hour makes me nervous, with all the stopping and going and stopping and going.
    Luke must be kidding about my dad. Jake once told me Dad’s the most intimidating guy in the world!
    “He means well. I guess he wouldn’t be so irritating if he actually worked someplace other than home.” Our eyes met. “What’s your dad like?”
    “Well, my dad doesn’t live with me, I live with my mom. But my dad’s an okay kind of guy. He works a lot. He’s a CEO, so he’s always out brown-nosing clients.”
    I shook my head. “If my dad didn’t work, I don’t know what I’d do!”
    Luke laughed. “I guess he’s tough on boyfriends, huh? Being home all the time…”
    I laughed and blurted, “You’d think that’s why I’m still a virgin!”
    Instant. Deafening. Silence.
    Yeah, I wanted to crawl under the car and die.
    My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t even bring myself to look at him. Not until the next red light, when I convinced myself to peek over. He looked away quickly, gliding his hand through his hair with a long sigh.
    “So where are we going?” he asked awkwardly.
    I cleared my throat. “We can go for some hot chocolate, if that’s okay.”
    “Sweet.”
    When we got to The Corner Diner, we sat at a booth in the corner (go figure!). Aside from us, a waitress, and cooks, the place was deserted.
    We ordered and sat in silence. I wondered if I should bring up the comment about my virginity and tell him it was just a joke. But my virginity isn’t a joke, it’s quite real.
    I took a sip when I got my drink. He didn’t touch his. “Are you okay?” he asked.
    My heart fluttered. “Yeah, why?”
    “You’ve been quiet since in the car. I was just wondering if something is wrong.”
    I didn’t know what to say. And I couldn’t help but wonder if he was a virgin, too.
    He tapped my hand and knitted his eyebrows, willing me to say something.
    “Sorry, I was daydreaming!” About your virginity, or lack thereof!
    He smiled. “Oh, it’s okay.”
    “What’s your mom like?” I asked, desperate to get my mind off his virginity.
    “Nice. Never home anymore. Everything I could ever ask for.” He smiled. “It’s great, because I can hang around you and relax.” He slouched down in his seat and hugged himself. “My house is pretty vacant these days.”
    I nodded dreamily.
    “So have you known Anna for long?”
    “Not too long,” I said. “My best friend who’s on vacation now, she introduced me to her.” He eyed me. “Lilly’s in Miami Beach, tanning as we speak.”
    His eyes widened. “ Lilly ?”
    I nodded. “Yeah, why?”
    He chugged down his hot chocolate and motioned to the waitress for the bill.
    “Is something wrong?” I asked, and sipped my hot chocolate again.
    He smiled simply. “No, there’s nothing wrong. I was just wondering.” He looked thoughtful. Then he said, “Hey, I’ll be right back.”
    He walked to the register and waited for the waitress to ring him up. Then he came back, fell into his seat, and said, “Where to next?”
    I grinned. “Wanna ice skate?”
    ~ ~ ~
    At the outdoor rink, I taught him how to skate. Lilly taught me—she’d been skating since she was