Read Online Vintage Volume One by Lisa Suzanne - Free Book Online Page A

unlock button on my key fob.
    He had a point, but I’d never really had any true concept of the worth of a dollar. I’d never had to. I’d been given anything I ever asked for because money clearly bought my love.
    “I know a place between here and Beverly Hills. Sound okay?”
    I nodded before getting into the car to follow him. He drove safely, slowly, ensuring I was behind him the entire time.
    We were ten minutes from my place when he pulled off the highway. I knew exactly where we were, and he pulled in front of a strip mall.
    I parked in the spot right next to his, and just like when we’d gotten out of our cars earlier, he grabbed my hand and led me.
    We walked up to a frozen yogurt shop. Going to a place like this seemed so out of character, so out of context for whatever was starting between us.
    We were on an actual, typical, regular date.
    And despite the rocky start of Randy’s presence at the taco place, I was enjoying my time with Parker.
    “Fro-yo flavors can tell a lot about a person, so choose wisely,” Parker said as he held the door open for me.
    “Like what?”
    “I’ll tell you once you pick.”
    The place was empty, which was comforting after our run-in with Randy at dinner.
    I inspected my selections. There were ten flavors, and I had it narrowed down to Double Dutch Chocolate and Red Velvet.
    I decided on both.
    “Interesting selection,” he murmured with a smirk. He walked over to the Graham Cracker flavor and filled his bowl.
    We headed to the toppings bar. Parker loaded his bowl with cookie dough, and I sprinkled on a few walnuts and gummy bears.
    “Gummy bears?” he asked.
    I nodded.
    “Yet another fascinating choice.” He doused his bowl with chocolate hot fudge, and I opted for a small squirt of marshmallow topping.
    We set our desserts on the scale by the register, and Parker paid.
    We settled into a table outside. He took a seat in the chair directly to my left even though he could have chosen to sit across from me. He put his feet up on the chair across from him, and I settled my feet next to him on the same chair. We were both relaxed, at ease with one another and with our desserts.
    “So what does chocolate plus red velvet say about me?”
    He shrugged, a little smile lighting up his face. “Who knows? I just thought it was fascinating watching you think so hard about what flavor you wanted.”
    I glared at him over the top of my bowl, punching him lightly in the arm. He held his arm in protest, a big smile plastered across his face. I couldn’t help the delight that seared through my chest.
    I wasn’t used to lightheartedness in my life. I was used to the heavy, dark shit.
    I liked this side of life a lot more.
    I liked the things that Parker brought to the table, specifically the feelings he ignited inside of me.
    “So the toppings don’t mean anything, either?” I asked.
    “Actually, the fact that you chose gummy bears does say something about you.”
    “What’s that?”
    “You’re kind of disgusting.”
    I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up from my chest. And when he laughed along with me, my heart fluttered in some strange, unfamiliar way.
    I’d never felt that before.
    Ever.
    “It also tells me that you’re a kid at heart. You don’t let other people see that side of you. You hide it, but you can’t hide it from me.”
    I felt the smile slide off of my lips as I considered his assessment of me.
    No one had ever told me that I was a kid at heart. I’d been forced to grow up too fast when my best friend had been murdered. The only other time I’d allowed myself to connect with another person, he’d also left me.
    My very first thought was that Parker’s assessment of me was completely inaccurate.
    But as I stared at him, his words prodding uncomfortably in my head, I realized that maybe he was right.
    Maybe he already knew me better than I knew myself.
    And that thought was pretty unsettling.
     
     

eleven
     
    We finished our frozen