Mafia Runner

Chapter Seven

7.

I couldn't even believe I was doing this!

I had been prepared to approach Summer Lester and ask her out today at school. I had even been prepared for her acceptance or her refusal. But somehow, I wasn't all that prepared for the date itself. It suddenly dawned on me that I would have to spend a whole evening with her.

Turning up the volume of the Def Leppard song, I sped down the streets of the luxurious neighborhood. With one hand on the wheel, I tugged at the collar of my tuxedo. If I thought my school uniform was constricting, I had forgotten the life of tuxedos. Granted, I've worn plenty of the damn things before, but I always tried my best to tailor them to my own tastes. This one was being particularly stiff and stubborn.

When I had gotten home from school, my mother had been waiting for me in the foyer.

If I had known she was friends with Summer's mother, I would have never asked the redhead out. Kara had gushed about how proud she was and how handsome I would look in a tuxedo. She even took the liberty of booking us a reservation at the fancy Italian restaurant downtown. From what I had been able to decipher from my mother, Summer had been the one to suggest the restaurant.

What the hell was wrong with pizza?

I was perfectly fine with a slice of pizza and a movie. Really, that was what normal teenagers did. Eating at extravagant restaurants had definitely not been on my agenda for tonight. I just wanted to sit in a dark room and steal glances at her, wondering if I could muster up the same hormonal urge other boys had my age.

Could I kiss her? Put my arm around her shoulders?

"Can't I just be attracted to a girl? For once?" I mumbled to myself, tapping my fingers against the steering wheel. Not just attracted, but intrigued. Summer was an attractive girl, she was beautiful, but I still didn't feel the urge to get closer to her. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

I drove into her driveway, sulking.

In my rearview mirror, I watched a familiar car pass slowly by. Usually, I never paid much attention to the two mafia men standing guard, but tonight, they weren't working very hard to remain hidden and nonchalant.

Stepping out into the humid night, I could almost feel my hair gel begin to bead on my scalp. I only ever wore hair gel in order to manipulate my messy hair into a side-part. I had to admit, I kind of copied Lucian on his hair. I thought it looked better on me anyway.

Rather moodily, I climbed the brick stairs to the front door. Before I could ring the doorbell, the door was almost ripped off the hinges from the inside. Frowning, I took a step backward as a brute-like man stepped out, peering down his nose at me. If I wasn't intimidated by the underboss of the mafia, this seven-foot man definitely didn't make me squirm.

"Hello, sir," I greeted warmly, perhaps a tad too warmly. "I'm here to pick up Summer for our date tonight."

He glared at me and I blinked innocently.

"Come on, daddy, it's just Afton Conti."

When the feminine voice intoned my name, it seemed to carry a tone of dry humor. It was if she didn't think very seriously of me. Though, to be fair, I guess I didn't think very highly of her either. Still, it made me wonder why she had agreed to go out with me in the first place.

Summer performed the unfeasible feat of physically moving her father's body to the side. She then passed off her accomplishment by offering me a wide grin. I had to admit, she looked very beautiful in a strapless black dress. Her red hair was pinned up with diamond-studded bobby pins or whatever girls used for their hair. I felt my own mouth twitch in a returning smile. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all.