"I hate these jeans," Michelle informed me, as we walked to lunch together. "Why's that?" I asked, laughing. She'd literally just bought those jeans. "Because they make my butt look big," she complained, twisting her head so she could see her butt. "You look beautiful." "Shut up." I laughed, thanking the kid that was holding open the lunchroom door as I walked in. "So how was the boat trip?" Michelle asked, as we took our place in the lunch line. "It's not anything I can tell you here," I sad, with a smirk. "Emily Winston what did you do?" I had to look away from her to laugh. "This is so juicy, at least give me a hint! Who was it?" "Parker Adams." "You kissed him didn't you?" "Not like that." "How is it not like that? How do you kiss someone and have it not like that?" "You kiss them to win a bet." "You have stupid bets." "And I win." We stepped up to claim our lunches, and I claimed the last salad there was, smiling at Michelle behind me. She sighed, grabbing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because we both refused to eat hot lunch. I can't even tell if that's supposed to be chili or sloppy joes. "So what did Parker say?" Michelle asked me, after we both checked out with our lunches. "We didn't talk about it much. We both just agreed that the kiss was platonic." "I'm telling you," Michelle said, as we took a seat at our lunch table. "There's no such thing as a platonic kiss." "Depends on who it is," Hannah argued, pointing her fork in our direction. And so I started my story over. ~*~ "Where are you headed to?" Daniel asked, falling into step with me. "Away from you." "Ouch." "But it's the truth." "Come on Emily," Daniel said, with a sigh. "What do I have to do for you to forgive me?" "There is no forgiving here Daniel," I informed him, whirling around to face him. "You broke my heart. That's where the story ends." "A story can't end like that," he defended. "At least let me make it up to you." "Not going to happen." "Just let me take you out to dinner," he pleaded, a sincere look in his eyes. "Will your other three whores be there?" "Emily, it wasn't like that." I rolled my eyes. "Look Daniel, you had your chance. And you blew it. And that's that." And then I turned and walked away. "Their names were Danielle, Melissa, and Sandy," he called, jogging to catch back up with me. "They were strippers at the club." "I really don't care to hear this story." "I didn't have sex with Melissa or Sandy," he continued. "Can't say the same for Danielle. But I was at a Bachelor Party and I was pretty wasted. I mean, let me take that back. I shouldn't try to use that as an excuse. I was wasted, but all I ever cared about was you. Didn't I prove that to you?" "You're using the fact that you quote on quote saved my life as a bargaining chip?" I demanded, whirling back around to face him. He stopped short, his eyes wide. "No! That's not what I was talking about! I'd never use that against you Em." "Don't call me that." "-ily. Emily. I was talking about all the good memories we had together, the good times." I rolled my eyes. "All the fake-" "They weren't fake Emily. It was one night, and I wasn't in my right mind. You're the only girl I've ever cared about." He extended his arms out to his side. "Wouldn't I have moved on during this past year if that wasn't true?" I placed my hands on my hips, rolling my eyes. "I waited for you Emily." I let out a sigh, staring into his eyes. I did remember the good times we had together. When he would sweep me off my feet and treat me like I was the only girl on the planet. When he would open car doors for me and pull out restaurant chairs, like a true gentleman. When he would kiss me underneath the moonlight until my knees went weak. But I remembered the heartbreak too. Finding out that he'd had his way with Danielle, and he'd had some fun with the other two. And that really hurt. "I know that I hurt you," Daniel said, quietly. "But Emily, I swear to you. If you give me a second chance, I won't make the same mistake twice." I did care for Daniel. He wasn't my first, but he was the first I'd truly cared about. I felt butterflies in my stomach when he were together, and he made me happy. "You have one chance," I warned, narrowing my eyes at him. "Screw this up and you'll wish you'd stayed with Danielle." ~*~ "Daniel?" Emmett asked me, leaning against my doorway as I spritzed on some perfume. "As in Daniel Hawthorne, the guy who cheated on you three times?" "That very same one," I agreed, rubbing my wrists together and sniffing my perfume. I love the smell of Chanel No. 5. "Why?" "Probably because I'm stupid. A little bit because I'm a pushover. And then mostly because I'm looking for a good time." I turned to face him. "Does any of that surprise you?" "You're going to get hurt Emily." "You're turning more and more into my stand-in father every day Emmett." He rolled his eyes. "I don't approve of this." "I heard you the first 7 times." I stepped in front of mirror, curling my front curl around my finger and letting it bounce back into place. I smoothed out my dress. It was white through the bust with white skirt and black polka dots. The back was cut out, and there was a black bow at the top. I stepped into my black wedges before brushing past Emmett and heading out into the kitchen. Parker was sitting there, bouncing a nickel into his cup. "Whoa," he said, his eyebrows raising at me as I past him to grab a water out of the refrigerator. "Never seen a girl before?" I teased him, with a smile. "Usually they're wearing less clothing, maybe you'd like to try it?" "Only in your dreams." I cracked open my water bottle, taking a sip before reapplying my red lipstick. "Who's the guy?" Parker asked. "Who says it's a guy?" His eyebrows practically shot off of his face. And then I broke down into hysterics. "Funny." "It's Daniel," I said, sobering up. "Hawthorne?" "Yeah." "You're joking." "What?" "Have you seen him?" Parker hissed, with a laugh. "I mean, has he ever even stepped into a weight room a day in his life? And what's up with his hair?" "You're so jealous." "That's it," Parker agreed, with a smirk. "I have a hidden desire to make out with you until your face falls off. Sound inviting?" "As I said Adams, only in your dreams." And then there were three knocks on the apartment door. Parker looks at me with a mischievous smile before he took off running towards the apartment door. "Parker Adams!" I hissed. But he opened the door before I could get there, seeing as though I was wearing heels. "These for me?" Parker asked him. "Sweet dude, but I don't swing that way." I pushed Parker out of the way, smiling at Daniel. "Sorry about that, we're still training him." "Have fun you two," Parker said, with a cheeky smile. "Go to hell," I answered, with a cheeky smile of my own. And then I stepped out of the apartment, closing the door behind me. "You live with Parker Adams?" Daniel asked me, in surprise. "Long story." He handed me a bouquet of daisies, and I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you," I said, rising up and kissing his cheek. "I remember." "I can see that." We headed towards the elevator, and I let Daniel take my hand in his. "So I thought we could go to the Kobe steakhouse?" Daniel suggested, as the elevator reached our floor. "Okay," I agreed, with a smile. I loved Japanese steakhouses. The drive there was entertaining, Daniel and I taking turns rolling down our windows at stop lights and shouting things at people on the sidewalks. It used to be our favorite past time. Daniel got us a table relatively easily. He'd always been good at smooth talking people into giving us tables, even without reservations. "So my brother was in-town this past weekend," Daniel said, once we were seated. "Is he still as crazy as ever?" I asked, with a laugh. "He ended up convincing the bouncer at the club that he was on the VIP List and got free drinks all night." "He's stepped up his game." "Big time," Daniel agreed. He placed his hand over his heart. "I felt honored to watch such deception." I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. "That sounds like Kaila, a girl a met in London. We went to a play one night, and she managed to convince our own chaperone that she was her replacement." This time Daniel laughed, taking a sip of the water that the waiter had just delivered. Dinner was just a step beyond delicious. The Japanese really know how to run a steakhouse. "Did you have a good time?" Daniel asked, once he opened my car door for me outside of my apartment. "I did," I said, with a smile. "I didn't expect to, but you always deliver." "That I do." We rode the elevator up to my apartment together, Daniel's hand in one hand and my daisies in the other. Daniel bent down to give me a good night kiss once we reached my apartment. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around my waist. I pressed my body to his, moving my hands up to his hair. We remained in the hallway for several minutes, before Daniel pulled away, heavily breathing. "You're coming inside, right?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him. "I don't know," he said, uncertainly. I pulled his face back to mine, giving him a taste of what he was missing. "Let's go inside," he suggested, with a smile.