She brings our drinks and Carter orders us stuffed mushrooms as a starter, and places our food orders, too. Apparently he’s either paid attention to me or is a really great guesser, because he orders exactly what I would have ordered anyway—filet mignon, rare, salad with Italian dressing, and a baked potato with butter and sour cream. Not that we’ve been out for steak like this at a restaurant before, but Susa did buy us some one day and we grilled them on her lanai on a brand-new grill she’d purchased just for the occasion.
One afternoon we’d been discussing food, and the best meals we’d ever eaten at restaurants. I’d mentioned filet was my favorite cut, and what I usually ordered when going out somewhere with my mom and Austin. Because a very strange quirk is that Mom and Austin didn’t mind spending money on food. It was one of the few things my mother would refrain from criticizing me about.
A little suspiciously—in a good way—Susa sprang the steaks and new grill on us two days later.
For once, it’s freeing to have good suspicions instead of bad ones, and it’s yet another way these two people make me feel like they care about me.
Once we’re alone again, Carter holds up his glass of tea in a toast, and I pick up my rum and Coke.
“To friendship, to brotherhood, and to forever,” he quietly says.
Another of those pleasant shivers rolls through me. “To friendship, to brotherhood, and to forever,” I echo before we gently clink glasses.
He’s watching me even as he takes a swallow of his tea. I literally have never had so much as a sip of wine, because it was never offered to me by Mom or Austin, and I never dared ask. I can smell the rum in the drink and take a tentative sip with the tiny straw in it.
It’s nearly eye-watering, but I like it.
Carter slyly smiles. “My pet’s growing up.”
That almost makes me laugh-snort Coke out my nose.
“Go easy on the alcohol here, or you’ll be too sloshed to enjoy part two. You can have one more of those here, if you want one. Youwillbe getting more alcohol later.”
I’m wondering if he’s planning on taking me to a strip club or something, because he knows I’ve never been to one of those, either.
I don’t ask. Why ruin the surprise? Carter’s obviously taken great joy planning tonight for me.
That’s good enough for me.
When I was growing up, if I was lucky, I was asked where I wanted to go for dinner for my birthday. Other birthdays, Mom decided we were going out and where we were going out, and I acted happy for it regardless.
Because not acting appreciative, even if I’d hated the restaurant, would have definitely been extracted from me later in far less enjoyable ways.
I learned early on how to pick my battles and which ones weren’t worth fighting.
Most of them weren’t worth fighting.
Yet another reason I made damn sure I earned a scholarship, and why I plan on keeping my grades up so I don’t blow it.
Maybe it’s the fact that I ate a light lunch early in the afternoon to save plenty of room for dinner, or maybe it’s because I’m a lightweight when it comes to drinking, but I feel the rum hitting me about twenty minutes later. We’ve already finished our appetizer and are working on our salads. I’m on my second rum and Coke, with a glass of sweet tea on standby for when I finish that.
It feels like my face is suddenly hot, flushed, and I guess I laugh or something because Carter smiles as he tips his head and studies me. “Someone’s got a buzz.”
Now I definitely laugh. “Yeah, guess I do.”
“Do me a favor, buddy, okay?”
“Sure.”
The humor disappears from his features. “Promise me you’ll never drink and drive. Not even a couple of beers. Not until you’re more experienced and know exactly how much you can handle. I know I can have one beer and I’ll be okay. But I never drive after more than that. If you ever get into a situation where you’ve had more than one, promise me you’ll call me, any time of the day or night. Understand?”
I nod. “Yes, sir.”
His sober masks shatters into a playful grin. “How about we make it a rule you call me that, huh? Ireallylike it.”
I hold up my drink in a salute. “Anything you say,sir.”
* * * *
