Page 25 of Fly's Path

The car is all flash and size. It would have looked better if the club had added a few custom pieces, but I had to rely on the dealer.

At least Kerri isn’t going to be squished on Lola’s lap like she would have been if I brought the sports car that’s also part of my cover story.

Neither of which is me. Though I do like my motorcycles to match my outfit or mood. Would Lola ever get on the back of my motorcycle?

Don’t think about that.

“This is yours?” Lola’s voice is barely a whisper.

Does she hate it or love it? “Yeah.”

Maybe she’s one of those girls looking for a rich guy to take care of her. My heart twists at the thought of her only being kind because of my money.

Everything about me screams wealth, from the designer logos on my clothes to the limited-edition watch on my wrist, which is worth more than most people’s homes.

It would be easier to walk away if she started acting like I was a walking bank card.

I was planning on taking them to a little hole-in-the-wall Pho place that’s got some of the best in the city…but now I know just the way to get Lola to walk away from me…

***

The hostess took one look at my car and ushered us back to a table as soon as we stepped into the fanciest Vietnamese restaurant in the city.

A bowl of Pho for lunch starts at a hundred and twenty dollars.

Perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

How is Lola going to react? Will she dump me before lunch is served, or is she going to start drooling over how much I’m about to pay for what is probably a perfectly fine bowl of soup?

Her friend, Kerri, looks a little green around the gills.

The price is probably way beyond most any college student’s budget. This would be cruel if I were planning on letting her payfor her own meal, but I’m not. “Order whatever you like. My treat.”

Lola raises an eyebrow at me, but proceeds to order.

The mixed signals are only a bit confusing. “What kind of doctor are you planning to be, Kerri?”

“I’m not. There’s no way I’m going to school until I’m almost thirty. Though I guess I’m going to get close. First, I’m going for my RN, then I’m going to start working and continue school to become a nurse practitioner.”

Wow. “Why not go all the way? Aren’t you close to being a doctor by then?”

She nods. “Yeah, but without the half million or more in student loans.”

“Smart.”

Lola tips her head at me but doesn’t say a word.

Does she think I’m judging her because she wants to be a doctor? Or is it because she’s going to end up in all that debt by the time she’s done?

“If you’ll excuse us, I need to use the ladies’ room.”

***

“So then the cat jumped out of the tree onto his shoulder, and he ran screaming around the park. We all tried to help, but he was the fastest runner of all of us.” Lola laughs as she tells the story.

My heart smiles right along with her. She told some of the wildest funny stories during lunch. A few have got to be tall tales, but who doesn’t like enhancing the truth to make a story even better?