drunken sob stories and lectures?
Lavender flicked her fingers through her hair. She didn't have time to give it a proper brushing or put her makeup on. Diego was outside. At least, he better be. Or these next tears would be in anger.
Chapter Ten
Diego looked up as Lavender stepped out of the front door. She was fresh-faced, with the slightest bit of puffiness at the eyes. If those tears had been his fault, he deserved hell. He kissed her hands. "Beautiful."
She smiled.
"I came to invite you out for the day. I didn't know you slept late."
Vishva hopped up the stairs until she was standing by Lavender. "When did you get up?"
"I'm staying with a family who has a high-schooler, and I woke up when he complained that he couldn't find his other shoe with the orange stripe, and his mother said why not wear the black ones, and he said that he couldn't, and she asked where he last saw it, and on and on. All this before seven."
Vishva grinned. "Sometimes we don't go to bed until dawn."
Lavender stepped down a step. He set his hands on her waist. "Can I take you out for breakfast? Now that you're up and all."
She was taller than him on the step above. He took advantage of her position to kiss her.
The door opened. The lady of the house grabbed Vishva's arm. "The three of you: inside this instant. We are not a sideshow to be gawked at on our front stoop. For shame!"
Lavender's hand clapped around Diego's. He transferred her hand over, so he'd have a free one to wrap around her waist. He wasn't going anywhere without her.
*~*~*
Lavender sat on the hard loveseat as close to Diego as she could without being so close that Miss Magnolia would force her to move. Why did Miss Magnolia want to know everything about Diego? She'd been questioning him about his family, his job, his assets, and his living arrangement for close to an hour. Lavender's belly rumbled. She needed breakfast.
But more than that, she needed Miss Magnolia not to give her secret away. Why did everyone want to wreck her perfect week?
Miss Magnolia looked Diego over and opened her mouth in what was sure to be a proclamation. Lavender stood up. Miss Magnolia glared at her, but she didn't care. She was going to have her week, even if she had hell to pay afterward. "Diego is taking me to breakfast."
She pulled him to his feet. "We'll be back later."
She tugged him outside while he was still saying goodbye. As they got in the car, Ariel ran down the front steps. Lavender wished Diego would just drive away, but of course, he didn't. Ariel held out Lavender's new purse. "You'll need this."
Lavender took the purse and thanked her. It weighed more than it had last night. She waited until Diego pulled into traffic to look inside. Her friends had added her phone, a tube of lipstick, an eyeliner pencil… and three condoms and a tube of lube. She pulled down the visor and used the little mirror to apply her makeup. The rest wasn't worth the bother. She could survive a day without her phone, and she had no need for one condom, let alone three.
*~*~*
Diego enjoyed watching Lavender eat. She was beautiful whatever she did. He ate a second breakfast while she ate her pancakes. "Did you hear my voicemail?"
She looked at her plate. "Should I?"
"Maybe not. I got a text that you were in a bad way and I kind of freaked out."
She glanced up through her eyelashes. "Did you?"
He shrugged. "You could listen to it for your own amusement."
She put her hand on his. "Did you say anything important?"
"I asked you out to Disneyland today. I've never been, and…" He was rambling again.
She patted his hand. "I haven't been there either, not in all the time I've lived here."
He turned his hand over. "How long is that?"
She looked at their hands. "In my family, we move away from home young. My brother at twelve. I was closer to fifteen."
Yikes! Diego's mother hadn't wanted him to move out for college, and she still kept his room up in case he needed it again. Of course, that might
Lavender flicked her fingers through her hair. She didn't have time to give it a proper brushing or put her makeup on. Diego was outside. At least, he better be. Or these next tears would be in anger.
Chapter Ten
Diego looked up as Lavender stepped out of the front door. She was fresh-faced, with the slightest bit of puffiness at the eyes. If those tears had been his fault, he deserved hell. He kissed her hands. "Beautiful."
She smiled.
"I came to invite you out for the day. I didn't know you slept late."
Vishva hopped up the stairs until she was standing by Lavender. "When did you get up?"
"I'm staying with a family who has a high-schooler, and I woke up when he complained that he couldn't find his other shoe with the orange stripe, and his mother said why not wear the black ones, and he said that he couldn't, and she asked where he last saw it, and on and on. All this before seven."
Vishva grinned. "Sometimes we don't go to bed until dawn."
Lavender stepped down a step. He set his hands on her waist. "Can I take you out for breakfast? Now that you're up and all."
She was taller than him on the step above. He took advantage of her position to kiss her.
The door opened. The lady of the house grabbed Vishva's arm. "The three of you: inside this instant. We are not a sideshow to be gawked at on our front stoop. For shame!"
Lavender's hand clapped around Diego's. He transferred her hand over, so he'd have a free one to wrap around her waist. He wasn't going anywhere without her.
*~*~*
Lavender sat on the hard loveseat as close to Diego as she could without being so close that Miss Magnolia would force her to move. Why did Miss Magnolia want to know everything about Diego? She'd been questioning him about his family, his job, his assets, and his living arrangement for close to an hour. Lavender's belly rumbled. She needed breakfast.
But more than that, she needed Miss Magnolia not to give her secret away. Why did everyone want to wreck her perfect week?
Miss Magnolia looked Diego over and opened her mouth in what was sure to be a proclamation. Lavender stood up. Miss Magnolia glared at her, but she didn't care. She was going to have her week, even if she had hell to pay afterward. "Diego is taking me to breakfast."
She pulled him to his feet. "We'll be back later."
She tugged him outside while he was still saying goodbye. As they got in the car, Ariel ran down the front steps. Lavender wished Diego would just drive away, but of course, he didn't. Ariel held out Lavender's new purse. "You'll need this."
Lavender took the purse and thanked her. It weighed more than it had last night. She waited until Diego pulled into traffic to look inside. Her friends had added her phone, a tube of lipstick, an eyeliner pencil… and three condoms and a tube of lube. She pulled down the visor and used the little mirror to apply her makeup. The rest wasn't worth the bother. She could survive a day without her phone, and she had no need for one condom, let alone three.
*~*~*
Diego enjoyed watching Lavender eat. She was beautiful whatever she did. He ate a second breakfast while she ate her pancakes. "Did you hear my voicemail?"
She looked at her plate. "Should I?"
"Maybe not. I got a text that you were in a bad way and I kind of freaked out."
She glanced up through her eyelashes. "Did you?"
He shrugged. "You could listen to it for your own amusement."
She put her hand on his. "Did you say anything important?"
"I asked you out to Disneyland today. I've never been, and…" He was rambling again.
She patted his hand. "I haven't been there either, not in all the time I've lived here."
He turned his hand over. "How long is that?"
She looked at their hands. "In my family, we move away from home young. My brother at twelve. I was closer to fifteen."
Yikes! Diego's mother hadn't wanted him to move out for college, and she still kept his room up in case he needed it again. Of course, that might
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