“Excuse me?” I frowned up at her. “What do you mean?’

“Don’t you belong at some bikers’ meeting or something with those tattoos?”

“I’m not a biker.” I frowned again and stepped back. “Sorry.”

“Oh, don’t be sorry. You’re still sexy as hell.” She stepped towards me again, but this time she stumbled and fell against me. “Oops.” She giggled.

“Lara.” Another girl ran over to us and gave me an apologetic look. “Lara, I think it’s time for us to leave.” The girl smiled at her friend and then at me. She had a sweet smile, and I stared back at her.

“I’m not going anywhere. We just got here.”

“Come on, Lara.” The girl tried again. “You’ve had too much to drink.”

“No, I haven’t.” Lara hiccupped and I laughed.

“What time did you guys start drinking?” I asked the new girl.

“Lara’s been drinking since six.” The girl rolled her pretty brown eyes. “I don’t drink.”

“Clara’s a goody two-shoes.” Lara looked at her friend in disgust.

I stared at Clara, who was now blushing, and looked her over. She was a pretty girl, with her shoulder-length curly hair, brown eyes, and caramel skin. She looked up at me then and rolled her eyes, and I gave her a sympathetic smile. It was obvious to me that she had been dragged to the party, just like I had been.

“What can I say? I don’t love parties with lots of drunk girls and guys looking to take advantage of them.” Clara smiled at me, and I nodded in agreement.

“I agree. It’s not really fun, is it?” I looked around the room and watched as Luke flirted with a girl who appeared to be drunker than Lara, who was now walking away to go hit on another guy.

“No, it’s not. I’d much rather be home reading a book.”

“Oh, you like to read?”

“Yes, I love it. You?”

“Not really.” I made a face and she laughed.

“At least you’re honest.”

“That I am.”

“So do you have a girlfriend, Mr. Honest?” She looked up at me with a curious light in her brown eyes. I stared at her pretty face and thought for a moment.

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m single as can be.”

“So am I.” She smiled back at me and looked down. “Oh, I can’t believe I just said that.”

“Why?” I laughed and smiled down at her.

“Because I’m not usually this forward.”

“Then I’m glad you were tonight.”

“Yeah?” She took a step towards me and beamed at me. “Then I’m glad I was as well.”

“Wanna get out of here?”

“Sure. Where do you want to go?”

“I was thinking we could go sit by the beach? Watch the stars and talk?”

“Oh.” She made a face. “The wind isn’t good for my hair.”

“Oh.” I was disappointed in her answer. I knew Riley would have jumped at the opportunity to go and stare at the stars.

“But maybe we can go and get milkshakes at Steak ‘n Shake?” she suggested with a sweet smile, and I nodded.

“Sounds good.”

We walked out of the party together, and while I was happy to be leaving the party and getting to know her better, a part of me felt sad. A part of me felt like I was giving up something I’d never really had.

“So, tell me all about yourself, Hudson Blake.” She leaned forward and sipped on her chocolate milkshake.

“Want do you want to know?” I ate some fries and sat back. “I’m nineteen, a sophomore. I love video games. I’ve had the same best friend my whole life. I’ve got two tattoos. I like wrestling and boxing. I’m single.” I smiled wide at her and she laughed.

“Wow, that tells me a lot, but not really.” She grinned.

“Why don’t you tell me about you?” I sipped some of my shake and waited for her to talk.

“I’m nineteen as well and a sophomore. I want to be a doctor when I grow older to help find a cure for cancer. I also want to be a doctor because they make a lot of money and I want to buy my mom a house. I’m mixed as well.”

“Mixed?” I laughed. “Mixed up in the head?”

“No,” she giggled and stole some French fries off my plate. “My mom is black and Native American, and my dad is white.”

“Are your parents still married?”

“No.” She grinned. “My dad remarried and I have two small brothers with the blondest hair and bluest eyes. It’s really funny when we all go out. People stare at me and wonder what I’m doing with them.”

“I suppose they think you’re the nanny.”

She burst out laughing. “Exactly! That’s not an issue, is it?”

“What, that you’re a nanny?” I raised an eyebrow at her, and she leaned forward and hit me in the shoulder.

“No, that I’m mixed.”

“Doesn’t matter to me if it doesn’t matter to you that I’m all English.”

“I love English men.”

“Well, I should clarify.” I laughed. “I’m not actually English, but I think my ancestors are.”

“That’s pretty cool.”

“Yeah, I can even put on an accent.” I cleared my throat. “G’day, guv’nor, my name’s Hudson.” I spoke in my best Cockney voice, and Clara burst out laughing.

“That was absolutely awful,” she said between sobs. “Please never do that again.”

“Wot do ya mean, mate? I’m from London, England,” I continued and grinned as I watched Clara laughing. There were tears coming out of her eyes and she was doubled over.

“I think ‘mate’ is Australian,” she giggled, and I reached over and wiped a tear off her cheek. She paused then and stared at me, her face turning a deep red.

“I hope you don’t mind me touching you.”

“No, that was very nice of you.”

“We sound so formal.” I laughed. “If Luke were here, he’d jump up and moon us or something to get the party started.”

“Luke is your friend, right?”

“Yeah, he’s my best friend. He’s the one who dragged me to the party.”

“Yeah, Lara is my best friend and the one who made me go as well.” She sighed. “We should hook them up.”

“I don’t think you want your best friend to date Luke.” I shook my head. “I love him, but he’s not anyone I would recommend as a boyfriend right now.”

“Oh yeah?” She laughed. “Then he’d definitely be perfect for Lara.”

“Oh, Clara. You’re so bad. Who knew?”

“Not me.” She shook her head and laughed. “Do you want to get out of here and do something?”

“Something like what?”

“Maybe we can go and drink.”

“Drink?” I paused, surprised at her words.

“Yeah, maybe we can grab some beers and smoke pot.”

“Oh. I didn’t know you—”

“Oh, I don’t at parties, but otherwise, why not?” She jumped up, grabbed my hand, and pulled me up. “Let’s go.”

“Okay.” I got out of the booth slowly, suddenly unsure how I felt about continuing the night with her.

Her comment had taken me aback. I’d thought we were on the same wavelength about drugs and alcohol, but apparently I’d been wrong. I was thinking about a way to tell her I had to go home when my phone started ringing.

“Hello?” I answered hesitantly, as the number was unknown.

“Hudson, where are you?” Eden’s voice was loud, and I could hear loud music in the background.

“I’m just leaving Steak ‘n Shake. Why? What’s wrong? Is Riley okay?”

“Huh?” Eden sounded confused. “I’m at home. We’re having a party.” She giggled. “Riley’s in the closet right now making out with Steve Anders.”

“What?” I could tell that my voice sounded agitated, but I couldn’t help it.

“Seven Minutes in Heaven.” She giggled again, and I took a deep breath. “That’s what we’re playing. I’m hoping I’ll get to go in with Zack Spinelli. He is so hot.”

“What do you want, Eden?”

“Do you know where Mom and Dad leave the keys to the liquor cabinet? I wanted to make screwdrivers for everyone.”

“Eden, are you joking?” My voice was loud, and I saw Clara give me an anxious look.

“Don’t get all high and mighty on me, Hudson Blake. I know you and Luke drank plenty of whiskey in your time.”

“That was different.”

“Why? Because you’re guys?”

“No.” I sighed. “Because you are girls and you have guys over. Alcohol makes people act funny. You don’t want anyone getting pregnant during those seven minutes in heaven.”