Breathless #2 (The Breathless Romance Series - Book #2) by Claire Adams Read Free Book Online

me to make sure to
‘take caution’ and to not be ‘that girl,’ by which I knew she meant that I
shouldn’t be too easy. That ship had sailed, but I was not about to tell her
that. Instead I focused on how nice he was, and the fact that I was hoping to
see him again that weekend, which was why I couldn’t go home.
    “Well, why don’t you invite him to come down? I’m sure
your father would love to meet him and so would I. He can have dinner with us
down at the club.” I rolled my eyes.
    “Mom— it’s way too short
notice. He’s probably already got plans, something going on with the frat.”
    “Well you can invite him, and if he doesn’t have
anything going on he can come and meet us. I want to make sure he’s good enough
for you, and if you’re as serious about him as you sound then it would do you
good to introduce him to your parents.” No matter how I tried to argue that it
was a silly idea and that it was too soon for him to be meeting them, Mom
insisted that it would be fine, that I was just being self-conscious and
everything would be fine. She finally just told me to invite him and have done
with it, and if he didn’t want to come, that was his choice.
    I finished up the call, trying to salvage what I
could; I knew Mom was suspicious about the fact that I didn’t want to bring
Johnny home to them—and really, she had good reason. He was a frat brother, but
it wasn’t like he was as wealthy as they probably wanted. He wasn’t one of the
well-groomed, suit-wearing boys who were coming into trust funds that Mom and
Dad both had tried to push onto me when I was in high school. But I had to at
least invite him; I told myself that Johnny would probably just brush it off
and say he was busy and I could take that back to my parents. But at least, I
thought resentfully as I hung up the phone, I wouldn’t have an excuse for not
going home. If Johnny was busy, then they would insist that that freed me up to
visit. I felt like a very large fox caught in a very small trap.

 
    Chapter
Seven
    I was still a little unsettled when Johnny called a
little while later and suggested we meet up for dinner at the dining hall. I
didn’t say anything at all about my mom’s invitation—I was still debating
whether or not I wanted to even mention it period—but I thought at least it
would be good to spend some time with him. “Hey, Gigi!” I called across the
dorm. “Get your nose out of whatever book it’s wedged in and let’s grab
dinner.”
    We walked down to the first floor of the dorm and then
halfway across the campus to the dining hall; I told her about the call with my
mom, and about the stupid invitation to dinner she was forcing me to make.
“Just play it off like it isn’t a big deal. I mean, it’s not like you want him
to meet your parents so soon, is it?” I had to agree that I didn’t.
    We were still chatting about things when we came up to
the dining hall entrance. Johnny grabbed me, lifting me up into his arms and
kissing me on the lips in front of everyone, and I laughed as he swung me
around, thinking that if nothing else, I had started off my school year right.
He put me back onto my feet and finally noticed that Georgia was there with me.
“Hey, Gigi,” he said, giving her a grin. “You here to make sure no one gives
the hottest girl on campus the stink-eye?” Georgia laughed.
    “Oh you know everyone’s eaten up with envy anyway.
Nothing I could do about that. But I did hear there was food going on, so I
figured I might as well come along.”
    We went into the dining hall and Johnny kept his arm
around me, standing in line to wait to swipe our IDs at the register and get
into the line in the serving area. The dining room was half-filled with
students already digging into their meals, and the line in front of us
stretched out nearly to the door. I looked up at the menu board as we neared
the entry into the serving area, and joked with Johnny and Gigi about the
offerings; it was