She, the Kingdom (She #1)(35)

Another girl bounced over, more than happy to take my place. Colton watched me for a moment, and then took her in his arms, taking her around the dance floor to the beat of the music.

“Wow,” Amelia said.

“That was so fun!” I said, breathing hard. My skin was covered in a layer of sweat, my shirt, and even my bra was drenched, but I couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot.

Michelle seemed unhappy, and so did Amelia. “What?” I asked.

“It just looks bad,” Michelle said. “The Kingstons are paying you to be a surrogate. The whole town knows it and you’re drinking at a bar and prancing around with a guy half your age.”

“He’s not half her age,” Amelia said, offended. She looked to me, cringing. “But, it does look bad. Maybe we should go.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It’s just the circumstance, I think,” Amelia explained.

Anger boiled under every inch of my skin, and I began to shake. Since when did working for someone take away my right to make choices, go out, or determine who I could hang out with? “Let’s go.”

Amelia gathered her things, and we began the walk out to the car. The music muffled as we walked up the stairs, and could barely be heard as we crossed the parking lot, the gravel crunching beneath our feet.

“Morgan!” Colton called, running out from the entrance.

I stopped, turning to see him slowing to a stop just a few feet from me. He rested his hands on his hips, heaving. He started to speak, then held up a finger. “Hey… wait a sec…”

“Can you unlock the doors?” Amelia asked.

I held up the key fob and pressed the button, then I turned my attention to Colton.

He swallowed. “Don’t leave. She’s just some girl I know. We graduated together.”

I looked around for a moment, and then stifled a laugh, pointing to the bar. “Do you think I left because I’m jealous?”

Colton seemed confused. “The guys said you looked mad. I just thought—”

“No. Not jealous.”

Colton nodded, taking a deep breath and blowing it out. He winked at me. “So come back in.”

“I can’t. I…” I tried to decide if I wanted to tell him or not. It was embarrassing that I was leaving because other people thought I should.

“You can’t what? You’re old enough to be in there, aren’t ya?”

I blew out a laugh and looked away, shaking my head. I wasn’t sure where Colton had learned to be so charming, but ten years ago, I would have been swooning like a teenager. “You’re cute.”

He beamed, the dimple in his cheek sinking in even deeper. “You’re not coming in, are ya?”

“No. But maybe I’ll see you around.” I turned to open my door, but he side-stepped. Not standing in my way, but in my line of sight.

“What about dinner?”

I peered down at Amelia, sitting in the passenger seat, texting who I assumed was her husband, and then looked back to Colton. He was attractive, polite, and clearly interested in me, but there was no point. I thought about the no-intimacy clause in my contract with Max. “I don’t think so.”

Colton’s face fell, and he was suddenly nervous. “Is it the, uh, the age difference? Because it doesn’t bother me at all. I was actually just thinking how different you are than the girls I normally date, and how much I liked it.”

I looked down, embarrassed. “It’s not that. It’s not you at all, actually. I signed a contract with the Kingstons.”

Colton made a face. “You can’t eat?”

I laughed. “I can eat. Just not with you. Or anyone. Like a date.”

“You can’t date?”

I closed one eye. This was getting more awkward by the second. “It’s the nature of what I’m doing for them.”

Colton thought for a moment, and then the answer hit him. “Oh! Oh.”

I felt sick.

“Okay.” He nodded. “How about just dinner? I’m aware of the situation now. I just want to spend time with you.”

“Just dinner?”

The light returned to his eyes. “Yeah. I had a lot of fun tonight. And I like you. Surely there’s nothing in your contract about hanging out.”

“No, not technically, but…”

“It’s settled then. I’ll pick you up next Friday. Cool?”

“Cool?” I said with a laugh.

“I mean, is that all right with you?”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to grin too much. “Yeah. Friday night is all right with me.”

He tucked his chin, looking almost surprised. “Awesome. I mean that’s great. That’s real great. I’ll see you then.” He nodded once, and then jogged back to the bar.

I slid in behind the steering wheel, feeling the judgment in Amelia’s eyes.

“It’s just dinner.”

“I heard. But, Morg… what are you going to do when you’re pregnant?”

“It’s just dinner,” I repeated.

“He likes you.”

“You say that as if it were a bad thing.”

“It just sucks that he didn’t come around sooner. Or later. Or… not now. You’re in a weird predicament.”