Chapter 278: Christian

Do you always begin conversations this way?

~Westley in The Princess Bride

Christian turned down the rutted dirt road that led to the Miller Family Farm, a huge grin seemingly etched onto his face. He'd asked Carla out. He'd done it! Sure, he had a butt-ugly piece of shit in the backseat with absolutely no idea of what to do with it, but that was well worth the price of admission.

At the Party from Hell, when – shocking even him – he'd actually gotten up the nerve to ask her to stay, his mother had then spent the evening riding him like a rented mule. He'd rearranged speakers, chairs, tables, lighting, and every other conceivable item at the party – most of it twice – and by time he'd come up for air, she was gone. He couldn't blame her, and he was damn sure she wouldn't want to hear from him again. Why she hadn't kicked him out of the shop as soon as he'd shown his face was beyond him, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.