Chương 162: C161 Date?

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As Peter drove down the open road, he couldn't help but steal glances at the girl sitting beside him. "…"

The realization of who she was hit him like a ton of bricks. At first, he thought she was just some random girl who had the bad luck of being harassed by some idiot cops, but now, after taking a closer look, it all made sense. This was Mikaela Banes—the embodiment of countless young boys' sexual awakening in his past life, including his own.

It puzzled Peter for a moment why the situation with the cops had happened at all. That wasn't how things played out in the movies, where Sam had picked her up after she broke up with her boyfriend, and they'd started their journey together.

But then, it hit him—Sam hadn't shown up, probably embarrassed about his new, beat-up car. With no one else around to help her, she was left walking, which led to her run-in with the cops.

As they sped along, Peter couldn't help but notice the subtle change in Mikaela's demeanor. At first, she seemed relieved—safe even—but now, as the adrenaline from the encounter with the cops began to fade, a hint of worry was starting to creep into her eyes. It wasn't surprising, really. She had just jumped into the car of a complete stranger.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Peter offered her a reassuring smile, hoping to put her at ease. His gaze returned to the road, but he could still feel the tension in the air between them.

Mikaela hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice a little unsure. "Umm… thanks for the save."

Peter glanced over at her and nodded, keeping his tone light. "No problem. I'm Peter, by the way."

"Mikaela," she responded with a small smile, though there was still an edge of uncertainty in her voice. She shifted slightly in her seat, clearly still trying to figure him out.

After a brief pause, Peter asked, "So… why do you think those cops were giving you trouble? Besides the obvious, I mean."

Mikaela hesitated, choosing her words carefully. She wasn't ready to reveal her past with them just yet. "Well, I'd say it's because they're a*sholes," she replied, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. "And what do you mean by besides the obvious? Is there some obvious reason they would be bothering me?"

Peter glanced over at her again, taking in her appearance for a moment before answering. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Mikaela's cheeks flushed at his words, her mind racing to fill in the blanks. She suddenly felt self-conscious, realizing how she must have looked to him—the short skirt, the tight top…

She shook her head, her face growing hotter by the second. "No, I don't," she muttered, flustered by the implication and more embarrassed than she cared to admit.

Peter couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. There was something endearing about the way she got flustered, and it lightened the mood between them, at least a little.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed. You're beautiful, and there's nothing wrong with showing that off. But unfortunately, in this world, a pretty girl can attract a lot of unwanted attention. Just try to be more careful in the future—people like those cops aren't as rare as we'd hope…"

With that said, he turned his attention back to the road.

"I'll be more careful..." she murmured softly, still feeling a bit embarrassed.

Going silent, Mikaela tilted her head away so Peter couldn't see her reddening cheeks anymore. She stared out the window, trying to focus on the passing scenery, but her thoughts kept drifting back to his words. 'You're beautiful… a pretty girl…'

The silence between them had stretched just long enough to become awkward when Peter decided to break it. He turned to Mikaela, keeping his tone light and casual. "So, where do you live?"

Mikaela's gaze snapped toward him, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "Why do you want to know where I live?"

Peter smirked, glancing over at her with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Because I'm a serial killer, and I need your address so I can sneak in tonight."

Mikaela tensed, shrinking back into her seat. But then, Peter burst out laughing, the sound filling the car. "Oh, you actually believed that, didn't you?"

Realizing she had fallen for his joke, Mikaela's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, "A*shole."

Peter chuckled, still amused by her reaction. "Well, this a*shole is trying to take you home. So unless you want to go on a date and get some food with me, you should probably tell me your address."

Mikaela huffed, trying to regain her composure. "Who would want to go on a date with you?"

Peter's smirk only grew wider as he glanced over at her, his voice dripping with playful arrogance. "Royalty and heroines of all kinds. Now, are you going to tell me where to drop you off, or should we start our date? I was thinking we could stop by a Mexican place and get some chimichangas."

Mikaela opened her mouth to refuse him, ready to rattle off her address and be done with it, but before she could speak, her stomach betrayed her, rumbling loudly in the quiet car. The sound echoed between them, and she instantly felt the heat of embarrassment rise to her cheeks yet again.

'I should've at least taken some food before running off…' She regretted leaving the party so soon.

Peter's smirk turned into a full-blown grin. "Well, I guess that answers the question. Let's start our date then. Is there anywhere you want to go?"

Mikaela's resolve wavered for a moment before she quickly shook her head, trying to regain control of the situation. "We are not going on a date. Take me home."

Peter wasn't deterred. He leaned back in his seat, his grin never fading. "I'm buying, so don't hold back. Where do you want to go?"

Mikaela clenched her jaw, refusing to give in. "I said take me home."

But Peter wasn't buying it, not for a second. He could see the hunger in her eyes, hear the way her stomach had practically begged for food. He wasn't going to let her stubbornness get in the way of a good meal. "I know you're hungry, so don't be stubborn."

Just as she was about to snap back at him, her stomach betrayed her once again, letting out a low groan of hunger that filled the car. Peter couldn't help but laugh, the sound light and infectious.

Mikaela huffed in frustration, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She crossed her arms tighter over her chest and pouted, a cute expression that only made Peter's grin widen. "Fine," she muttered, "but it's not a date… I have a boyfriend."

The words slipped out before she could stop them, a weak excuse to maintain some semblance of control over the situation. After all, she had all but broken up with Trent after what happened earlier, but she didn't want Peter to think he had won.

Peter glanced over at her, his smile never faltering. "Oh, really?"

Mikaela nodded, her gaze sliding away from his as she tried to convince herself of the lie she had just told. "Yes."

Peter nodded as if he believed her, but the twinkle in his eyes told a different story. He had seen the movie, knew exactly why she was walking alone on the road in the first place, and wasn't fooled for a second.

But he didn't refute her. Instead, he turned back to the road, his voice taking on a teasing edge. "Then this just got a lot more exciting~"

Mikaela cast a subtle glance his way, her heart fluttering just a bit. There was something oddly alluring about his confidence and disregard for her boyfriend. Well, technically, her ex-boyfriend, though she was under the impression he didn't know that.

(A/N: Disclaimer: I know I probably don't have to say this, but you never know, so I'll say it anyway. This is a fictional story! Peter has movie knowledge and can sense the atmosphere of a conversation through the force. If anyone else acted like Peter right now, especially with a girl they've only just met, they might get pepper sprayed.)

Peter glanced over at her again, his voice cutting through her thoughts. "So, where are we going?"

Mikaela hesitated for a moment, torn between her pride and the very real hunger gnawing at her stomach. Finally, she sighed and gave in, realizing she wasn't going to win this one. "There's a diner a few miles up the road. They make decent burgers..."

Peter grinned, satisfied with her answer. "Sounds perfect. Let's go."

…

Peter pulled the Camaro into the diner's parking lot, the engine's rumble fading as he switched it off. The neon lights of the small establishment flickered against the twilight, casting a warm, inviting glow.

Mikaela hesitated for a moment before getting out of the car, her earlier bravado waning slightly now that they were about to interact with other people. Still, she followed Peter inside, the bell above the door jingling as they stepped into the cozy diner.

The place was a classic roadside spot, complete with red vinyl booths and checkered floors. The scent of frying bacon and fresh coffee filled the air, and a few patrons glanced up as they entered.

As they walked in, a waitress passed by, balancing a tray of drinks in one hand. She paused when she recognized Mikaela, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "Mikaela! Haven't seen you around here in a while," the waitress said with a friendly smile. Then her gaze shifted to Peter, and she raised an eyebrow. "And who's this?"

Mikaela opened her mouth to answer, but Peter beat her to it, a playful grin on his face. "I'm Peter, her new boyfriend."

The waitress's eyes lit up with interest as she gave Peter an appreciative once-over, clearly liking what she saw. She then turned back to Mikaela with a mischievous smile. "Well, girl, this one's a definite upgrade. Much better than that douchebag you were with before."

Mikaela's face turned a shade of red that could rival a tomato. She wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear as she caught the smug look on Peter's face. The way he was enjoying this was beyond infuriating.

Unable to stand it anymore, Mikaela huffed and marched off to a random table, her heels clicking sharply against the tiled floor. She plopped down into a booth, arms crossed, glaring out the window as if it was responsible for all her problems.

The waitress chuckled at Mikaela's reaction and turned back to Peter, giving him a knowing look. "She likes you, you know," the waitress said, her tone conspiratorial. "She wasn't even like this with that Trent boy. Always pretending to be a ditzy idiot..."

She patted Peter on the chest, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Good work, Romeo. Now go join her before she implodes. I'll bring you two some menus in a minute."

"Alright, thanks…" Peter chuckled as he made his way over to where Mikaela was sitting. Sliding into the chair across from her, he couldn't help but admire the way she was trying so hard to ignore him, her arms still crossed on the table and her lips pressed into a stubborn pout.

Peter leaned forward slightly, his voice teasing as he asked, "What's the matter, princess?"

Mikaela finally turned to glare at him, though the effect was more adorable than intimidating. "Why did you tell her you're my boyfriend?" she snapped, her voice low but full of exasperation.

Peter shrugged, a grin still playing on his lips. "Seemed like the easiest way to avoid questions. Plus, it was fun."

Mikaela's glare intensified, but there was a hint of something else in her eyes—something like begrudging amusement. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Peter leaned back in his seat, the grin never leaving his face. "So I've been told."

Before Mikaela could respond, the waitress returned with a couple of menus, handing them out with a wink in Peter's direction. "Here you go, lovebirds. I'll be back to take your order in a few."

Mikaela buried her face in her hands, mortified. Peter, on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of his life.

"Relax," Peter said after a moment, his tone softening just a bit. "I'm just messing with you. No harm done."

Mikaela peeked at him through her fingers, still flushed but starting to calm down. "You really enjoy getting under my skin, don't you?"

Peter chuckled, nodding. "I do, but only because your reactions are so cute~"

Blushing, Mikaela swiftly kicked him in the shin under the table, hard enough to make her point but not enough to really hurt him.

"Ouch!" he whispered, rubbing his leg under the table. "What was that for?"

Mikaela finally let her smile break through. "For being so annoying. And for thinking you can just waltz in here and—" She stopped herself, taking a breath. "You're not as smooth as you think, Peter."

"Maybe not," he conceded with a playful grin, "but I'm getting closer, aren't I?"

Mikaela just shook her head, biting back a laugh. "In your dreams."

She rolled her eyes, finally lowering her hands and picking up the menu to distract herself. But as much as she tried to focus on the words in front of her, she couldn't help but sneak a glance at Peter, who was still watching her with that infuriating yet strangely charming grin.

Mikaela sighed, knowing that this was going to be a long meal…

A/N: 2344 words :)

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