“Can’t believe this is it, M.C.” Dad grips his cup, swirling the soda inside before taking a few gulps. “Marcus Charleston Miller —Stanford’s next big thing.” He nods and Lex grins. “Always knew it.” He rubs his chin, the stubble from his 24-hour shift rustling against his palm but Mei Li drops a menu and when she bends to pick it up, she catches my eye. Pink Spreads up her neck and settles on her cheeks and my stomach flips, trapping all the air I should be breathing.

Whoa.

Dad leans into my line of sight. “Right, M.C.? Off to Stanford on a brand spankin’ new motorcycle, right?” He raises his eyebrows.

I tear my gaze from Mei Li and feeling rushes back into my limbs like carbonation as I jab my chopsticks into my food and nod. “Yeah — definitely.” Somehow, she makes oxygen deprivation totally pleasant.

Dad Picks up his chopsticks and attacks his noodles again. “Been thinking about sweetening that deal.”

I frown and chew. “How’s that?”

“Keep avoiding girls until graduation, motorcycle’s still yours.” He crosses his arms and rests them on the table, leaning toward me. “Avoid girls until you finish undergrad, you’ve got yourself a car.”

I stare at him, then open my mouth, close it and ease back in my chair. “You serious?”

“Dead.”

Lex whistles and shakes his head. “Why don’t you make the boy a monk while you’re at it, Ray.”

I glance at him, then back to Dad. “Like what kind of car?”

He shrugs. “Whatever you want. Think you can do it?”

“Thinking about it.”

He frowns through a smile and tilts his head. “What’s there to think about? Let a girl mess you up or get a car — easy choice.”