standing very rigidly, and the stain from trying to seem causal was turning his neck red.
“Would you like to accompany me this weekend to an art opening? It’s semiformal, my sister has a few prints that will be featured Saturday evening and I would enjoy having your company with me.” The words hung in the air between us.
What are you supposed to say when your boss asks you out on a date? I had no interest in going with him, but saying that would be awkward. In fact, anything I said would be graceless. The silence was uncomfortable. The elevator doors slide open behind me and I walked backwards into my escape hatch.
“Ok. Bye.” What were those words I had just said? My voice sounded just as dumbfounded as I felt, but he was absolutely beaming as the doors closed between us. I hadn’t meant OK I will go with you , I had just meant OK I hear you … Damn it! The look on his face though told me he had taking the first meaning.
Chapter Nine
I had completely forgotten about him. In the overload of awkward that had been my boss asking me out on a date and I somehow agreeing, I had forgotten Luke. So it came as a major shock to my system when I pushed open the front doors to see him standing on the curb outside. I stood frozen to the spot, like his eyes had locked me in place.
He didn’t look like he was a circus performer now. There was no flowing pirate shirt, or skin tight pants. He looked so normal. The black Honda was parked behind him and he was leaning against the driver door. His hair was mussed up in that ‘just woke up but perfect’ way. He was wearing a dark blue polo and jeans with heavy leather boots. He looked really good.
“Hey,” he said quickly and stepped away from the car; like he was prepared to run after me if I took off. After a few moments of silence he took a brave step forward. I felt trapped. If I ran back inside I could run into Peter and his absurdly happy face, if I went forward I would be too close to Luke for comfort.
“Did Carolyn tell you anything?” he asked. I just shook my head.
No the she didn’t tell me a damn thing! I thought angrily.
“Ok well, can we go someplace to talk?” he asked. I could tell he was only being polite. I had the feeling that if I said no he really would just chase me down. I needed to get away from this building before Mr. Kelly left for the day anyway.
“Fine,” I gritted my teeth and he waved his arm towards the car to offer me a ride. I wanted to turn on my heel and storm away, but I could put more distance between me and this damnable office building by car rather than foot. I had no choice but to get in.
He drove down the main boulevard towards the shopping district. We didn’t talk but he had an mp3 player connected to his sound system and I could hear a low rock beat coming from the speakers. I hadn’t noticed the night we’d taken Priscilla to the hospital but his car was meticulously clean. In fact everything about Luke was very clean and orderly. His clothes looked like he ironed them, and there wasn’t a speck of dust on the dashboard. Even his boots, which were obviously well worn work shoes, were spotless.
I didn’t know where he was taking me, or how he knew the way to get anywhere, but I didn’t want to be the one to break the silence, so I tried staring aimlessly out the window. The windows were tinted so dark I knew no one outside was able to see us. There were laws against tinting your windows this dark, but since he moved around with the circus I doubted it mattered much what he did. Or who he does …
“I saw this place when I was trying to find your office building,” he said as he brought the car to a stop outside a little coffee shop. It was one of those kind that looked picture perfect. Complete with cozy little outside tables and happy couples whispering under the bright flower baskets. Normally, my heart would have fluttered at the idea of being here with someone as hot as Luke, but right now I was
“Would you like to accompany me this weekend to an art opening? It’s semiformal, my sister has a few prints that will be featured Saturday evening and I would enjoy having your company with me.” The words hung in the air between us.
What are you supposed to say when your boss asks you out on a date? I had no interest in going with him, but saying that would be awkward. In fact, anything I said would be graceless. The silence was uncomfortable. The elevator doors slide open behind me and I walked backwards into my escape hatch.
“Ok. Bye.” What were those words I had just said? My voice sounded just as dumbfounded as I felt, but he was absolutely beaming as the doors closed between us. I hadn’t meant OK I will go with you , I had just meant OK I hear you … Damn it! The look on his face though told me he had taking the first meaning.
Chapter Nine
I had completely forgotten about him. In the overload of awkward that had been my boss asking me out on a date and I somehow agreeing, I had forgotten Luke. So it came as a major shock to my system when I pushed open the front doors to see him standing on the curb outside. I stood frozen to the spot, like his eyes had locked me in place.
He didn’t look like he was a circus performer now. There was no flowing pirate shirt, or skin tight pants. He looked so normal. The black Honda was parked behind him and he was leaning against the driver door. His hair was mussed up in that ‘just woke up but perfect’ way. He was wearing a dark blue polo and jeans with heavy leather boots. He looked really good.
“Hey,” he said quickly and stepped away from the car; like he was prepared to run after me if I took off. After a few moments of silence he took a brave step forward. I felt trapped. If I ran back inside I could run into Peter and his absurdly happy face, if I went forward I would be too close to Luke for comfort.
“Did Carolyn tell you anything?” he asked. I just shook my head.
No the she didn’t tell me a damn thing! I thought angrily.
“Ok well, can we go someplace to talk?” he asked. I could tell he was only being polite. I had the feeling that if I said no he really would just chase me down. I needed to get away from this building before Mr. Kelly left for the day anyway.
“Fine,” I gritted my teeth and he waved his arm towards the car to offer me a ride. I wanted to turn on my heel and storm away, but I could put more distance between me and this damnable office building by car rather than foot. I had no choice but to get in.
He drove down the main boulevard towards the shopping district. We didn’t talk but he had an mp3 player connected to his sound system and I could hear a low rock beat coming from the speakers. I hadn’t noticed the night we’d taken Priscilla to the hospital but his car was meticulously clean. In fact everything about Luke was very clean and orderly. His clothes looked like he ironed them, and there wasn’t a speck of dust on the dashboard. Even his boots, which were obviously well worn work shoes, were spotless.
I didn’t know where he was taking me, or how he knew the way to get anywhere, but I didn’t want to be the one to break the silence, so I tried staring aimlessly out the window. The windows were tinted so dark I knew no one outside was able to see us. There were laws against tinting your windows this dark, but since he moved around with the circus I doubted it mattered much what he did. Or who he does …
“I saw this place when I was trying to find your office building,” he said as he brought the car to a stop outside a little coffee shop. It was one of those kind that looked picture perfect. Complete with cozy little outside tables and happy couples whispering under the bright flower baskets. Normally, my heart would have fluttered at the idea of being here with someone as hot as Luke, but right now I was
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