“Are you ever going to stop doing things that deserve gratitude?” She batted her eyelashes.
“Smart ass,” Luke grinned.
They ordered draft beers and steaks as a small band set up in the adjoining room.
“So tell me about yourself, Harper,” Luke said, stretching his arm across the back of the booth.
“You’re taking this date thing pretty seriously. What do you want to know?”
The waitress returned with their beers and Harper took a sip.
“Well, we are fake dating, so I should know some things about you. Like, when’s your birthday? Where did you go to school? What was it like growing up without parents? Why are you the way you are?”
Harper laughed. “That’s a lot of questions.” She snagged his beer and sampled it before sliding it back across the table.
Luke spun the glass around before picking it up, tasting. Harper wondered if he purposely drank from the same spot she did. “I find you interesting.”
“That sounds like it’s not really a compliment.”
“I also find you smart, beautiful, funny, and brave. But I can’t figure you out. How does someone who goes through everything you’ve gone through walk around with a permanent smile on her face?”
“You mean because of my parents?”
“Your parents, the fire, your idiot of an ex. Your resiliency is impressive. How does that happen?”
“It’s not really impressive when there isn’t another option. What am I supposed to do, be all ‘woe is me’ for the rest of my life? I still get access to the same sunrises everyone else does, the same 24 hours in a day. And if I don’t take advantage of those things, it’s my own fault.”
“So the world is too big and beautiful to be sad?” He was teasing her.
“I can still be sad. But I don’t have to wallow or completely ignore the good that is still waiting for me. That’s careless and wasteful.”
Luke was silent for a moment, twisting his glass on the tabletop.
“Also, since you asked, my birthday is March 3. I went to University of Maryland and got a bachelor’s in business. I’m halfway through my MBA online. And growing up without parents was hard. Every holiday, every birthday, graduation, you’re always acutely aware that you’re missing something. Someone.”
Luke nodded. “Favorite color?”
“Red. But not a maroon or pinky red. Blood red. Do I get to ask you questions?”
Luke shook his head. “Let’s focus on you.”
“Nice try. What was it like growing up with parents? And having a brother and sister?”
“Chaos. You’ve been to Sunday dinner.”
Harper tossed her napkin at him. “I’m serious!”
“So am I.” But he relented. “I don’t know. Sometimes you wished that you could just be alone and other times you’re grateful to have them all over you. We’re close. Sometimes too close. But I grew up with my dad at every football game. I sat through all of Sophie’s dance recitals. James and I spent every summer barefoot and playing in the creek from dawn to dusk. Mom forced us to sit down at the table every night. Sometimes it was 4:30 and sometimes we didn’t eat until 9, but we were all there together.”
Harper smiled. “That sounds how I always imagined it.”
“Didn’t you ever live with other kids?”
“Sure, but it’s just different. You’re only there temporarily. Some of the homes had a ton of kids, so there wasn’t enough time to pay attention to us all. Others had biological or adopted kids who were in established routines and activities and that took precedence. Most of the time, I was just lost in the shuffle.”
“And you wanted more.”
Harper nodded. She had desperately wanted more. Still did.
