“So, do you know Gloria?”
“I actually just met her officially when she stopped by.”
“Rumor has it she moved out and is pressing charges.” He toyed with the water bottle Harper gave him.
“Rumor has it,” Harper agreed, smiling innocently. “How long have you known Gloria?”
“Since forever. She was a sophomore when we were seniors. Glenn was bad news back then, too.”
“Yeah, the years don’t seem to have mellowed him.”
“Heard you had quite the shiner.”
“Please. You should have seen the other guy,” she snorted.
“Wish I would have been there.”
Harper stayed silent and let him sulk.
“So how long have you been into Gloria?”
“Since I heard her sing in the school musical.”
Harper grinned as he stared at his water.
“How did handsome football star Aldo not win the girl?”
He shook his head. “I never took the shot.”
“Maybe now you can pull the trigger.”
Aldo leveled his gaze at her. “I like the way you think, Harper.”
“Bring your A game to dinner Monday, sport.”
“‘Sport’? Are you serious?”
“Let the lousy nickname contest begin.”
***
That night, after a dinner for one of canned soup and a BLT, followed by pretending to watch TV, Harper curled around Luke’s pillow in bed. She picked a shirt Luke had worn, which she purposely didn’t wash with the rest of the laundry, so she could still catch his scent. She had gone to bed an hour ago and was still staring at the ceiling.
Thinking. About him. The way he could look into her with those eyes that didn’t miss a thing. His jaw, usually set in a firm line, was perpetually covered with a 5 o’clock shadow. And that body, hard muscle under inked lines begging her hands to—
Her phone signaled a text from the nightstand jarring her from her fantasy.
Her pulse kicked up a notch when she saw Luke’s name on the screen.
Have a good day?
She’d play it cool, she decided.Really good. You?
A few seconds later, he responded.Not bad. Getting ready for bed now.
Hopefully it’s more comfortable than your couch.She included a winky face. That was still playing it cool, right?
Funny. What are you still doing up?
