Chapter 9
The day of the field trip arrived faster than Luna would have liked. She and Davis had spent an hour together in his office while he showed her his new responsibilities, and she could tell how much happier he was after he’d been given the chance to try. They’d texted each other a bit in the days after that, leaving her relieved that they were close again. She felt uneasy about her commitment to go out to dinner with Luther, but not enough to back out on him. She hated being so on the fence about everything going on in her life when she used to be so decisive. It was so unlike her.
After shuffling behind a bunch of eleven- and twelve-year-olds all day, Luna’s feet weren’t thrilled with her. She couldn’t wait to sit down and relax, but she still had to have dinner before she could go home. She didn’t bother to tell Davis what she was doing, preferring not to remind him about her date. She suspected he hadn’t forgotten, anyway.
After the last of the kids were on the bus, Luna turned to Luther. “Ready?”
“It’ll be an early dinner. Are you sure?” he asked with a frown.
She didn’t want to say what was on her mind, so she simply nodded.
“Are we riding together or going separately?” He began to walk in the direction of the parking lot, and Luna followed.
“I’d rather drive separately, if you don’t mind,” she replied.
“That’s fine. I’m parked right here.” He pointed to his car.
“I’m on the other end of the lot. Where are we going?” she asked.
“You want seafood, or something else?” He leaned against his car, his blond hair almost shining in the sunlight. He was too bland for her, she realized as she looked up at him, trying not to sigh.
“Seafood is great.”
“Okay, you can follow me, then.”
Luna walked across the lot, feeling the presence of his car following her. She didn’t turn around to check how close he was, or if he was staring at her. She got in her car and followed him to the restaurant, noting that it was barely after four when they pulled in.
“Maybe we should do something else for a while first,” he suggested as she stepped out of her car.
“Itisearly,” she replied.
“So what do you say?” He watched her intently enough to feel like a bug under a microscope.
“I can’t do any more walking, Luther, so nothing touristy. What else do you have in mind?”
“There’s a movie theater two doors down.”
“Okay.”
They walked to the theater, and Luther let Luna pick the movie. She paid for herself while Luther protested, but she didn’t want to be beholden to him. They walked side by side into the theater, but Luna was sure to keep her hands in her pockets. She didn’t know how forward Luther might be, but she found herself feeling uncomfortable being alone with him.
She didn’t pay nearly as much attention to the movie as she should, but at least Luther didn’t make any move to hold her hand or anything. They stood and stretched as the lights came up, and Luna followed him out to the lobby.
“That was pretty good,” he said in a cheerful voice.
Luna nodded. “It was all right.”
He frowned down at her, and she looked away. “You ready for dinner?”
“Absolutely.”
They walked back to the restaurant, and Luther held the door for her. When they reached the hostess stand, Luther asked for a table by the windows. Making it romantic, Luna supposed, but it didn’t feel right. She sat and picked up her menu, trying to think of what to say to get the conversation rolling.
“How do you think the field trip went?” she finally asked.
She couldn’t help but notice how his grin split his face. “It was a success. Thanks for helping out.”
Like she had a choice in the matter. “You’re welcome.”
