“That’s what I figured,” he said, leaning casually against the arm of the couch. “Anyway… it reminded me that I had a question for you.”
I narrowed my eyes, wary. “About what?”
He cleared his throat. “You showing me the city.” His gaze met mine, steady this time. “I think we should pick that back up.”
My heart stuttered. Wait. Was he serious? This was exactly what I needed. My brain immediately sprang into overdrive, mapping out potential ideas for my story. A little voice in the back of my head was practically shouting,This is perfect. This is it. You can keep writing.
I didn’t want to get too excited, in case he pulled back. “Really? I thought we agreed it wasn’t going to work.”
He shrugged, his gaze steady. “We did. But I’ve been thinking about it, and maybe I wasn’t giving it a fair shot. And I promise to do a better job of blending in.”
I bit my lip, torn between yelling,yes, yes, yes,and playing it cool. This was the best news ever. He’d practically handed me my story on a silver platter.Be cool, Anna. Don’t look desperate.
“Fine,” I said slowly, dragging out the word like I wasn’t already mentally planning how to incorporate our outings into my superhero novel. “But this time, you’re going to follow my lead.”
“Absolutely.” He nodded, clearly trying to play along. “So, what’s the plan? Where are we going?”
My mind raced as I thought about the perfect way to dive back into this arrangement. I needed something that would allow Luke to blend into the New Orleans scene without standing out. Something loud and busy enough that no one would give him a second glance, yet also steeped in the kind of culture and chaos that made this city so uniquely alive.
I had an idea.
I smiled to myself. This was going to be good. It was the perfect way to show him the real New Orleans. Not the glossy version tourists post on Instagram, but the heartbeat of the city. He wouldn’t know what hit him.
“It’s a surprise,” I said, keeping my tone light. “Be ready by two o’clock. Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be on your feet a lot.”
“On my feet?” he repeated. “What exactly are we doing?”
I gave him a mysterious smile. “You’ll see. Just trust me. Oh, and maybe bring a hat. Something that’ll help you blend in but won’t block your view. Sunglasses wouldn’t hurt either.”
A grin spread across his face, his blue eyes lighting up in a way that made it hard to look away.
“You really need to go now,” I said, trying to keep my tone firm even as my heart skipped a beat. “My cousin’s going to be back any minute.”
He nodded but crouched down to Amelia’s level, his expression playful and conspiratorial. In a stage whisper loud enough for me to hear, he asked, “Amelia, can I count on you to be my secret agent? Find out everything your auntie says about me and report back?”
Amelia’s eyes lit up with the gravity of the mission, and she saluted him with a giggle. “You can count on me, Mr. President.”
I groaned. “Amelia, don’t you dare. Your allegiance is supposed to be with me.”
Luke smirked, throwing a wink my way. “Guess we’ll see about that.” For a moment, his gaze lingered on me. “Good to see you.”
My heart gave a giddy thud, and I barely managed a nod before I ushered him out the door.
And it wasn’t a moment too soon. Lucy waltzed in only about five minutes later.
“Mommy, mommy! We met the president. The man who lives next door.” Therese spoke with the excitement of a game-show contestant.
Lucy’s eyebrows shot up. “You did? Is he cute?”
“I don’t know,” Therese said. “But when he read, he did the words funny.”
“We told him that he was spoiled,” Amelia said. “And Therese told him that he was a lady man, but I said it right. Ladies’ man.”
Lucy’s face was a picture of horror. “You didn’t,” she groaned, shooting me an apologetic look. “Did they?”
“Oh yes, they did.” I shrugged. “He took it in stride. Said he’s been called worse.”
Lucy sighed. “I’m so sorry. Girls, that was naughty.”
