“There’s more to this apartment?” I asked, shaking my head.
He nodded. “And I called ahead with the concierge to get things ready for us. Come on.”
On the other side of the kitchen was a little corridor that led to sliding glass doors.
I gaped at Luke. “We’re going out there? In December?”
He shot me a cocky grin. “Trust me.”
Luke slid the doors open and gestured for me to go out first. Heat from the roaring firepit wrapped me in a hug as soon as I stepped foot outside. I also felt heat coming up from the tiles, like they were also radiating warmth. The walls blocked the wind and the cold barely touched us at all.
White lights had been strung over comfortable-looking patio furniture. A table and chairs had been arranged by the fire, and a bottle of champagne was chilling in a bucket beside two glasses.
That was luxury, standing on the rooftop patio in the cold heart of winter and being perfectly comfortable. I didn’t even need my bulky coat anymore.
“This is incredible,” I breathed, looking at the city lights. Each building was its own constellation, filled with people and stories and history.
“It is,” Luke said beside me. “So what do you think? Are you ready to come live out here?”
I nodded. “It’s everything I want. I’ve visited before, of course, and saw some Broadway plays. This is like the motherland for stage performances. But this is the first time I’ve been here that it no longer feels like an unattainable dream.” I looked at him and he locked eyes with me. “Thank you again for this insane deal. I want you to know I’ll be eternally grateful.”
Luke’s expression darkened a little and I wasn’t sure why. His pants buzzed and he grabbed his phone, looking at the screen. “Just one second. The food is here. Don’t go anywhere.”
“If you’re bringing food, I’m not moving an inch.” I smiled.
I drank in the lights some more while he was gone. The rooftop with the fire and the lights and the champagne? It all felt romantic and very close to real. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part.
Luke was more than just my brother’s best friend or a guy I had a fake arrangement with. The more time I spent with him, the more I saw beyond his cocky TV persona. Luke was sweet underneath, and he was considerate, thoughtful.
Like tonight, he had thought to make arrangements to have the patio ready for us. We could have just picked up some takeout on the way home, but he had gone out of his way to make the evening more special than that. And there were no cameras around or executives to impress. He had done it anyway.
Luke came swooping back with a big bag of something that smelled delicious. He put the bag down on the table and pulled a chair out. “Come have a seat, Clara. You worked hard today.”
I sat. “Thank you. I had fun decorating, though. Kerri’s team really brought my designs to life. It’s like magic.”
“You ladies worked a miracle in that place,” he said as he started bringing out paper cartoons of Chinese food. The smell made my mouth water and my stomach rumble. “None of the other Christmas parties ever looked so good.”
“Well, thank you,” I said. “And thank you for this food. Oh, my God. Am I allowed to eat an egg roll while you get everything out?”
He chuckled. “Please do.”
I munched on an egg roll and tried not to groan obscenely. “Holy hell, this is fantastic.”
“I love this place, and I tip well, so they make my food extra good.” He shrugged. “Or that’s what they tell me. They might say that to everyone.”
“Either way, I’m in love.”
His eyes locked on mine for a second. Then he started opening up cartons and placing them in front of me. “Wait until you taste the rest.”
We dug in and the conversation quieted for a bit. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable though, and it was punctuated with sighs from me and the occasional appreciative grunt from Luke.
“You know how to spoil a girl,” I said, trying not to chew with my mouth full.
Luke got a serious expression on his face. “So listen, there’s something I need to talk to you about. I was talking to Marshall earlier. He and Kerri love you.”
I smiled. “I’m glad. They’re pretty great. And I know that was the whole point of introducing me to them, to prove you were maturing, settling down. So mission accomplished, huh?”
“Yes, but it’s not just me they’re impressed with,” he said. “Marshall and Kerri showed your Christmas party designs to a friend of theirs. A friend who works with the Broadway League.”
