Luca: ???
Elise: You’re still talking to me
Luca: LOL. I’m not that easy to scare off
Elise: 2 questions
Elise: 1 – did you really just LOL me
Elise: 2 – stalker?
Luca: We still on for tonight?
I had no idea how I was supposed to answer that. As the shock was wearing off that he wasn’t running for the hills despite Jax and Dana’s best efforts, I was beginning to realise just how much I was looking forward to seeing him.
Elise: If you’re still up for it
Luca: I’m up for anything
Elise: I’ll keep that in mind
Luca: You do that
Chapter Fifteen – Luca
Texting with Elise brightened up my hectic day. I thought retiring meant slowing down, but it seemed like I was completely wrong. In fact, it actually meant trying to cram six months’ worth of commitments into six weeks. On top of all the things the club wanted me to do, niggling at the back of my mind was what the hell was I to do next?. Unemployment wasn’t something I was looking forward to, but I had no idea what I even wanted to do. Or where to start.
It was eleven in the morning when Marianne, our team publicist and resident ball buster, dropped a bombshell on me before answering a call and disappearing down the halls, leaving me hyperventilating. If the pressure of pulling off an incredible date with Elise tonight wasn’t enough, I’d just been told a press conference was happening this afternoon to let the world in on my secret.
With my heart pounding, I shot a group message to the family, letting them know what was going on. The last thing I needed was for them to be blindsided when it showed up on the nightly news. Immediately my phone started going crazy.
Arianna: What time do you want us there?
Sienna: Phoebe’s got swimming today so can’t make it. Good luck!
Mum: Dad and I will be there
Isabella: Nathan will take the kids. I’m there
It wasn’t the reaction I was expecting but I probably should’ve. My family had always had my back, so I don’t know why I thought today would be any different.
Luca: You don’t have to come. It’s just a boring press conference. I was just giving you a heads up
Mum: Luca, what time do we need to be there?
Knowing this was a battle I couldn’t win, I conceded.
Luca: 4:45 for 5
Arianna: See you there
Needing to get out of here for a couple of hours, I grabbed my crap and jumped into my car. Spinning up dust in the car park, I took off and headed towards the shopping centre. I had a plan in my head, and now I just needed to pull it off. I knew I could’ve asked for help and had someone run my errands for me, but I needed the distraction.
After braving the crowds, I managed to get home and get a workout in before calling Elise. The last thing I wanted to do was cancel our date tonight, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to get through the press conference then to her place on time, and I refused to be late. It took a bit of convincing but somehow, I managed to talk Elise into being ready at four-thirty instead of seven.
I was fine right up until the moment I stepped into the shower. That’s when the nerves and stress started creeping over me. Quickly I shaved, washed my hair and, ignoring the raging hard-on, I flipped the water to cold and stood there until I shivered and my balls shrivelled up.
Dressing quickly, I pulled on a pair of navy slacks before digging a shirt out of the ironing pile. Ironing was something I only did when it was absolutely necessary and, unfortunately, today was one of those days. I battled the iron, then shrugged my shirt on before pushing my favourite Batman cufflinks through the cuffs and styling my hair.
