Tired of the back and forth, I was surprised how much sparring with Luke got my heart pumping. Todd had never challenged me, but Luke wasn’t giving me an inch.
“No.”
“No?”
“No, I haven’t met Prince Charming, and thankfully, I didn’t lose a shoe. I’ve kissed my fair share of frogs though,” I admitted, trying to force Todd the toad from my mind.
“I’m sorry,” Luke said as he reached out, pushed the hair off my forehead, and tucked it behind my ear. For some reason it felt like more than that though. So much more.
“Are you really?” I pushed.
Without missing a beat, Luke smirked. “Nope. Not at all.”
“I wish I was surprised. Well, I better head out and leave you to it. I didn't want to interrupt, I just came to say thank you for the macarons. They were perfect.”
“Glad you enjoyed them.”
“I did.”
“Good.”
“Okay then. I’ll catch you around,” I offered, stepping back out of his reach and heading for the door.
“See you around,” Luke replied.
With too many thoughts bouncing around my head, I replayed every word we’d exchanged and tried to interpret every movement wondering what the hell had just gone down.
I’d just stepped out into the sunshine and settled my sunglasses over my eyes when someone grabbed me from behind.
Spinning around I turned to find Luke, now looking as nervous as I’d felt. So, when he opened his mouth and blurted out, “Go out with me,” I was stunned.
10
LUKE
I wanted to cancel.
More than anything, I wanted to cancel.
I wouldn’t, but damn I wanted to.
From the moment I’d blurted out the question, stunning Charlotte as much as myself, I’d been second-guessing everything.
It’d taken us a couple of weeks to be able to line up a time when she wasn’t working, and I wasn’t tied up by other commitments but today was the day.
I was standing outside Wrigley Stadium waiting for Charlotte to arrive while Mrs. Neal took Isla to Lincoln Park Zoo to see the pygmy hippopotamus, something she hadn’t shut up about since Mrs. Neal suggested it.
I’d been back and forth wondering where I should take Charlotte for our first date, if it even was a date. I wasn’t sure. Maybe we were just friends hanging out. I’d thought about dinner, but that might be too romantic. Then I considered drinks, but that seemed too casual and being in a bar usually meant crowds and noise, not really ideal for getting to know someone. So, when Mrs. Neal suggested something fun and outdoors, I was in and probably more importantly, so was Charlotte.
I spotted her amongst the crowd before she found me. Damn the woman was fine. She looked effortlessly beautiful with her short cutoffs, sandshoes, and t-shirt. Her hair danced on the breeze and her inquisitive eyes were hidden behind oversized glasses. Digging my hands into my pockets, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from those long, lean legs striding across the concourse and heading in my direction.
I knew the moment she spotted me. A wide smile pulled across her face, and she reached up and pushed her hair from her face. It was her tell. We might not know each other that well yet, but that was one thing I already knew about her. Whenever Charlotte got nervous or overwhelmed, she played with her hair. And I couldn’t blame her.
“Hi,” Charlotte greeted as she came to a stop in front of me.
“Hi. You ready to go in?” I asked, tilting my head in the direction of the gate.
“Yep. Let’s do it.”
