“Yes,” he replied, voice a whisper. He kept his gaze trained on the door. “Is around six thirty okay?”
“For this, anything,” Minh replied, and he heard the smile in his voice.
He released a breath. “Wish me luck.”
“You won’t need it,” Minh replied jovially, hanging up just as his office door opened. Emmeline entered, her hair twisted up in a clip.
“Hey,” he said, getting up from his seat.
“Hi,” she replied. “Who was that?”
“Farhan,” he said, the excuse ready. He met her halfway, pulling her into his arms so she couldn’t tell that he was lying. “I was going to pop by my parents’ for a bit to check in on Mama, but after that, I’m taking you out.”
She pulled away, meeting his gaze with a smile.
“Really?” she asked, twining her arms around his neck. “What for?”
“Do I need a reason?” he asked, then he pretended to think about it. “How about because I love you?”
“That suffices,” she replied, pleased.
“Perfect. Meet me at the bookshop around seven, and we can head out from there.”
“Mmkay,” she said. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” He squeezed her waist, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
“You’ve been acting very suspiciously lately,” she said.
His heartbeat quickened. “Gotta keep you on your toes,” he replied with a laugh.
He could see she was about to interrogate him, so he pulled her in for a kiss, and that promptly shut her up. He spun them around, then broke away. She had a dazed look in her eyes, and he quickly kissed her cheek.
“I’ll see you later!”
Before she could protest, he grabbed his coat and went straight for the door.
He flew on Sharptooth to his parents’ place; he’d left everything he would need at theirs. There, he got ready, then grabbed his things, giving his mom a kiss goodbye before heading out.
“Wish me luck,” he said, nervous now that the time was here.
Rhea laughed, touching his cheek. “You won’t need it.”
Minh had said the same thing, and from a logical standpoint, maybe he wouldn’t, but still... It was onlynatural to worry when it came to one of the most important moments of his life.
He headed out, and Sharptooth bumped her head against Luke’s chest. “No, you’re right,” he agreed. “I need to stay calm. Everything will be fine.”
Still, his palms were sweating.
He mounted, and they set off, stopping to pick up flowers—red roses—then going to the Tales & Tails Bookshop. It was a minute before six thirty, and Luke saw Ola heading for the door, turning the OPEN sign to CLOSED.
As she came out, she didn’t lock the door. Instead, she handed the keys to Luke. She patted his shoulder, then quietly left, and he took a deep breath, heading in. The shop was empty, all his for the night, just like he’d asked Minh.
Getting to work, he created a path of red flower petals and candles, leading from the front door to the shelves, where he set up the books he had brought. He glanced over to the coffeeshop extension in the middle of the first floor, the perfect union of both his and Emmeline’s ideas. It served roasts from both her dragons and his chimeras and had been a roaring success ever since it opened, bringing a new layer of vibrancy to the already bustling bookshop.
Once everything was ready, he dimmed the lights, waiting.
He heard the front door ding as it opened.
