“That we do this right.” He lifted his knuckle up to my chin, gently lifting it so I was looking him right in the eyes. “We take it slow and keep it honest. No more holding back or giving half-truths.”
“Understood.”
“I want to trust you, Presley.”
“You can.”
“I’m gonna need you to prove that.”
“Just give me a chance, and I will.”
“Alright then. How about I pick you up Friday around seven.”
“But I asked you… Shouldn’t I be the one to pick you up?”
“Not a chance.” He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “I’ll see you Friday at seven.”
I nodded, then turned and made my way back out to the car. The day hadn’t gone as expected. It went even better, and suddenly, the weight of everything that had happened over the past few weeks didn’t seem so heavy anymore.
Nothing about Luke or his world was simple. And trusting him and him trusting me wasn’t going to be either. But I wasn’t looking for simple. I wanted something real, and as I started my car, Friday night felt like something I’d been waiting a lifetime for.
15
GOOSE
“Whatcha thinking?”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to decide.”
“Anything look good?”
“Are you kidding?” Presley’s eyes were wide as she studied the lengthy menu. “Everything looks good, and it smells good, too.”
“Tastes good, too. Trust me. Get whatever. You can’t go wrong.”
The restaurant wasn’t anything fancy. No white tablecloths or candles. Just worn booths, good food, and servers who actually wanted to be there. It wasn’t too crowded, so we could actually carry on a conversation.
I held up the menu, pretending to look it over, but I already knew what I wanted, and she was sitting across from me. And I have to say, she was looking exceptionally beautiful tonight. She’d straightened her hair and had one side tucked behind her ear, and she was wearing dark jeans and a brown sweater that hugged her curves in all the right places.
After a few moments, she peered over her menu and said, “I’m torn.”
“You and your commitment issues.”
“I don’t have commitment issues.”
“Bet Gary would disagree.”
“Hey, no fair.”
“Poor ol’ Gary.”
“You’re a mess.”
She laughed, and just like that, the knot in my chest loosened a notch. I ran a hand through my hair, pushing it out of my eyes, and caught her watching. I dropped my hand and asked, “What?”
“Nothing.” Her smile widened. “Nothing at all.”
“Um-hmm. Whatever you say, boss.”
