We snickered, then left our conversation to the mmms and yums as we ate. The burger was really good, but not worth the money. When the bill came, I offered to split it, but Luke insisted, so I let him pay. Truly, it was out of my budget, so I was glad he had.
We stayed at the table talking for another hour that flew by in a flash. The diners thinned, and before I was ready to end it, Luke glanced at his phone.
“I didn’t realize we’d been sitting here so long.”
“Me either,” I said, glancing at my phone as well.
This was going better than I’d ever hoped, and the worry returned. Would he want to kiss me? I could say no and bail, but should I come clean first? Luke was a nice guy. He didn’t deserve lies or to wonder why I’d ghosted him. But fuck, he was gonnahateme.
So many times tonight, I’d forgotten I was playing Ashley. I’d been myself, nothing fake except the lie Luke already believed,and now that it was nearing the end and we’d laughed so much, I started to regret this whole thing. Me and my dumb ideas. This was the worst, and I was the worst for doing this to him.
“Hey. You good?” Luke asked with lowering brows.
“Yeah. Um, yeah, I’m good. Sorry. I just … A text sort of put me in a mood.”
“Was it my mother? Just ignore her.”
I snickered. “No. She hasn’t hunted me down yet.”
Luke tossed his napkin on the table and stood. “Where are you parked?” he asked as he offered me his hand.
I took it and stood. “Near the back.”
“Same.”
He kept a hold on me as we made our way outside. In heels, he had about an inch on me, so six feet, two inches, maybe. Mmm, I liked tall guys.
Stop right there, Ash. This ends now.
Luke pointed at a black Range Rover a few spaces from us. “That’s me.”
I waved in the general direction of my old Civic and said, “Me.”
Luke glanced that way, then reached for my other hand so we faced each other. “I’ll be honest, I actually had more fun than I thought I would tonight.”
His words said more than his expression gave away. He’d broken out of the reserved mask from the event, but it had crept back into place somewhere between our last laugh and now.
“Me too.” I shouldn’t worry about the mask. I’d had a big one on all night. “I need to—”
“Did you want to—” he said at the same time, and we broke off, lightly chuckling.
“You first,” I said quickly, because what I had to say should be shouted from a distance—as I drove off.
“Uh, I’m …” Luke licked his lips, teasing my imagination and making my brain work overtime on how I could save this moment instead of destroying it. “I’m not really …”
“Would it help if we weren’t holdin’ hands?”
He dropped mine as if I’d asked him to, then rubbed one over his mouth. “No. No, I’m not sure that’d help.”
“Hey.” I cupped his bicep, hating how deliciously it tensed under my fingers, and rubbed slowly up and down. “You don’t have to give up any secrets, remember? This can end right here if you want. I had a great time. I really did, and that’s all it has to be.”
“Why are you so … easy?”
I arched a brow, and he snorted.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“We’ve had this conversation,” I said through a laugh.
