Luke’s eyes have found me once more, and I feel pinned to my chair. Frozen in place, like a deer in the road. Josh and Viv talk, Luke stares, and I’ve become a mute again, captivated by his grayish-green eyes.
I wonder if he still smells the same—like a fresh shower mixed with butterscotch and oak.
Yup, I remember that too. I remember everything. He’s branded on my mind even if that’s the last thing I want or need.
“We’ll let you get on with your evening, but it’s lovely to meet you both, and I’m sure we’ll see you soon.” Josh places a hand over his heart as if reciting a Shakespearean sonnet.
He claps Luke on the shoulder, signaling that it’s time to go.
“Enjoy your first night in Maple Cove,” Luke says, eyes locked on me. With a slight tilt of the mouth, he tips his head and follows Josh into the house.
Viv turns her attention to me, a look of confusion on her face. “Are you well?”
“No. I think I blacked out. I can’t believeyou called him the hot guy from the coffee shop.” My palms cover my face. “His presence short-circuited my brain!”
“Better get over that because it sounds like his family owns the place, so we’ll be seeing more of him over the next ten days.” She finishes her glass of wine and stands. “Bottoms up, buttercup, we’ve got a reservation to get to. Mama wants pasta.”
“Was it obvious I fully left my body for that whole interaction?” I ask, standing and finishing my glass..
“Yes, obvious to me—but they’re men. Luke probably clocked your awesome cleavage and spent the whole time thinkingBoobs.Don’t stress. You’re fine. We can salvage this. I mean, we have to. You have a vagina to dust off, and frankly, I think that man should be the one to do it.”
I drop my head back and stare up at the sky before looking down at my chest. “My boobs do look good, don’t they?”
“Hell yes, queen. Now let’s go eat.”
Nine
I LIKE MY TOES
Liv
We drink espresso martinis instead of dessert and ask the waiter where our next stop should be.
“There’s a place just down the road that’s really popular. It’s called The Tavern. They also have a band most weekends. It’s a local spot, though, so if you’re not into that sort of thing, there's a restaurant in the opposite direction, The Bicycle Spoke. It has excellent drinks, and it’s more touristy.” He looks between us. “Can I get you ladies anything else?”
I shake my head and he smiles, handing us the bill.
“I vote for the locals’ place. I bet it’s way more fun.” Viv finishes her martini and raises her eyebrows at me.
“Sounds good to me!”
We close our check and walk toward The Tavern. The sky is clear, and the moon is hanging low in the sky. A breeze rustles the leaves in the trees along the sidewalk, and I tug on my jean jacket. There’s less humidity here, and with the heat of the day dissipating, it’s surprisingly cool, even for June.
A text pings my phone, tugging my attention to the screen.
Jerry PI: I need an address to send you what I’ve got.
I type out a response. Viv eyeballs my screen with no regard for privacy. “Let me know what he finds.”
We wander down the sidewalk, passing the dark windows of storefronts closed for the night. Every chance my traitorous mind gets, it finds its way back to Luke. I never thought I’d see him again, and by some twist of fate, here he is. Nearly seven hours away from where I first saw him. What was he doing in Manhattan if he’s from up here? Was it a one-time visit, or is he in the city often? Does he ever drive the boat with his shirt off?
“And then I said, just lick it right off my nipple,” Viv says.
“I’m sorry, what?” I snap back to the present and turn toward her.
“Oh, hi! Welcome back to Earth,” she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Where’d you go? Wait, wait, no, let me guess. You were daydreaming about what it would feel like to have Luke’s sexy beard tickle your?—”
“Good lord, I was not!”But now that she’s mentioned it…“I was just wondering why he was in the city. But now, thanks to you, Iamwondering how that beard would feel between my legs. So thanks a lot.”
