Page 56 of True Colors

I’ve been hoping to bump into her exactly like this again—the last two people in the office, as we did the last time. But for some reason or another, I‘ve been leaving work early. Meetings at the other end of town, conference call with China, which I take from home, and dinner with Ria (finally, so she’ll stop nagging my parents). Even today, I’m leaving earlier than usual to catch drinks with Theo, so I’m super lucky to catch Anouk alone outside a conference room or my office.

“Hey.”

Her hair is in a loose braid today, falling over one shoulder. She’s in a dress that dips right below her knee. It’s coral red, it brings out her eyes and cups her body in the right places—small, pert breasts, a delicious ass.

She has a red-and-blue scarf that is styled to hide her cleavage. I want to push it away, lick at her skin right….

“Luther,” she says, eyes bright.

Is she pleased to see me, too?

The elevator car stops. I let her step in first and then follow her.

“Do you have plans this weekend?” I ask, aiming for elevator-small-talk neutrality and missing it by a mile.

Smooth, Luther. Real smooth. You absolute idiot.

Her brows lift. “Um…yes.”

“Oh.” My stomach sinks. “With your…brother?”

I make sure I emphasize it.

I’m not subtle.

I’m a moron.

Her lips twitch. “No. Finn has a shift. I’m going to the Morrison Planetarium.” She says it like she expects me to look confused.

I don’t disappoint her. “Do you go there often?”

“They’re doing a special event.” She pauses, searching for the words. “It’s a limited-run immersion show—uh—looking at exoplanet atmospheric signatures using spectroscopic mapping.”

I stare. She didn’t stutter once through all those damn big words.

She blushes. “I know…it sounds bo-boring.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I say immediately. “I’m fascinated.”

Her eyes widen. “You are?”

Yes, I am. Because she is fascinated, and I want to understand everything that lights her up.

The elevator stops, and we step out.

“Anouk, may I…ah…join you?” I ask before cowardice stops me.

She looks at me like I sprouted a second head.

Great going, Luther. She’s gonna kneecap you now when she sweetly says, ”Fuck no, why would I want to go out with a guy who makes me feel like shit during meetings?”

“Y-yes. If you want.”

“I want,” I say, far too quickly.

She smiles—small, hesitant…devastatingly beautiful.

“Okay then,” she murmurs.