Chapter 12 #2
The man’s brows furrow and I can see him scanning my expression with genuine concern. “Do you want to sit with my wife and me? Or I can send my wife to the bar if you need help?”
“No, no.” I raise both my hands. “I actually approached you to flirt—but that was before you said you were married.” Deciding he might enjoy this next part, I quickly tell him about how Luke cast doubts on my ability to pick up so I have to prove him wrong.
“Don’t worry, I’ll try with someone else,” I say. “Sorry for talking your ear off.”
He taps his chin before pulling out his phone.
“Actually, if you are single , I have a friend who is also recently single. Super nice guy. Dentist. He would murder me for doing this if you didn’t seem exactly like his type, which is why I’m going to take the risk.
If you want his number, I can give it to you? ”
I think about it, watching as the swamped bartender is back with the man’s beer and a side of fries. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone on an actual date. My ex left much to be desired, but that doesn’t mean I should give up trying for something serious with men altogether.
As a side benefit, good sex with a person you actually like raises the spirits, and mine could use some serious levitation.
“Sure, why not?” I find myself saying. “Thanks.”
He gives me the number, and then before he leaves, arms full of food and drinks, my new friend exclaims, “If you two end up getting married, I’m getting all the credit!”
When I go back to Luke and Theo, I flash the screen of my phone. “I got a number. Not his, but his recently single friend.”
“I knew you could do it!” exclaims Theo. He turns to Luke and waggles his eyebrows. “Did you ?”
There is no answer, only charged silence.
Peculiarly, I notice all the shots have been drained, but none are in front of Theo. All crowd around Luke as if he downed them.
Theo sees me look at them in confusion.
“He did say he wasn’t going to drink, didn’t he?” Theo’s voice drops to a scintillating whisper. “Wonder why that changed.”
“Shut up. Now.”
That’s Luke.
What’s his problem?
“Okay,” says Theo. “While that definitely lifted my spirits, I still don’t feel ready enough to put myself out there. How about another round of inspiration, Rita? There’s a really cute brunette with tree-trunk arms that eyed you down on your walk back to us.”
I—as discreetly as possible—look over my shoulder.
There is a brunette with boisterous arm muscles, and he is looking right at me.
Going up to him should be a slam dunk, though it doesn’t feel as satisfying. Maybe if I did some secret Kegel exercises, a spark will ignite. One, two, three. It doesn’t work, but distance might also be the issue. I’m about to get up to go again when —
“Stay,” orders Luke. Before I can tell him where to put it, he follows up with, “My turn.”
“Where are you going?” asks Theo.
“Apparently to entertain you,” says Luke.
We watch him move across the bar, crossing paths with a few groups of people before finally settling beside a tall woman with dark skin, her afro a beautiful halo contrasting with the sleekness of her lavender dress.
It doesn’t take long for Luke to whisper something to get her laughing.
His tiny smirk is back. She’s throwing her head back with mirth.
What could be so funny in such a short span of time?
Luke is not capable of such high-intensity jokes that I’ve seen.
“They look good together,” comments Theo.
“In an obvious way,” I say, drinking another Manhattan Theo must have ordered again for me at some point. Having it in front of me, and considering the mood I’m feeling, I can’t help but drink. Hopefully, it’s not expensive, and is on special somehow.
“Watching two tall beautiful people together isn’t a hardship,” says Theo.
He is studying me closely as he says this, as if expecting a reaction.
I ignore his attention, unable to look away from Luke and the woman.
He’s whispered something, and she is laughing again, her hand now on his arm.
He points to her drink. She shakes her head and points to the dance floor instead. Leaving her friends, they head there.
“I wish it wasn’t so easy for him,” I find myself saying after I chug the rest of the Manhattan.
“On the surface level, this might be easy for him,” says Theo, leaning back in his chair. “Other things, not so much. Trust me.”
Well, if the surface level is anything to go by, Luke is aiming for a perfect score.
Catching the tail-end of a slow song, their bodies have nestled as if already in bed together, only vertically.
Then a faster tune comes on, and Luke does not miss a beat, his hand leading a spin that crushes her against his back, and then a manipulation of the waist happens that has her dipping backward.
The woman is rightly delighted. All she has to do is follow. He’s taking care of everything.
Strongly unbidden, a thought enters my head.
That there is a correlation between dancing and the bedroom in terms of behavior, and that Luke Abbot is the type who would rule over a person’s body, directing actions like a spoiled king who works you hard, coaxing release after release out of an exhausted but willing spirit.
Legs would tremble. Moans couldn’t be held back.
He’d use those fingers forever, and then wickedly his mouth, and then hold you in place with his arms taunting as another hard length seeks entrance. Making you make room for him.
Separately, with no connection whatsoever to this train of thought, I decide a cold shower will be refreshing tonight.
“We should stop staring,” I say.
“We should,” agrees Theo.
Neither of us does.
Another round is ordered and drunk. I finally ask Theo why he’s friends with Luke since they are so different.
“He’s got a heart,” he says.
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Not like his.”
I try digging deeper, but Theo enjoys mystique too much. He tells me I’ll find out.
Then we talk about his work, a topic he welcomes with great fervor.
I learn he writes stories under a pseudonym about fantastical sea creatures falling in love with fantastically different anatomies.
His latest pairing is the rugged pufferfish and a coquettish sea anemone.
He won’t reveal his pen name, but promises to share a few chapters soon.
The song ends. They’ve separated and Luke takes the woman to an empty table, somewhat shrouded by shadows but close enough that from this distance, I can see her dress has a low back, and how thin silvery stretch marks cross the lithe line of her spine like earned petals on a branch.
How cool to present them like the adornments they are. Is that why Luke gravitated toward her? I wonder. It’s reason enough. I would too. My own body has its varying array of stretch marks on the back of my knees and striped proudly across my hips. I shouldn’t worry about showing them off.
Without permission, my gaze leaves the other woman and wanders through smokey ambiance until his set of eyes finds me.
A coil in my belly snaps to attention, pooling heat lower and lower.
This is…bad. Too much. He’s caught me staring.
I bet there is satisfaction coursing through his body, knowing I can’t stop—not that he’s looking away from me either.
Why not? And what next? Is he going to continue? To leave the bar altogether and ask that gorgeous woman to come along so they can enjoy themselves elsewhere?
I can’t.
The level of force I’ve got to use to tear myself away from those dark gray pools scrapes at my belly. It shouldn’t be this hard. They shouldn’t be hooks into me.
“I’m going to go,” I announce. “Is that okay?”
“Must you?” asks Theo.
“I…think so.”
“I’ll miss you,” says Theo theatrically, “but not enough to keep you if you want to leave.”
“Okay. If you’ll be fine…then good night?”
“Good night.”
Before I can move away, his hand finds my arm. “Hey, I like your energy,” admits Theo. “This actually helped, so thank you. I’m slightly less heartbroken and miserable.”
“It was nice for me, too. Really. As for the drinks?—”
Theo waves my concern away. “Luke’s footing the bill. Stubborn bastard won’t ever let me pay.”
“Okay,” I say, feeling relieved.
“I’ll send you my work later this week to read.”
“Please do!”
We part like people who’ve just met, so politeness feels necessary, but that’s not all. There’s real warmth and I can’t pinpoint why, but I have a feeling we could be great friends if around each other enough times.
An anemic disco ball spins above my head on my way out, smattering enough light around to make me feel as if I’m on stage.
Everything is glowing but blended like an oil painting.
A few Manhattans are not a lot in quantity, but the alcohol content in them is heavy-handed and hits me all at once.
Good thing the brisk breeze outside is a nice slap against my overly warm cheeks.
Stopping somewhere to the side, I bring out my phone. Now for the business of getting myself home. Anything other than walking will cost me, so walking it is.
“What are you doing?”
My head jerks up.
It’s Luke. Not caring about an iota of privacy, he reads the phone screen over my shoulder. “Those are walking directions.”
“I’m aware.”
“Why?”
“Not that I owe you an answer, but I’ve drunk a bit too much alcohol, so I’m doing the responsible thing and taking myself home. Fresh air will help my head settle.” As if to add emphasis, I start down the street to begin my journey.
“Alone,” says Luke, striding along with me, obviously not understanding. “At night?”
My chest swells with indignation. I am not a child in need of scolding over my decisions…
“This city is rated one of the safest in the country, and I’m taking the main roads. So yes, alone . Or that was the plan before you rudely crashed.”
He slips his hands into his pockets. “I’m going in the same direction.”