Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
A fter spending the rest of the day wrangling children and wrestling applications into potential classes, it felt good to leave the studio and return home and change into jeans and a pretty top. She’d said she could catch an Uber, but Luc had insisted on picking her up, saying he had zero desire for random people to know where either of them lived, and he’d much rather have the opportunity to spend time with her anyway. So she’d waited, watching out the window for his shiny black pickup, smiling as he parked in the no-stopping zone.
“Don’t be out too late, otherwise I’ll come hunt you down,” Poppy warned.
“Yes, Mom.” She rolled her eyes, blew Poppy a kiss, and scampered down the stairs. She probably should contact her parents again, see if they wanted to catch up for lunch this weekend. Which was a dumb question, as they always did. But maybe it would be a chance to help them get to know Luc more.
She reached his vehicle just as Luc was getting out.
“You beat me.”
She smiled. “I’m competitive, or so some people tell me.”
“I happen to like competitive.” He opened her door, waited until she was settled, then gently closed it.
She snapped in her seat belt, and noticed a few people had stopped to stare. Was a wave inappropriate? Or would that simply clue them into where she lived? Best to not invite more strangers to dig too deeply into her world.
Luc rejoined the traffic. Peak hour had picked up lately, as summer vacations drew to a close. It reminded her that school would resume shortly, that his preseason would begin soon, and once again she teetered at the edge of spiraling into doubts and confusion. Then his hand found hers, and she grasped it like she would a lifeline, her fears settling, like he’d prayed for her. She exhaled.
“You feeling better now?”
“Yes. Did you just pray for me?”
“Yes.”
She squeezed his hand, emotion clogging her throat. Oh, he was a good man.
He drove to a different neighborhood, not too many blocks away, but still within walking distance of the Coffee Haus café. “So this is where you are,” she said, craning her neck to look at the high-rise, as he slowed then turned into an underground parking garage.
“This is home sweet home.”
A few minutes later she was standing in the lobby of his tenth-floor apartment. Cream, hardwood floors, the place would have looked cold except for the amazing view. Even from here she could see the full-length glass at the end of the hall showcasing a view of the city as it stretched to the horizon. And at this time of evening, with the lights showing, and the last rays of sunset, “It’s beautiful.”
He shrugged, placing his keys in a black bowl, then gestured her to the living room. “It’s not far from the arena and I like the fact you can see the river from the balcony. I can get to the river easily.” He shot her a look. “That’s where I go running most days. You know, in case you’re interested.”
“Mmm, I’m interested, but not in running so much.”
“Yeah?” He drew closer, a smile on his face like he enjoyed this banter. “What are you more interested in?”
She wrapped her hands around his neck, and smiled up at him, and whispered, “Dinner.”
He laughed, and swooped in for a kiss, which soon grew a little hungry, and she had to place one hand on his chest. “Careful. We can’t do dessert first.”
“Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘life is short, so eat dessert first’?” he murmured against her lips.
“No. And,” she gently pushed him away, “I think you should feed me. Before I get hangry.”
“I can’t actually imagine you as angry, let alone hangry. I’ve never seen you eat too much.”
“Dancers can’t. A moment on the lips, forever on the hips, or so they say.”
“I’ve always wondered who this ‘they’ are. They seem to have a lot of opinions that are wrong.”
Or sometimes right, too. There was a reason she’d gotten a little fanatical about her eating over the years. A reason why so many of her teachers had always been careful about portion control.
She blinked, shifted closer to the window, as the final rays of sunset tinted the sky in hues of peach and gold. Her breath hitched as Luc drew close, then wrapped his arms around her, his front to her back, as they watched the sky together, saw the lights of the Legislative Building flicker on. She leaned against him, thankful to have this small pocket of calm in the midst of stress and strife.
“What are you thinking about?” he murmured.
She wrapped her hand over his. “How faint I’m going to be if I don’t eat soon.”
She felt the rumble of his laughter drift from his chest through her. She closed her eyes. Was there a nicer feeling than being held like this?
“Well, we can’t have that, can we? What do you want to eat?”
“Anything.”
“Indian?”
“You know how to cook Indian?”
“I know how to order it.”
She laughed, and he showed her a takeout menu, she picked her two favorites, and he ordered.
“So, I figure we’ve got maybe ten minutes before the doorbell rings, and I have to go let them in. We could spend that time looking at the view, or we could explore some more dessert from before…”
She swiveled and faced the window. “Yeah, the view is looking good.”
“It sure is.”
From that husky tone in his voice, she knew he wasn’t talking about outside. And when his lips found her cheek, then slid down her jaw to her throat, she knew she couldn’t cope with much more. She grabbed his hand, and arched away, and did a spin under his arm as he laughed and tried to keep up. “Don’t make me make you drop and give me twenty,” she warned. “I’m not that kind of girl.”
He offered tweaked lips of chagrin. “I’m not that kind of guy, but I find it way too easy to forget when I’m with you.”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, then he exhaled heavily. “This is a whole different thing to when we were on set, huh?”
She nodded, “It’s not like when there were dozens of eyes on us.”
He pulled her close, leaned his forehead on hers. “I meant it before. I’m not going to let you fall. Whether it’s in a dance lift, or something else. You’re safe with me.”
“I know,” she whispered. She knew .
Luc might sometimes wrestle with desire, but he was honorable. And she could trust him. A good, good man.
“Man.” He blew out a breath.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“No, what is it?”
He pressed a kiss to her palm. “Isn’t it funny how we can think we know the answers, but until we live someone else’s experience, we really have no clue?”
“Whose experience are you thinking of?”
He winced. “Ryan. Him and Sylvie were a thing before she was a Christian, and I might’ve got on him about getting carried away, and now I know how easy it is.”
“Oh no.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Are you telling me you’re not perfect?”
His lips twitched. “I guess I am.”
She sighed. “That’s just as well.”
“Because?”
“Because I’m not perfect, either.”
“Oh, come on. You’re pretty close to perfect.” He held out his fingers a quarter inch.
She chuckled. “I really like you, Luc Blanchard.”
“That’s just as well.”
“Because?”
“Because I really lo-ike you too.”
* * *
He saw how her eyes widened, as if she’d caught his near slip. But would it be a slip of the tongue to speak what his heart had been saying? He loved her, but saying that would take this relationship far deeper than mere kissing seemed to. At least, that was his experience. He might’ve kissed plenty of women—more—back in pre-saved days, but he’d never loved them. Not like this.
Maybe it was that he’d seen his friends dig deeper into what a real relationship was, or the fact that God had been working in his heart to show what real love was, but he knew this deep care and protectiveness was far more powerful than the desire he’d felt for other women in the past. Far deeper even than the desire he felt for Bailey. He might’ve mocked his friends for talking in the group chat about relationships so much, but he could now see how finding the right girl provided sustenance for life. More than a smile or a laugh it was like having a partner, someone who was on your side, no matter what. And the past couple of months had showed that Bailey was like the ultimate partner he’d want in life.
His doorbell buzzed, shaking him from his moment.
“That sounds like dinner is here. Want to come with, or hang here?”
“Of course I’m coming with you.”
He held her hand as they took the elevator to the foyer, and met the delivery person at the door. He tipped them, having paid on the phone before, then five minutes later they were eating in his apartment.
This, sharing a meal, was nice. He could see them sharing plenty more. Dinners, lunches, breakfasts. Here, at hers, at restaurants, wherever.
“So, how did you go with the rest of your day? You were stressed before about the studio and things.”
She swallowed the last of her butter chicken, and pushed her plate away. “Poppy and I have pretty much sorted out most of the classes now. We might need an assistant to do some of the paperwork though. And find someone who can help upgrade the website.”
He motioned to the curry, and she shook her head, so he ate the rest of it, as he chewed on her dilemma. He had some friends, some connections who could probably help with both. But she wouldn’t like a handout, he knew that much from spending time with her. “I can ask around if you like.”
“Only if they’re cheap.”
“You don’t want cheap if it means it won’t work properly.”
“I want the price I can afford.”
He drank his water. “You mentioned before about people wanting to partner with you. Were any of those tech companies? I’m sure there’s a company out there who’d like to work with a famous dance studio, or at least offer a deep discount for the privilege of being associated with you.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Wow. You’re probably right. I haven’t even had a chance to look at all the emails yet, so maybe there is.”
“And if not, I can put some feelers out, see if people at the club know people who know people, but only if you want.”
“Thank you.” She reached across the table and grasped his hand. “I really appreciate that.”
“I live to serve.”
“Which is what will make you a good captain.” She sipped her water. “How did your team things go today?”
“It went. I have more press and have to arrange a few team things later in the summer. And every day between now and the preseason, I have to work on building back my muscles.”
“Too much dancing knocked it out of you, huh?”
He stared into her eyes. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
She smiled, and his heart took flight. How strange to think they lived in the same city, that she’d even worked at his favorite coffee shop, but they had never met until Dance Off brought them together. He shivered. It was almost scary to think they hadn’t met. “Hey, what church do you go to?”
She told him. “I’ve gone with my parents to theirs for years.”
He swallowed. Maybe this was a big call, and likely wouldn’t win him favor with the parents, but he still had to ask the question. “How would you feel about coming with me to mine?”
“With you?”
He told her where and when his church met, and a bit about the style of service, and she agreed to go.
“As long as your parents won’t be put out if you’re not there.”
Her lashes lowered, then lifted. “I normally have lunch with them on Sunday though. It… it would be nice if you came with me. If you wanted to, of course.”
“Of course I want,” he said. Well, of course he wanted to be with her. He suspected her parents might not be so eager for him to tag along. Her mom might be okay, but he thought her father would be glad if Luc’s relationship with Bailey had ended with the show.
“So, Sunday, huh?”
“Three days away. Or is it four?”
“It’s too far away, whatever it is, that’s for sure.”
“Are you saying you want to see me before then?” she asked playfully.
“I definitely want to see you before then.”
“And have more dessert?”
He exhaled heavily. “Don’t tempt me.”