Chapter 24
CLARA
The restaurant was called Starshine. Inside, it was dark and moody, lit mostly by candlelight. The dining room only had around a dozen tables, filled mostly with couples like us, leaning in close to each other, staring into each other’s eyes, and whispering sweet words over a romantic dinner.
Although I had no idea if they were like us because I didn’t know what Luke and I were.
This was unquestionably a date, of course.
No one would bring a friend here. As mind-blowing as it had been, having sex once didn’t mean we were boyfriend and girlfriend.
We had been faking that relationship, but we had entered uncharted waters now.
I didn’t want to ruin the night by overthinking, so I forced myself to be present and in the moment. One look into Luke’s eyes anchored me back in. “You said this was one of your favorite places?”
He nodded. “They make amazing dishes, but without veering off into anything too out there. I’ve been to some places that got way too far up their own asses.”
I laughed. “What was the most ridiculous dish you ever saw?”
Luke thought for a second and then chuckled. “Okay, it was a seafood dish. They made a scallop foam, served on a seashell, and they piped in a recording of the actual ocean where the scallops were caught. They said it added to the experience.”
“Oh, my God, that’s insane.”
“Right? Is that even food anymore?” I tapped the menu in front of me. “Not here. Order fish and it’ll be damn fancy, but it’ll still be recognizable as fish. Plus, they don’t give you the stink-eye if you want to order fries.”
I glanced at him. “So you won’t judge me for ordering fries? Is that what you’re saying right now?”
Luke shrugged. “Do it. They’re truffle fries made in duck fat. You’ll dream about them. In fact, we’ll get those as our appetizer.”
“You know how to treat a girl.”
Luke slung his arm around me and squeezed. “Stick with me, baby.”
We laughed. He let me go and we sipped our wine. The alcohol warmed me up, but so did he. Luke wasn’t who I thought he was. He had a sweet side and he treated me like a queen. I didn’t need a man to spoil me to get my affection, but it was still a dream come true when he did it.
The candle on the center of our table flickered with our breaths. It painted shifting shadows on Luke’s face, adding an air of mystery to his gloriously handsome features. The light caught his strong cheekbones and made his blue eyes sparkle. I had difficulty looking away from them.
We ordered, getting the fries as a starter. Luke also got a steak and I went for the fish, after he’d talked it up. I would just have to imagine the sound of the ocean where it was caught.
The fries came out quickly and we devoured them. Well, mostly me. Luke hadn’t been kidding. They were a delight. Carbs always made things better.
Luke leaned back in his chair, a smile on his face as he watched me dip another fry in the garlic aioli. The combination was so good, it had to be illegal. I would have voiced that idea to Luke, but I was busy chewing.
“So, while you’re here and we have some time,” he said. “Is there anything in particular you want to do? Something quick and New Yorky you’ve dreamed of doing?”
I swallowed quickly and drank some wine. “There is one thing I’ve been dying to do, but you’re going to hate it. There’s no point in even asking you.”
He narrowed his eyes at me curiously. “Well, now I have to know what it is.”
“What’s the point? You’re going to say no.”
Luke growled in frustration. “Whatever you want, just ask me. I’ll make it happen.”
I took a deep breath and told him. “I want to learn how to ride the subway.”
“Absolutely not,” he said immediately.
I laughed. “I knew it.”
Luke wagged his finger no at me. “That’s not fair. No one rides the subway because they want to. They ride it because they have to.”
“Right, and if I move out here, there might come a time when I have to use it, too. I want to be ready. So I need someone to show me how it works. Just the once. I’m a fast learner.”
He sighed. “It does help to have someone show you the ropes.”
“You see? It’s a good idea.”
“But we’re all dressed up.”
“So what? Do you think we’ll get mugged?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, the subway is safe. I’m more worried about stepping in something.”
“Come on. Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“It’s getting a ride with Lenny, in plush leather seats that don’t smell like pee.”
I batted my lashes at Luke innocently. “I’m sure Lenny would show me how to take the subway if I asked.”
Luke scoffed and shot me a dirty look. “I see what you’re doing.”
“I’m not doing anything. If you want to crush my dreams, that’s your choice.” I had to suppress a smile.
He snorted. “You are unbelievable. I have this whole other awesome surprise lined up for us, and you want to ride the subway.”
“Is there time for us to do both?” I asked.
He nodded thoughtfully. “Actually yeah. We can take the subway where we’re headed. I just hope you’ve had all your shots.”
I smiled at him. “Don’t worry. I won’t bite anyone.”
We finished our dinner. The food was as enchanting as the company. Luke was quite the charmer. He held my hand as we walked down the sidewalk. I didn’t know if we were boyfriend and girlfriend but we were something.
We found a set of stairs leading down into the bowels of the city. Luke paused and looked at me seriously. “Are you sure about this? It’s not too late to back out still.”
I took a deep, shaky breath and nodded. “I’m sure. This is fun and exciting. Not terrifying.”
“Are you really scared?” He looked concerned.
“I mean, yeah. It’s intimidating.”
His eyes softened. “Come on. I’ll walk you through it. You’ll be a pro in no time.”
We walked down the stairs together and he showed me how to pay the fare. I watched intently, clearly filing it all away for future reference.
The train car we got on wasn’t too crowded. We actually found seats. I had Luke on one side of me and on the other was a mother sitting with her daughter on her lap. The little girl was wearing a pink knit cap with cat ears and she smiled at me.
I smiled back. “Hi there. What’s your name?”
The girl smiled shyly but her mother gently encouraged her. “Liana.”
“Hi, Liana. I’m Clara.”
Liana looked up at me. “I like your dress.”
“I like your hat,” I said.
The girl told me her father had gotten it for her. They were on their way home to see him. He made pork chops for dinner. It was cute. She and her mother got off a few stops later.
“Do you make friends with everyone you meet?” Luke asked me.
“Not everyone. Liana was a little cutie-patootie though.”
“Only you would find a buddy on the train,” he said, smiling. “New Yorkers are often as surly and grouchy as I am.”
I beamed at him. “So you finally admit you’re the Grinch?”
“I’m not,” he said. “I’m about to prove it to you.”
I giggled and leaned in to him. “Are you going to sing me a Christmas carol right here in front of everyone?”
He grinned. “No, you’ll see. We’re getting off at the next stop.”
We reappeared on street level, greeted by cold winter air. I pulled my coat tighter, and Luke put his arm around me, lending me his body heat. We walked a few blocks like that, and it was nice. I could have walked with him all night.
Then Broadway came into view and I was awestruck, seeing it at night. Tears stung my eyes. For a nerdy theater kid like me, this was the motherland. And Luke was so thoughtful bringing me here, knowing how important it was to me.
“Thank you, Luke. It’s glorious. A dream come true.”
He kissed the top of my head, sending a shiver through me that had nothing to do with the cold. “The best part is I’m taking you to a show at the Radiant Theater.”
My jaw dropped and I spun to face him. “No way.”
“I’m serious. I pulled a few strings and managed to score some decent tickets.” He wagged his brows at me. “Box seats.”
I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him with excitement. “You are incredible. Let’s go before we miss anything.”
Luke picked up our tickets from the window out front and we strolled in through the massive bronze doors. It was like stepping into Broadway history.
An usher took us to our private box, courtesy of Kerri Lipton of course. Luke had called her for the tickets. The woman was like a guardian angel, taking me under her wing. I needed to send her a thank-you card and a fruit basket or something.
The lights went down and the play began. It was a holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. But the sets and the costumes were anything but traditional. They had a stylized edge to them that gave a vibrant feel to the production. I was impressed, which wasn’t easy to do when it came to theater.
Luke was slightly less impressed, judging by the way his eyes kept drooping.
A couple of times, his head bobbed and jerked back up, like he had caught himself dozing off.
I would razz him about it later, which was only fair, but I didn’t wake him either.
He had worked hard all day and he wasn’t bothering anyone.
If he started snoring, I would elbow him.
I tapped his shoulder at intermission. He sat bolt upright in his chair and inhaled deeply. “I wasn’t asleep,” he said quickly.
“Good,” I said with a giggle. “We’re only halfway.”
“Did I miss the Ghost of Christmas Present?”
“I think that part’s next.” I grabbed his hand. “Let’s go grab a drink.”
Luke perked up. “We can drink at the theater during halftime?”
“It’s called intermission, but yes. Art is always better when you’re not sober.”
“I’ll drink to that,” he said, pulling me out of the box and into the crowd.
As soon as we got our drinks, I spotted someone I assumed I would never see again. And she was coming right for us.
Ganymede Raye swept through the awestruck crowd like a force of nature. Everyone here knew who she was. This was her production of A Christmas Carol.
“Clara Snow!” she said.
“Oh, my God, you remember my name,” I said, unable to believe it. She had lots of nice things to say when we’d first met, but I had just assumed she was being kind because I was Kerri’s friend.
“Why haven’t you called me yet?” she asked, shaking her head at me. “Did someone else already hire you away from me?”
I smiled and tried not to choke on my own tongue. “I’m so sorry. I haven’t had a chance yet.”
Ganymede gave Luke an appraising look and she nodded. “Young and in love. I get it. But don’t you dare lose my number.”
I swallowed hard. “I won’t.”
“Excellent. Now why don’t you two come backstage to watch the rest of the show?” Ganymede looked back and forth between us.
“We don’t want to be any trouble,” I said.
“Don’t be silly,” Ganymede said. “It’s my show. It’s no trouble at all.”
“You’re doing this,” Luke told me. “You’re not passing up this opportunity.”
Ganymede nodded. “See? Your man’s being supportive. Come on. Follow me.”
She led us through a door and a hall, and suddenly we were in a different world, a shadow world with props and people running around chaotically. For me, it was magic.
I turned to look at Luke. “Did you set this up with Ganymede?”
He shook his head. “I just called Kerri for the tickets. She must have told Ganymede we were here. Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to win some romance points by arranging this meeting, but I think this lady just really likes your style.”
“I’m dying. She’s a legend.”
He chuckled and gave me a hug. “Don’t die on me yet. The night’s just getting started.”
I loved everything about that moment, about being there with him to experience something special like this.
For years, I wasn’t sure anyone would ever see me like this.
Most people wouldn’t understand why this was so exciting and moving for me.
Watching the backstage team move like they were creating a whole world, bringing an old tale to life. I was on cloud nine.
Luke’s warm hand in the small of my back was the cherry on top.