Chapter 25
LUKE
The actors performed on stage and the others worked like army ants behind the curtain, but for me, Clara was the real show. Every smile, every quirk of an eyebrow, every gasp. My world began and ended with her.
When she laughed or something delighted her, she leaned in to me, like she wanted to share the moment together. I was starting to think I wanted to share a lot more moments with her. Clara just felt right. I wanted to gather her in my arms and hold her, letting her light fill me.
Our night at the theater had ended up working out a hell of a lot better than I had planned. Just watching the show would have been a treat, but now we were where she really wanted to be. Kerri had taken a real shine to Clara—although who could blame her? I was falling for her fast.
She could knock down all my walls with a smile, making me forget why they’d been up in the first place. I was starting to think none of my relationships had ever lasted because no woman could compare to Clara. Her memory had haunted me for a decade like the Ghost of Christmas Past.
I might have slept through that part of the play tonight. Those fries had been tasty, but the carbs were like a lullaby dragging me down to sleep. I hid it well. Clara had barely even noticed.
The performance finished up and we said goodbye to Ganymede before we left. The woman had insisted on putting her phone number into Clara’s phone herself, that way Clara had no excuse not to call her.
Out on the sidewalk, Clara was walking on air, not bothered at all by the chill.
“That was amazing,” she said, smiling at me under the stars.
“I’m glad you liked your surprise.”
“I loved it. You know how to show a girl a good time.”
I laughed and grabbed her hand in mine. Together, we walked down the street, thrumming with energy. I decided I could open up to her a little.
“To be honest,” I said. “Tonight was the most fun I’ve had in the city in a long time.”
“I refuse to believe that.” She shook her head firmly. “Walk in any direction and you’ll find something to do.”
“That’s true, but I just get so caught up with work.” I shrugged with a soft smile on my face. “I rarely take advantage of what makes this place awesome. With you, it all feels brand-new again. So, thank you.”
Clara looked up at me with her lips parted. “Luke, I should be thanking you. I mean, you opened up your whole world to me. I’m supposed to be helping you, but it feels like you’ve been making all my dreams come true.”
I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck. “I helped, but you’re the one making all these connections. I’ve never spoken this much with Kerri. She loves you and it has nothing to do with me. I used to think she hated me.”
Clara grinned. “Well, then we both deserve pats on the back.”
Without a word, we had the same thought. Our hands let go and we patted each other’s back. Then we fell into each other laughing.
“Is there anywhere around here we can get a drink?” she asked. “I’m not ready to go home yet.”
The word pulsed in my head like a beating heart. Home. Was that how she thought of my penthouse?
I liked the idea. What I’d told Bonnie had been the truth.
I looked forward to going home when she was there waiting for me.
Clara had slotted into my life like she’d always been a part of it.
I didn’t know what was going to happen after Christmas, but I hoped we didn’t have to stop exploring whatever was happening between us.
“A drink sounds great,” I said. “I know a nice place right around the corner.”
Clara hugged my arm and I led the way. Hill’s was upscale, bougie. Plenty of people inside were dressed up. Some of them had probably come from A Christmas Carol, too. We would fit right in with our clothes.
We sat at a small corner table beneath a dim lamp casting warm orange light on us. She got a glass of wine and I ordered a vodka tonic. Soft instrumental Christmas music jingled in the background. Lights had been strung around the bar.
“This is nice,” Clara said.
“I was just thinking the same thing. The world is so much better around Christmastime.”
She laughed. “This is coming from the man who freaked out about my decorations.”
“I had forgotten about that.” I chuckled and shook my head at her. “You surprised me, is all. It’s not like I’m anti Christmas decorations.”
“So then why didn’t you put any up?” She took a sip of wine and smacked her lips. I didn’t think she knew she did that. It was cute as hell.
I took a deep breath like I needed it to get the truth out. “I never saw the point when it was just me at the penthouse. I’m glad you took the lead.”
“Someone had to.”
“So I have a big question for you,” I said.
Clara put her drink down and gave me her full attention. “A big question. Alright. As long as it’s not algebra.”
“No, nothing so cruel.” I grinned. “After Christmas, do you think you’ll be moving here to the city?”
Clara took a long drink, downing half in one go.
“This might sound crazy, but I don’t know.
It seems like a no-brainer, right? Things back home aren’t going great.
So, do I want to move into my parents’ basement, unemployed and pathetic, or move here and work with one of the brightest lights working on Broadway today? ”
I smiled at her. “Well, when you put it like that, the answer does seem obvious.”
She nodded. “It’s what I’ve dreamed of for so long, and now that everything is lining up for me, I’m scared shitless.”
“Change is always difficult.” I squeezed her hand. “But you’ve been through plenty of change in the last couple of years. You built a career and a life out in LA. Then you had to start over back in Harrison City. And this would be like starting over again. It’s okay to be scared.”
To my surprise, she rolled her eyes at me. “Like you’re ever scared,” she said.
“I used to throw up before every game in college,” I said. “The pressure was insane.”
“You never looked like you were scared out on the field,” she said.
“Oh, hold on. Did you watch my games, Clara Snow?”
Her cheeks went red and she looked away with a guilty smile. “I might have caught some highlights here and there.”
“Uh huh. Well, just between us, I was just really good at faking it out there. Everyone feels that way when the stakes are so high.”
She sighed. “Broadway is the dream, but talk about high stakes. What if I blow it? What if all my ideas are dumb?”
I leaned over to bump her shoulder with mine gently. “Mistakes will happen. You use it as a lesson and try to be better next time. That’s my approach anyway.”
“I’ll try to keep that in mind.” She finished off her wine and we ordered another round. “I just think it’s easier said than done.”
I nodded. “That’s for sure. But nothing is over until it’s over. Like when I got hurt.”
Clara’s eyes softened with concern. “Right, your knee injury.”
“My whole life had been football growing up, and once I went pro, I figured that was it for me. That was who I would be until I retired and opened up a car dealership or something.” I sipped my fresh cocktail.
“Then it all came crashing down. I thought my life was over. Then I dusted myself off and pivoted.”
She nodded. “That’s because you’re talented.”
“And so are you,” I said. “And don’t take my word for it. Take Ganymede Raye’s opinion.”
“She’s just being nice because I’m friends with Kerri,” Clara said, looking glum.
“You’re wrong about that, and I’ll tell you how I know. Raye might compliment your work to be nice but she wouldn’t give you her number. She wouldn’t have come out from backstage to find you.”
Clara smiled softly. “Well, that makes sense. It’s just crazy. Like I’m living in the upside-down world.”
“Success can be overwhelming,” I said. “Rise to meet the challenge and you could live happily ever after.”
“Let’s hope.” She lifted her wine glass. “To meeting the challenge.”
I clinked my glass against hers. “Cheers to that.”
When we left Hill’s, I was feeling warm from the alcohol and from Clara at my side.
Every time our bodies made contact, I burned for her.
And it wasn’t just physical. I loved watching her gush about the show.
She was such a nerd but it was cute to see her so passionate about theater.
I could walk beside her and listen to her chatter away all day.
But it was freezing out, so Lenny picked us up and dropped us off in front of my building. I thanked him and took Clara upstairs. The first thing she did when we got into my place was take off her heels.
She sighed like she’d been freed from a torture device. “Now the night is perfect.”
I laughed. “Not yet.”
Clara looked at me curiously. “Oh, yeah? What’s missing?”
“Flip those lights on.”
She clapped her hands with glee and ran to flip the switch. It was like she’d ignited a mini sun in my living room, but I had to admit it made my penthouse feel like a sweet dream.
“So what do you think?” she asked. “Has it grown on you?”
I shrugged. “I might need to put on sunblock, but yeah, it’s grown on me.”
I stripped off my coat and loosened my tie. Clara froze, watching me, so I slowed down and gave her a show as I took off my shirt. I had an undershirt on beneath it, but she damn near licked her lips anyway.
I smiled and kicked off my shoes. “It feels good to relax, just us.”
“It does.” She shook her head like she was waking up from a trance. “I guess we should call it a night.”
Clara headed toward the hallway where the bedrooms were. I followed her and stopped her in the door to her room. “You never answered my question earlier.”
She stopped and turned to face me. “Which one?”
I took a step toward her. “Back at the bar, you never told me if you’re moving to New York or not.”
She smiled coyly. “I’m thinking about it. I’m sure I could be seduced into staying.”
“Seduced, huh?”
She backed up into her room and opened the door wide in invitation. “Yeah. Do you know anyone who could do that?”
I took her in my arms and kissed her. She rose to meet me eagerly. Maybe she had taken my advice from the bar earlier. Either way, her fire matched mine, and when we fell into bed together, she was the one who pushed me down onto the mattress.