Chapter 8
MEGAN
The next morning, I was on pins and needles, waiting for Luke to pick me up.
He arrived at eight o'clock on the dot. I was smiling, holding two cups of coffee, and I had a feeling that I looked a bit manic. He climbed out of the car, laughing when he saw my coffee. He was wearing a gray tie. I’d never seen him wear a tie before. It looked great on him.
"What?" I asked.
Then he opened the door for me, and I saw exactly what. He’d bought coffee as well. That made me chuckle.
"I guess you can never have too much coffee," I said cheerfully.
“I’m only going to have one. You can have the rest. It’s with lactose-free milk,” he said.
Oh wow. I’d told him that right before we jumped into bed, and he still remembered it? Carson had never remembered. His standard reply when I said I couldn’t drink it was “Oh, right. You’re still intolerant.”
Like I was making it up.
"Thank you" was all I said in return, still a bit shocked.
The second we were both in the car, I stiffened, smelling a hint of his aftershave. It felt like an intimate detail—one I shouldn’t know. I crossed and uncrossed my legs, suddenly feeling restless.
“How was your aunt?” he asked unexpectedly.
“Great. She’s already got a few students. Things are looking up.”
He revved the car’s engine. I grabbed a cup of coffee, focusing on it. Last night, he’d slipped into flirty territory. Would he do so again?
He didn’t. I ended up drinking three coffees and Luke only one. He spoke most of the time.
We arrived at the client’s thirty minutes later.
Right away, I could see why the client wanted a statement office, as they called it.
This one was the complete opposite. It looked like a converted warehouse, which it probably was.
It didn't fit at all with the buildings surrounding it.
The entrance was bland, almost entirely white, with a cushiony sofa and two armchairs.
A nice assistant welcomed us, offering us water and coffee.
I declined both, already chastising myself for having drunk too much coffee. I needed to pee badly.
I excused myself, making a beeline for the restroom. Thank God the client was late.
When I came out of the bathroom, Luke was still alone with the assistant, who walked us both to the nearby meeting room. It was simple, with an old table and black leather chairs. It had no windows, and to me, that felt downright claustrophobic.
Luke took out his laptop and a portable projector that would let him put the presentation directly on one of the walls. The lack of windows and paintings worked in our favor.
"That's smart, bringing one with you," I said. "And it's so small."
"I always have it with me at appointments with clients. Almost all offices have one, but some aren’t that great. I learned that lesson the hard way when I had to pitch to a couple clients who had a very rudimentary projector. You could barely see the details. Didn't do me any favors."
I made a mental note about that.
"Good morning," the client, Mr. Downey, said.
Luke stood up taller, rolling his shoulders, instantly commanding the room. I had a distinct impression that he would run this meeting, not the client.
"Rick, good to see you again. This is Megan. She's our newest intern."
"Hi," I said as we shook hands.
"She's here with me mostly to watch and learn, but she's got a brilliant mind, so I'm sure you’ll find her input valuable."
I was surprised that he openly told the client I was a newbie. And I was equally surprised that Rick didn’t protest. I would have expected a client only to want the pros to make the most of his time. Then again, Luke had pitched my skills well.
Luke started the projector and turned off the light. He clicked the remote, and the 3D image of the client's future office came up on the wall. Honestly, it was breathtaking. It was cube shaped, designed mostly out of glass and metal.
It didn't have too many details because there was no point doing a whole concept unless the client signed on, but it was enough to give Rick an idea.
By the looks of it, the guy was impressed.
I smiled at Luke, who wasn't smiling at all.
I made another mental note about the demeanor to use with clients.
Four hours later, I had to admit I was happy I'd drunk all those coffees; otherwise, my mind would have probably slipped off during the meeting.
"These have been the four most intensive hours of my life," I told Luke the second we stepped out of the building.
He nodded and dropped his shoulders. I instantly noticed the change. He wasn't “customer Luke” anymore. He was just “boss Luke.”
"I have to say, I hadn’t anticipated Rick grilling us so much." He looked me straight in the eyes, then smiled at me. "And you did great."
"I did?" His compliment pleased me.
"Yes. You answered the questions you knew in a very detailed way and were vague enough on the ones where you weren't sure."
I smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, I learned that in grad school. When in doubt, keep it vague."
"How about I treat you to lunch?" he asked. "I feel like we both deserve a good one after the meeting we had."
"Won't the others need us at the office?" I asked.
His smile became more pronounced. This was a good day if he was smiling at me.
"Afraid to be alone with me, Megan?"
Holy shit. He was slowly transforming into flirty Luke. Had Rick completely exhausted Luke’s resources of self-control today? It certainly looked like it.
"No," I said boldly.
He nodded. "Good, because you shouldn't be. Just in case you were wondering, I do take my interns out for lunch."
"I wasn't wondering," I said a bit too quickly. Then I decided to change the subject. "Where are we eating? I don't know the area."
"Neither do I." He loosened his tie a bit, looking around. "I don't think we'll find anything fantastic around here. How hungry are you? Can you wait until we make the trip back downtown?"
I nodded. "Sure."
As we got in the car, Luke took off his jacket. He'd had it on the whole time at the client's. Then he took off the cuff links and rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows. Oh hell, that was far sexier than it should have been.
Once we were on the road, I told him, "Thank you for pitching me the way you did back there. Telling Rick I have a brilliant mind."
"You do," he said. "I did read your résumé, after all. I liked your application and your letters of recommendation. Your previous boss was very pleased with you."
"I always want to give my best. I want to learn as much as possible."
"Then you're in the right place. What made you get into architecture? Were your parents into it too?"
"Oh no. Mom was a nurse and Dad a biology teacher. I got into it in college when I signed up for an elective and fell in love. How about you?"
He frowned, looking at the road, clasping the wheel tighter.
"I just knew ever since I was a kid. Mom and Dad said I always took great interest in buildings wherever we went and constantly tried to repair stuff around the house. I have no memory of that, but they must be right."
"Are you close to your parents too or just your brothers?"
"My parents too," he said. "They’re great people. They always gave us their best. Not just financially, but they put a lot of effort into raising us to be decent people."
I was surprised at how openly he spoke about his private life even though he had made it clear that he would keep things professional between us. But then I remembered Donna knowing everything about his brothers, so it was probably a subject of conversation between everyone at the office.
“They sound great. And you also have two cousins, right? I remember reading something about Reese having a sister.”
“Yes, Kimberly. She lives in Paris, working at a travel agency. Actually, I think right now she’s in London with Reese and Gran.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Are they vacationing in London? I always wanted to go.”
“Not exactly.”
“Then what—never mind. Sorry, it’s none of my business.”
He flashed me a devastatingly charming smile. “I like talking to you, Meg.” After a beat, he added, “Reese’s dad lives in London. He completely took the family by surprise, announcing that he'd remarried, and now we have a new cousin."
"Wow," I said, stunned. "I don’t understand. It sounds like there’s history there."
"There’s a lot of history. My uncle had distanced himself a bit from the family a couple years ago.
Many years ago, actually. His wife died when Reese and Kimberly were still young, and he focused on work almost exclusively.
My parents practically raised my cousins as well.
After they sold the bookstore chain, he moved to London, and they grew even further apart.
It's not been easy for Kimberly or Reese. And honestly, it hasn’t been easy for Gran either.
Or my parents." The protective way in which he spoke about his family warmed me.
“I bet not,” I murmured. “That has to be tough.”
"We’re going to reach LaSalle soon. Did you decide where you want to have lunch?"
"Oh, sure. There’s this French restaurant about five blocks from the office," I said, showing him the address on my phone.
He nodded. "I know it. I've been a couple times. The food is great."
When we reached the restaurant, I looked to my left and right for any available parking spots—just before I saw the sign with valet service as well as the smartly dressed guy standing next to it.
We got out of the car, and Luke dropped off the key with him. I massaged my neck, tilting it to the right and the left.
“You’re tense,” he remarked.
“I think I was stiff back at Rick’s. I didn’t want to miss anything. But tonight, I’ll take a hot bath in my tub and—”
I pressed my lips together to keep from sharing any more intimate details. I knew I’d crossed a line anyway because Luke’s nostrils flared.
“I’ll send you a bottle of your favorite drink too. I’d suggest one of my brother’s wines, but I know you’re a Lillet woman.”
Oh, no, no, no. He’s playing dirty. Why?
Instead of politely refusing, I decided to do the exact opposite.
“You won’t hear me complain. You’re very thoughtful. I like that.”
“So. A hot bath and Lillet. What else is in your plan for tonight?”
I cleared my throat, hoping that might clear my mind too. To no avail. When he turned on the charm and the flirty voice, I couldn’t help wanting more. We were definitely on thin ice here.
“That’s a secret you’ll never know.”
“You think so, Megan?”
My mouth instantly dried up. His eyes were fixated on my lips.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Then let’s see what I can do to change that.”
Oh my. Flirty Luke is back for sure.