Chapter 18
MEGAN
"Girl, you look amazing," Nina exclaimed.
"I feel amazing." I was getting ready for my date with Luke, and I had to admit, I looked fantastic. I was wearing a gorgeous black dress that didn't hide my curves. Underneath, I had on super sexy lingerie—I wanted to completely erase the memory of those god-awful panties from both our minds.
"Now stand still, or I can't apply the makeup properly," she instructed.
"I am standing still."
"No, you're not. Your face muscles look like they're constantly fighting a smile."
I couldn't help myself and burst out laughing.
"That's because they are. Is it weird that I just want to smile all the time?"
"No, it's not. It's a good thing."
"I've never had something like this happen to me. Thanks so much for coming over on such short notice."
When I told Nina about the date tonight, she immediately offered to do my makeup.
She'd also brought some accessories from work.
She had access to all sorts of goodies, like these gorgeous earrings.
They were borrowed, so I had to make sure I didn't lose anything and that they were in perfect condition when she got them back. But that was fine.
"I can't wait to meet him," she said.
"Aha, so that's why you wanted to help."
She smirked. "Well, partly. I need to judge for myself if he's good for you."
I'd give her grief, only I usually did the same for her. I hadn't been a fan of her current boyfriend, Henry, from the beginning, but I'd been gentle in sharing my opinion nonetheless, and she didn't get upset. We valued honesty.
"Now close your eyes and let me apply your eye shadow."
"Yes, ma'am." I’d styled my hair with my curler before she came, and I loved how it framed my face.
Fifty minutes later, Nina announced, "Okay, you're ready."
"I don't know how you did it," I said, looking in the mirror. I wouldn't call her makeup subtle. It was obvious, but in a way that worked for me. My lips seemed bigger, and so did my eyes. I had a very natural blush. She'd blended the foundation perfectly, which enhanced my skin tone.
"In another life, I'm going to be a stylist," Nina said. "Or maybe in this one, who knows? Oh, before I forget." She rummaged through her bag, taking out a small vial. “This is one of our newest perfumes. It's not available widely yet, so I only have samples. See if you like it."
"Have I told you I love you lately?"
She grinned. "Yeah, you always do when I bring you goodies."
"You're such a great friend."
I opened the vial, sniffing it.
"Oh, I love this." It smelled like lavender and was a bit woodsy as well. I immediately put a few drops on my wrists, rubbing them together and touching under my ears. I liked putting perfume there; it lasted for a long time.
The doorbell rang, startling me.
"I'm going to open it," Nina exclaimed.
"No, no, I am." Luke would feel ambushed by Nina, and I didn’t want him to be uncomfortable.
"Okay, fine," she relented. I knew she was anxious to meet him, but she could be a lot to handle sometimes.
She could barely hide her curiosity as we walked toward the front door. Before opening it, I put on my sparkling golden heels. They matched my gold necklace and the huge teardrop-style earrings. I wanted Luke to see the whole package.
When I finally opened the door, his eyes moved slowly down my body. I was instantly on fire. It seemed now that we were together, he wasn't holding back his feelings at all.
"You look fantastic."
"She does, doesn't she? I’m Nina," she said.
He snapped his gaze to her. Hadn't he noticed her at all?
"Hi, Nina. I'm Luke. Glad to meet you."
"And you. I've heard so much about you. All good stuff, don't worry. But I'm still going to keep my ears and eyes open."
"Nina," I said, cautioning her as I reached for the clutch bag from the small table next to the entrance.
"What?" she said to me, then turned to Luke. “Take care of my girl."
"I will, I promise," he said.
"Shall we?" He held up his hand, and I put mine in his. I felt flutters in my belly and my heart. After breaking up with Carson, I didn’t think I could feel anything again. I wasn't sure how it was possible, but it was happening. Even more so.
"I’ll lock up here, don't worry about that. I just need to gather all my things," Nina said.
"Thanks." She had a spare key, and I had one of hers, primarily for emergencies.
As we went out the door, Luke kissed my hand.
"I'm happy we get to go out," he said as we exited the building. He'd parked a few feet away, and we carefully walked to his car. These heels were a little tricky.
"I'm happy too."
He opened the door for me, watching me as I got in. "I want to romance you a bit. I didn't have a chance to do it before now."
That made me swoon completely.
"Well, I beg to differ," I said as he closed the door. He’d gotten me fantastic tickets to my favorite show and came with flowers. And sent me my favorite lunch after the interview!
My heart was beating even faster when he got in the car. "I'm so excited about the restaurant. I already looked at the menu, and I know what I'll order."
He stared at me. "You're thorough."
Obviously. I’d looked up the menu the second we agreed to go there.
"I don't joke about food. Once I’m in a restaurant, I feel pressured to make up my mind. Sometimes that means missing out on the best dishes. Then I see other people getting served and get mad that I hadn’t ordered it in the first place.
So, that's why I like to prepare myself and know what I want to order. "
"Hmm, that never occurred to me," Luke said.
I was a bit nervous, which was ridiculous. Up to this point, we'd only shared stolen kisses and secret nights, but now we were openly going on a date. This was nerve-racking.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Honestly, I don't even know. I feel nervous, and I'm trying to figure out why."
"Don't be nervous, Megan. This will be amazing. I can feel it. We’re going to enjoy each other's company. I’m already enjoying yours."
"So am I. I mean, you just picked me up and already made me swoon. This evening can only get better."
"Oh, I promise it will."
The seductive hint in his voice sent delicious tendrils of heat through my body. I knew we had a physical connection. Hell, we didn’t just have sparks together—those were damn fireworks. But getting to know each other was a different story altogether. What if we didn’t click?
We arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes later and were seated outdoors at a table close to beautiful red rosebushes. The scent was dense in the air.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Luke asked.
"These roses, they're a particular type. Mom and I used to make jam out of them when I was a kid. In the summer, we spent a whole weekend doing it, and then we had jam for about a year. My aunt kept up the tradition after they passed away."
"How’s your aunt?" he asked. “Is the tutoring working out?”
I loved that he remembered.
"Yes, but she’s still struggling financially.
It’s like she can’t catch a break, and she’s such a good person.
After my parents passed away, she didn’t hesitate to take me to live with her, even though she was single.
I think I told you that, but I only found out once I graduated that she remortgaged her house to send me to a private school.
She really is selfless, and my dream is to pay off her mortgage one day.
If I win the competition, that’s what I’ll do with the money.
I just want to see that moment when she knows she no longer owes anything to the bank. "
Luke's eyes softened. "That’s a very thoughtful thing to do. You're a great niece."
"I will be as soon as I pay that mortgage.”
"The fact that you want to speaks volumes."
A server approached us, holding a notepad. "Good evening, and thank you for dining with us tonight. I hope you had time to decide what you’d like for dinner. What can I get for you, miss?"
"Hi, Tom," Luke said, obviously seeing the server’s name on his lapel pin. “We’re happy to be here. Unfortunately, we haven't looked at the menu yet." I smirked, knowing exactly what I wanted. Then Luke added, "The lady did, but I didn't."
"May I get you started on drinks, then?"
"That sounds perfect. Megan, do you know what you want?"
I nodded. "I’ll have some white wine, please."
"Bring us a bottle of Maxwell chardonnay," Luke told him.
"Of course," the waiter said, then walked away.
"See, that's why I like to do this beforehand," I said under my breath as Luke opened the menu. While he studied it, I looked around.
I loved the vibe of this place. It was elegant but not uptight.
The yard was large, and there were some old trees around the edge of the property.
I made a mental note to come back during daylight to see it better.
The building adjacent to this one had a bar with a dance floor and music, and I hoped Luke would want to spend time there later on.
I was in the mood to dance with this beautiful man.
When the waiter came back, I ordered shrimp in lemon sauce with polenta as an appetizer and veal with rice as the main course. For dessert, I chose the cheesecake topped with caramel and pecans. I couldn't wait.
After I ordered, Luke said, "I'll have the same."
"Okay, excellent choices."
After the waiter left, I wiggled my eyebrows. "So, you've studied the menu for five minutes and decided to copy me."
"You studied it for longer, I bet."
"Yes, I did."
"So, you know better than I. Besides, it all sounded delicious.”
“Especially that dessert, huh?"
"Yes, but that's not going to be my only dessert for the night."
It took me a second to realize what he meant. I was sure I had a full-body blush going on. My cheeks were warm, and so was my neck. I felt a lot of heat between my legs too.
The waiter arrived with our wine a few seconds later, pouring it carefully. After he left, we clinked glasses, and Luke said, "To a great evening… and night."
“You're so sure that I'm coming home with you tonight, huh?"
"I like my chances."
"So, you think I'm a sure thing."
His expression turned serious. "I will never think that. You deserve to be spoiled, and romanced, and I'm going to do just that."
It was then and there that I decided this was the most romantic evening of my life.
We received bread and a few spreads from the house a while later, and then our appetizer was served. While we ate, Luke kept touching my hand and my leg under the table, and I was basking in all his attention and the way he couldn't seem to stop himself from touching me.
"This evening is amazing," I said, sipping wine after finishing the main course. Two waiters took away our empty plates.
"Tell me about it. What did you like most?"
"The food and the wine." I narrowed my eyes playfully and added as an afterthought, "And I like the sexy man sitting opposite me as well."
He squeezed my hand over the table, leaning in. "I like the woman in front me too. So fucking much. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be here with her tonight."
Oh, he was so good with his words. I’d known that from the first evening at the bar, but this was different—more open, more real. He wasn't trying to charm me. He was simply trying to make me feel good and happy, and I loved him for that.
I widened my eyes at the thought. Back up, Megan. You’re on your first date. And you’re nowhere near ready to fall in love with anyone—not even someone as amazing as Luke.
When we got our cheesecake, I dug in immediately. I almost moaned. "Oh my God, how can this be so good?" I exclaimed. The cheesecake itself was very creamy and not too sugary. The caramel gave it the perfect sweetness, and the pecans made it crunchy.
"I'm going to take you to Liz’s bakery one of these days."
"Who's Liz?" I asked.
"My brother Declan's fiancée. She has a bakery. You'd love it."
I felt warm all over that he spoke so casually about me meeting more members of his family.
After I finished my cheesecake, I noticed he was only midway through his portion. "How can you eat it so slowly?"
He laughed. "You want another few spoonfuls?”
"Huh? What? No, no, I don't," I said quickly.
“Yeah, you do.”
“I do, but it’s not fair.”
He pushed the plate to the middle of the table. "Come on. I can't eat all of it anyway."
"Damn. You are the perfect guy. I even get half your dessert.”
" We can order another one if you want."
"No, it makes it special that you want to share it with me."
Luke looked at me like I was speaking in a foreign language.
"By the way, what would you say about dancing a little?” I asked. “I saw the bar next door.”
"We can go if you want to." His eyes darkened, which told me this put a chink in his kinky plan, but dancing could be foreplay, and I had so much energy. I wanted to shake it off a bit.
"Great. I need to use the bathroom to freshen up first."
"I'll pay in the meantime," he said.
The bathroom was fancy. The doors didn't have handles, and it took me a bit to realize that to get inside the stall, I just had to push the door. Afterward, I washed my hands, checking my appearance in the mirror. Nina really had done a great job.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, I looked in the courtyard, but I couldn't spot Luke.
"You're a babe."
I blinked, turning around. A guy was standing in front of me. "Want to go dancing?"
"No, thank you. I'm here with someone."
"That's a good excuse. Why am I not seeing him around?"
"Because I'm coming from the ladies’ room."
"That's also a good excuse."
What the hell?
"She's with me," a voice said. It was Luke. "Fuck off."
The guy immediately held up his hands in self-defense.
"My bad. Didn’t know she was taken."
“My bad” his ass. Why the fuck couldn't he take me at my word? Not that I minded Luke stepping up and claiming me. It was hot. The way he held my shoulders to guide me made me feel like he didn't want to let go, ever.
"Shall we go?" I asked.
"Yes, come on. The evening is still young."
Yes, it was. So far, he’d made me swoon and blush. I couldn’t wait to see what was in store next.