Chapter 6 Now #2
“I don’t think people use Tinder anymore, but yes,” he laughs. “What do the kids say? Do it for the plot.”
I groan. “Lucas.”
“What? You’d be dating as research.”
“I don’t think that’s how that works.”
“It’s better than refreshing your ex’s Instagram every few hours,” he says, taking another sip of wine.
“I don’t do that,” I lie.
“Just think about it,” he says, leaning back with a shrug. “I’ve given you two great ideas to get you out of this writing rut you’ve been in. One of them has gotta spark something.”
I nod, mostly to appease him. “I’ll think about it.”
“What would you do without me?”
I don’t tell him I’ve already taken his advice. That the pages about Cole—the ones I pretend don’t exist—are quietly piling up between me, my notes app, my laptop, and the four walls of my hotel room.
Lucas’s phone starts vibrating on the table, lighting up with a FaceTime call from his mom. “Mind if I answer?” His eyes drop down to the screen.
“Not at all!” I wave him on and take another sip of wine.
Julia is one of my favorite people. For the entirety of Lucas’s life, she’s been a single mom.
His dad was never in the picture, and I think everyone but Lucas preferred it that way.
Because she worked full-time, Lucas spent most of his days with his grandparents.
When he went off to college, Julia moved back in with her parents to take care of them.
They’d have us over for Sunday dinner a few times a semester, and we’d be sent back to campus with enough leftovers to feed our entire hall.
Lucas’s family is one of, if not the, most important parts of his life.
Which is why I don’t see him committing to Boston, at least not long term.
Lucas tilts the phone in my direction so I can say hi.
“Oh, Ainsley! Loving the book. I’m about halfway through and have already cried twice! Your parents must’ve been blubbering messes when they finally got their hands on it!”
“Thanks, Julia! We missed you at the signing.”
“I know. I hated that I couldn’t be there! You two have fun!”
As if on cue, the server arrives at our table again, pen ready, waiting for our dinner orders. Lucas glances down at his phone, where a new message lights up the screen.
Margo: Be there soon, promise.
He sighs and looks up. “We’re still waiting on one more,” he says with a smile. The server nods and heads off, leaving us in an awkward silence.
“Is she still at the office?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
Lucas shoves his phone back into his pocket, his jaw tightening.
“Yeah.” He pauses, shaking his head. “She’s trying to prove herself to the partners since she’s new, which I understand and support.
But she has this coworker Neil who’s always trying to one-up her—getting in earlier and leaving later every day, offering assistance on cases that aren’t even his, and shit like that—and you know Margo, she’s not going to let someone show her up. Especially not a man.”
Twenty minutes later and our stomachs rumbling, Margo shows up with the kind of confidence that bulldozes through the fact that she’s about three hours late.
She’s weaving through the tables in her polished blazer and heels, her smile big and bright, almost like she’s trying too hard to brush away that she’s kept us waiting.
Her red lipstick is perfectly intact, and her hair falls in loose waves over her shoulders; you’d never guess she just spent ten hours in a stuffy law office.
“Sorry I’m a little late!” she says as she slides into the seat next to Lucas. Without missing a beat, she leans in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek—more routine than affectionate.
“A little?” Lucas mumbles under his breath, but only I seem to hear it.
Then she turns her attention to me. “Ainsley, so good to see you! How’d the signing go? Sorry I didn’t make it. As I’m sure you can tell, work has been insane.”
I smile. “Oh, no worries! If things continue to go well, I’m sure I’ll have another you can come to. Tell me more about this new job!”
“Before we dive into that, what’s everyone thinking food-wise?” Lucas cuts in, a little too quick to redirect.
Margo’s manicured nails tap the menu as she shakes her head. “Oh, I already ate, actually. Neil ordered dinner to the office, so I’m all set.”
I catch the quick shake of Lucas’s head, a gesture that was barely noticeable, but the tension in his jaw says all I need to know.
Margo, oblivious or pretending to be, pours herself a glass of wine.
Just as I’m about to change the subject, her phone buzzes on the table.
She picks it up instantly, scanning the message with a small frown.
“Sorry, one sec,” she mutters, her thumbs already flying across the screen.
Lucas watches her, his jaw tightening as he leans forward. “Can you put that away?” His voice is low but pointed.
“It’s work,” Margo says, not even looking up from her phone.
“Margo,” he says again, a little firmer this time. “It’s dinner. One night. You’ve been working all day.”
With a sigh, she sets the phone down, but not far enough away that it feels like she’s actually done with it. “It’s not a big deal, Lucas. This is just dinner with friends. Not everything has to be so serious.” Her laugh is short, almost dismissive, but it doesn’t quite smooth over the tension.
Lucas exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair as if trying to let it go. But the crease in his forehead doesn’t ease up, and his gaze stays on Margo like he’s waiting for her to give an apology that we both know he’s not going to get.
Trying to ease the tension, I change the subject. “Okay, Margo, let me get your thoughts on this. Lucas thinks I should download a dating app to help me get inspiration for my next book. I kind of hate the idea but—”
“Oh my gosh, yes!” Margo’s face lights up, and she’s instantly back in good spirits. “It doesn’t have to be serious. You could just go on a few dates, get some free drinks, and have fun. Ooh, let’s make your profile now!”
The shift is dizzying.