Date Shark (33 page)

“Luke, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“Didn’t you get my text?”

A small rush of guilt swept through her mind. She had bypassed Luke’s message to read Eli’s. Leila had meant to look at Luke’s right after, but had gotten distracted. “Uh, sorry. I felt it buzz a few minutes ago, but I hadn’t had a chance to check it yet. What did it say?”

“It said that I was coming to whisk you away from this insane place. Let’s go.”

Leila’s phone buzzed again, making her jump. Luke was too observant not to notice. There was no way she was going to read Eli’s text in front of Luke, so she shoved it in the back pocket of her jeans. Luke gave her a questioning look.

“Do you need to check that?”

“No, I’ll read it later.”

A teasing smile spread across his lips. “Not checking your text messages is a bad habit. You’re likely to miss something important, like me coming to rescue you.”

That brought Leila back to his early statement. “Luke, you’re sweet, but I can’t go. There’s still too much to do before the show tomorrow.”

“I already cleared it with Ana,” Luke said. He grabbed her sweater off the back of her office chair and held it out for her. “There’s nothing so important that you have to be here tonight. It’s already nine o’clock.”

He didn’t wait for her to argue anymore. Luke pushed her out of her office and into the hallway. As they were passing by Ana’s office, Leila broke out of Luke’s grip and darted in to see her boss. “Ana, Luke’s here, and …”

“Oh, yeah,” she said rubbing at her eyes. “Go ahead. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

“Are you sure? I can stay if you need help with anything.”

Ana seemed to debate her answer. Leila wasn’t sure which she wanted to hear more, that Leila could take off, or was still needed to tackle some other fiasco. She only got more confused when Ana answered, saying, “You can go … if you’re sure you want to.”

There was an odd expression on her face. Hopeful? Worried? Before Leila could puzzle it out, or respond, Luke pulled her away from the door calling out a thanks to Ana before she disappeared from view. They were to Luke’s car before Leila pulled herself together, somewhat.

“Luke, listen. I have been at work for thirteen hours. I’m exhausted, and I look terrible. I don’t know what you have in mind, but …”

Luke cut her off before she could continue. “What I have in mind is a quiet, relaxing, stress-free dinner at my apartment. After, well—that’s up to you. I have movies prepared, ice cream, or I could always massage your feet if you would like. It’s completely up to you.”

“What’s for dinner?” Leila asked after a moment’s hesitation when thoughts of Eli crept into her mind. In reality, she was only able to push them out because she knew Eli wasn’t home.

“I thought you might appreciate something familiar,” Luke said as he helped her into his car. He slid into his own seat before answering. “I have food being delivered from that American diner down the street from my apartment you like so much.”

“Pot roast and mashed potatoes?” Leila asked. Her mouth was already watering.

Luke took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Of course, it’s your favorite.”

Half an hour later, they were walking through the door of Luke’s apartment. His timing was just about perfect, because the delivery girl knocked no more than five minutes later. Leila wasn’t nearly as familiar with Luke’s apartment as she was with Eli’s, but she did know where the plates were kept. She had the table set by the time Luke returned with the food.

Luke set the food on the table and kissed her cheek. She turned into his embrace and he kissed her again. “Go ahead and sit down. You look beat. I’ll dish out the food.”

He didn’t have to ask twice. Leila slumped into the chair and tried to keep as much weight off her feet as possible. Luke filled each plate and sat down across from her with a smile. The romantic air was stifled just a little by the fact that Leila was ravenous. She downed nearly half her food before she could be bothered to take more than a breath between bites. The half-smile on Luke’s face made her self-conscious, but not enough to keep her from taking another bite.

“Will I see you at all tomorrow?” Luke asked when the feeding frenzy had calmed.

Leila sighed. “I doubt it. I’ll be back stage all day, and you’ll be out in front shooting the models. And I know you have to leave as soon as the show ends to catch your flight to New York.”

“Lunch?”

She shook her head. “Lunch will be catered, but I usually only have time to snag a bite here and there. You saw the aftermath of the last show. It’s total chaos.”

Luke smiled at the memory. “When is Ana going to hire someone to help you? You’re the only marketing director I’ve ever met that does as much as you do.”

“Maybe once Ana works out whatever expansion project she’s working on.”

“What expansion project?” Luke asked.

Leila shrugged. “I’m not sure. She’s been very secretive about it. I know she’s working on a second line, maybe even a second store, but aside from having me feel out customer responses and developing preliminary plans for what it would take to branch out, I haven’t seen a single design.”

“That’s not like Ana. I thought she ran pretty much everything by you.”

“Usually,” Leila agreed, “but I think she’s overly protective of this project. It would be a huge step for her to open a second store with a completely unknown brand. If it tanked, it could ruin St. Claire’s. I don’t blame her for keeping it close. I wouldn’t trust anyone with something like that until I was absolutely sure.”

Luke set his fork down and leaned back into his chair with a frown. “It isn’t about trust. Ana trusts you implicitly. She wouldn’t ask so much of you if she didn’t. That’s the real reason she hasn’t gotten you an assistant. She trusts you so much it’s hard for her to bring anyone else in who might screw things up. There must be some other reason.”

If there was, Leila wasn’t going to worry herself about it in the middle of a delicious dinner. Whatever Ana was planning, it was months in the future. Getting through the fall show was more important than anything else at that moment. She would ask Ana for more details after the show.

Sensing the topic had fizzled, Luke dove into a new one. “This is nice, eating dinner together like this.”

“It is,” Leila said with a smile. They had never actually had a meal at either of their apartments before. Dinner plans usually included a new restaurant with foods that made Leila nervous. It wasn’t homemade, and it wasn’t at a breakfast bar, but it was … nice.

“We should do this more often,” Luke offered.

Leila smirked at him. “I don’t know. You’re likely to fall asleep on me any minute.”

Luke laughed as well, but underneath Leila’s facetious exterior, a burr of irritation rubbed against her mind. The first time they had taken a break from the exciting world of Luke Deveron, Leila had attempted to introduce him to scrapbooking. It wasn’t the first time he fell asleep on her. She thought he would be interested in helping her with a print layout for the fall show banner, given his artistic nature, but he only lasted an hour. Even the cooking class she signed them up for had been interrupted by Luke nodding off and knocking over the utensil caddy. Sure, he had just gotten in from a flight, but after a while Leila began to feel like her hobbies were simply too boring for him.

Unaware of her internal frustration, Luke continued. “I’m serious, though, Leila. We should do this more often, hang out and relax. I like the idea of being with you at home, just knowing you’ll be here.”

Home?

“I know I can get a little caught up in all the rock climbing and travelling and kayaking, but I love being with you. The past month has really opened my eyes. I’ve barely seen you, and I don’t like it. I miss you too much. I want to be able to come home and know that you’ll be here, too.”

Leila was honestly too stunned to respond at that point. To be perfectly honest she hadn’t even considered what Luke was suggesting. If that’s what he was actually suggesting. Leila struggled to center her thoughts and ask, “What do you mean about coming home, and …”

“I don’t want this to be a rare thing. I’ve realized that even though we have fun going out and trying new things together, I like this too. I’m not asking you to make a decision right now, but I’d like you to think about moving in together.”

“Moving in together?” Leila said slowly.

They had been dating for almost six months, so maybe his request shouldn’t have been such a surprise to her, but it was. There was still so much she was unsure of. Moving in with Luke meant giving up the possibility of “what if” with Eli. Every day she spent with Eli, that elusive dream felt more realistic, but what if she gave up what she had with Luke for something that would never materialize?

Luke reached across the table and took her hand. “Leila, this doesn’t have to happen next week, or even next month. I brought it up because I want you to know I’m thinking about it. I want you in my life more.”

“You’re gone so often, and I get so busy, we’d hardly even see each other more than we do now. What would I do when you’re travelling for the paper?” Leila asked.

“What do you do now when I’m gone?” he asked.

Go to Eli’s house.

“Look,” Luke said, “it’s not about that. When I’m gone, it would make me happy to know I can walk through my apartment door and see you. I don’t like being away from you. I told you before that I wouldn’t make a commitment to anyone without a long track record with them, but I only thought that because I’ve never dated anyone I felt was worth giving up my freedom.”

An odd, tingly feeling started in her fingertips. “You feel that way about me?”

“I do.”

The feeling spread all over her body. “Really?”

Luke laughed. “Really.”

The constant on-the-go, thrill seeking lifestyle Luke usually led was a testament to how much he valued his freedom. He was self-sufficient and didn’t like relying on other people. Dashing off all over the country kept life from getting boring, something Leila suspected he feared. But he was suddenly changing his tune. He wanted Leila with him, in his life for real. It would mean making decisions together, compromising, giving up some of his endless adventures. He knew that, and still he was asking her to move in with him.

“Luke … I think I’m too surprised to react right now,” Leila said honestly.

His small smile was understanding and kind. “I know. Just promise me you’ll think about it, okay? And don’t feel like it has to be you moving in here. I love your apartment, too, or we could find somewhere new together. You think about it, and let me know when you’re ready to talk more, okay?”

Leila’s head bobbed up and down. A sense of excitement she couldn’t quite quell was building in her chest. Thinking clearly was becoming difficult. This would be a new experience for her. What would it be like living with someone again? Having a roommate in college was the closest she had ever come before, and she doubted it would be quite the same. For one, there wouldn’t be separate beds. That thought alone scared her and delighted her at the same time. Luke had been very respectful of her cautious nature, but living together would certainly imply a new level in their relationship. Was Leila ready for that?

“Are you finished eating?” Luke asked.

Leila nodded, though she couldn’t remember if she actually was.

“Good,” he said, “I have a surprise for you. Come with me.”

Gently pulled from her chair, she followed him to the living room and sat down on the couch. She watched as he slid a DVD into the player and rejoined her on the couch. Unsure of what to expect, Leila watched the screen, waiting for a verdict on this surprise before cuddling up to Luke. When the flourish of music and black and white credits burst onto the screen, she smiled.

“You were talking about some of the old movies you couldn’t find anywhere last week,” Luke said, “so I did some hunting around and found a copy of
His Girl Friday
for you.”

“Did you really?” Leila grinned and tucked her feet onto the couch before leaning into Luke.
His Girl Friday
had been one of her mother’s favorites. They had watched it together before she died, but Leila had been unable to find a copy of the movie anywhere. After going home for her mother’s birthday, she had wanted to find the movie even more. She kissed Luke heartily for his unexpected gift.

He laughed at her enthusiasm and kissed her back, but his kiss was soft and languorous. It was the kind of kiss that hinted at more lying just beneath the surface. Pulling away from him was more difficult than it had ever been.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome, Leila.”

The start of the movie barely managed to redirect their attention. If it had been any other movie, Leila may have pushed it aside in favor of another kiss like that from Luke. This movie was dear to her, so she curled up next to Luke and let herself get lost in the movie and the memories that went along with it.

Leila couldn’t specifically recall what the movie was about—it had been so long since she had seen it—but as the film continued she almost wished she had kept it that way. Almost from the moment Luke had brought up moving in together, he had been the sole focus of her attention. As Walter, the movie’s main character, finds out his ex-wife is planning to remarry and becomes determined to stop the wedding no matter the cost, a strange feeling settled in Leila’s stomach.

She was not sure why, but Walter’s plight brought Eli to mind at once. The giddiness she felt at Luke’s profession that he wanted her turned sour at the thought of telling Eli she was considering the monumental move. She was sure, now, that he felt something for her, but he refused to act on his emotions. What was holding him back, she didn’t know. Would telling him about Luke’s request spur him to make a choice, or push him away altogether? Would he become like Walter, too late and desperate, or would his response mimic Rhett Bulter’s famous, “Frankly, Scarlet, I don’t give a damn.” Would Leila ever be anyone’s
Girl Friday
? Leila missed the end of the movie completely because she was so consumed with wondering.