Chapter 15

15

E ven if she was in her forties and twice divorced —or perhaps because of that —Sol was a bit unskilled and even mistrustful when it came to the whole dating scene. The mere idea of it both bored her and left her exhausted.

That could have been why the previous night she had accepted Luke's proposal to go for a walk after dinner. She'd shown him around the many charm-filled squares of the Gràcia neighborhood, but when he'd offered to walk her home, she excused herself. She'd hailed a taxi and made a rapid escape, even though a long, slow walk through the warm-lit streets of her hometown was exactly what she was longing for.

Thinking about it the following morning, Sol realized that the moment she said no to Luke's stroll proposal, he dropped the subject. He didn't try to persuade her with one of his charm-laden smiles. He waited with her on the street until he saw her inside a taxi and asked her to text him when she made it home safely.

She felt a bit weird about that. It was the kind of thoughtful, caring thing she always asked friends to do when they were saying goodbye at night after catching a movie or going to dinner together.

She did text him with a simple Home when she got to her place, and then she put her cell phone away. She knew if he texted her, she'd respond. And she needed some distance. Too many things were happening at the same time.

Luke was the worst, most tenacious flirt she'd met in a long time. But she'd enjoyed his company during dinner. She knew it hadn't solely been because of the wine; she had been purposely pacing herself and didn't drink more than a glass. And the food was exquisite, but she'd been to that place several times and had never found herself madly enraptured with her companion before. It wasn't the ambience either. The lighting was soft and perfectly crafted to her liking, but that would have been the first time some warm illumination caused her to develop a crush on someone.

Could it be that she liked Luke? Surely not. And yet the main argument she could clearly see against him, other than the fact that she had just met him and didn't know much if anything about him, was that he was too young. And wasn't fancying a younger man a bit hypocritical of her, considering her not-so-recent-but-still-indelible latest relationship slip?

The harsh reality was that she didn't have the luxury to keep thinking about that hypocrisy. She still hadn't processed the whole being-out-of-job- again thing, and here came a gorgeous Londoner with Italian genes who was probably at least ten years younger than she was and the most attentive man she'd met. Perhaps ever.

The last thing she needed was a distraction from her problem at hand. She had to focus on how to get her career back on track.

Plus, she hadn't allowed herself to brood too much over her latest divorce, and she wasn't even sure how she felt about it or if she was ready or willing to attempt a relationship ever again.

She felt flattered by Luke's attentions but she also couldn't quite believe them. There was something about him that didn't add up. It wasn't that she didn't think she was a catch—she knew she projected a sort of empowered Mediterranean image that was not not attractive. But she knew she wasn't his type either.

Luke was back at the hotel after an early morning run by the beach that had proved more distracting than he'd anticipated. He was an exacting and disinclined traveler who was affectionately tormented by his family about his unwillingness to leave London. But why would he when his hometown could offer him pretty much everything he longed for?

Yet even Luke had to admit that Barcelona was living up to some of its hype. It had distinctive architecture, history-filled streets, beautiful people, and well, yes—the sea. He was starting to think he could easily get used to dinner dates with Sol and runs by the Mediterranean when he got a text message from Divya.

Divya Bakshi: This must be the most entangled lot we've ever investigated.

Divya Bakshi: Lashana Fletcher is Martha Broch's publicist. She only started representing her a month ago though.

Luke Contadino: Isn't that around the time Lashana joined Josie's?

Divya Bakshi: Yes. Maybe Martha was the one who recommended the Pilates studio or maybe it's another coincidence.

Luke Contadino: I thought you didn't believe in coincidences.

Divya Bakshi: And I still don't like it but I feel we have to hire an entertainment expert to consult.

Luke's heart leaped. He knew the perfect entertainment expert who had already helped him clarify a few things about the case.