Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Luke

The work week was longer than usual, and to make it worse, I barely heard from Clemson. We did have a phone conversation that was the highlight of my lonely week, but the memory of her husky laugh could only keep me company for so long. I tried to pin her down again for our first official date but got nowhere.

I couldn’t quite figure this girl out. I got the vibe that she was into me. She said things that let me know she was interested. But something was going on with scheduling an in-person meeting. She had used so many different excuses by this point, I was ready to just throw in the towel.

That thought made me unhappier than it should have, though. I couldn’t figure out why I was so stuck on her. I mean, she was gorgeous—that was an easy answer. But there was more to her than that.

Something about the actual human being she was appealed to me in a way I hadn’t experienced before. Or at least in a very long time. People used the term kindred spirits to describe what I was feeling. But what was that even based on? We’d spent two separate days together and had had a handful of conversations.

But she was different… I just knew it.

Something deep inside me came to life when I talked with her. It felt like she understood what I was saying before I even said it. Almost like she would give the exact same answer if asked the same question. That was something I hadn’t found in a woman before.

Typically, I was the guy wondering if I even belonged on this planet. Why did I see things so fundamentally different than everyone else? Why did most of the world just seem ridiculous? But when something came up in conversation with Clemson that I’d experienced as a huge point of contention with another girlfriend, she and I were on the exact same page.

Whatever she had going on, I had to wait her out. Eventually, she would explain. She’d dropped hints here and there about being in some kind of predicament that forced her to do something out of character—and that was my interpretation of the small clues she’d dropped, not her words. So I had to be patient. And in the end, if I was wrong and she wasn’t the woman I thought she was, then I guess I’d be dealt a harsh lesson.

My gut was usually damn accurate, though. That’s how I got where I was in business. Yes, I had a leg up because I didn’t have to worry about income, but I worked every day like I had pennies in the bank instead of millions. Very few people at the office even knew my personal worth. Liam did, but he swore he wouldn’t talk about my life around the water cooler, and I trusted him.

I was scheduled to volunteer at the shelter this weekend. That gave me something to look forward to as I made my way through ridiculous traffic on Friday afternoon. If I didn’t love my car as much as I did, this daily trek would be unbearable. Instead, I sat back in the comfortable driver seat and listened to the engine purr.

“Siri,” I announced to the empty cabin of my baby. “Text Clemson Farsay.”

“What would you like to say?” the Irish-accented female voice replied.

“Can I take you out tomorrow night? Or if you don’t want to go out, I’m an excellent cook. Just sayin’,” I dictated, and the assistant read the message back.

I instructed the computer to send the message and waited for her reply. We had graduated to texting directly on our phones instead of through the social media app, so she usually responded a lot quicker. I knew she didn’t have classes right now, but the swim team kept her pretty busy even though it was summer.

“I would love to,” came her reply fed through the speakers. “Can we make it Sunday, though?”

Thank God traffic was crawling along, or I would’ve swerved right off the northbound side of the 5 freeway.

She finally said yes!

People passing me in the next lane probably thought I was insane as I gave a fist pump to no one. Day. Fucking. Made. No, strike that. She just made my entire week.

I replied to her message, “Sunday’s great. Thank you for finally saying yes.”

Maybe that was lame to be vulnerable and express how happy she’d just made me, but I didn’t care. I was who I was, and apparently, she liked that.

By the time I got home, my face hurt from the huge smile that had been plastered on it.

We’d planned a night in at my penthouse, and I was so nervous by the time she arrived. I’d called down to the doorman earlier to let him know I was expecting a guest, so when she got here, he brought her straight up. I’d made a simple but impressive-looking dinner for us and had a great bottle of wine breathing on the island.

I opened the door and had the air sucked from my lungs. She looked so beautiful, I couldn’t find words to even say hello.

“Hi,” she said softly, and her smile made the clog between my mind and mouth ten times worse.

“Hi,” I managed to finally get out. From just beyond the stunning blonde in my doorway, I saw the snicker on my doorman’s face.

I invited her in, and she took a long look around my place and then settled her stare on me.

“You’ve been holding out on me, Luke Allen,” she accused playfully.

“Me?” I said innocently.

“Clearly, you are not just in advertising, mister. What in the actual hell, Luke? This place is stunning.” She took another full turn in the middle of the great room and landed back on me.

So I gave her the abbreviated explanation. “Both my parents passed a couple of years ago. I was an only child,” I said quietly and a bit sadly.

This was the last place I wanted our conversation to start— or end—but I hoped now that we got it out of the way, we could move on to happier topics.

Clemson reached out and settled a hand on my forearm. “I’m sorry,” she said seriously. “And I’m sorry if I just killed the mood here.”

From the heat beneath where her hand rested on my skin, I knew it would take a lot more than a sad conversation to ruin the mood between us. Warmth spread from where she touched my arm up through my chest and all the way down to my toes.

I had a brief thought that this must be what the middle-aged women in our office always complained about as they maniacally fanned themselves with anything in reach while grumbling about hormone fluctuations.

I couldn’t say a woman ever induced hot flashes in me before. It was confusing and exhilarating at the same time. What the hell would it feel like to be inside this girl? I might combust on the spot.

I wanted to find out more than anything.

“You look beautiful,” I said, finally breaking the silence swelling between us.

Shyly, she looked down and muttered, “Thank you.”

No way in hell was this girl not used to getting compliments. By any man’s standard, she was a knockout. She had to hear kind words all the time. So why the bashful reaction?

Interesting…

Today, she had on a pink sundress that landed just above her knee. Her legs were long and had a gorgeous tan, and my mouth watered as I checked her out. The bodice of the dress sat low on her hips where it flared out into a skirt. It wasn’t a poofy ton of fabric, but it wasn’t designed to cling to her lower half either. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“That pale pink color is magnificent on you,” I said.

She met my gaze. “Thank you, Luke. You’re really sweet.” She smiled genuinely, looking like she’d worked through the discomfort from moments ago.

She wouldn’t think I was so sweet if she knew the number of times I had to masturbate in the past few days in anticipation of this date. It had been many months since I’d been with another woman, and things were starting to get a little urgent in that department.

“Well, come on in. We don’t have to stand in the foyer all evening. I’m just putting the finishing touches on dinner. I hope you brought your appetite.”

We strolled into the kitchen, and she was quiet while she looked around. I watched her eyes travel over every surface and catalog every detail. It was mesmerizing to watch her take it in. I wanted to beam with pride at her interest and apparent approval of my place.

“Are you kidding? My appetite usually enters the room before me, no matter where I go.” She smiled. “I can’t get over this apartment, Luke. Seriously.”

“Thank you. I’ve spent a lot of time getting it to be exactly what I want to come home to every night. Would you like something to drink? I have wine, beer, and of course non-alcoholic options as well.”

“Mmm… Wine sounds perfect.” She slid onto one of the stools at the island while I grabbed a glass from the rack overhead. I poured us both a glass and slid hers across the white quartz counter to where she sat watching my every move.

“Do you enjoy cooking?” she asked. “Something smells incredible.”

“I do. Mostly out of necessity, though. But it was something my mom and I used to do together, so it makes me feel close to her when I have a chance to make a meal like this.”

And how did we land back on my dead parents again?

Clemson took a sip of wine. “Oh, this is delicious.”

“This is one of my favorites,” I said before talking more about my mom. “It’s been just over two years now. My parents died just under three months apart. My mom was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer, and it took her within months. At first, they tried to treat it, but she was diagnosed too late. It had already spread too far.”

It may have been the first time I’d gotten through the details without breaking down. The anger was still there, though, just under the pain of her loss. I was pretty certain that would never go away.

“Oh, Luke. I’m so sorry. Cancer is so brutal. So unfair.” She shook her head slowly.

“My dad passed right after her. He technically died of complications from a stroke, but I think the stress of caring for my mom and then losing the love of his life… It was just too much for a body he’d worked into the ground his whole life and had never really taken care of.”

“How devastating. Losing them both so close together.”

I shook my head. “Yes and no. As odd as that sounds. We were still so deep in our grief about Mom that when he passed, there wasn’t a big difference in the sadness. It was like I was already maxed out. It just added another reason to prolong the shitty feeling.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said again. “I don’t really know what else to say, and to me, that never seems like enough, you know? I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been.”

“Your parents are both still alive?” I asked.

Maybe for a person her age it was an odd question, but in my peer group, many were at the stage of losing parents.

She nodded while sipping her wine. “They are. They aren’t very old, so I’m hoping they’ll be around for a long time. Although…” She chuckled. “They can be royal pains. But I’d be lost without them. Without any of my family, really.”

“You said you have sisters?” I asked while peeking under the saucepan lid to make sure our dinner was done. I turned off the heat and moved the pot to a cool back burner.

“Yes, I’m the youngest of five.”

“Wow. I can’t imagine what your house must have been like. It was just me.”

“Loud,” she said with a big grin. “Very, very loud.”

My smile matched hers. I enjoyed chatting with her so much. It was easy and natural, and it felt like we could probably discuss anything. She had an even temper and an incredible sense of humor, and above all else, she didn’t take herself too seriously. I noticed there were a few subjects she sobered about, but mostly she was gregarious and upbeat. She was a complete joy to be around.

Dinner was ready soon after that, so I invited Clemson to move to the table where I had two places set for us. While I bustled around the kitchen getting the meal on the table, she repeatedly offered to help.

“Nope. I got it. You just sit back and enjoy this evening. It’s my pleasure to serve you.”

“Okay, then,” she said and sat up tall in the high-backed chair and watched me mill about. Carefully, she placed her napkin in her lap, covering as much of the pale pink dress as she could. “I’m doing the dishes, then. It’s the least I can do.”

“We’ll see,” I said with a wink as I placed the last serving dish in front of her. I slid into my seat beside her and watched her inspect the food I’d made.

“Wow, this looks so good. Remind me never to cook for you. I’d be so embarrassed.”

“You don’t enjoy cooking?” I asked and handed her a plate of meat.

She wasn’t shy or dainty about the portions she took, and my heart swelled. It gave me such pleasure to watch people eat the food I prepared, especially a gorgeous woman like this one.

“Dude,” she deadpanned. “I’m a college athlete. I survive on protein shakes and takeout. You have no idea what a treat this is.”

“I will cook for you anytime,” I vowed as I served myself.

She moaned and complimented my skills throughout the entire meal and ate every single bit of food she put on her plate. My heart was so full and happy watching her eat, I was embarrassed a couple of times when she caught me just watching her gleefully shoveling food into her mouth.

“You’re a really good cook, man,” she said when she was finally finished. “That was crazy good.”

“I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I think I may have enjoyed watching you eat as much as I enjoyed eating. That beef turned out perfect tonight. I was a bit worried about it when I first took it off, but, yeah, perfection.”

“I’m so full, you may have to roll me to the elevator when it’s time to leave,” she teased.

“Well, you could just stay the night,” I offered half-jokingly.

She gave me a sideways look, and I didn’t know what to make of it.

“That’s tempting,” she finally said.

I exhaled with relief. I was getting worried I may have overstepped.

“But I have to be in the water first thing in the morning,” she continued. “So I can’t tonight.”

“We’ll plan better next time,” I said, winking. “I’ll take your practice schedule into consideration.” I motioned to all the food. “I hope this isn’t going to still weigh you down by then.”

“Oh, hell no. Are you kidding? I’m going to be a powerhouse in the morning with all this quality fuel. My coaches will think I juiced up on something else.”

“Again, I’ll cook for you anytime.”

Clemson stood from the table and started clearing the dishes. After she took our plates to the sink, I intercepted her between the table and another trip to the sink.

“Let’s leave this. I don’t want to waste my time with you cleaning up the kitchen,” I said and took a bold chance. I placed my hands on her hips to stop her movement and stared into her big blue eyes.

She didn’t pull away or bluster with an excuse to dart out of my hold, so I pushed my luck a bit more.

“Can I kiss you?”

Holding my gaze, she said, “I’d like that.”

So I went for it. First, a soft meeting of our lips while I pulled her a bit closer. I kissed her jaw, then just below her ear where I nuzzled her soft skin with my nose.

“You smell divine,” I whispered and watched her skin pebble from my breath on her ear.

“Thank you,” she whimpered and tilted her head to the side to allow me greater access.

I made a path from below her ear, down her graceful neck, to her shoulder. All that silky skin exposed by the cut of the dress she wore was so enticing. I had to sample every inch.

By the time I made my way back to her mouth, she was restlessly shifting in my hold.

“Feels so good,” she exhaled before I covered her mouth for a full kiss. I slipped my tongue past her wine-flavored lips as we kissed deeper, and I pulled her hips up against mine so she would know just how much I was enjoying it.

When we parted and she slowly opened her eyes, her lids only lifted halfway, and she looked drugged and content.

“Mmm… You’re trouble, mister,” she said through a little smile.

“What do you mean?”

“I could get lost doing that.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“I’m sure you do,” she continued in her quiet, husky tone. “But I don’t want to get carried away, you know?”

“I don’t know… Getting carried away sounds like it has its merits.”

She pulled from my embrace and slowly shook her head. “This is our first official date. I have a firm rule about first dates, and I really hope you’re okay with that.”

“You don’t fool around on the first date?”

“No more than kissing. I think if a guy thinks I’m worth being patient for, then I’ll make sure it’s worth it when it happens,” she said while looking directly in my eyes.

I couldn’t help but appreciate her confidence, even though my dick wanted a lot more of what we were doing.

“Fair enough,” I conceded. “I can be patient.”

“Good. Thank you for not pushing, and thank you again for the amazing dinner. Now let’s clean these dishes up and have another glass of wine. But then I have to head home, because like I said, I have early practice tomorrow.”

She continued clearing dishes, and I watched her ass when she leaned over the table to reach a plate on the other side. Good Christ, the woman’s body was the stuff dreams were made of. And apparently, that would be the closest I’d be getting to it tonight.

I made up my mind to be fine with the situation. She would be worth the wait. I was sure of it. I just had to insist we didn’t go too long before we saw each other again. Based on the amount of time I spent daydreaming about her leading up to this date, I’d never get anything productive done until I saw her again.

The valet service brought her car to the front of the building, and we stood beneath the street lamp kissing until they pulled up. I wanted to get lost in this woman so badly, I had to drag my body away from hers while her car sat idling in the driveway.

“Thank you again,” she said in that sultry tone her voice took on. “See you soon.” She pecked my lips quickly and slid behind the wheel. “Get inside before you get bitten up. The bugs have been terrible this year.”

Quite the caretaker. Yet another endearing quality to file away. Clemson made sure everyone around her was comfortable and safe before worrying about herself. She really was perfect girlfriend material. Not that I was a needy guy, but who didn’t want to feel cared for?

With my hands in my pockets, I watched her drive off into traffic until I lost her car in the sea of others. I shuffled back into my building and caught a knowing smile from Bobby, the doorman.

“She’s lovely,” he said like a father giving his son advice. “A real looker, that one.”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “She’s really something else, isn’t she?”

“If I may be so bold, Mr. Allen, to offer some words of wisdom from an old man?”

I nodded in permission.

He grinned. “Work isn’t the most important thing in life. Don’t let a good one slip through your fingers.”

“I’m going to do my best, Bobby.” I smiled. “Honestly.”

We said goodnight, and it was impossible to erase the grin off my face as I studied my features in the mirrored interior of the elevator car as it climbed to my penthouse.

After just spending a little time with her, I felt more alive, looked healthier, maybe even a few years younger, too.

It was incredible what being happy could do for a guy. Now, if I could just hold on to these feelings and do everything in my power to keep them coming.

It was all I was missing in life, and it would seem Clemson Farsay could be the answer to my dreams coming true.