by Rachel Hogan
Tessa colored with embarrassment. "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it my dream career, but it works for now. It's giving me very practical experience in the business world, and I do love being around so many items that have such a rich history. Every piece tells a different story."
As their meal progressed, Lucas asked Tessa many questions and encouraged her to talk about herself. Finally she succeeded in turning the questions on him. However, he was unwilling to tell her much
"I'm thirty years old and moved here from the UK when I was eighteen. I work in international business, which has treated me well but altogether my life is lonely. I revolves around a lot of traveling, business speak and tiresome meetings. I've been waiting a long time to meet someone like you," he told her.
"What about your family?" Tessa prodded.
"Oh, they're back in the UK. Tell me more about your work with antiques, that fascinates me."
Try as she might, Tessa was unable to get much more information out of Lucas; every question she asked he deftly deflected.
Later that night Tessa reflected on the wonderful evening she had had. Although Lucas had been a gracious and generous host, she felt a twinge of concern that while she had told him everything about herself, she still knew virtually nothing at all about him.
"How'd it go?" Becky asked eagerly as Tessa got ready for bed.
"Wonderful," Tessa admitted with a smile. "He was unlike anyone I've ever met. Don't think you're getting out of this bet easily," she joked to Becky. "If I have my way there will definitely be a second date this time."
Chapter 3
Tessa and Lucas met for three more dates the following week. In fact, not a day went by when she didn't even see him or talk to him.
"You guys are getting really serious, huh?" Becky asked her one evening as she came in from a movie date with Lucas.
"I don't know, I wouldn't say that. He does seem to like spending time with me though. Besides, I have to keep him around; I have a bet to win you know."
Becky laughed, "Well, bet or not I think you should definitely stick with him. He's like your very own prince charming. I can't believe you were so lucky to find such a great guy."
"He is nice, and I like him a lot, definitely. But I don't know, I kind of have a funny feeling about him sometimes. Almost like he is too nice. And it is strange how he won't tell me anything about himself."
"Are you crazy? He seems perfect to me. He has literally showered you with luxury. You've dated a lot of guys Tessa, and none have been so considerate as to bring me flowers, just because I was your friend." She gestured towards a large bouquet of daisies, brought to her by Lucas the previous evening. "Ron was very suspicious when he saw those today, and it took me almost half an hour to convince him that Lucas is interested in you and not me. I'm thinking this will pay off nicely for me because he felt like a bad boyfriend afterwards," she grinned. "Seriously Tessa, Lucas is like a diamond in the rough."
"Well, that's just it," Tessa replied. "Sometimes I think that he is too nice. It just have a funny feeling about it. He's very mysterious."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, take last night for instance. We were at dinner, and of course he picked one of the most expensive restaurants in town. He brought you those flowers and was very talkative in the car on the way there, but once we got to dinner he seemed very withdrawn and would barely talk to me. Twice during our meal he got up to take a phone call, and one of those times he was gone for fifteen minutes. When I asked him about it he got short with me and said he just had business to take care of. And then there was the other guy..."
"Other guy?" Becky prompted her.
"Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but there was a man sitting by himself a few tables away from us. It seemed to me that he kept watching us. Every time I looked in his direction he would glance away, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was staring."
"What did Lucas say about him?"
"I didn't mention it to him. He seemed so wrapped up in his phone calls that I didn't want to upset him."
"I'm sure it was nothing. You were probably just imagining things. I think you read too many novels," Becky joked. "I also think that this is your non-committal side coming out. Here you find a drop-dead gorgeous guy who takes you to the fanciest restaurants and wants to spend all his time with you, and yet you try to find something that is wrong with him. Tessa, this is why you never have a boyfriend, because you try to find faults with perfectly good men."
"Maybe you're right," Tessa mused. She thought of her reasons carefully. "It is possible that I'm overreacting I guess. But sometimes it just seems too good to be true, you know?"
"Well, if you don't want to date him, I will," Becky joked. "I think he's perfect."
"You would," Tessa laughed at her friend. "I didn't say I'm ready to give him up just yet. Like I said, a bet's a bet and I intend to win."
Chapter 4
While an outsider might observe that things were going seamlessly with Lucas, there was one aspect of his relationship with Tessa that was a bit strange: after two whole weeks of dating, they still hadn't kissed. Expensive dinners every night, lavish gifts, and beautiful flowers, but still no kiss. It was strange, but somehow Tessa was okay with that. Maybe its just the British way, she had thought. Lord knows she didn't want to rush things, especially since she was partly only committed to this relationship because of her bet with Becky.
"So can I see you again tomorrow?" Lucas leaned close to Tessa as the two were ending yet another enjoyable evening, this time at the opera. For a moment Tessa thought Lucas was finally going to go for the kiss, but instead he stopped short suddenly. She tried hard to hide the disappointment that surprised even her.
"Um, no sorry, I can't hang out tomorrow actually. It's the day that Becky and I are moving into our new apartment, remember?" Tessa searched Lucas's face for recognition. She wanted to see if he had actually been listening to her when she told him.
"Ah yes, of course, how could I forget? Is Ron helping you?"
"No actually, he is out of town for a work conference. It's just going to be Becky and me."
"Just the two of you moving all of your furniture and stuff out of the apartment? But who do you have helping you? A brother, uncle, cousin..."
"No one," she said plainly. "Just the two of us."
"What?! Two young women moving into an apartment all by themselves. What kind of country is this? It would be unchivalrous of me not to help. Please, let me assist you. What time would you like me there?"
"Oh no really, you don't have to help. I don't want to put you out," Tessa interjected.
"Tessa, do you really think it would be a chore for me to help you? I want to help, honestly. What time do you want to get started?" Seeing her hesitation Lucas added, "That is, unless you'd rather not see me."
"Oh, no, it's not that at all. I'd love for you to come help." Tessa blushed. "It's just that I don't want you to feel obligated, that is all. I know how busy you are with work."
He smiled at her. "Never too busy to spend time with you. How does 9:00 tomorrow morning sound?"
"Perfect. Thank you Lucas. For everything."
"It's my pleasure." They pulled up to her apartment and the car came to a stop. Lucas waited for his driver to come around and open Tessa's door. Tessa felt the few moments were prime opportunity for an intimate moment, but Lucas apparently didn't feel the same.
"See you tomorrow," he called out to her as she exited the vehicle.
Tessa sighed as she watched him drive away. Still no kiss. She trudged inside, unsure of what to make of this whole dating thing. Were all guys so difficult to read? Maybe it was just her - after all, it had been years since she had spent more than one date with a guy.
"Hey," Becky called as Tessa walked in the door. "I've been waiting for you to get home. Is Lucas with you?"
"No he left. Why?"
"Well, it's probably just as well," Becky said coming into the room. "Something weird happened
today that I wanted to tell you about."
"And that was...?"
"Well a man from the FBI came here asking for you."
"The FBI? He came here to the house? What did he say?"
"He said his name was Michael Levy and he was doing an investigation and needed to speak with you. I told him you were out and he asked where you worked so I gave him the address. Did he come by there today?"
"No, but I was out most of the afternoon so I don't know if he showed up there or not. I wonder what on earth he could want?"
"Well, after I told him you weren't here he started asking me lots of questions about your relationship with Lucas, and how well I knew Lucas. He started weirding me out so I simply told him he would have to wait and talk with you."
"Wow," Tessa said as she sat on the couch stunned. "What do you think I should do? Should I call Lucas and tell him about it?"
"No, I don't think so. The one thing he told me as he was leaving was to make sure you don't tell Lucas about him. He said it might throw off his investigation. He told me that he would be by your office Monday to speak with you then. Until that time you should just continue on as normal. Oh, and there's one more thing I was thinking about," Becky went on. "Didn't you say that there was a guy staring at you at dinner a couple weeks ago?"
"Yes, that's right there was. Do you think it was this FBI guy, Michael?"
"Well, what did he look like?" Becky asked.
"Blond hair, tall, stocky build," Tessa couldn't shake the stranger from her mind, so calling to mind a description came easily.
"Yes, that's him. He was the one here today. What do you think it all means?" she asked alarmed.
"I don't know," Tessa began slowly, "Something weird is certainly going on. I don't really know what to make of it. But for some reason I want to trust Lucas. Is that bad? It's just that he has been so nice to me and seems so genuine. I want to hear his side of the story before I believe anything. Besides, I need to actually talk to this Michael myself and hear what he has to say. What do you think?"
Becky pondered the situation for a moment, "I agree - you do want to make sure you know the full story before you make any judgement calls. But I still worry about you. If you are still dating Lucas just because of the bet, I think you should call it off. I'll let you have the bedroom. I don't want anything bad to happen just because of our silly bet."
"No, it's okay, really. I like Lucas. A lot. I know I never would have ended up with him if it wasn't for the bet, but that isn't the reason I am staying with him now. I don't want to break things up, especially if there is no reason to. Besides," she said with a smile, "I kind of like a little excitement. He's far more interesting than any of the other guys I've ever dated."
"He certainly is," Becky agreed. "He honestly seems like something out of a movie, complete with a British accent. Just promise me you'll be careful, ok?"
"I promise," Tessa assured her. "Oh, and I almost forgot the good news. Lucas said he has nothing planned for tomorrow and he is coming over to help us move."
"Oh my gosh, that's so great. I was really worried how we were going to move everything on our own. See Tessa, he definitely is a knight in shining armor. Unless this FBI guy tells you that Lucas is like an international criminal or something, you have to keep him around."
Chapter 5
A knock on the door the next morning let Tessa know that Lucas had arrived. She glanced at the clock as she went to answer the door. 9:00. Always punctual.
"Lucas, hi. Wow." Tessa stammered as she swung open the door.
"Is something the matter?"
"Oh, no, sorry. I just realized that I've never seen you in anything except a suit and tie. You look - "
"Normal?" He finished the sentence for her.
"Yes. That is, I mean, you look great." Tessa flushed as she realized that this probably wasn't the best way to greet the guy she liked so much. She opened the door wider and invited him in, then followed him into the kitchen, which afforded her a better look at his altered appearance. Instead of his usual blazer and slacks, he was wearing wind pants and a fleece pullover. His usually impeccable hair was tousled, and his entire appearance gave him more of a frat-boy look rather than the international businessman he claimed to be. Either way, he was still hot. Really hot.
"Tessa, you can stop gawking now," he teased her. "I told you I meant it when I said I would help. Do you think I want to be carrying boxes and furniture all day in my nice clothes?"
"No, of course not," she laughed. "I have to admit, I wasn't really sure if you were going to do the work yourself. I half expected you to show up here with a company of movers."
He grinned, "Well, I will say I did consider it. I think this is a better way for me to spend my day though. It gives us a better chance to work together and continue to get to know one another."
As Tessa smiled at his kind words, Becky entered the room.
"Hey Lucas, good to see you," she said warmly. "Thank you so much for offering to help us today. Tessa thought we would have a good handle on it ourselves, but I told her she was crazy. Unfortunately Ron got called to go on a work trip last minute."
"Well, never fear. I am here to offer assistance." Lucas grinned.
Becky smiled, picked up a box and left the room, but Tessa paused.
"What did you say?" She asked turning to Lucas.
"I said I'm here to offer assistance. Did I say something wrong?"
"No," Tessa said slowly. "But you said that phrase in an American accent. Not British." Her voice was barely a whisper and she looked at Lucas with questioning.
For a split second he appeared very uncomfortable and off-guard, as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He swiftly regained his composure, although Tessa was astute enough to notice the change in his demeanor.
"Oh, so you noticed? Splendid!" His voice, which once again rang with his British accent, was cheerful.
"Noticed?"
"Yes, I've been trying out an American accent. I'm not always very good, but I find it useful to speak like an American, especially since I live in America. How did it sound to you?"
"Okay I guess. I've just never heard you speak that way, that's all. It caught me off guard." Tessa looked at him puzzled. She couldn't figure out if he was telling the truth or covering something up.
"Well, we better get to work!" he said cheerily as if trying to change the subject.
Since the two girls had already boxed up most of their belongings, the bulk of the work lay in loading up the moving truck they had rented for the day. They accomplished this in several hours and then drove the two miles to their new apartment.
"Ok, let's get this thing unloaded," Lucas exclaimed with gumption after they took a short break.
"Ugh, I don't think I have any energy left and we're only half done," Becky groaned.
"Don't worry, take it easy and only do what you can. I've still got a lot of wind left in me," Lucas offered, grabbing a large box. "Just tell me which bedrooms are which and I'll start putting stuff away."
Becky and Tessa glanced at each other but didn't say anything. Since they were still in the middle of their bet, they hadn't yet resolved who would get the large master bedroom. Luckily, this new apartment had three bedrooms.
"I'll take this bedroom here, and Becky will have the one downstairs," Tessa said, pointing Lucas to the two smaller rooms.
"What? What about the large master bedroom? You guys aren't just going to leave it empty are you?"
"Oh no, one of us will end up moving in there. We just haven't decided who yet." Tessa told him.
"And why can't you decide now? It will be a lot more work to move into a bedroom today only to switch later on."
"I know, but we just can't decide now. Sorry." Tessa was apologetic for more than one reason. All of a sudden she felt incredibly guilty knowing that she had technically started dating Lucas all because of the bet to get the bedroom. Hastily she justified her behavior by telling herself that th
e bet was helpful in actually meeting Lucas, but she wasn't dating him because of it anymore. Even if there had been no bet she would still be with him. He was unlike anyone she had ever met before.
While she expected him to lend a hand, Tessa was blown away by how much effort Lucas put into helping her and Becky. His dedication and strength wasn't something she expected from a guy who wore expensive Italian suits everyday and had his own personal driver, and it only made her like him all the more.
"Dang Tessa," Becky whispered to her while the two were taking a break just out of Lucas's earshot. "You scored yourself a good-looking guy who actually isn't afraid to work. This would have taken us three times as long by ourselves. And did you notice how easily he lifted your dresser? Very impressive strength!"
"Yes, I know. I honestly had no idea he would be this helpful," Tessa admitted with a grin.
"Does he have any brothers?" Becky asked giving her a friendly elbow.
"Actually - I'm not sure."
"You're not sure if he has brothers? Don't you know anything about his family?"
"Umm, no, not really."
"Tessa, you guys have gone on several dates and have hung out quite a bit now. That seems a bit - weird."
"I know, I know, but I don't know what to make of it. He keeps telling me he doesn't like to talk about himself because he is 'boring'. In fact, the only thing I know for sure is his age and that he moved here when he was eighteen. He vaguely referred to his business, but never told me what it is he actually does. What do you think I should do?"
"Well, don't ditch him just because of that - he's too nice - but you should definitely get him to open up soon. Especially if you are dating."
"Yeah, that's the other thing..." Tessa began. "We haven't even kissed yet. I don't know what he wants from our hanging out together."
"Seriously?" Becky was incredulous. "He certainly seems interested in pursuing a relationship, or else I don't know why he would be working so hard. I think you do need to find out more about him though. Maybe after you talk to the FBI guy on Monday."