About that Night

by Keane, Hunter J.

  He let me feel sorry for myself for exactly fifteen minutes. Then he launched into a tirade about one of our clients at work. I knew he was trying to take my mind off things and I was grateful for the distraction. He held my feet in his lap, gently working the sore muscles in my arches.

  “So our client is part of the royal family in Italy? That sounds made up.” I hadn’t even known that Italy still had a royal family.

  “Old royalty. A distant ancestor was a Pope, or a Cardinal. Something like that. Honesty, I don’t really know. But the oldest son was just caught with a mistress.” Luke’s hands moved from my feet up to my calves. “An older mistress. Like twenty years older.”

  “No way.” I laughed. Who would’ve thought this day would end with me and Luke gossiping like old ladies? “So when are you going to Italy?”

  “Two days.”

  “Two days?” That was way too soon for my liking.

  Luke shrugged. “It’s an urgent matter. You can come with me if you want.”

  “Not happening.” People at work already hated me. Using the job as an excuse to follow Luke to Italy would make things a million times worse. “Just don’t fall in love with some Italian princess while you’re gone.”

  “Fine.” Now his hands were over my knees and still heading north. “We should go to Rome soon though. You would like it. It’s more romantic than Florence, if you ask me.”

  “I’m sure I would love it.” I was sure I would love any place if I went with Luke.

  I had been pretty sure I knew where Luke was headed with his hands but he threw me a curveball when his hands left my body and he said very quietly, “I heard you met with Mark from Veritoil.”

  I felt like slapping myself in the forehead. How could I have forgotten about that meeting? Of course Luke had found out and now, because he hadn’t heard it from me, he could only assume the worst.

  “Yes, we met for lunch. He wanted to thank me for the work I did on the oil spill campaign.” I saw that Luke somehow already knew the full story so I plowed ahead. “He offered me a job.”

  Luke nodded slowly. “I suspected as much. Was it a good offer?”

  “It was.” No sense in lying now. “But I didn’t take it.”

  “You didn’t say no either though, right?” Luke sounded resigned.

  “That’s true.” I pulled my legs away from his lap and sat up straight. “I have to at least consider it, Luke. Maverick doesn’t have a future for me. Not now that everyone knows about us.”

  “We can make it work,” he said, but he didn’t put much heart into it.

  “I’m not saying I’m definitely taking it. I’m just saying I didn’t say no yet.” I took his hand. “I was going to talk to you about it. I promise. It honestly slipped my mind with everything that has happened these past few days.”

  “The job is in D.C.?” His eyes were unnervingly calm. I had no way to tell what he was really thinking.

  “Yes. I would have to move.” If I had to be completely honest, the relocation was the number one reason I hadn’t said yes. I loved living in Chicago, and I didn’t want a long distance relationship. I had already done the D.C. thing once and it hadn’t lasted longer than two years.

  Luke leaned back and closed his eyes. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, Kasey. You’re an adult and you can make your own decisions. You need to do what’s best for you.”

  “Would you really be okay with me moving to D.C.?” I had expected him to at least put up a small fight, or tell me how much he would miss me.

  “If it would make you happy, then I would find a way to deal with it.” Luke opened his eyes and smiled. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

  My heart literally jumped in my chest. He had the most amazing smile and I couldn’t help myself. I curled up in his lap and we made out like teenagers. I didn’t think I would ever get tired of kissing Luke Donovan.

  “If you move to D.C., we won’t get to do this as often,” Luke said between snog sessions.

  “Maybe not together,” I said, happy that he was finally trying to convince me to stay.

  “Funny. You keep that up and I’m taking back my shirt.” He tugged at the t-shirt and I glared at him.

  “If you take this shirt back, I’m taking my vagina back. And my boobs.”

  Luke laughed so hard it shook us both. I couldn’t help but laugh along with him. “You should definitely keep the shirt,” he decided. When we fell asleep a couple hours later, I was still wearing his shirt.

  Work wasn’t any easier the next couple of days and I began to seriously consider Mark’s offer. I even emailed him with some follow-up questions. Luke stopped by my office on his way to the airport. He was going to be in Italy for at least a week and I already missed him.

  “Kasey,” he said, closing the door behind him. “I have something I really need to tell you.”

  “You’re not breaking up with me again, are you?” I was only half-joking. “Because that would be a little excessive.”

  “Would you please stop predicting our demise?” Luke tucked his hands into his pockets and looked at the ground. “I came to do the exact opposite actually.”

  My eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

  “I said that I wouldn’t tell you what to do with your job decision. But I’ve been thinking about it, and I really don’t want you to go.” He looked up at me with wide eyes. “We just found each other, Kasey. I’m not sure I could let you go.”

  “Are you asking me not to take the job?” If he was, I wasn’t sure what I would do. I wasn’t the type of woman to take orders from a man, but we were a couple now and he deserved a say in how we would spend our relationship.

  “No. Yes. I don’t know.” He shrugged helplessly. “I came to make you a different kind of offer.”

  “An indecent one?” I said with a waggle of my eyebrows.

  Luke sighed in annoyance. “Can you be serious for one minute?”

  “Fine.” I made a big deal about checking the time. “One minute of seriousness. Go.”

  “Quit.” Luke said. “Quit your job here, but don’t take the other job.”

  I let out a snort. “Well, I didn’t know it was that easy. Such a great idea, Luke. Why didn’t I think of that? Oh, right. I’m not independently wealthy. I’m also not a hooker, so please don’t offer to pay me not to work and just screw you all the time.”

  “That’s not what I’m offering.” Luke looked away and I had a pretty good idea that was exactly what he was about to offer me. “You can move in with me, just until you find another job in Chicago. Or for good, whatever you want.”

  I felt my face grow hot and I started to yell but Luke cut me off. “Kasey, I have a lot of money. I’m not trying to imply anything by that, I’m just stating a fact. Let me take care of you. I’m the reason you can’t stay at this job, and I’m the one asking you not to move to D.C. At least let me offer you an alternative.”

  When the initial rush of anger had passed, it was replaced by a feeling of gratitude. Yes, Luke’s offer was a tiny bit condescending, but it came from a good place. He didn’t want me to leave, and he was taking a big leap asking me to stay.

  I circled around my desk until I was standing in front of him. “Thank you, but no.” I smoothed down his suit lapels and kissed him on the lips. “This decision needs to be what’s best for both of us, not just you.”

  “I know.” He smiled sheepishly. “You can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?”

  “Certainly not.” I kissed him again. “But you don’t need to save me, Luke. I can take care of myself.”

  “Trust me, I know. But that’s not going to stop me from looking out for you.” He kissed my cheek. “Just promise me you’ll at least consider my offer. We can talk about it more when I get back from Rome.”

  “The answer will still be no,” I said, confidently.

  He regarded me carefully. “I have this horrible feeling that if you move to D.C., I’m going to lose you.”

/>   “That will never happen.” I sounded more certain than I felt though. Like Luke, I was worried about what would happen to us if I took the job. “Have a safe trip. I’ll miss you like crazy.”

  “Likewise.” Another ten minutes of kissing and groping and we finally completed our goodbyes.

  Two days later I found myself missing Luke terribly. If this is what it would be like to move to D.C., I didn’t think I would be able to make it. I kept myself busy by checking in on Andrew and his kids. His wife had moved out a few weeks earlier, taking off in the middle of the night with no explanation. Andrew had been taking care of everything on his own ever since.

  The house was actually in good shape which I quickly learned was because Luke had paid for a housekeeper to come in three times a week. He had also hunted down a terrific nanny that was keeping the kids well-fed, groomed, and properly dressed. She had taken them for a walk so that Andrew and I could talk openly.

  “Still no sign of Kimmy?” I asked him over a cold beer.

  “Nah. She cleaned out our joint bank account, too. She’s gone,” Andrew said. “I don’t think she’ll ever come back.”

  “So what’s your plan?”

  “I don’t have a plan.” Andrew laughed and sounded very much like his brother. “One day at a time. Keep breathing. Worry about tomorrow when it comes.”

  “Do you think that will work?” I wondered what it would be like to be able to focus only on the present.

  “It has to. It’s the only way I know how to do this.” He looked at me thoughtfully. “Luke mentioned that you are considering taking a job in D.C.”

  “He told you that?” I was surprised that Luke had talked about me at all with Andrew. They didn’t really have that kind of relationship, but I guess a lot had changed recently.

  “Are you going to take it?”

  “I have no idea.” I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Andrew. He had a calming way about him that reminded me of Luke. “I don’t want to move, but it’s a great job.”

  “I’m surprised Luke didn’t make you an offer to get you to stay.” Andrew took a long drink from his beer.

  I sighed. “He did, actually. He wants me to quit my job and stay in Chicago. He said he would take care of things until I find something else. I said no.”

  “Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.” Andrew chuckled and finished his beer. “I wish someone would make me that offer. Why did you turn him down?”

  “Because I need to figure this out myself. I can’t explain it.” I didn’t even completely understand it myself.

  Andrew leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I get it. I really do. You need to be able to stand on your own two feet. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to give you some advice.”

  I nodded. “Fire away.”

  “It’s good to be able to stand on your own, but sometimes it’s just as important to know when to lean on someone else. Luke is a good guy. He cares about you more than I’ve ever seen him care about anyone. Don’t be afraid to trust him.” Andrew shrugged. “Then again, what do I know? My wife just left me.”

  “Andrew, I don’t know Kimmy, but I think I’m beginning to know you. And based on what I know, I have to say that she is a lunatic and you and the kids will be better off without her.” I stood up hastily. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy a plane ticket to Italy.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The flight to Rome took just over nine hours. Normally, I’m able to sleep like a baby on a long flight, but the adrenaline running through my veins kept me wide awake. I couldn’t begin to imagine how Luke had handled the flight considering his intense flying phobia.

  I thought about the way his jaw would clench and his lips would press into a thin line as he tried not to let his anxiety show. Thinking about Luke, a smile spread over my face and I couldn’t wait to see him. I thought about taking the train into the city, but I had just missed one and I wasn’t in the mood to wait around for thirty minutes until the next one left, so I tracked down a taxi instead. My driver spoke English very well and he gave me a private tour of the city as we made our way to Luke’s hotel.

  I was awed by the massive Coliseum and impressive Vatican City in the distance. I had spent a week in Florence when I was in college, but I hadn’t made it to Rome. Where Florence had amazing art stowed away in museums, Rome had stunning architecture for the entire world to see.

  “Rome is a very romantic city,” my cab driver said when he saw me staring out the window at a couple in a passionate embrace. “You have husband?”

  “No. No husband.” I thought about Luke again and grinned. “A boyfriend.”

  “Even better!” He laughed and whipped the car down a narrow street. “Rome is a city for lovers and married people only fight.”

  “Are we close to the hotel?” All of the buildings looked the same to me- old and Italian.

  “Hotel Roma, straight ahead.”

  Leave it to Luke to pick the nicest hotel in Rome. As a bellman helped me with my bags, I took in the grand exterior of the hotel. Marble columns, gold trim, and a red plush carpet leading inside.

  The inside was even more glamorous and I got to spend a lot of time enjoying it because it turned out that Luke was out. I sent him a text to see what he was up to, keeping my surprise trip a secret. He replied that he was at dinner with the new client and would probably be out late. I tried not to imagine Luke having dinner with some Italian princess.

  The hotel staff went out of their way to make me feel welcome. A particularly friendly young man brought me a glass of wine and kept it filled. After what was at least my third glass, he very politely asked if I would like to accompany him to one of the rooms. In my semi-drunk state, it took me a minute to figure out what he was implying.

  “Oh. Thanks, but no thanks. No grazi.” I hoped my rejection wouldn’t cut off the supply of wine.

  When Luke walked through the front door, I sensed him before I saw him. The room became electric and every nerve in my body jumped to attention. I turned to the door, and I saw him before he saw me. He was wearing a dark gray suit, white dress shirt and red tie. He was typing away on his phone, completely oblivious to my presence. My phone vibrated on the table next to me and I grabbed it.

  It was Luke letting me know that he was back at the hotel and he missed me. I smiled as I typed my reply. “I missed you, too. Look to your right.”

  When he saw that I had replied, he smiled but his smile wavered as he read the message. Very slowly, he turned his head to the right, looking right past me at first. It wasn’t until I stood up and waved that he realized it was me.

  “Kasey. What are you doing here?” Luke sounded as though he didn’t really believe it was me.

  “Surprise,” I said quietly. From his blank expression, I wasn’t sure if this was a good surprise or a bad one.

  One second he was staring at me in utter confusion, and the next he was rushing toward me. I put a hand on his chest and pushed him away. “Wait.”

  “Wait?” Again, complete confusion. I had never seen Luke this frazzled. “You just flew all the way to Rome and you want me to wait before I can hug you? What’s going on, Kasey?”

  “First, I have a business matter I would like to get out of the way.” I reached into my back pocket and removed a folded piece of paper. “My resignation, Mr. Donovan.”

  Luke hesitated before taking the paper. He unfolded it, read the contents, and then smiled. “I quit. My job, that is, not our relationship. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. I love you.” Luke shook his head. “You are a total dork.”

  “This is true.” Fortunately, Luke had a thing for dorks.

  “Are you taking the job in D.C.?” Luke folded my resignation letter and tucked it into his interior suit pocket.

  “Nope.” I had to take a deep breath before I could plow ahead. “I’m quitting, and I don’t have another job lined up. I can’t stay at Maverick because I’ve lost my credibility and I can’t take the jo
b in D.C. because it’s not what I want.”

  “What do you want, Kasey?” Luke’s blue eyes drilled into mine.

  I didn’t have to force myself not to look away as I answered. Being honest with myself had been hard, but being honest with Luke was frighteningly easy. “You. I want you. Always you.”

  “You have me, Kasey. Always.” This time when Luke reached for me, I didn’t push him away- I pulled him close. Maybe it was the intoxicating effect he had on me, or maybe it was the tantalizing allure of being in Italy, but whatever the case, I threw inhibition to the wind. I didn’t care if everyone in the hotel was watching as I threw my arms around him.

  Luke had the good sense to know that we should take our excessive groping to his room. He was staying on the top floor, and when he opened the door to his room I was transported back in time.

  “Déjà vu,” I muttered as I took in the wall of windows that revealed an amazing view of Rome at night. It reminded me of the first night I had spent with Luke in Chicago, almost three years ago. One key difference being that I could see almost all of Rome in the distance rather than the Chicago skyline.

  “There’s one big difference this time,” Luke said, drawing the curtains open even further. I couldn’t help but be awed by the sight.

  “What’s that?” I said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind, nuzzling my neck in the process.

  “This time there’s no way I’m letting you leave in the morning.”

  Both of us had pasts filled with pain and loss. But now we had each other and because of that, we had everything we needed. Love had turned us into two of the lucky ones, and it was all because of that one night.

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  About the Author:

  Hunter J. Keane lives in Chicago where she surrounds herself with good food, great books, and fantastic friends. She is the author of the contemporary novels Searching for Glory, The Sweet Surrender, and A Rocker and a Hard Place. Her first series, Restless Hearts, has three books available- Falling for Denver, Love in London, and French Kissing. Finding Serenity, the first book in her Serenity Beach series, is also available.