She smiled and walked toward a case by the window. In it were dozens of necklaces, some with “mom” pendants. “Do you like these?”
He looked them over, and pointed to a gold necklace with a deep pinkish-purple stone. “Is that real?”
The lady pulled it out for him. “It is, it’s 24-karat gold and pink tourmaline,” she said, pointing to the raw stone. For a rock on a chain, it was gorgeous! She looked at him through her lashes. “For your girlfriend?”
He looked from the necklace to her. “No, it’s for my sister, actually.”
The lady smiled. “You don’t look like kin.”
Luke looked at me, grinned and shook his head. “We’re not. This is my girlfriend, but I think my sister would like this necklace.”
“His sister looks like Barbie,” I noted, because my silence began feeling awkward.
“Wow,” the lady said. “She must be really pretty!”
I nodded. “Thankfully Luke here is related to her!”
The lady laughed, and Luke turned rosy. “I’ll take that necklace,” he said, browsing the others. He pointed to a white gold necklace with a double heart pendant. “I’d like that one for my mom.”
The lady neatly packaged up each necklace in a red and white gift box, but Luke wasn’t done yet. “I’d like this aquamarine one for my cousin,” he said, pointing to a white gold necklace with a letter N pendant. The lady boxed that one up, too.
“Did you want the total in Swiss Francs or U.S. dollars?” she asked, eyeing him.
“Just convert it to dollars,” he said. “I’ll pay with Visa debit.”
The lady pulled out a calculator.
When I next looked to him, Luke was staring at me. I didn’t know if I’d missed something, so I said, “What?”
He cocked his head. “Do you like anything?”
“No!” I said, maybe too quickly. I didn’t want him thinking I expected anything.
He crossed his arms and leaned against the jewelry case. “Nothing at all?”
I bit my tongue and shook my head. Unsure what he was thinking—or what he wanted me to say—I felt nervous.
And awkward.
The lady rung him up. “It comes to $880.75, please.”
“Oh,” he said, digging into his back pocket. “I wasn’t done yet.”
Her eyes widened in such a way that I knew then and there she was getting paid commission.
“But here,” he said, handing her his card.
My phone vibrated, and I looked to Luke. “Mind if I step out and get this?”
He looked at me over his shoulder. “Sure,” he breathed, with a sexy smile. “Whatever you want.”
Once out in the breezy open, I hit the talk button. “Hey.”
“It’s me,” Lilly said.
“Why do you sound unhappy?”
“Why do you think? Gino’s mom is ecstatic. I told you, right?”
“This morning.”
“She is so excited she bought me a pregnancy and childbirth book, and I’m just saying—from the disturbing crap I saw and read in it—I may have to adopt.” She groaned. “The stuff they showed in health class was nothing compared to that!”
“So you need therapy?”
“I think I’ve needed therapy for a while before this,” she admitted. “Maybe since I found out you’re sleeping with my brother.”
“Look,” I said, “all you’ve gotta do is tell Gino the truth! He’ll take care of things with his mom in a sensitive way.”
“Yeah, that’s part of the problem, I’m too scared to tell him, because he might dump me.”
“Can I ask you a question? How much do you love this guy?”
She sucked her teeth. “A lot.”
“You seem really hooked on Mr. Incredible,” I noted.
“Yeah, he’s hot. You love Lukasz and I know you won’t deny that guy’s hot, either. But what does some guy who lives in the Alps that I’ll probably never even meet have to do with me and Gino? Can we stay on topic?”
“Actually—”
I jumped. “Luke! How long have you been standing there?”
He shrugged, glancing at my phone. “Long enough.” He smiled. “Why?”
“Just wondering…”…how much you heard.
“Gino made dinner reservations for Thursday night,” Lilly said. “I guess I’ll tell him then. He said we can double and I’m bringing you and Anna—I really need the emotional support when I do it!”
“That works for me,” I said.
“Hopefully if you’re there, he won’t dump me. I’m so scared, my stomach hurts when I even think about it.”
“I know that feeling,” I muttered.
“I’m sure you do.” She heaved a sigh. “Did you get more pictures of that guy?”
“No, he went to work.”
“Where does he work?”
“He works at a gift shop.”
“Do they have male models working at all the gift shops there?”
I laughed. “No. I was just in a jewelry shop, and there were no male models working there.”
Luke cocked his head and smiled. “Weirdos,” he teased.
I slapped his arm playfully.
“Well, I better go! Catch you later,” Lilly said.
“Of course,” I breathed, and hung up.
XIII
For dinner, Luke took me to a mountain-top gourmet restaurant with a dress code, wall-sized windows, and a spectacular view.
What little section of wall wasn’t windows was covered in stone. The floor was a reflective black marble and several large crystal chandeliers circled the restaurant. We sat at a small marble table in one corner.
Luke wore a black suit, tie, and a white shirt, and I wore a velvety red dress and heels. He looked gorgeous, and I was feeling pretty good about myself, too.
“Can I get you something to drink, mademoiselle?” asked a super-hot, our-age, dark-haired, blue-eyed waiter in a black and silver tux. He grabbed my hand, and—to my surprise and absolute delight—started making love to it.
Seriously.
Not used to this kind of treatment from insanely hot strangers, I simply gasped and gripped my heart.
“Hi, Andre,” Luke said with a grin.
“You know him, too?!” I shrieked, stunned.
“This is Andre LeBlanc, a friend of mine.”
Feeling awkward, I sunk in my seat a bit and pulled my hand free from Andre’s mouth.
“Hi, Andre,” I said casually, like this happens to me all the time. Although, in Switzerland, it sort of does.
Andre sighed. “I didn’t get much of a reaction,” he said to Luke.
“Nah, I stopped beating you up years ago!”
Andre looked to me. “Don’t let the exotic locale fool you, I’m a Franco-American. I came here to visit, met a girl, and if I left I think she’d dump me.”
I giggled.
He looked to Luke. “So what would you like, Lukasz?”
“For starters, I’d like your finest bottle of wine, please, to share,” Luke said.
“Got it,” Andre said, jotting it down. “How long are you in town for?”
Luke cleared his throat. “Actually, this is our last night. We’re off to Zurich for my stepfather’s astronomy seminar tomorrow.”
Andre pressed his lips. “Didn’t even ask me to hang out, not offended.” He looked at me. “I’ll just hit on your girlfriend.”
I grinned, glancing at Luke.
“I’ll be back with your wine,” Andre said, winked at me and walked off.
When I found my voice, I said, “We’re having wine?”
“Don’t worry, the legal drinking age here is sixteen.”
“Oh!” I said. “Okay then.”
“Is that okay?” Luke asked with a sexy smile.
“Sure!” I said. “The only one who would care is my dad.”
Luke grinned. “You look absolutely stunning tonight.”
I blushed. “Thanks. You look amazing yourself.�
��
He glanced towards the kitchen. “As amazing as Andre?”
“No,” I said. “You’re way hotter.”
Luke raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yeah, you are still most definitely a Greek god,” I said, feeling my cheeks burn.
He nodded, looking out the window thoughtfully. Seeming so absorbed, after a while it began making me nervous.
“Are you okay?” I breathed.
He rubbed his forehead. “I’m fine.”
“You look anxious.”
Andre returned with our wine and two large glasses. He popped the cork, poured our drinks and grinned. “What are you lovebirds ordering?”
“I’ll have the Chicken Cordon Bleu,” Luke said. “Pumpkin swirl cake for dessert.”
Although it didn’t work out well for me last time, I knew what Chicken Cordon Bleu was, so I said I’d have the same.
“So how have you been?” Luke asked, loosening his tie. “It’s been a while.”
“Good enough,” Andre said. “Getting married.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “Really! That makes—” He scratched his head. “That makes sense.”
“Yeah, she’s the one, no doubts.” He bit his lip thoughtfully. “And if it turns out she’s not, she has a really hot sister.”
Luke twisted his lips. “Well one of them’s got to work out!”
Immediate nod. Then Andre said, “Did you finish school?”
“We will in a few months,” Luke said, gesturing to me.
“Nice.” Andre looked at me. “How’s he treating you?”
“Wonderful!” I beamed.
Then they exchanged looks, and nods. Lengthy, awkward nods.
“Nice catch. She’s beautiful,” Andre breathed, eyeing me.
“That’s her name,” Luke said softly, an irresistible look in his eyes. “Beautiful.”
Yeah, I could hardly believe they were having this conversation myself.
Utter. Silence.
“Well, I will get out of your hair, man. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Luke smiled. “Not too soon, I hope.”
Andre looked perplexed for a moment. Then he left.
Luke sipped his wine, his gaze falling to my hand.
“I’m sure glad I don’t have a sister!” I said to break the silence.
Luke’s grin grew. “We like to kid around.”
“I can tell.”
“You’re lucky you don’t have a sister—she’d have a hell of a time competing with you.”
I thought maybe someone should come mop me up off the floor, because I was freakin’ melting.
And I thought to myself,
This guy’s totally getting some tonight!
“So what do you think about Lilly being pregnant?” Luke asked, rubbing his chin.
I hesitated. “Well, you know, things happen.”
He leaned back in his chair and sipped more wine, looking at me intently. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of his tone. “What am I supposed to think?”
“Well, she’s your best friend and you never talk about it,” he said with a smirk.
Sweat started streaming down my back. “I guess I don’t know what to say. I’m sure it will work out.”
“I’m kind of worried about her. She just seems overly stressed. And honestly, I never thought Gino would be such an asshole.”
My eyes widened. “I thought you guys are okay now.”
“Now,” he said. “I’m still a bit bothered by what he did, though. He’s a really good friend of mine, so I can forgive. But forget?” He looked around. “Forgetting’s kind of tough.”
I swallowed hard. And for once, I was relieved that his phone beeped and offered some distraction. He glanced at the screen, turned it off and set it down on the table. Then he smiled and blew me a kiss.
“Do you want to see that place with me? The Realtor said we can view it on spring break.”
“If my dad lets me.” I bit my lip. “I don’t think I’m going to that college.”
“Would you prefer to move someplace else, then?”
“Would you?” I asked.
He tilted his head thoughtfully. “No, I’m pretty sold on the idea, whether you go to college or not.” He smiled. “There’s lots of snow in Prince George.”
I grew jittery. “Well anywhere is fine, so long as I’m with you!”
He nudged my foot under the table. “Thanks, Beautiful!”
“You seem anxious,” I reiterated.
He sat up. “I’m just thinking.”
I smiled. “About what?”
“Us.”
My heart stopped when he said nothing else. “Us…?”
He sipped more wine. “And your dad—how he’s going to handle it.”
“My dad’s going to be ridiculous no matter what.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But I don’t want him to live in such anguish.”
My heart sank. “But it’s my life…” I attempted. Was he saying he can’t be with me because it would create my dad anguish?
His eyes narrowed. “I know that.”
“Oh my God, are you dumping me?!”
His eyes ballooned. “What? No! What made you think that?”
I looked around sheepishly. Thankfully no one really looked. “You seem to have cold feet,” I explained.
He laughed. “I’m far from cold feet.”
My breaths slowed. “Oh.”
He sat up in his seat and loosened some shirt buttons. His tie seemed to be choking him—even loosened—so he undid it and it hung around his shoulders. It made him irresistibly hot. I was probably drooling.
Still, he was acting a bit off, and I wasn’t sure why.
His icy blues sparkled with anticipation and his forehead glistened. He leaned toward me hesitantly, pulling his hands to his sides, and his lips formed an uncertain smile.
My heart pounded. I leaned forward anxiously, since he clearly wanted to say something.
Our eyes were still locked, his smile grew, and his fingers undid another button. He took my hand in his. “Adonia?” he breathed, his eyes twinkling. “Will you—”
“Make way!” Andre ordered as he set our plates before us.
We parted. Luke looked stunned—his face fell, but he picked himself up rather quick. “Aw, thanks, Andre!”
Andre stared blankly. “For what?” And after a moment, his eyes glided to me and widened.
After a long blink he pursed his lips, looked back at Luke and said, “Don’t worry, someone screwed mine up, too. It’s not just you.” He smacked him over the back, uttered “Sorry, buddy” and walked away.
I giggled. “He’s funny.”
Luke grinned, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his phone, glanced at it and put it away. “He’s a cool guy.”
I cleared my throat. “You were saying…?”
Luke rubbed his hands, his eyes darting about. “I was saying what?”
“I don’t know,” I said, my voice quavering. “Whatever you were saying.”
Luke cut his chicken, only glancing at me. He was making me nervous. I slouched in my seat, and in a courageous moment said, “Will I…?”
He froze. I could see in his eyes that he knew what I was talking about. “I was going to ask…” he said, but he trailed off then, too.
My heart sank a bit.
He heaved a breath, blinked hard and shook his head. “Sorry, Andre distracted me.” Then he said, “Will you have some more wine?”
“Sure,” I said, gesturing to my half full glass.
Or was it half empty?
~ ~ ~
It was a cloudless, starry night. We walked slowly, hand-in-hand, back to the hotel.
“The sky’s amazing here,” I breathed, looking up.
Luke laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same sky we see in Alaska.”
We stopped beneath a streetlight, and fluffy snowflakes sprinkled down upon us. My h
ands inched around his waist and my head pressed against his chest. “I don’t want to go home.”
“I like it here, too. But in a few months, it’ll be just you and me again.” His lips brushed mine. “Forever.”
“A few months is forever!”
He chuckled. “You’re worth the wait.”
“How do you always know what to say?” I asked wistfully.
I felt him shrug. “I just say what I feel.”
“Oh my God, you drive me crazy!” I said, inhaling his cologne.
His hand touched my face, and he tilted my head up. “Oh yeah?”
I inched up and kissed him. “Your breath smells like wine,” I said with a half smile.
His cell phone rang, and before I could think, I reached for his pants pocket.
“Stop!”
I jumped. He gripped my hand.
“Don’t,” he breathed, his body stiff.
“What?” I said in shock.
Luke pulled the phone out. “I’ve got it.” He hit the talk button and gave it to me. It felt kind of sweaty.
Completely baffled, I took it. “Hello?”
“It’s Gino. Where’s Luke?”
“Hold on,” I said, and held it out for him.
Luke cleared his throat and took the phone. I immediately pretended I wasn’t listening. “What’s up?” Long pause. “Damn, I’m sorry to hear that.”
I looked up curiously, wondering if Lilly had had her “miscarriage.”
“Sorry to hear she’s so ill. How long does she have?” Another pause. “Another five months of chemo sounds like hell. But it’s her decision and I’m sure she’ll make it.”
My eyes widened. That did not sound good.
“I actually think I’m losing you, man, too much static.” He pulled the phone from his ear, checked the screen and put it back to his head. “I’ve only got one bar. Can you call me later?” Brief pause. “Awesome.”
I didn’t know what to grill him about first—why he didn’t want me reaching into his pants or who was dying. “So what happened?” I asked, letting him decide which to answer.
“They gave Gino’s grandmother two months to live, but she’s going to extend her chemo and see if she can make it to meet the baby. He doesn’t know how to feel about it.”
My heart stopped—I didn’t know how to feel about it, either.
Luke looked through his phone solemnly. We walked slowly, and when he had an extra bar, he dialed his voicemail and checked his messages. After a minute he said, “Hey, I got the ski instructor job!”
Book of Luke (Book 2) Page 11