by L-J Baker
"Harsh."
"Yeah, but that's how they knew to deal with it. They figured either it would stop me from leaving, or it would be easier to pretend I don't exist, than to miss me so much. So, I left and haven't heard from them since."
"I'm sorry. I know what that's like, but I also know that family isn't just about blood. If you have good friends around you, you have what you need for the most part. Not that it doesn't hurt to lose the ones you come from, but great friends can fill that void." Luc glanced over at Harley who was arguing something with a drunk at the bar.
"Yeah, I know. You're so right about that. My two roommates are amazing. I don't know what I'd do without them. Most of the time, it's good, but then I think about my parents, and it hurts."
"I know." Luc frowned. "I totally get that."
"So, the bartender," Annalee said, turning to look in Harley's direction. "Is she your girlfriend?"
"Harley? No. She's my best friend, my new family."
"What about your girlfriend then? Or boyfriend? I don't want to assume."
"Are you trying to find out if I'm single?" Luc flashed her a half-smile and her cheeks pinked back up.
"No, I was just trying to," she picked up the notebook and waved it around. "Work, ya know, getting to know who you are."
It was a nice save, but Luc saw through it. The blush on her face gave it away.
"Right, of course. Your readers will be happy to know that I'm currently not married. I'm looking to get off the market though, so they shouldn't wait too long to make their move." He winked at her and she sunk back in the seat. He was pretty sure she wanted to melt into the floor.
"What about you," he asked. "Are you dating anyone right now?"
"Nope, totally single. Completely available. And why did I say that? I'm sorry. I'm usually more professional. I shouldn't be sitting here day drinking and telling you personal stuff about myself."
Luc watched the pink in her cheeks deepen into crimson. It only made her cuter. When he'd first seen her in the mirror, she hadn't stood out that much. She was average looks and nothing significant about her jumped out at him. Sitting across from her, he couldn't believe he'd ever felt that way. She was adorable, intriguing, and funny in a not even trying to sort of way.
"Maybe we should get out of here?" Luc suggested. "I think we'd both be more comfortable somewhere else. As far as not telling me personal stuff, well you can't expect me to open my life up to you for the next week without letting me get to know you, too. It's only fair."
"I guess that makes sense," she said, finishing off the rest of her drink.
"So, where should we go?" Luc asked, only somewhat hoping she'd say his bedroom.
"How about ice skating?" Her eyes lit up.
"It's a date." Luc stood and waited for her to join him.
"A work date… or not date. I… it's just work, right?"
Luc held out his arm and she looped hers into it.
"Do you want it to be just work?" He spoke close to her ear and she shivered. It was the response he was hoping for. She might not feel the magnetic pull that he did when he touched her, but he needed to know she felt something. She looked at him for a moment, then slowly shook her head, letting him know that she did.
He would take it.
For now.
3
Anna hadn't been looking forward to doing this story. Following some guy around for an entire week, just because he was rich and owned a club, seemed like a waste of her time and talent.
That was until she saw him.
When he touched her hand, it was like a fireworks show going off inside her. She didn't want to let go, hell, she wanted to rip off his clothes, and do him right there on the table. He probably guessed as much since she couldn't stop blushing. What was even up with that? Men didn't normally make her blush. She wasn't even shy, so her body's reaction to him made no sense.
The blushing part made no sense anyway. The wanting to screw him in the middle of the club certainly did. One look at the guy and it was easy to understand. He was everything Annalee was attracted to and more. It seemed unnatural to look that good. He even smelled amazing. When he leaned in to whisper in her ear, she thought she was going to come right in her pants.
Now they were going ice skating.
She wanted to die when she blurted that out, but he didn't seem surprised. He just agreed like it was no big deal. So there she was, sitting in his car, headed toward the ice rink. It was something she'd wanted to do since she moved to the city, but never got around to. At least she was on the clock, so not only did she get to do something she had been wanting to do, but she was getting paid to do it.
Plus, there was the fact that she was there with a super hot guy.
"You're quiet," Luc said and glanced over at her. "Is there anything you want to ask me for your article while we're just sitting here?"
She'd had a list of questions that she needed answered, but being in a confined space, close enough to smell his shampoo, or cologne, or whatever that was, her mind went blank, at least about work things. There were other questions she had for him, like what was he packing under those suit pants, what kinds of things he liked in bed, and what it would take to turn the car around, go to his apartment, and get him to fuck her silly all day long.
"So, you told me you weren't married, but are you dating, even casually?"
"Is that for the article, or are you asking if I'm available?" Luc turned, looked at her for an unnervingly long moment, then smiled. She was pretty sure they were going to crash, but at that moment, she didn't care. She liked his eyes on her. They heated her in ways that forced her to clamp her legs together in order to ease the tension there.
Without breaking eye contact, she answered. "Both."
"Never married, not dating anyone seriously." He pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car. "What about you? Do you have a few ex-husbands lurking around the corner?"
"I've never been married, so far anyway."
"Does that mean you're looking for something serious?" Luc turned toward her with an intent expression.
"Serious? Uh, I don't know. Maybe. I guess I'm not looking to have my time wasted."
She hadn't actually thought about being in a serious relationship, but if she did, it was probably what she was looking for. She'd had her share of one-night stands, casual relationships, and dating assholes for a few months at a time. Not that she was necessarily opposed to a few nights of sex with a compatible guy. Just that she was honest with herself about calling it what it was.
Annalee was never one of those people who bought into the stereotype that only guys could enjoy sex outside committed relationships. If people wanted to call that being a slut, then that was on them. She saw sex as a healthy thing, that two consenting adults could easily enjoy, whether or not they were planning on a future together.
And the more she looked at Luc, the more she considered it.
"Are you looking for something serious?" she asked, unbuckling her seatbelt, and waited for an answer before making a move to get out of the car. In fact, she suddenly wasn't in a rush to go anymore. She could have stayed there for hours, just talking and getting to know him.
"I am." He got out of the car and came around to meet her just as she stepped out and closed the door. If she'd waited a few extra seconds, he would have opened the door for her. She was glad she hadn't. She didn't want to set a precedent for that.
They got in line to rent skates. It was long, so it gave them an opportunity to talk a bit more.
"So, serious as in, settle down, get married, have a few kids?" She narrowed her eyes and looked him over.
"You look skeptical." Luc chuckled. "Don't I look like the settling down type?"
"Honestly?" she asked and he nodded. "No. You look like an eternal bachelor, who enjoys running a club and sampling different women every night of the week."
"I guess that was true for a long time." Luc frowned.
"But not anymore?"
>
"No, not anymore. I've been thinking about it for a while now. I guess the single life has gotten a bit monotonous. I want something more, someone to share my life with, someone to wake up next to everyday."
"What kind of woman are you looking for?" Anna pulled her hat down to cover her ears, glad that she'd thought to bring one.
"Are you asking if you're my type?" Luc elbowed her in the arm and smiled, as they moved up a few places in line.
"No." She pressed her lips together and blinked a few times. "I'm just trying to get to know you. Besides, I might put this in the article. The single women in the area may want to know if they meet the criteria."
She also totally wanted to know if she was his type.
"Okay, well I'm looking for someone who accepts me the way I am, who can be comfortable in her own skin and can make me laugh. My job can be quite stressful and having someone who not only understands that, but can be a haven from the darkness, is essential."
"Anything else?" They stepped forward, only about six people from the front of the line. She suddenly wished it was longer.
"Someone who knows what they want in life. Someone who likes to have fun, whether that's a night on the town, or curled up in front of the TV watching a movie. And definitely someone who can fit in with the people I'm close to."
"I didn't hear anything about appearance. You must have a preference of some kind. Hair color, tall, short, skinny, a little meat, big boobs, small boobs, ya know, anything like that?" They moved forward again.
"Honestly, I don't have a preference in looks. Women are beautiful creatures, no matter what the details are. If a woman is comfortable in her own skin, if she is confident, if she knows she's beautiful, regardless of perceived flaws, then I'm usually attracted to her. It's more about who she is, than what she looks like."
Anna raised one eyebrow and stared at him for a long moment until he laughed.
"Yeah, I know. You're not buying it. Most people don't, but it's true. I don't buy into the normal ideas of human beauty. I find beauty in all women, in one way, or another."
She wasn't sure what to make him him. Was he trying to feed her lines? She wasn't the most beautiful girl in a room, but she thought of herself as pretty. Maybe he was trying to downplay looks because she was on the average scale. It seemed unlikely that someone as perfect as him wouldn't also want a woman who was spectacular hanging on his arm.
They reached the counter and got their skates. Neither said anything while they found an available bench and changed out of their shoes. They stood and Luc wobbled a bit, so she grabbed his arm.
"You've skated before, right?"
"Yes, but not in some time." He wobbled some more, then found his balance. She found it amusing that he wasn't perfect at it. He came off as the kind of person who did everything well. It made her wonder what other things she would discover about him over the next week.
Arm in arm, they circled the rink a few times without speaking. Once Luc got the hang of it, impressively without falling, it seemed safe to talk.
"How long have you owned the club?" She'd rather be doing this with a notepad, or recorder, but if this was how he wanted to handle things, she would play along.
"About five years. It started out as a bar at first, but it's grown over the years."
"Quite a bit. What would you credit your success to?" She let go of Luc and spun around in a circle, then did a figure eight around him.
"You're quite the skater for someone who was so excited to come here. I thought this was some life-long dream by the way your eyes lit up."
"I used to skate all the time back home. Haven't been since I moved. So, your success?" She skated around him again, showing off with a few tricks she'd learned back when she was eight and considered the trying out for the Olympics.
"I don't know." Luc shrugged. "Hard work, great people working with me, and probably a bit of luck?"
She whizzed by him and he lost his balance, falling to the ice on his ass. They both laughed, but she could tell he was embarrassed.
"Maybe you should stay near the handrail?" She extended a hand to help him to his feet.
"That was your fault." He accepted her assistance, and once again, found his balance. "I don't need the handrail. Maybe you should stop showing off."
She laughed, then took off, speeding around the rink, and came up behind him, grabbing him around the waist. "I can't help it if I'm better than you."
Luc grabbed her wrist and spun her around in front of him. She landed in his arms, pressed against his chest. They stopped dead on the ice, close enough for her to feel his warm breath on her face. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. She would have welcomed it, but he didn't. Instead, he tapped her nose, turned, and skated off in the opposite direction.
Ah so that's how he wanted to play it.
Anna thought about chasing him, skating more circles around him, just to prove how much better she was. Then she considered ignoring him altogether, skating until her lungs hurt from the cold, or until he wanted to leave. Then she thought about what it might take to end up in his bed for the night, and skated in his direction, slipping her hand into his.
He accepted her, without even a trace of his male pride being hurt, and they skated around the rink a few times.
"You said part of your success was the great people you work with."
"I did."
"Tell me about them. Who do you count on? Why are they so important to you? What would be different without them?"
Luc looked down at her with a half-smile before answering. "My best friend, Harley, is the one I count on most of all. She's been here with me from the start. It was actually her idea to turn the bar into a club, so without her, I guess everything would be different."
"A girl best friend, hmm. Anything going on between you two?"
"Are you moonlighting for a gossip rag?" Luc laughed and successfully attempted a spin, briefly releasing her hand, then grabbed it again.
"Just curious, I guess."
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"Good thing I'm not a cat, then."
Luc opened his mouth to speak, closed it, then opened it again. "There's nothing going on between Harley and me. You would be more her type than me."
"Ah, gotcha."
"You ask a lot of personal questions for someone doing a story on my professional life."
"You said we should get to know each other." She winked and dropped his hand, heading off toward the concession stand. By the time he caught up, she'd bought them both a hot chocolate, and they headed over to an open table to sit and drink it.
Luc took the drink and thanked her. He didn't seem uncomfortable that she'd paid, like some guys she'd been on dates with.
Not that this was a date.
"So, when you're not following men around, asking personal questions," Luc said, taking a small sip off his hot chocolate. "What do you do to fill your time?"
"I write mostly."
"What kind of writing?"
"Fiction," she said, pulling the lid off her drink to let it cool down faster. "Romance."
It wasn't something she liked to admit to. For some reason, it embarrassed her. She was trying to be a serious professional writer, a journalist, but in her free time, she loved writing sappy love stories. She could count the people who knew that about her on one hand. She wasn't even sure why she'd told him that, but some part of her wanted him to know her secrets.
"Can I read some?"
"No." Her eyes widened and she felt her cheeks heat. Telling him was bad enough. She couldn't bear to let him read any. She never let anyone read her romance stories. Those were just for her and not very good. It was just a hobby, just something she played around with to entertain herself.
"Why not?" Luc reached across the table and ran his thumb over the back of her hand. It was both comforting and exciting at the same time. She was torn between wanting to pull her hand away and telling him not to stop.
"I don'
t show them to anyone." She didn't pull her hand away and he continued to rub his thumb over it. The longer he did it, the more she liked it.
"You don't think they're good?"
"I'm sure they're not."
"Hmm." He pulled his hand back and she immediately felt the cold void where he'd been touching her. "I'd be willing to bet that you're wrong."
"You don't know a thing about me. I could be an awful writer and you wouldn't know." She fought the urge to reach over and stick her hand under his.
"Well, first of all, I'm a pretty good judge of people and my gut tells me that you're not. And second, I've read the magazine that you work for. They don't hire bad writers. They certainly wouldn't assign someone who was sub-par to do an article that they intend on making the cover story."
Cover story?
Her boss hadn't mentioned anything like that. Could he be right?
"You look confused." Luc took a gulp off his hot chocolate and tilted his head, as if he was trying to read her.
"What makes you think this is making the cover?"
"Chad called me personally and told me it would, when he asked me to do it."
So he's on a first name basis with her boss. She wanted to know if he knew him personally, and why he agreed to do it in the first place, or what else he knew, but she just nodded.
"Oh."
"I'm guessing he left that part out. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. I don't want to make you feel pressured."
"No, it's fine. He's not a big talker. He hands out assignments and we're pretty much on our own."
"Not a great mentor, I guess." Luc frowned. "You must be good at working independently."
She shrugged.
Not that she'd given it much thought until he said it, but she was. Normally, she preferred it. This story though, had her feeling a bit out of her league. It was the first time she'd done anything like it, so having a bit of guidance would have been nice.
"So, what do you do when you're not busy with running your club?"