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“Take your time,” Lisa waved at Luke, making the hashtag sign with her hands and mouthing the words ‘hashtag Lemma’ when his back was turned.
Emma rolled her eyes and turned toward Luke as they began to walk down the beach.
“So, how was your day? Is it good to be back in the classroom?” he asked.
“It was great, actually. I was so busy I barely had time to think, but I enjoyed every minute. I love kids, and it just feels natural for me to teach.”
Despite Chad’s negative comments about her teaching job creeping into her mind, Emma pushed them aside and focused on her conversation with Luke. He shared details about his career and his travels, leaving Emma in awe of his experiences. He was unique and unlike anyone she had met before. The way Luke spoke, his confident demeanor and his sense of adventure, had her feeling drawn to him. She found herself wanting to spend more time with him, not wanting this day to end.
As they rounded a bend, a small beachfront bistro caught their eye, with its large neon sign reading “The Point” blinking on and off.
“This is The Point?” Luke asked.
Emma nodded, a grin spreading across her face. “The food is to die for. I haven’t been here in forever,” she said, her eyes brightening.
“Well, I’m hungry,” Luke said. “How about you?”
She laughed, feeling her stomach growl in agreement. “Famished.”
Luke held out his arm with a devilish smile on his lips. “Shall we?”
Emma eagerly hooked her arm around his, feeling a thrill run through her at the contact. She loved the feel of his muscular arms, which made her think again about the time he had caught her from falling. Together, they began to walk toward the entrance of the restaurant, their steps in sync with each other. Emma’s eyes darted to a couple entering the foyer.
Just then, her grip on Luke’s arm tightened, and she turned to him. “I don’t think we should go in there,” she whispered.
Luke looked over and raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”
It was Chad and Ashley. Emma’s body tensed with anxiety, all the air leaving her lungs. She quickly turned from them, hoping they hadn’t seen her. “It’s complicated,” she said, not wanting to get into the details. The last thing she wanted was any sort of altercation to happen while Luke was there.
“I think there might be a few too many people already inside,” she said, trying to steer the conversation away from Chad.
Luke followed her gaze, then turned back to her. “Well, the thing is, I’ll be by your side the whole time. And even if there are too many people in here, then we’ll go sit outside.”
Emma’s heart pounded with a mixture of nerves and excitement when Luke reached down and took her hand. He held on firmly as they walked up the stairs that led up from the sand. Emma couldn’t believe this was all happening. Despite her unease about the possibility of running into Chad and Ashley, Emma found solace in standing by Luke’s side. She felt an unexplainable sense of comfort and security with him, a feeling she had never experienced with anyone else before. It was as if nothing could harm her as long as she was with him.
As they stopped at the hostess stand, a warm glow of soft lighting and the delicious aroma of food wafting from the kitchen enveloped them. The lively sounds of dinner music could be heard coming from somewhere in the near distance, adding to the cheerful atmosphere.
“Emma! You’re back!”
Luis, the owner of The Point, ran over to Emma, grinning widely. He was short and balding with a thick black mustache under his nose.
Emma smiled warmly. “It’s good to see you too, Luis.”
“And you’ve brought a friend with you?” Luis raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Emma giggled. “Luis, this is Luke. Luke, Luis is the owner and a friend of mine.”
“Hi Emma! We haven’t seen you in forever!” greeted the hostess. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll find an open table for you.”
Luke looked down at Emma and chuckled. “So, I guess you come here pretty often.”
“Well, I used to...with Chad,” Emma hesitated.
Luke squeezed her hand. “Well, you’re here with me now. So, here’s to new memories.”
“I have to run and grab Carmen. I know she’ll be dying to see you!” Luis said as he scurried off to the back.
“Carmen is Luis’s sister. They own this place together. They’re really nice people,” Emma explained.
