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Olivia
Me: Evening Luke. I’ve been informed we’re going to share a taxi to Ethan’s apartment.
Me: OK I’ve been forced rather than informed. Luke? Are you alright with this?
Luke: I don’t think we have a choice Payne. It makes things easier all round if we agree with them.
Yes, I’d changed his name from A-hole to Luke. I’d promised Ethan I’d make an effort, and one of the first things I’d done was change his contact information in my phone. It felt symbolic in a way—a fresh start. And over the past couple of weeks, we had been co-operating well, working together, for the most part. We weren’t yet friends, but our irritation with each other had morphed into good-natured teasing, much to the surprise of both of us. In fact, to the surprise of all our work colleagues, I’d bet.
Me: Great. Pick me up on your way?
Luke: Will do. 7ish. Text me your address. See you later.
Thanks to Ethan’s habit of taking his work home with him, and Avery’s erratic work schedule, it had taken almost two weeks to pin down a date for the dinner that Ethan and Avery had insisted on. As I stared out of the window at the city streets, waiting for the cab, I couldn’t help feeling a little apprehensive about the evening ahead. This would the first time Luke and I had been together outside of work since we’d agreed on a truce.
I heard the taxi horn and headed out of my flat. Swinging into the cab, I saw Luke on his phone, and he glanced over at me, holding up a finger and mouthing, “Hi.” As I slammed the door a little loudly, Luke flinched, frowning. Oops.
“That was Payne.”
My head shot around to Luke, and I raised my eyebrows, listening to his one-sided conversation.
“Really? Why?” Luke’s surprised tone, and his eyes flashing to mine, had me even more intrigued.
His voice gentled; his gaze softened. “Anything for you, you know that. Hold on.”
I’d never heard that tone or seen that look on his face before. All kinds of confusing feelings raced through me. Before I could examine them further, Luke was covering the phone with his hand and speaking to me, an unsure expression on his face.
“Payne. Uh, I have Martha on the phone. She’s my…kind of grandmother, I suppose. She wants to speak to you.”
“Me? Why?”
He shrugged, rolling his eyes.
“Um. Okay, I guess?” My voice was small, hesitant. He handed me the phone.
“Hello?”
“Am I speaking to Miss Olivia Payne?” A thin, wavery voice sounded in my ears. So frail, yet filled with so much warmth, that my whole body relaxed.
A smile crossed my face as I settled back in my seat.
“Yes, this is Olivia. And you must be Martha.”
“I’m so happy to get a chance to speak to you, my dear. Luke has spoken to me about you, you know.”
“He has?” My shocked intake of breath echoed around the silent cab. I didn’t dare to meet Luke’s eyes.
“Yes. My dear, you’ve got that boy all tied up in knots.” Her soft laugh was followed by a bout of coughing.
“Martha? Are you okay?” Concern filled me and I turned back to Luke. He met my gaze, worry clear in his eyes. Tensing, he leaned forwards, his hand poised to take his phone from me.
“I’m fine.” She was back on the line, her voice sounding a little stronger. I held up a hand to Luke, mouthing, “She’s okay,” and he breathed a sigh of relief, slumping back in his seat as Martha continued speaking. “Listen to me, dear. My Luke, he’s not very good at asking for help. When I’m gone, he’ll need someone to look out for him and make sure he’s doing okay. Can you do that for me?”
Gone? Can I look out for him?
Somehow, I found myself agreeing. “Of course I can.”
“Good. Please could you put Luke back on the line so that I can say goodbye to him?”
