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I try to keep my face neutral. Her eyes widen and I swallow the vulnerable feeling that comes out of nowhere.
“I can’t imagine. I’m so sorry, Luke.” She reaches over and puts her hand on mine. I always hated it when people I wasn’t close to tried to comfort me. As I look at Liv’s delicate hand resting on mine, I realize it’s because it was all fake. Her gesture is the most genuine I’ve ever received. She means it, and I swallow the lump in my throat.
I smile at her and finish the rest of my cup, focusing on my treat. She’s unnerving and soothing all at once. It’s confusing, but I can’t help but enjoy her presence and the feel of her hand on mine. She squeezes it and returns to her cup.
“Thanks for this. It’s silly, but fro-yo makes me happy.”
“It’s not silly at all. You should see the lengths I go to feed my taco addiction.”
She gasps and clutches at her heart. “Luke Reilly. I think we might be…” She looks left, then right, then leans in towards me and whispers, “kindred spirits.”
I hold in my laughter and lean even closer, turning my head both ways before looking at her. “Should we keep it a secret? Or can I tell Brando that you like me better?” I stage whisper and she throws her head back and laughs. I could watch her all day.
“Maybe we should keep it a secret. I wouldn’t want to hurt Brando’s feelings,” she whispers.
I look around again then lean so close our noses almost touch. “Good call. He’s kind of sensitive." This close, I can see the golden flecks in her hazel eyes. I can’t help taking in all the details of her face. My gaze travels down to her pink lemonade lips, and I have the overwhelming urge to kiss her. She leans back into her chair and returns to her treat, but I notice a pink tinge to her cheeks. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I unnerve her too.
She shifts and I kick myself. Maybe that’s not a good thing. “We should get tacos sometime, if you think you’re ready for that step.” I scoop more fro-yo into my mouth.
She taps her lips with the spoon and looks to the side. “I’m not sure. Seems like a big step. Do you think we’re ready for that kind of crazy?”
I grin and set my empty cup on the table. “I think we can handle it.”
She laughs and nods. “Alright, it’s a date.” She almost chokes on the scoop she just put in her mouth, and her face flushes.
“A date it is,” I say. Fuck yes, it’s a date. My excitement skyrockets.
Her eyes dart to mine, and I smile. She hesitates but grins and finishes her treat, wiping her mouth with a napkin. She collects my cup and heads over to the trash can.
I can’t hide my reality from her forever, but this is so new. I want to know everything about her, so it’s not fair that I’m keeping a big part of who I am a secret. But knowing I’m a billionaire always changes things. I want to feel normal for once. I wasn’t lying when I told Skye I understood what she was going through.
We head down the sidewalk and walk towards the gym.
“So what do you do?” I ask.
“I’m a receptionist at a law firm right now.”
“Right now? Are you looking for something else?”
She shrugs. “I don’t hate it, but I can’t see myself doing it long term. It pays the bills.”
“What’s your dream job?”
She looks over at me, then at the ground. “I’d love to work with animals. I volunteer once a month at the animal shelter. It’s great, but it doesn’t pay the bills.”
Be still my heart. I fucking love dogs. “That sounds like fun. You’re a dog person?”
“I’m an animal person.”
“I’ve always wanted a dog, but I’ve never had the time.”
“Me too. I would adopt every single one of them if I could,” she says.
I stare at her profile as we walk and get lost in the dream that pops in my head. Liv and I snuggled on a couch in an enormous house in the country with twenty rescue dogs. With an undignified yelp, I lurch forward when my foot snags on some uneven pavement, catching myself before I face plant.
She reaches out a hand on my forearm as embarrassment heats my face.
“Ah fuck. That was graceful.” I chuckle and rub the back of my neck, avoiding her gaze.
