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“You’re not gay, are you?” she blurted.
There was a long, tense pause, in which Terri wished a trap door would open at her feet and swallow her up.
“Wow. In all these years, you are the first to discover my secret,” he finally said with a teasing gleam in his eye.
“God, I’m so sorry,” she said hastily, her face burning hot. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn’t help but notice how much and how easily Luke smiled. The complete opposite of Randy, who seemed to have a permanent scowl etched on his face. It was refreshing to be around.
“Don’t worry about it,” Luke said, drawing Terri back to the moment. “To answer your question, no, I’m not gay. It’s like I said, I just enjoy being alone most of the time.”
“Oh,” Terri said, dropping her gaze and trying to ignore the odd pang in her chest. “I can find somewhere else to stay, you know. It might not be until tomorrow, but I’m sure—”
Luke held up a hand, stopping her midsentence. “You’re staying here, and that’s final. Would you like something to drink?”
Glad for the change of subject, she passed him a relieved smile and followed him to the kitchen. His place wasn’t what she expected at all. Honestly, she wasn’t sure what she expected, but it definitely wasn’t the muted beige walls or the nondescript modern furniture. He had knocked down a few walls, creating an open concept that suited him, though.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Luke said as he crossed into the open kitchen. “That I must be incredibly boring. I’m afraid the décor isn’t exactly representative of wealth and success.”
“You have wealth and success?” Terri asked as she made a slow trek to the counter and pulled up a stool. The question was mostly teasing, but part of her really wanted to know, because what she was seeing didn’t reflect it.
“I own a night club that is packed nearly every night it’s open. What do you think?”
And didn’t that just answer her question. Scanning the clean countertops and the stainless steel appliances, she realized that, although Luke might have money, he didn’t flaunt it, and that made him all the more appealing in her eyes. “Actually,” she mused, “I always found people who were loaded to be obnoxious and stuffy.”
Luke narrowed his eyes at her, a playful smile tipping the corners of his mouth. “Are you calling me stuffy?”
A laugh erupted from deep in Terri’s stomach. “Not at all. I think you are the least stuffy person I know. A little serious, maybe, but not stuffy.”
Luke grinned and held up a bottle of Zinfandel, yet another example of how he downplayed his wealth, in a silent question. She nodded, and accepted the glass he slid toward her.
“I never pegged you for the wine type,” Terri commented, taking a small sip of the mildly fruity drink. To be perfectly honest, she wasn’t much of a drinker at all, especially considering her history, but she tried to get a little of it down anyway for the sake of being a good guest.
“I’m not,” Luke said, surprising her as he recapped the wine and placed it in the fridge. He came back with a bottle of beer and Terri had to work to suppress the discomfort that ratcheted up her spine. “Beer is much more up my alley.”
Terri just nodded, thinking of all the beers Randy had guzzled down just before he went off on a tangent that usually ended in a part of her body being black and blue for days. How would Luke react, she wondered as she watched the muscles in his throat work to swallow the golden liquid.
They drank quietly, and Terri was feeling the burn of alcohol from throat to chest when Luke finally tossed his bottle in the trash and moved away from the counter. “Come on,” he said, motioning her to follow, “I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”
Setting her drink down, Terri slipped off the stool and waited for Luke to gather her bags, then followed along behind him.
***
The room he showed her to was more of a suite than a standard bedroom.
Terri was floored. For all the effort to remain subdued, Luke didn’t hold back here. The bed was huge, probably a king, and was topped with a luxurious duvet and matching pillows that looked like he had taken them straight from a magazine. When she looked up, she found that even the ceiling was painted in a charcoal grey that matched the linens and drapes, making the room somehow cozier instead of oppressive. As if that wasn’t enough, there was an en suite that made her stifle a gasp. The room was dominated by soft-black slate tiles that extended into the shower where glass doors provided a seamless transition. Bright-white double sinks and shiny stainless fixtures gave the room a sleek, modern feel. Terri felt like she had just stepped into a luxury hotel.
“Do you like?” Luke asked, placing her bags on the foot of the bed. “I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into that room, but I think it turned out. Just don’t look too closely at the corners. Oddly enough, power tools and I don’t get along well.”
Terri jerked her head around in surprise. “Seriously? That’s incredible.” She turned back to the bathroom, appreciating it through new eyes. “I feel like I’m on vacation or something,” she said, coming back into the room to join him.
“Well, I don’t know about a vacation. No room service.” He grimaced. “But I hear the chef is amazing with an omelet, and you’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”
Terri didn’t know what to say, except thank you. She had expected nothing more than a couch to rest her head for a couple nights, not an open invitation to a place that already felt more like a home than her own house.
“Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it then,” Luke said, backing out the door.
Terri couldn’t resist making the small jab. “What? You’re not even going to check behind the shower curtains or under the bed before you leave?”
Turning, Luke passed her an easy smile. “I don’t need to. You’re safe here, Terri. I’d defy anything to get past these walls.” Then Luke left her to get settled in and make herself comfortable.
