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“It’s nice to see you too,” I replied before taking a sip of water. Our time together in the limo played through my mind, and I started feeling hot. I wasn’t one to jump a guy’s bones when I’d just met him, but there was something different about Louis. And he’d wanted to see me again.
The waiter came by to take our orders, and he suggested the house special. I took a chance and decided to try it, and I was instantly glad that I had. The steak was cooked perfectly, the vegetables were flavorful, and the potatoes were creamy.
“So, tell me about yourself,” Louis said as we ate.
I shrugged. “Well, I grew up not too far away from here in upstate New York. We spent a lot of time with my cousins.”
“Morgan Sparks, right?” he asked. “I can’t believe she’s your cousin.”
“Yeah,” I said with a smile. “Morgan, her sister Abby, and their brothers.”
“One of the brothers sings too, right? Roark?”
“Yes, we Sparks all love music. But I like working in a karaoke bar.” I took a bite of food before continuing. “I get to meet people and learn about their stories. Music was always around too, even if I wasn’t very good at making it.”
Louis smiled. “Music is my escape from day-to-day life. It’s like nothing else matters when I’m listening.”
I nodded. “Yes, exactly. It’s so easy to get swept away in a song.”
We smiled at one another in perfect accord.
“So what do you do?” I asked.
His smile faltered. Family business,” he said. “It’s pretty boring.” Then he changed the topic to the city and its sights.
As I shared my favorite places, I noticed that he seemed to be acting a bit strange. He was looking around the room every few minutes like he wanted to make sure no one was paying attention to us.
I immediately thought of my ex. Had I somehow ended up with another married man? “Are you worried about someone seeing us?” I asked.
His brow wrinkled. “Seeing us? No, it’s not that.”
“Well then,” I said, gesturing to the way he ducked behind a menu when a woman glanced at us. “What’s this all about?”
“I just have a kind of public job,” Louis said. “And I want to enjoy our time together and not worry about . . . the public.”
I narrowed my eyes. What was he hiding? Was he a famous actor or something? I hadn’t recognized him from anything, but then I rarely paid attention to the news. My cousins had dealt with living in the limelight, and I knew how tiring it could be. Or was he lying to me? I liked Louis, and I didn’t want to assume the worst.
He raised his hand in a placating gesture. “Please don’t think too much about it,” he said, his voice low. “I just don’t want anything getting in the way of us having a good time.”
His words were sweet but they did little to reassure me. I wanted to believe he wasn’t hiding something big from me, but the fact that he was being so secretive made it difficult for me to trust him. My experiences with Larry made it hard for me to trust anyone.
Still, I was determined to enjoy our evening. We finished our meal and walked back out into the city. I pointed out my favorite buildings and told Louis about their history. He really was new to New York and seemed as excited as a kid in a candy store.
The night was beautiful and peaceful as we made our way through the city streets. As we passed a small park, the music suddenly filled the air around us—a band playing a classic love song in perfect harmony.
Louis stopped walking and turned to face me with a smile on his face that seemed almost too wide for his face. “Would you like to stay for a bit?” he asked softly. “It’s been a long day.”
My heart melted at his words. I smiled back at him before nodding in agreement that yes, staying for just a little longer would be lovely.
We took a seat on a nearby bench, and Louis wrapped his arm around me. We listened to music until the sun started dipping below the horizon and lights began twinkling from street lamps above us, painting everything in a romantic hue of yellow light as if they’d been placed there just so Louis could have this special moment with me.
“I know this is fast, but I’ve never felt like this about someone.” Louis squeezed my hand. “I really like you, Harper.”
I beamed. “I like you too.”
He kissed me, and I sank into him. He was right, it was fast, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to spend as much time with him as I could. He was everything I’d ever wanted and more.
We cuddled on the bench until every last note faded.
