Page 8 of This Time Around

“It is not a date. We’re reading a book together. It’s a book club.” I smile knowing, for me, it’s way more, and Ana knows it.

“Nice try. A book club, give me a break. You’ve told me SEVERAL times over the years how hot April’s brother is. What’s his name, again?” she asks.

“Lucas, Luke,” I whisper softly.

“Right, Luke,” she teases. “You have to tell her. If she finds out from someone else, she’ll freak out because you hid it from her. She deserves to hear it from you. It will change your friendship. You two just reconnected after being apart for school, and now you see each other regularly. Blake, don’t hide it from her, it won’t end well.”

“How many fucking times can you say you have to tell her in one sentence? I get it. But, pardon me if I have a hard time taking advice from the one person who dismissed mine for almost a year. You did the same thing to Knox when you were pregnant with Riker. Only, that was way worse. You should know how I feel right now. Plus, he’s not even into me. We’re just hanging out, old friends. Nothing is going to happen. I’ll casually mention it to her if he comes up.”

“This is a fucking terrible idea, but you do you! Wanna go get coffee?” she changes the subject, knowing this conversation is a lost cause.

“I thought Knox makes sure you have coffee every morning?” I ask.

“He does, and orgasms, but I didn’t sleep well, and I could use another cup.”

“Are you supposed to drink that much coffee when you’re pregnant?” I ask.

“I don’t double down every day. Don’t judge, we don’t judge.”

“Not judging,” I say, holding my hands up in surrender. “Just wondering.”

After my walk with Ana, I went home and looked around online at some open buildings in the area, dreaming of opening a bar in each space. It was a wonderful distraction. There were a few where I could see it coming to life, and I instantly could imagine what it would look like, and feel like, opening up a bar at each location. One of them is an old building with large windows. It has the most amazing charm to it. Weathered brick, exposing the history of the building. There are high ceilings and the bar against the back wall is perfect. Complete with rich mahogany wood and adorned with metal finishings. It’s everything I could want in a space, but every time I look at vacancies, I get more and more discouraged. Rent is expensive, and I’m not sure how I will ever save enough to make it happen.

My mind is all over the place as I walk into the restaurant to meet Luke. Maybe I shouldn’t have distracted myself looking at listings, but instead thought through what Ana said.

It’s been a week, and tonight we are going to talk about the first half of the book we are both reading. I have been trying to convince myself this is nothing since I left Ana’s this morning.

I’m glad we’ve only met twice, because the idea of spending time with Luke now that he is finally on the market, but off it for me, is pure torture.

Only as I walk through the front doors, everything I have been telling myself evaporates instantly when I see him waiting for me. My mind and my body are at war. He is standing there, scrolling through his phone in black pants that appear to be tailored for him, paired with a light blue button-up, and with the sleeves rolled up, it traces every curve of his muscles covered in tattoos.

I want to see those muscles up close and personal.

His dark hair is such a beautiful contrast to the blue, I almost wish this was the only color he owned. As I get closer, the smell of cedar and mint overtakes my senses, overwhelming me, and my mouth goes dry.

“Blake,” he says as he waves me over, and just as I approach him, the hostess comes over to lead us to our seats. We chose to meet at a burger bar, and as we walk past the buffet-style counter with cooks lined behind it, my mouth waters, replenishing the moisture I so desperately need.

Luke pulls out my chair and then takes his seat.

“I hope you’re hungry,” he states matter of factly, “the portions here are huge, and it’s all you can eat.”

“I’m starving, and burgers are my favorite. I’ve never been here. What’s your favorite?”

“Well, they have three choices. One, you can just order a burger from the grill, or you can go to the buffet and it’s all-you-can-eat burgers and sides, all pre-made selections. My ultimate pick is the third choice. It’s called ‘Your Way’. It resembles a hot pot kitchen. You pick your meat and buns for sliders, and they bring you out this little table grill. You cook it yourself, and then go to the buffet to build your condiment platter and pick your sides,” he explains with a smile and it melts me.

“Sounds amazing! How did you find this place? I have lived in this area for years and have never been here.” I’m amazed as I look around. The design echoes an old-fashioned diner, with neon lights and fun artifacts scattered about.

“One of my coworkers suggested it one day after work, so a bunch of us came. It’s pretty new, I guess, but I loved it so much I’ve come a few times since.”

After we each ate our body weight in sliders and fries, we got milkshakes to-go and took a walk to burn off our food.

“You know, the purpose of this little meet-up was to talk about the book we have been reading, and we haven’t even mentioned it once,” I sweetly mention.

“This little meet-up?” Luke laughs, “So casual. To be honest, I forgot all about the book. I got distracted by the stunning redhead across from me stuffing her face like it was a burger, eating competition.”

“Excuse me. Don’t shame me for liking food. You know, cheeseburgers are my favorite. You can’t take a girl who loves cheeseburgers to an all-you-can-eat burger joint and expect her to not partake. That’s just cruel. It’s equivalent to taking someone who loves roller coasters to an amusement park and telling them to just watch. CRUEL Luke!” I emphasize the word cruel with a sassy little smirk.

“Trust me, watching you stuff your mouth was the highlight of my day!”