HIM
call."It's none of your business what I do or who I do it with. I can be with whoever I want."
I can hear him say in a deep angry voice. Is he talking to Jason? Maybe, its Ernie. Who is he talking to?
"Yes, I do happen to like her. But like I said, it ain't any of your goddamn business. I'm not talking about this with you anymore. Bye!" he whispers rudely.
I rush back to the kitchen, so he doesn't know that I was eavesdropping. Was he talking about me? He likes me. Well, I knew that already but who does he need to clarify it to? I take the beef out of the microwave and unwrap it as Luke walks into the kitchen.
"Can I help you with anything?" he asks.
He grabs my waist and kisses me on the cheek. He's quite chipper for just arguing with someone on the phone. I want to know who he was talking to. I'm sure if he wants me to know, he will tell me. Right? Well, I can't say no to his help, and I need a distraction.
"Um... you can fill that pot with some water, please," I reply.
Luke stands over me as we stir the meat into the sauce together, and he helps me make the salad and set the table. Cooking dinner with Luke in my father's kitchen is uncanny but unbelievably fun. We dish our plates and sit down to eat. I'm starving, and I am sure he is too since we did not eat lunch due to Jason's unruly antics. The sun is just setting, and it looks beautiful out the window of my father's dining room. I wish he were here to enjoy spaghetti with Luke and me. I would love to listen to them talk about classic cars and watch as my dad's face lights up when he'd talk about them. He loved cars and could talk about them for hours.
"It looks delicious! We are an amazing team," Luke says as he takes a bite of his salad.
"I have to agree with you there," I reply.
We engage in everyday conversation as I assume an average couple that lives together would do. I've never lived with a guy beside my dad. I'm not saying that I want to live with Luke right now, but I imagine it would feel like this.
“Are you going to the cabin this weekend?" Luke asks.
"I'm planning on it, and my roommate, Ris, is coming from the city on Friday to come with," I reply.
"Are you?"
I know he is going, but after the fight with Jason today, he may not be. I hope he still plans to go, or my weekend will be so dull. Once Ris and Jason hit it off, they will be too busy fornicating all weekend to keep me company.
"Yes, I need to help Gladys with her flowers, and I'm sure Ernie will need me for something. I can take you and your roommate, after work, if you want," he says softly, then shovels spaghetti into his mouth.
"Great! I hate driving back from there after a weekend in the sun," I reply.
"Thanks, just going to use me as your own personal chauffeur. I see how I rate!" he laughs.
I laugh, not having anything witty to say back. So, I focus on finishing my meal. Luke finishes his, then we clean the table. Surprisingly, he helps me with the dishes. I may have to slap myself to make sure I see clearly. Could he be any more perfect? We sit down on the couch. I grab the remote and flip on the TV.
"What would you like to watch?" I ask Luke.
"Anything but reality TV," he replies.
I flip through the channels. Luke slides closer to me, putting his arm around me, then grabs the blanket off the couch and places it over our laps. I stop at one of the Batman movies. We watch in silence for a while before Luke lifts me up and scoots me forward. He lays behind me, then pulls me down to lay in front of him, wraps his arm around my waist, and continues to watch the movie as he rests his chin on top of my head. I try to stay focused on the movie but cannot help how comfortable I feel lying here inside his body, wrapped in his arms. He is like a comfy blanket, and before I know it, I fall asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I wake, having to pee. I realize I am on the couch and still wrapped in Luke's arms. I gently slide my way out of his grip and tiptoe to the bathroom. I do my business and make my way back to Luke, who is still sound asleep. He looks so peaceful, I do not want to wake him, but the couch is so uncomfortable. We would be better off sleeping on a bed.
I nudge his shoulder a few times before I can wake him.
"Luke, LUKE!" I say, starting in a whisper, then rising to my normal voice.
He startles awake and sits up on the couch, stretching his arms over his head as he looks around.
"What time is it?" he groans.
"It's two thirty-eight in the morning," I whisper.
"Do you want to go up to my room. My bed is more comfortable than the couch."
He nods, yes, and I grab his hand. I lead his sleepy ass up to my room. He plops face first down on my bed and is out like a light. I remove my pants and slide under the covers. I turn off my lamp and drift back to sleep.
MY ALARM BUZZES LIKE A freight train at five-thirty, causing both of us to jump up in my bed. Luke removes his arm from around me as I reach over to silence my alarm. I want to lay back in bed with Luke all day, but I need to get ready for work. Not only me, we both need to get ready for work. His body is