I couldn’t lose her.
I shook my head. “No, no. Not yet.”
Hank sighed. “You’re gonna have to do it eventually, dude.”
“Not yet, Hank. Everything is too new.”
“Too perfect, I think you mean, and you’ve been dating for over four months. When does the new wear off?”
I shot him a dirty look.
Hank gave me a small smile. “Just be honest with her, Luke.”
“About what? I’m not even sure where my own future is going to be in a year or two.”
He sat up straighter. “You still thinking of leaving LA?”
I rolled my neck in an attempt to ease the tension there. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind living away from it all.”
“Luke, if this thing you have with Brighton is meant to be, it’ll all work out. You have to trust in it.”
I lifted my eyes and met his. “I trust the us part of it, I just don’t trust the them. The moment the vultures dive in, everything will change. You and I both know it, Hank.”
He gave me a solemn expression. “It will, but plenty of people make it work. Don’t give up the fight before you even throw the first punch.”
I didn’t say anything else, just gave him a nod and then stared out the window of the plane.
Brighton
“Brighton, what are you doing here?”
The female voice caught me off guard as I looked up from the table I was seated at in Ralph’s Steakhouse. It was a popular restaurant in Boston and one I had been dying to go to. It had taken a bit of convincing for Luke to eat here, but he’d finally given in. I knew how much he wanted to keep our relationship out of the press, and truth be told, I did as well. I wasn’t really sure how much things would change once people found out I was dating an actor. A famous one. Plus, the moment my mother found out, she’d start hounding me. A part of me liked keeping Luke all to myself.
I stood and made my way over to my old college friend. “Carol, it’s so good to see you.”
We hugged, and she stepped back and gave me a quick once-over. “I see you’re still the fashion diva you’ve always been.”
Glancing down at my dress, I smiled slightly. The black knit dress was simple yet sexy at the same time. It hugged my body in all the right places but was so comfortable it had quickly become one of my favorite dresses to wear. Ralph’s wasn’t a casual restaurant, and if I was being completely honest, I also wanted to eat here so I could show off the dress I’d bought earlier this week. It was on sale at this darling little boutique down the street from my place. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it.
“You know me, always looking for a reason to dress up,” I said.
Carol gave my outfit another glance and then turned to the guy on her arm. He was also giving me a slow perusal—or more like a good eye-fuck. Carol frowned when she caught him staring.
When his eyes met mine, I raised a brow and tilted my head slightly. He at least had the decency to look away.
“Bradly, this is Brighton Rogers. We knew one another in the last few years of law school.”
“Aw, you’re a lawyer?” Bradly asked, his gaze locked on my breasts, not my eyes.
I bent down and waved my hand, catching his attention. “I am. Are you okay? Your gaze seems to be everywhere but where it should be, which is here,” I said as I pointed to my face. Then I pointed at my breasts. “Not here.”
Bradly’s cheeks turned pink while Carol let out a laugh. “Still the same Brighton. You haven’t changed a bit.”
Smiling, I said, “And most likely never will.”
She looked toward my table and then back at me, giving me a pout. “Are you alone, darling? You’re more than welcome to join us for dinner. We’re meeting another couple, as long as you won’t feel like the fifth wheel.”
I forced a smile. “I’m waiting for my boyfriend.”
Carol held her hand to her chest and faked a surprised look. “You have a boyfriend?”
“She does, and he’s very sorry for being so late.”
I turned to see Luke standing behind me. My heart nearly leapt from my chest when he looked at me and smiled. That damn dimple in his cheek made my knees weak every single time.
Before I could say anything, Luke leaned in and kissed me. “I’m sorry I’m late, love.”
The simple kiss nearly left me breathless. “I’m just glad you’re here safe and sound.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you look like that actor from the movie The Time Before Us?” Carol asked while staring at Luke.
“Yes, and I’ve also been told I look like Gene Kelly. I like that comparison over the bloke in that other movie.”