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I’ve been thinking about you.
Really?
Yes. Meet me tonight by the lighthouse. When you’re done with your friends, of course.
“What is he saying?” Krissy asked.
“He wants me to meet up with him tonight.”
“Then what the hell are you still doing here?” Cami asked.
“It’s Taco Tuesday. I haven’t missed a single one in six years, and I don’t plan on missing one now because of some guy.”
“A guy who leaves you speechless and apparently, from your reaction, kisses like a god. If you don’t go, I’ll go for you.”
Krissy pushed her glasses back into place. “You did say you wanted to have fun.”
Ella couldn’t argue there but even if it was fun she felt like there still needed to be a few boundaries. “I don’t want him to think I’m some sad little dog that will come running at his beck and call.”
“Then just get control of the ball, and get it back in your court,” Cami said.
“And how do you suggest I do that?”
“Easy,” Cami said, holding her hand out for the phone. Ella hesitated, and Cami laughed. “I’ll play nice. Promise.”
Ella reluctantly handed the phone over and watched with bated breath as Cami typed a response for her. She honestly felt like she was a teenager all over again, right down to her friends helping her speak.
“You know what,” Ella said, grabbing her phone back before Cami could send. “This is silly. I’m an adult. I got this.”
“You sure?” Cami asked.
“Yes.”
Ella looked down at the screen. It’s not like he was demanding she drop everything to see him. He just put it out there and even made sure to mention when she was done with her friends, so it’s not like he was trying to take her away from her tradition. He was honoring her previous plans, just asking her to extend her night.
She should probably say no. If she got home too late, Tony would question her, but he’d been working so much in his studio that most nights he’d pass out on the couch he set up in there. If she was lucky, tonight would be no different.
Twenty-six years old, and she was worried about sneaking into the house. Maybe it was time she finally moved on and got her own place then she wouldn’t have to put any of this into account. It’d been six years since her grandmother passed away. Her grandfather would never fully recover, but did he really still need Ella to take care of him?
With a deep breath she typed the response that’d been on her mind from the minute she saw his text. She took a healthy sip of her margarita and hit send.
I’ll be there.
A few seconds later her phone vibrated.
I’ll be waiting.
Chapter 9
Lucas waited for Ella at the same spot with a blanket and a bag of black jelly beans that he had to order online and pay an exorbitant amount in shipping, but he didn’t mind.
The moon hung bright in the sky, shinning down onto the water’s surface, making it look like a trail of glitter.
The lighthouse jutted above the water, and the waves crashed around the piece of earth it sat upon. The sound was soothing, making Lucas forget about the stresses of saving Joe’s business. He thought owning and managing a start-up was stressful, but as stressful as it was, he kept it neatly packed away with the business side of his brain. He didn’t make his relationships with his employees personal. He focused on what was best for the business and had no problem letting go of the dead weight that didn’t help propel him toward his success.
Now he couldn’t help thinking that he had gone about it all wrong. Yes, his business was successful and ran like a well-oiled machine, and yes, he liked his employees, at least for the most part, but they weren’t a big happy family like Joe was with his employees. Unless he counted Brian and Leo but they were on the same level as him and he had a personal relationship with them before the company started.
He didn’t even know if his office manager was married, no less had kids. He didn’t ask, because honestly, he always thought it was none of his business, and it would just get in the way of the end goal. Now he couldn’t help but wonder.
