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Luke smirked. “But see, I became the sports guy. I took the science and made it cool.”
“Are you saying I’m not cool?” She hopped to her feet.
“Where are you going?”
“To tell the kids you’re bullying me.”
Luke grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back down to the bench. They were closer now than they were before, their thighs pressed together tightly.
“I’m kidding,” Luke said. “You design buildings for a living. That isverycool.”
“You better believe it,” Lydia said. Knowing they were both teasing didn’t stop her heart from skipping wildly against her ribs. What the hell was wrong with her? This was Luke. Just regular old Trainer Luke who made her do burpees.
“So what do you think so far?” he asked.
Lydia had to turn away, staring out at the court to stop herself from thinking ridiculous things like how soft his lips looked. There were so many warring thoughts tumbling through her head—thoughts about Luke, thoughts about the kids—but the one thing she was certain about was how truly important this redesign competition was to the center. The city was giving them an opportunity to create something to support the children who called this place their second home. And she was starting to understand what they truly needed to grow. First of all, she would incorporate a double gymnasium. Maybe she could use the space better by including a running track around the upper level, looking down over the courts. Excitement bubbled up in her and she was suddenly itching for a drawing pencil.
“Show me more?” she asked Luke, eager to absorb as much as she could while she was here with him. He nodded and took her hand for a brief moment, helping her down the bleachers. They set off on a tour of the rest of the center, each of the spaces transformed now that they were filled with children and activities. Lydia spoke with kids in the art room, letting them drag her around from painting to painting as they told her all about their favorite things to do at the center. Then they moved on to the kitchen where the kids showed her the cookies that were baking in the ovens. Everywhere they went, Luke was hounded with conversation or handed crafts for his approval. He gushed over them, and the kids beamed. After watching him with the kids and the other staff, it was easy to see why he was so popular. Luke was a cheerleader, and she realized how lucky she was to have someone like him in her corner, helping her chase down the miles toward her marathon goal.
When they finally left the center, Lydia stepped out into the cool evening, her mind buzzing.
“Glad you came back?” Luke asked.
“Absolutely.” He’d been right. She’d needed to see the youth center in use, at its busiest, to truly understand what would benefit it in a redesign. Spending the evening with the kids had invigorated her. “I feel like I’m bursting with ideas.”
He chuckled, following her down the stairs. “I’m happy I could help.”
Part of Lydia wanted to rush home, sit down at her desk with a pencil and some graph paper, and let the ideas run wild. But all the inspiration had left her limbs thrumming with energy, and she wasn’t quite ready to end the night yet. She turned back to Luke. “Do you want to grab a drink?”
For a second, he looked surprised at the invitation, but the uncertainty melted away so quickly Lydia thought she might have imagined it. “Sure,” he said. “Where do you want to go?”
“It’s your neighborhood.” She shrugged. “Surprise me.”
Six
Luke
They went to Presto, Luke’s favorite Hell’s Kitchen pub. It was his favorite because it was never overly crowded, and it was close enough to his apartment to stumble home after a long night. The balanced combination of metal, leather, dark wood and exposed brick had always given Luke steampunk vibes. There were bare pipes stretched along the walls and stools with wrought iron legs that sat beneath the high-top tables. Everything was bathed in a warm amber hue from the tinted bulbs that hung above the bar.
“I am in love,” Lydia said the moment they walked through the door. She’d taken his hand for a brief second, squeezing excitedly, before spinning in a circle to take it all in. He could practically feel the energy radiating from her, like electricity buzzed through her veins. It was infectious, and he found himself drawn to her, grinning so wide his cheeks hurt. “This place is fantastic! I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it.”
“You haven’t even seen the best part,” he said, leading her between a menagerie of tables to reach the adjacent wall. Presto was on a corner lot, which meant it was exposed to the street from two sides. “On warm nights they open all these windows.” They’d been designed like giant rolling doors, mixing the din of the pub with the night noise of the city.
Luke picked a high-top table close enough to the window that they could feel whatever there was of an early-July breeze.
“You don’t have history here, do you?” Lydia asked as she climbed onto her stool.
“What do you mean byhistory?”
“If this is your regular hangout spot, I just want to make sure I’m not about to be confronted by five angry ex-girlfriends.”
Luke laughed. “Is that how many ex-girlfriends you think I have?”
“Higher or lower?” Lydia asked.
Luke’s lips twisted like they were holding back a secret. “I’ll let you keep guessing.”
Lydia leaned back on her stool, eyeing him carefully. “Hmm... I’ll need a drink first.” She picked up a menu from the middle of the table, doing a quick scan. There were a few interesting cocktail options on there but for the most part it was beer and deep-fried food. “You’re not going to chastise me about what I eat and drink, are you? I really don’t want to hear that my protein ratios aren’t right.”
