Page 45 of Ask No Questions

“Great.” I turned to walk away feeling like I was floating. When I made it back to the girls, I caught Mike glaring at me from his table. I pushed it out of my mind. I wasn’t going to let the grump ruin the moment.

Since Luke didn’t give me any hints of what he had planned, I decided to go to the local wardrobe. I slipped into cutoff jean shorts and a soft maroon tee. Why was it always so hard to find the perfect balance of looking cute without appearing like you put too much effort in? I stared at my reflection, unsatisfied with my look. Checking the clock, I saw I had fifteen minutes before he was supposed to get here. I grabbed my curling iron and turned it on before pulling out my makeup bag. I figured just a hint of eye makeup and lip gloss wouldn’t hurt. I stood debating how lame it would be to take a picture and send it to the girls for their approval.

No, I could do this on my own! Just because I hadn’t been on a real first date in over a year didn’t mean I needed backup.

I added a few curls for an easy, beach wave look. I spun around and checked out the results of the curls down my back. Well, if all else failed, at least I was having a good hair day. As I gave one spritz of hairspray, the doorbell rang.

I told my reflection this was it and walked into the kitchen. Luke and Brandon both looked up at me as I entered, stopping their conversation. Luke had his signature grin going, just for me. My heart skipped at the thought of spending time alone with him.

“Wow. Aubrey, you look great!” With one look from him, I felt more confident and beautiful. It was kind of pathetic that just one positive comment had such an effect on me. Why had I wasted so much time on losers in Chicago?

“Thanks, Luke. So, what’s the plan?”

“It’s a surprise. I just hope I’m the first to show you.” He could have told me anything, and I would have agreed as long as that smile was aimed at me.

I looked at Brandon for a hint, but he just smiled. “You guys have fun, but don’t stay out too late. It’s a school night.”

“That was a good impersonation of a responsible adult,” I said.

He laughed as he closed the door behind us. We got down to the parking garage, and Luke headed toward his truck but kept glancing back to my car.

“I have a random idea.” I almost laughed at the excitement in his eyes. “Why don’t we take my car?”

You would have thought I just told him school was canceled for the rest of the year and he was free to surf all day, every day. He was barely containing a huge smile, even his brown eyes were glowing with joy.

“If you really want to, we can. I don’t want you to have to drive, though.” This bashful act was almost comical.

“Can you drive a stick?”

“Yeah I learned in my dad’s car.”

I tossed him my keys and walked around to the passenger side. “Perfect, just no tickets or scratches, please.” I got into the seat as he stood there frozen.

“Seriously?” I nodded, hoping he would get in soon. “This is awesome!” He got in and started the engine, sighing as the car came to life.

“Are you going to tell me where you’re taking me yet, please?” I looked at his profile, admiring how handsome he was.

“You’ll see in about fifteen minutes.” He turned and winked at me as he pulled off my street and onto the Pacific Coast Highway.

Comfortable conversation continued to flow as we drove. He explained competitive surfing and how close he was to getting a major sponsor. I tried to pay close attention, but I was out of my element. This must be how people feel when I talk about dancing.

Luke was right on with his time estimate. He pulled into the small parking lot on the side of the highway that housed a small building with a sign above that said “Shake Spot”. I got out and noticed the huge crowd gathered in front of the shack. This place must be extraordinary to draw in so many people to this obscure location.

Luke met me at the back of the car and took my hand leading me to the back of the line. As we got closer to the window to order, I could make out the menu, a list of dozens of shake flavors.

“What’s your favorite flavor?” There were too many delicious-sounding choices to pick just one.

“Everything is really good, but my favorites are chocolate turtle and Oreo, depending on my mood.” He focused on the menu as he spoke instead of looking at me. Apparently, this was an incredibly important decision for him.

We both chose Oreo shakes and moved to the patio on the side to find a table. The view of the ocean from the cliff we were on was breathtaking. Soon the sun would be setting, and I wondered if Luke planned this whole romantic scene.

“I’m really happy you agreed to go out with me. I know you said on Sunday that you and Mike aren’t dating, but rumors have been going around about you two.” He gazed at me over his shake, looking like a little boy, so cute and innocent.

“I swear we are just friends. We actually got into an argument today over how controlling he is. He thinks he can tell me what to do and who to hang out with, but he barely knows me.” I was getting frustrated all over again just thinking about him.

“Mike can be like that with the girls he hangs out with, especially when it’s a girl he likes.” He cocked an eyebrow at me, but I didn’t react. Whether or not he liked me was irrelevant, he shouldn’t think he could boss me around.

“Well I’m done playing his games, we can be friends, but that’s it.” I paused and looked back at him trying to decide if I should tell him the whole, embarrassing truth. “If I tell you something, will you promise you won’t make fun of me forever?”