Page 34 of Heart Match

I’m about to open the door when I hear Luc knocking.

‘Hey,’ I open the door to a sporty version of him, the one that always has a cap on; right now it’s backwards. I don’t ask him why he left in such a hurry if his only plan was to go for a run.

‘Hi, Olivia,’ he says pulling me into him and crashing his mouth against mine. The kiss lasts longer than it probably should, and it’s a fierce version of a simple hello kiss, but I’m not complaining. He walks backwards taking me with him. Eventually we break apart and he presses the lift button. We kiss one more time before the car arrives, then again once we’re inside.

‘What have you done with my focus?’ he stares down at me with questioning sexy eyes and frowning eyebrows. He seems serious about his question.

I beam at him, because I can’t possibly know the answer to his question. I confess it makes me feel good knowing I make him lose his focus, even though I’m not sure on what.

Before we share another kiss, the doors open on the ground floor. As soon as we’re out, he turns his cap forward.

We do some stretching in front of the building and start running alongside each other checking our watches turning on the running mode. I always run alone, if you don’t count the time he caught up with me a few days ago, so I’m not used to having someone beside me to keep a similar pace or to talk to.

We run a total of seven miles, taking the route to the Thames and around the Royal Botanic Gardens. I try my best to keep up with his pace as he effortlessly waits for me.

At some point during the run it finally occurs to me to ask, ‘You know, I’ve been meaning to ask but it never comes up … what’s your last name? Since you already know mine I figured I should also know yours.’

He smirks, drying the sweat from his forehead with a tennis wristband he has around his wrist.

‘Are you going to look me up on social media?’ he grins glancing at me sideways.

‘I’m not on social media.’

‘Is that so?’

I nod. He seems surprised.

‘It’s Lamaire. Lucas Lamaire,’ he looks at me as if waiting for some kind of reaction, when I don’t react to whatever he’s expecting, he puts on his trademark amused grin. I seem to get that a lot from him.

‘What?’ I ask.

‘Nothing.’

We keep running, mostly in silence but very much aware of the other’s presence. Once we reach our street again we don’t even ask each other whether we should get a smoothie, when our eyes meet after hitting stop on our watches, we know we’re going in the café.

I hadn’t had anything to eat before the run and my stomach has been complaining since I woke up this morning. I’m glad that instead of just ordering our smoothies to go, he asks me if I’d like to have a full breakfast.

We pick a table by the window in the far corner of the café, on the cosy green velvet couches. It’s still quiet, which is no surprise considering it’s before 11:00 am on a Sunday. We study the menu and place our orders with Lesley, whose eyes are fixed on Luc. I watch to see if he reacts to this in any way, he doesn’t. She’s staring nonetheless, with a not innocent smile on her face, it’s annoying.

I clear my throat so she can pay attention to my order, and not to the handsome sexy as hell man sitting across from me.

‘Oh, hi there, didn’t notice it was you,’ she says, seeming genuinely surprised to see me.

Hi there? Doesn’t she know my name by now? She has envious eyes for me, her smile fading instantly at the sight of me.

‘I’ll have the omelette with champignons and rocket, a glass of water and the same smoothie as always,’ I say.

‘Which one is it again?’ she asks.

Luc snorts, his beautiful blue eyes almost hidden under his cap staring at me in contentment. Even he can’t believe she still doesn’t know my order.

‘Same as his.’

‘Oh, ok.’

God, why is it so difficult to remember it?

She makes the order on the device she’s holding in her hands and stands there watching us, more precisely watching him. I can almost see the drool on the corner of her mouth.

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