Page 14 of Part of Me
“Do you have time to go and grab some lunch?” she asks me.
“Sure.” I put the finished papers to one side and pick up my handbag. I walk with Maggie to the lifts and enter when one becomes available. “So, how did it go with that guy in Bar Twelve last night?” I ask, hoping to keep the heat off of me leaving suddenly.
“It was fine, until he started to tell me about how he still lived with his mother even though he was in his late thirties.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah,” Maggie says with a roll of her eyes.
The lift pings open on the ground floor and we both make our way through the lobby. I see that Danni––a girl who fills in as a temporary receptionist every now and then––has been called in to do the job that I was doing only yesterday. I give her a smile as I walk past her. She is on the phone, so she just gives me a slight wave with her hand.
As Maggie and I step outside, I am hit by the muggy heat. It is stifling out here and I am thankful that our workplace has air con.
“Gosh, it’s hot,” Maggie says, taking her jacket off. I nod in agreement with her.
“So, where are we going for lunch?” I ask.
“Bar Twelve?”
“Okay,” I reply, a little unsure of how I will feel going back there after witnessing Luke with another woman just outside. I don’t want Maggie to think that anything is wrong though, so we make the short walk and reach Bar Twelve after five minutes.
Maggie tells me to go and grab a table. I do, and she goes to get us a drink. I opt to sit away from the window today. I know that it is unlikely that I will see Luke outside here again, but if he does happen to be around here then I would rather not know right now. My mind is too jumbled from what I have witnessed so far.
As I wait for Maggie, I take a look at my phone. I have a text from Tori saying that she can meet me outside my work at half past five. I text her back quickly, telling her that I will be waiting for her.
I don’t text Luke back. I know that he will be wondering why I haven’t responded, but I don’t care at this moment in time. I still don’t know if I want to confront him or not, and I am hoping that when I speak to Tori later it will help me make up my mind.
Chapter Twelve
I stand outside of my work at quarter past five and wait for Tori to arrive. I had a hectic afternoon, much like my morning, so I will be glad to go and enjoy a cold glass of wine. My phone goes off in my bag and I fish it out, hoping that it isn’t Tori cancelling. When I see that Luke is calling me, I wrestle with my mind over whether I should answer the call or not.
As my phone continues to vibrate in my hands, I find myself hitting the answer button. The last thing I want to do is make him suspicious over why I might be ignoring him.
“Hi,” I say as I put the phone to my ear.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Luke replies, causing my heart to beat rapidly over the combination of his husky voice and the adrenaline pumping through me.
“What’s up?” I try to keep my voice as even as possible, but I fail slightly as I hear a little wobble in my tone.
“Well I texted you earlier and got nothing back, so I was just phoning to make sure that everything is okay?” he says.
“Everything’s fine. I’ve just had a full-on day, that’s all.”
“Oh, okay.” Luke sounds a little put out by my answer. “Are you on your way home yet?”
“No, I’m just waiting for Tori so that we can go and toast my new job.”
“Oh.” He sounds disappointed by my answer. “Where are you going?”
“Not sure yet.” I am aware that my answers are a little offish, but I am hoping he will just put it down to the fact that I am tired after a long day at work. There is a pause between us, something that isn’t usually there.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” he asks. He knows me too well, and he knows when something is wrong. I mentally kick myself for not sounding more convincing.
“Yeah, I’m sure. It’s just been a long day.”
“Okay. Well, don’t be too long, I have a surprise for you.” Normally the temptation of a surprise from Luke would have me racing home, but today I feel no such urge. I see Tori approaching me and I take this as the perfect opportunity to wrap up the phone call.
“Okay, well, Tori is here now so I will text you when I am on my way back home.”
