Page 56 of Lipstick Kiss

“Hey, babe, I thought I’d come for a beer,” Luke said casually, not removing his arm and leaning against the arm of the high stool.

Babe? He had never called her babe before, but then he hadn’t come searching for her dates. Even when she dated in her late teens, he never came and checked them out. He was too busy on his own dates to care enough.

She sighed long and heavily.

“Pete, this is my best friend, Luke Turner. You’ve met his brothers, Archer and Jason. They run Edward Hall together. There’s another sibling, Daisy, but she’s currently off island.”

“Yeah, I’ve known Freya since we were kids. Haven’t I, Peaches?” Luke said.

Freya leaned back to get a look at Luke. Was he high?

“Haven’t you got someplace to be?” Freya said.

“Nope, let me get you guys a drink,” Luke said.

“Look, Freya, it was great chatting with you, but I need to get an early night for training tomorrow. Maybe we can catch up another night?” Pete said.

Pete stood away from his stool and looked at Freya to see how he could wedge himself near her without touching Luke to kiss her goodbye, but he glanced at their proximity and gave up. He necked the last third of his pint and gave them both a wave while he was still swallowing. Then he walked out of the pub.

Luke took his seat and signalled for the bar server to come over.

“Same again,” he said, pointing to her empty wine glass.

Freya sighed again. “Might as well, seeing as you’ve scared off my date.”

“If he wasn’t man enough to stick around, then he is not right for you.”

“You sound like a cliché.”

“There is nothing wrong with a cliché if it’s right.”

They fell into chatter, and before she blinked, it was closing time, and Luke was giving her a piggyback home while she laughed at his awful jokes. He dropped her off at her front door and waited for her to unlock it and step inside.

All humour evaporated when he stepped to the threshold and wrapped his hand around her neck.

“You know, Freya Riley. One of these days, I will tell you exactly the kind of man you need in your life.”

“Will it be soon? Because I’m not getting any younger, and I want babies,” she said and grinned in his face, swaying into his warm hand.

“Yes, I promise it will be soon,” he whispered before kissing her forehead.

Freya felt her stupefied look as she let out a giggle. “Good.”

“Shall I come and pick you up in the buggy, or will you come to me?”

“I’ll come to you. I want to see Sabrina again and dream of all the things I want to get to put in her to make her a home. I love that cottage so much, and not just because Heidi lives next door.”

Freya slumped against the door frame, her eyes lidded with sleep. “I’m so tired. At least next week I don’t have to do any evening classes. Mr Morris has let me off the hook. Hey,” she said, coming alive again. “Did you have anything to do with that?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m happy you have some free time next week in the evenings. I’ll make you dinner, and you can make plans for Sabrina.”

“Cool,” she said. “I need to get to bed, Luke. See you tomorrow at about ten… ish.”

“All right, Peaches. I’ll be up,” Luke said and kissed her head before he stepped back. “Lock the door.”

She gave him a hearty wink, stepped back, closed the door and clicked the latch down. She looked through the peephole to see him looking up at her bedroom window and then walking down the road.

She was drunk but not drunk enough to know something was happening between them. She just didn’t know what that was.

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