Page 58 of Deceitful Oath

It hits Lux squarely on the chest and drips down the front of her dress. He acts horrified, rushing to grab napkins to clean her off. She pats his arm comfortingly and, after a brief conversation, heads to the bathroom.

I explode out of my car, almost getting hit by an oncoming taxi, and beeline it to The Beanery. Enzo emerges just as I reach the door and shakes his head at me.

“Forced me to make a damn fool of myself, boss.”

“You didn’t have to drown her in coffee!”

“It was my one and only idea,” he snaps, but a smile hides behind his gruff delivery. “She’s pretty cute. I get why you’re so obsessed with her.”

I glare at him and swing the door open, striding inside. Enzo’s voice wafts behind me, teasing me, as the door shuts. Grabbing a table near the bathrooms, I keep my eyes trained for Lux.Sheis not ignoring me this time, even if I have to force her into the booth with me.

After a few minutes, she emerges with a faint stain on her dress and an enormous smile on her face. As soon she spots me, the smile falls away, and a look of surprise and confusion replaces it. I spring up, heading straight to her.

“Lux, listen…”

“Dominic?” she asks, stepping away. “Are you stalking me or something?”

“No, I…I just needed to see you.”

She gazes at me, her eyes piercing through mine, trying to read my intentions. I try to reach out, to touch her elbow lightly, and guide her to the table, but she pulls back. Her elbow slams against the wall behind her, and she cries out.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I’m doing this all wrong,” I curse. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she snaps, taking in a deep breath. “What do you want?”

“Can we sit?” I plead, gesturing to the empty booth behind us. She sighs, a struggle playing out on her face. I can tell she’s curious about why I’m here, but she also thinks she hates me right now. “Please?”

“Fine,” she accepts, sliding into the booth and crossing her arms. I join her, careful to give her space. She stares at me expectantly.

“I’m not following you,” I lie, promising myself this is the last one I’ll tell her. “I saw you outside earlier, and I couldn’t believe the timing. So, I waited around to see you.”

Painful silence stretches between us. Finally, she arches an eyebrow at me and smirks.

“What if I was on a date?”

“A date?”

“Yeah,” she agrees. “You saw I was here with a man…and you waited around to talk to me after. What if it was a date?”

I scoff, but the steel-cold resolve in her eyes makes me pause. “I still would have waited. I needed to see you…”

“Why, Dominic? You didn’t seem to want to see me when you broke up with me,” she retorts. “With zero warning, I might add.”

“I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? Am I not a capable adult that’s survived twenty-odd years without you?”

“Look, Lux,” I say, sighing and resting my palms on the table. The urge to climb over it and kiss her is so strong that I need to keep my hands in sight. “When we broke up, you had nowhere to live and no way to make money. I just want to make sure you’re safe because I care about you...nothing will ever change that.”

Her single-minded determination to play the cold, hard bitch role crumbles, and she leans back in her seat. Her arms fall from their tight shield across her chest, and she glances out the window, stalling for time.

“I’m fine,” she finally says softly. “Just fine.”

“Can we just have a coffee and talk?” I beg, desperation making my voice softer than usual. She nods, and I catch the waiter’s attention. After we order our coffees, I take a deep breath and dive in.

“Where are you staying now?”

“With a friend,” she says noncommittally.

---