Page 22 of It's Only Make Believe

LUKE

Itake a quick look at my reflection in the window of the bar as I pass it. I’m wearing a pair of black jeans, and a blue, short sleeved t shirt. I wanted to look presentable, but not like I was dressed too over the top, and I think I hit the level I was going for. I am wearing my most expensive cologne though.

I reach the door of the bar and pull it open. The place isn’t packed, but it isn’t empty either. It has a nice ambience about it where it feels like it’s quiet enough to talk but loud enough not to be overheard. I spot Louisa sitting on a bar stool with a glass of something in front of her and I make my way across the as yet empty dance floor.

Louisa turns her head in my direction as I step up beside her at the bar.

“Hi,” she says. “Should we get a table?”

“Wow,” I reply, looking at her as she slips off the stool.

She’s wearing a short black playsuit with printed daisies on it and brown wedges. She has a yellow bag slung across herbody. She is wearing her hair half up and half down. The down half is in beachy curls, and I have to physically stop myself from reaching out and running my fingers through it.

“Nice answer,” she says. She smiles and then looks down as though she’s almost afraid to make eye contact with me.

“What can I get you?” the bartender says to me.

“Scotch on the rocks please,” I say. I look at Louisa. “What are you having?”

“A gin and tonic please,” she says.

I nod to the bartender, and he fixes the drinks while Louisa goes to get us a table. I watch her walk away. The playsuit isn’t particularly tight fitting, but it does cut in at her waist and it makes me want to rest my hands there as I kiss her.

Louisa chooses a table – a good choice in my mind. It’s not too close to anyone else, but it’s not like in a dark little corner somewhere which would be a very different vibe to drinks with the boss, which at the moment, I assume we are still pretending this is.

I pay for the drinks and go to the table and sit down. Louisa thanks me for the drink and takes a sip.

I pick up my own drink and raise my glass.

“Welcome to the company,” I say.

“Thanks,” Louisa says, tapping her glass against mine.

We both drink and I decide to put out the feelers about her maybe staying on. It’s a safe topic compared to what I would like to say to her, and it is an opening into a real conversation hopefully.

“Karl is very pleased with your work,” I say. “He showed me the app page you designed, and I am too.”

“Thank you,” she says. She smiles playfully. “See I can do things other than filing you know.”

“I didn’t doubt it,” I say.

Louisa snorts out a laugh.

“Bullshit,” she says.

“Ok, you got me. I did doubt it. But you as sure as hell proved me wrong on that one,” I say.

“I hope that means I’ll be getting a good reference,” Louisa says.

“Or maybe I’ll give you an awful reference so no one wants to hire you, and we can keep you,” I say with a laugh.

She gave me the perfect lead in there and I had to take it. She laughs too but she doesn’t say whether she would actually like to stay or not and I don’t want to push her.

“You make it sound like you’re going to lock me away in a tower somewhere,” she jokes.

“You’d better be on your best behavior, or I just might,” I fire back.

“I can do that, but something tells me you would prefer the naughty side of me,” Louisa says.

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