Page 119 of Drunk on Love

He took a step back.

“Now—how about we go back out there and finish cleaning up from this great party? There are a bunch of open bottles of wine—I hope it’s okay that I told the staff to take them home.”

She grinned.

“As long as ‘the staff’ includes me. I’ve been looking forward to drinking some wine on my couch tonight all day.”

He put his arm around her as they walked out of his office.

“Well, I’ll have to check with our CEO on that. She’s very strict about these things.”

She laughed as they walked back to the lawn. She couldn’t wait to drink that wine on the couch. With Luke.

WHEN LUKE LEFT MARGOT’Soffice, his first impulse was to stand outside of her door and listen to whatever went on between her and Elliot. So he could burst in and protect her from her brother if he said something mean to her? No, Margot would hate that. He made himself leave the building and walk out to the lawn.

But on the way, he texted her.

LUKE

Text and let me know you’re okay? See you later, just let me know when

He hung around outside for a few minutes after he went back out there, helping Taylor pack up, but when Margot and Elliot didn’t come back after five minutes, he looked over at Avery.

“I’m going to take off—did you want a ride home?”

He figured that after Elliot had told him to go home, it might make things even more complicated between Margot and her brother if he lingered just to see how she was doing.

Avery looked surprised, but nodded.

“Let me just finish this.”

She set the last few wineglasses on the counter into a box, and then stood up.

“Let’s go.”

He hugged everyone goodbye, and Avery followed him out to the parking lot. She turned to him as soon as they got in his car.

“Is everything okay? Between you and Margot, I mean,” Avery asked.

He hadn’t expected that question.

“Yeah, of course. Why?”

She shrugged.

“I didn’t expect you to leave until she did, that’s all. And she disappeared a while ago, and then you did, and now you’re leaving and she’s still nowhere to be seen, so... I just wondered if you had a fight.”

He shook his head.

“No, we’re fine. Better than fine. She’s just—” He couldn’t tell her about the Elliot stuff. “I was worried about her, I knew she’dbe upset, after that thing with the drunk guy, so that’s why I went looking for her. She’s talking to Elliot now, so I wanted to give them some space. I’ll see her later, though.”

Avery sighed.

“Poor Margot. That drunk guy was nothing, there’s always one, I should have told her that when we met to talk party planning. But this was her first big event, of course she would think that was the end of the world. I hope Elliot is telling her it’s no big deal.”

Luke tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“I hope so, too.”

---