Page 93 of A Hard Sell

Luka let go of Thomas with great effort. “I will.”

“Goodnight.”

“Thomas?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for dinner.”

“You’re welcome.”

* * * *

Luka’s head was a little fuzzy the next morning, tongue dry, stomach uneasy. Thomas seemed no worse for wear, already on the phone and pacing around the office when Luka arrived. He had forgotten how intimidating Thomas could be when he was the Big Bad Wolf.

He was taking another painkiller and chugging some water when he got a text from Rory asking him to stop by their office when he had a minute. Luka stuck his head in after lunch. He never failed to be mesmerized by Rory’s setup. Four huge screens spread around them, thousands of numbers dancing across each in some obscure pattern that made sense to Rory.

“You two didn’t take today off?” Luka said by way of greeting.

Rory spun around and smiled at him. “Saving it for our honeymoon. Come on in.”

Luka sat across from them. “Thanks again for including us yesterday. Me. Thanks for including me, I mean.”

Rory smiled. “Of course. Thank you for being there.” They paused and drummed on their leg. “So. Dimitri asked me for your number.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Not Thomas?”

Rory shook their head. “What made you think he wanted Thomas’ number?”

“I don’t know, I just…doesn’t everyone?”

Rory gave him a curious look. “No, it’s definitely you. And Finn says you’ll say no. He says you’re in love with Thomas.”

Luka leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. His heart throbbed. “Sadly, that is true.”Who am I even fooling anymore?

“Yeah, I thought so.”

“I’m sorry. Dimitri seems great. I just… Fuck.”

“I get it. The heart wants what it wants.” They studied Luka for a minute. “Look, Luka, it’s not my business, but…have you told Thomas how you feel?”

“I did, actually. On Saturday. And he turned me down.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Did he say why?”

Luka shrugged. “Like I knew all along. He’s leaving. Why get involved and get your heart broken in a month or two?”

Rory gazed at him. “Is your heart not already breaking?”

Chapter Twenty-One

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