Page 48 of The Switch: A Friends To Lovers Romance

“It’s… a long story.”

“Go ahead. I’ve got all day.”

He glanced behind him to make sure Eddie was out of earshot and then leaned forward. “Ashanti volunteered to be my ‘girlfriend’ so Mom and Dad would get used to the idea of me dating a black girl.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I wanted to break up with Michelle because I knew my folks would freak out if they heard. I knew they would never accept her. Ashanti wanted me to be happy. If the roles were reversed, I would do the same for her.”

“Really?”

Luke nodded.

“Then you have no feelings for Ashanti at all?”

Luke hesitated and then shook his head. “No.”

Chapter Fourteen

She’d never had a dream that vivid. And she’d definitely never had one that featured Luke’s lips. Ashanti was beyond mortified, but it wasn’t like Luke knew her subconscious had created a scenario in which they kissed.

So no harm, no foul.

Right?

Or not. She couldn’t stop thinking about that dream. How she’d felt in that moment. Like Luke was literally melting her bones.

Throughout the afternoon, Ashanti had to step away from her laptop several times just to drink a cold glass of water and fan her face.

The dream had definitely left an impression, but she wasn’t giving into her feelings so easily.

After she got home from work, Ashanti selected her rattiest T-shirt and a pair of pants with holes. She cleaned her makeup off with wipes and yanked the ponytail out of her hair, snarling in pain as the clip fell away with several strands.

Luke was just a friend. She had no reasons to impress him. Tonight, when he came over it would be business as usual.

Ashanti turned on the television and watched the first quarter of the news. She checked her watch. Luke would have closed the store by now. Her heart pounded in anticipation, but she forced herself to remain seated and plant her eyes on the TV.

Another hour passed. No Luke.

She snatched her cellphone and checked for any messages from Luke saying he was running late or he wouldn’t show up at all. He hadn’t reached out to her yet. She could only assume that he was still coming.

The news blared its closing theme song and Ashanti switched the channel to a mindless sitcom. As the canned laughter filtered in the background, she glanced at the door and chewed on a fingernail.

Why wasn’t Luke here yet?

She debated calling him when there was a knock on the door. Ashanti sprung from her seat like a jack-in-the-box and pounced on the doorknob. She paused. Smoothed her hair down. Took a deep breath.

Her smile was wide when she opened the door, but it slipped off her face as soon as she saw who stood on the threshold.

“Mrs. Zhang!” Ashanti squeaked.

Luke’s mother stood in the golden light splaying from the porch. Her hair was brushed away from her face and swirled in an elaborate pin at the back of her head. Her cheekbones were high, and her eyes were as black as marbles.

She wore a cream jacket over a brown blouse and a pair of silky blue pants. Silver earrings dangled from her lobes and a bracelet glinted from the width of her wrist.

Mrs. Zhang looked like she’d come to visit the Prime Minister, not a lowly journalist.

Ashanti looked at her own ratty outfit and cringed.

---