Page 68 of The Switch: A Friends To Lovers Romance

Weng bounced in excitement. “I’ll watch the store.”

The door of the kitchen opened and Uncle Eddie breezed out with a tray of sushi. “Here you go, Weng.”

“Uncle Eddie, do you mind if Luke steps out for a minute? I’ll take care of the store while he’s gone.”

“Is there something you need to do?” Eddie asked.

“I…”

“It’s super important,” Weng said. “The store doesn’t look too busy now. He can leave, right?”

“Of course.”

Weng beamed at Luke. “What are you waiting for?”

“I…”

“Go on.” Eddie nudged Luke’s shoulder. “Don’t dawdle on my account.”

Luke grabbed the car keys beside the cash register. “I guess I’m leaving now.”

“Good luck,” Weng said.

Luke shot him a withering look and headed out the door.

He was leaving without Michelle’s frozen coffee, which was what Ashanti had suggested he bring as a peace offering, but since he had doubts about this anyway he didn’t mind going empty-handed.

The drive ended much quicker than he’d thought, but Luke spent ten minutes looking for a parking spot in front of Saint Mary’s Academy. He heard a bell ring just as he squeezed his car into a space and realized that he’d arrived when school was ending.

A tall wall painted white and yellow surrounded the campus. Through the spokes in one section of the fence, he spotted a well-maintained garden in bloom and several buildings.

Luke pulled out his phone and texted Michelle to tell her he was waiting outside. He spent the few minutes after playing a game on his phone but, when he failed the level and checked if Michelle had responded, he saw that she hadn’t.

Luke squirmed. He didn’t want anyone thinking he was a creep sneaking around an all-girls high school.

“Come on, Michelle.” He tapped his phone.

Another five minutes crawled past. Unable to wait any longer, Luke climbed out of his truck and approached the security guard at the gate. She was a slim woman who looked as threatening as a tree branch.

Exactly what was she supposed to protect the school from? Children?

Luke brushed the thought away and skirted to the edge of the path so the students could pass through the gate. “Excuse me. I’m here to meet Ms. Michelle.”

“Who are you?” The security eyed him up and down.

“A friend.”

She pursed her lips. He could tell that she didn’t believe him, but she picked up a telephone in the security booth and called anyway. “Ms. Michelle, someone’s here to see you.” She leaned over and said, “What was your name again?”

“Luke Zhang.”

She repeated his words and butchered his last name. A moment later, the guard hung up. “She said to meet her in her classroom.”

“Which one is that?”

The woman sighed like he’d asked her to carry him there on her back. “Right up those stairs. Last room on the right.”

“Thanks.”

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