Page 7 of The Summer House
Luke flagged the bartender.
When he came over, Luke asked for the bill and one of the navy shirts from the ceiling, to Callie’s complete astonishment, holding up his empty plate. “I couldn’t let you leave without getting that matching shirt,” he said with a wink. The bartender grabbed a shirt and handed it to her.
“Thank you,” she said to Luke with a smile.
Once the bill was delivered, Callie packed the rest of her burger into a “to go” box. “I’m going to put in an order for my housemate and her son before we go, if that’s okay. They asked me to get dinner for them tonight,” she said, reaching across the bar and snagging a menu.
Luke stood up, a line forming between his eyes as he rooted around in his pockets. He peered down under the barstool before looking up at her with mortification consuming his face. “I don’t have my wallet.”
“What?” she said over her menu.
“Let me just run out to the truck. Be right back.”
She ordered two burgers to go, as she waited for Luke to return. She’d actually enjoyed herself today with Luke, and she couldn’t wait to get back to tell Olivia all about it. She’d never believe that Callie had ended up having lunch with the guy from the cover ofOuter Banks Sports Magazine.
Luke came jogging back over, looking uncertain.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“My wallet isn’t in the truck. I just called the surfboard shop—I left it there when that reporter came in and distracted me.”
“Thank God. At least it isn’t lost,” she said with relief.
“Well, yes, but I can’t pay for our lunch.”
“Oh!” she laughed. “No worries.” Callie reached into her handbag for her wallet as she peered down at the total. “Will you just add this to my bill for the ‘to go’ order?” she told the bartender as she handed him her credit card.
“I’m so sorry. I feel terrible.”
“Don’t feel bad,” she said.
“I do! I asked you to lunch and then made you pay. This might be an all-time low here for dates.”
“It’s not a date,” she said quickly.
He regarded her curiously. “Let me make it up to you. I’ll take you out again. A do-over.”
A little hum of excitement rang in her ears. “You don’t have to do that.” The bartender brought her the bill and she wrote in the tip and signed her name.
“Let me.”
Callie had a lot of work to complete on the house. She couldn’t just leave Olivia to do it all. And they were already pressed for time, trying to get The Beachcomber open by the autumn. She really didn’t need this kind of distraction.
“You can’t let me leave you on this note. Please allow me to redeem myself.” He was grinning at her in that way of his that made her heart patter.
She swallowed and cleared her throat, inwardly scolding herself for what she was about to say. She’d sworn off dating. She was too busy. “Okay.”
His grin widened. “Fantastic. How about tomorrow night?" He pulled his phone from his pocket. “Let me get your address and your cell number. You’re at… The Beachcomber?”
She gave him her contact information, and he typed it into his phone.
“I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“You really don’t have to go to all that trouble. I can just meet you somewhere.”
“It’s fine,” he said, as if picking up a girl he’d only just met was something he did every day. But maybe he did. He grabbed her “to go” boxes. “I’ll take you back to your car,” he said as he led her toward the door.
