Page 10 of Out of Order
Not all necessarily in that order.
Tentatively, I lifted my hand and gently stroked his hair, slowly coaxing him awake.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to squash you. I didn’t drool on you or anything, did I?” Luca’s eyes fluttered open.
“Don’t worry Luc, you’re as light as a feather. Now, are you ready to see if we can get out of here?”
Luca gradually rose and shifted out of the makeshift blankets. What a contrast between last night when I couldn’t wait to get away, and this morning when I’d like nothing more than to linger. It was time to go, though it was hard to part from him. If only for a few hours.
We slowly made our way to the men’s locker room to freshen up. Luca tidied his hair, applied some make-up and cologne, and was prepared to face the world. I was looking rather less put together, more like a zombie than James Bond.
I was thankful for my gym bag, especially the deodorant, brush, and wash supplies. By the time I left the room, I was feeling a bit more human. Bags in tow, we went up the side stairs to the security door, which was unlocked and open.
Freedom!
It was still early, and the receptionists weren’t there yet. There would be no ‘walk of shame’. Nobody would notice us leaving the building or be aware we’d stayed the night.
The only vehicles in the parking lot were ours. In a strange twist of fate, we almost parked them bumper to bumper. The bright red sports car was just so Luca, vibrant and bright, just like him. Before I knew what I was saying, words were flowing from my tongue.
“Luca, would you join me for a coffee later? I’d really like to meet up with you somewhere other than our building.” I said with a cheeky grin. Silently hoped he’d say yes
“Could we make it lunch instead? That way, we’ll have a little more time?”
“Sure, lunch it is. Twelve noon at Bev’s café, okay?”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” he said, meeting my gaze.
“No, it sounds like a date.”I said, softly cupping his cheek in my hand. He tilted his face up to meet mine. I kissed him with a tenderness as soft as a feather. Before settling him into his car, before walking to mine.
Luca
I must have driven home on autopilot, as I couldn’t remember how I got there. All I could focus on was THE KISS.
Those soft firm lips, the sense of Niall standing so close. After several failed attempts, I eventually found the key to my home, but I had to pull the wrong keys out of the lock multiple times.
My brain lagged, only allowing me to operate on a basic level. I had to take a shower and then decide what I was going to wear. What clothes should I wear for a lunch date? Man, I should’ve just stuck with coffee. But my head was spinning, not just because I hadn’t eaten much the last day, but from the added pressure and now a clothing crisis.
After standing with a blank look at my closet for twenty minutes, I decided I had nothing to wear, which was really dumb since I had 3 double wardrobes full of clothes. But nothing seemed right.
I had to look business-y, but not stuffy, look good, but not too much. I also need to look sexy without looking slutty or desperate. Arghh.
The heat from the streaming water washed over my head, clearing away the tension and haze in my head. I snagged two of the biggest towels and tied one around my head like a turban and the other around my waist. Then shuffled to the kitchen, looking for breakfast.
My brain back on-line, I finally settled on a pair of black dress pants and a hot pink V-neck and black jacket. I hoped it covered all the bases and, as always, I finished the outfit with a pair of heeled boots.
I gave my strands a bit of styling mousse, then let it air-dry for a waiver look. Thankfully, the bags under my eyes weren’t too bad this time, so I just needed a bit of concealer with my usual makeup. All too soon, it was time to head back to the office.
This time on the drive over, I noticed the truck from the Water Company parked on the side of the road. A couple of workmen studied a rather large hole, which hadn’t been there the previous morning.
I pulled into the mostly vacant parking lot, parking in my usual spot behind Niall’s car. When I entered the lobby, one receptionist shouted out my name and pointed over to a floral bouquet.
“These came for you.” Her smirk said it all, and I knew she was questioning who had sent them.
Instead of answering, I gathered my bags into one hand and accepted the beautiful flowers and walked over to the stairs. No lifts for me today, thank you very much! As it was, I could clearly see the ‘OUT OF ORDER’ sign stuck to the doors.
Going up the stairs took ages and when I got to my floor, my arms felt like lead and I was parched. It’s definitely tea time. Nothing like a cup of tea to make things better. I’d switch to coffee later when I needed the caffeine boost.
The amazing flowers came with a tiny envelope card with the words…
