“She’s great.” In fact, I was going to be sad when my clerkship ended in two weeks. “I’ve learned a lot from her.”
Luke paused on the pathway, uncertain which branch in the path we should take. I started down the one on the left.
“Holly is a good woman.”
“How long have you known her?”
“A few years.” He shrugged. “Time starts to fly after the age of thirty.”
My eyes widened. “How old are you exactly?”
“Not that old,” he said, laughing. “I’ll be 33 in a couple of months.”
That was when I realized that Luke wasn’t just some guy- he was a man. He probably had real estate investments and stock portfolios. Not to mention whatever romantic baggage he was carrying. I didn’t even have a cat.
“What are your plans for retirement?”
“Funny.” Luke looked around, lost. “Where are you taking me?”
“To my lair.”
“To take advantage of me?” he said with a hopeful smile.
I rolled my eyes. “You wish.”
We had reached the pathway that would take us to the top of the Art Institute. I had accidentally discovered it during my first visit to the modern wing several years earlier and it was one of my favorite spots in the city.
“This is a great view,” Luke said, stopping in the middle to look toward Michigan Avenue.
“One of my favorites,” I agreed. The Chicago skyline was beginning to light up. “Come on. There’s more.”
At the very top, in the farthest corner, I pointed to the rooftop below. With my other hand, I dug into my bag and pulled out a penny.
“Make a wish,” I said.
“What is this?”
About three feet below where we stood, the roof was covered in dozens of pennies. Somehow, visitors had collectively decided to turn this into their own version of a wishing well.
“Pretty cool, huh?” I handed him the penny. “My wish is already down there. It’s your turn.”
Luke took the penny, tentatively holding it between his thumb and forefinger. “A wish, huh? I can’t remember the last time I made a wish.”
“That’s crazy.” I slapped his arm. “You better get busy making up for lost time.”
He thought for a second, lips pursed and eyes searching the sky. “I got it.”
The penny flipped through the air and landed with a satisfying ping.
“Good work.” I smiled in satisfaction. “Okay, I showed you one of my favorite spots. Now you have to show me one of yours.”
Luke’s brow furrowed. “Alright. I’ve got it.”
We headed back in the direction from which we came. Conversation came surprisingly easy for us. Even though I had just met Luke, it felt like I was talking to an old friend.
“If we’re headed back to your place, I won’t be coming in.” I was only half-joking.
“Relax. We’re not headed to my place. Yet.” He grabbed my arm and yanked me back just as I was about to cross Wacker Drive. A car had run a red light and was a foot away from crashing into me.
“Nice reflexes,” I said, my heart racing from the close call.
Luke held onto my arm for a few seconds longer than was necessary before letting go. “I just saved your life.”
“My hero.” I pretended to swoon. “Can we cross now?”
“Yeah, but stick with me, okay? I might be a hero, but I don’t have superpowers. I can only save you if you are close.” To emphasize his point, he brushed against me.
We were on the bridge, crossing over the river, and Luke stopped me again.
“What’s wrong? I’m about to get hit by a biker?” I looked around wildly.
“No, silly. We’re here.” He proudly held out his arms and turned in a half-circle.
“This is your spot?”
He nodded. “This is it.”
With the river below us, cars speeding by us, and the scenery around us, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was supposed to focus on. “Which part?”
“All of it.” Luke spun in a slow circle and I could see a hint of wonder in his eyes. “The first time I ever stood in this spot, I knew that I would love living in this city.”
A bus barreled over the bridge, shaking the metal beneath our feet. “This is pretty cliché,” I said.
“Maybe, but I don’t care.” Luke pointed to the buildings in front of us. “Does the city’s architecture get any better than this?”
He had a point. I loved the Tribune Tower and Wrigley Building. Looking down the river, even more magnificent skyscrapers dotted the skyline.
“Okay, I’ll give it to you. This spot is pretty cool.” I actually happened to like this spot a lot myself. “When did you move to the city?”
“I moved here for college. I’m from the suburbs, so it’s not like I had to move far. My dad’s firm was here, so I spent some time in the city growing up. But it just felt different when I moved here for real.”
I noticed that his face darkened when he mentioned his father.
“Were you close to your father?” I asked quietly.
“Not exactly.” He didn’t seem excited to elaborate further. “The only thing my father and I had in common was our last name.”
“It’s a good last name,” I said lamely. He smiled and we stood quietly, looking at the water lapping below.
Luke reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter. “Wish time. I already made my wish,” he said, nodding to the river below. “Your turn.”
“A quarter? That’s an expensive wish.” I took it carefully.
“The good ones always are,” he replied.
I thought carefully about which wish I should offer up. I’d had so many over the years, and none of them had ever been answered. But there was one that was new, and that was what was on my mind as the quarter somersaulted into the water.
“Now what?” I asked, turning back to Luke.
“A drink?”
It sounded like a reasonable suggestion. “Let’s go to the Signature Room.”
“Okay, now who’s being cliché?” Luke’s beautiful eyes rolled around in his head.
“I don’t care. I love the view.” It was true- everyone knew that the Signature Room was a tourist trap. But it was also the best view in the city, in my opinion.
“Well, it’s your turn. So let’s do it.”
We were lucky. Our arrival at the Signature Room was timed perfectly to miss the prime dinner rush. The lounge was still crowded, but we were able to find an intimate table by the windows.
“You were right,” Luke said with a reluctant sigh “The view is spectacular.”
“I’m always right,” I replied without missing a beat.
Luke changed the subject. “Tell me about Kasey. Where did you grow up?”
“Wisconsin. Just outside of Milwaukee.” I didn’t like where our conversation was headed.
“What about your family?”
“What about them?”
The waitress arrived and Luke paused long enough to order drinks for us. “Were you close to your parents?”
“I was.”
“Do they still live in Wisconsin?”
I took a breath before answering. “They’re dead.”
“Oh.” Luke blinked hard. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Even after all this time I still never felt comfortable talking about their deaths. “They were hit by a drunk driver ten years ago.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Shit happens.” I waited for the waitress to set down our drinks and then grabbed mine and took a big drink.
Luke watched me, saying nothing.
“Did I just ruin the night?” I asked self-consciously.
“No.” He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know if anything could ruin this night.”
I objected. “Bad karaoke. Bad karaoke can ruin any night.”
“Do you always do that?” his head tilted. “Do you always make jokes whenever
someone says something too serious or too personal?”
“Yes.”
No use denying it. I hated talking about my past, or anything else that was private. It wasn’t because of my own feelings on the matter. I just knew from experience that it made other people uncomfortable. They would look at me with pity in their eyes and stammer over awkward words of sympathy. I was just trying to make it easier on everyone.
“It’s better this way, Luke,” I said, taking another drink. “Trust me.”
“You don’t have to do that with me,” he replied. “I can handle the truth. Trust me.”
I smirked. “I’ve already told you more than I’ve told most people. More than I’ve told Jen.”
“That’s sad.” Luke didn’t have a trace of a smile on his face. “Everyone needs someone to confide in.”
“Who do you confide in?” I had a feeling that Luke’s past was just as tragic as my own. There was something in his eyes that I recognized.
He studied me for a long time, as if trying to assess whether I was someone he could trust with his confession. Apparently, I looked trustworthy enough because he said, “My father was an abusive prick. He hit my mother and he beat the shit out of me.”
“For how long?”
“Until I was big enough to hit him back.” His voice was empty of feeling, but when I looked into his eyes I saw pain.
“Was it bad?” I asked, barely raising my voice above a whisper.
“I survived,” he shrugged, then realized that he hadn’t exactly answered my question. “A few broken bones and concussions. Lots of scars.”
Then he tried to smirk but it came across as a sad smile. “Wait until you see me with my shirt off.”
“We all have scars,” I replied. Before I could stop myself, I reached across the table and took his hand. “Some just run a little deeper than others.”
“What did you wish for at the river?” he asked out of nowhere.
I almost told him. Almost.
“I can’t tell you.” I held up a hand to stop his protest. “It’s not time yet.”
“When will it be time?”
I thought for a second. “After the wish comes true.”
Get About That Night Now
After Victory: A Searching for Glory Novel (A Second Chance Love Story) Page 13
