Chapter 8

It’s been an unexpected and yet wonderful morning; Lucas is interesting. His family are just about into everything you can think of, which keeps him busy. He loves art and loves to create. And whenever he speaks of his brothers, it’s apparent that he misses them a lot. And with all of that, I can say that Luke seems lonely, which is truly sad.  

Lucas and I have discovered that we have a few things in common. He lives in an apartment near me, but he also has the family house along the edge of a private bay with a dock. He says it’s a large house, but I’m sure it’s some outrageous mansion. They’re all outrageous down there.

I’ve caught myself swooning a couple of times like now he is such a gentleman, dutifully walking Benny and me home.

I glance up and notice the same man from the cafe earlier. Luke sees my puzzled expression and asks what’s wrong. “I think someone is following us.”

Luke quickly looks around, “Fuck.” He breathes softly. I point to the man across the road who has also stopped to look around.

“That man over there, he was at the café and the dog park…. Do you think he’s following us?”, Am I paranoid? Has Dean found me and is finally making good on his threat?

Luke follows the direction of my finger and shakes his head. To my shock, he waves the man over. 

“Do you know him?” I ask incredulously, dread pools at the bottom of my stomach.

The man shakes Luke’s hand; Luke turns to me and introduces us. “Lillian, this is JJ, my PA/Bodyguard/driver/Security officer….” He trails off and gives me a crooked smile.

I laugh a little too loudly, “Nice to meet you, JJ. I’m glad you aren’t stalking us”, I say, failing to hide my anxiety. My nerves are nearly frayed at this point.  

JJ gives me a small smile and a firm handshake. He turns to Luke and whispers something in his ear. Luke nods and starts to walk. It takes me a minute to realise he’s just left me standing here with JJ. I smile awkwardly at JJ, who gestures for me to follow Luke. I quickly walk with Benny at my side. Luke slows so we can catch up; JJ stays a short distance behind us, giving us space.

“So, you need a bodyguard?” I can’t help my smirk. Luke smirks too. “Yes, my family is rather well-known, and well, you can never be too careful. Sometimes unsavoury people like to extort people like me.” He frowns.

“Extort”, I snort, “Who says that these days? What are you a billionaire or something” I laugh, but he doesn’t laugh; he just watches me like I’m bizarre, but then he smiles brilliantly.

“I like you,” he says without further comment.

We continue to walk the rest of the way in relatively comfortable silence, but my mind works overtime. Well-known means media, right? I can’t afford for Dean to find me. God, just when I started to think that maybe there could be something. I guess that that’s then.

Flag number three, and you are out. I internally roll my eyes; I’m even getting my metaphors crisscrossed.

We arrive in front of my apartment building. My eyes travel up to gaze at this gorgeous man, knowing it’s the last time I’ll see him unless he comes to The Bar.

Luke is so out of my league anyway. It’s a real shame.

To save us both the humiliation, I quickly say, “Thank you for the coffee and the walk. It was nice getting to know you, Luke.”

“Yes, it was lovely getting to know you too,” he replies, slightly taken aback.

“Well, um, bye.” I wave as Henry, the doorman, opens the door for Benny and me.

“Thank you, Henry”, he nods in response, and we start to walk inside, heading for the elevators. I wonder if Dax is home.

“Wait!” I turn around to see Luke walking quickly towards me, “Would you like to do this again. Have dinner with me?” He gazes at me patiently.

“Oh, um, I’m sorry, but I have to decline.”

“Really? Didn’t you have a good time?” he asks; the uncertainty in his voice almost weakens me, but I stay strong. 

“I did. I genuinely had a nice time getting to know you. I’m just not interested in anything more right now.” I hurry to the waiting elevator and press the button a million times to close the doors. Don’t look up Lilly, don’t look up. Just as the doors start to shut, I look up in time to see Luke’s shocked and confused expression, the doors mercifully close.

I sigh and look down at Benny, “Don’t look at me like that Benny, it was never going to work out, and we both know it.”

Bens curled up on the couch while I go over the accounts of me and my sisters latest flip. The kitchen and bathrooms are complete, and for me, that means we’re golden. Those are the two most significant expenses. But, there is always a, but…. Abbey wants to tile the entire Laundry. Thankfully we can keep the plumbing as is, and that saves us both time and money. Tiling, though, will take forever because, like everything else, Abbey prefers we do the tiling ourselves.

When we first started, I didn’t mind, but now that I have The Bar is getting more challenging to find the time to get out to the house.

“Yes!” We’re under budget, but I can’t count all my chickens before they hatch yet. I’m sure something will crop up down the line. It usually does.

I miss my family. I should have gone to Sunday dinner, but I just couldn’t bring myself to go and yet if I went, I wouldn’t be missing them at all.

Oddly, I’m surprised Dax hasn’t made his usual appearance which could only mean one thing, he told Sally, and he’s with her now. That makes me smile; they both deserve happiness.

My phone rings. I knew she would call at some point.

“Hi, Mum!”

“Hi Sweetheart, how are you?”

“Great, and you?” I ask, closing the lid down on my laptop.

“Just fine dear, simply fine. Now a little bird told me you went on a date this morning. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Mum.” I moan, “It was just a coffee date. Who is your little bird?” I sound irritated even to my own ears. I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. I’m glad she decided to call rather than drive over here, not that she could. I did cancel at the last minute.

“Listen, honey; I just want to make sure you are alright. Tell me about this guy” she sounds excited. She probably thought her daughter was going to become a spinster with 50 cats. I almost snort. She probably still does. And this is why I skipped Sunday dinner.

“First of all, who told you about Lucas?” I’m starting to lose my patience; who am I kidding? I already know who told Mum. The only person who knew about my coffee date is Stace. Next time I see her, we’re going to have words, a lot of words.  

“Stacie told me she’s extremely excited for you, talking about how cute he is and how much of a gentleman he was, but looks aren’t everything, honey. So, tell me!” she demands.

“Well, there isn’t much to say….” I hedge

“Oh, come on, what does he do?” she says impatiently

“Well, he runs a company with his brothers. Investments mostly.”

“Oh? What does that entail.”

“I don’t know, Mum.” Jesus, I sound like an insolent teenager. “They buy businesses and help them thrive or break them apart.”  

“Wow, that doesn’t sound like fun.”

“He didn’t seem to enjoy it. He likes art.”

“Does he know about your money?” her voice goes an octave higher, probably thinking he is some lurid con artist trying to extort me.

“No. I didn’t tell the guy, my bottom-line mother. Jesus! It was just coffee.”

“I just want you to be careful, dear.”

“I know, and I love you for it.”

“Good. Now, why don’t you invite Luke and his family over for dinner next week.”

“Well, um, Luke’s parents died a long time ago, and his brothers are currently in Dubai….” I trail off. I don’t want to tell her I turned him down.

She gasps, “Oh, those poor boys.”

“I know” I rest my head on the table, feeling even more terrible for practically dumping him.

After a short silence, she asks, “When will you see him again?” she sounds hopeful. Shit. I hate disappointing her.

“I’m not.” I sigh. I launch into my reasons for not dating for the hundredth time and finally end with, “What’s the point of starting something when I’m not interested, you know? Besides, he says his family mixes with high society, and you know that I’m not interested in that kind of thing.”

“Oh honey,” she says sadly

“We just didn’t connect.” I lie.

Oh, Mum, there was a connection. He has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen and a smile that just lights me up within; he’s intelligent, has a great sense of humour and adores Benny. Oh, and did I forget to mention a gentleman! He walked me home, practically to my front door. I wish I could tell her all of those things.

I almost succumbed to calling him to tell him I changed my mind. But after doing a g****e search on Mr Billionaire, we run in different social circles. No, we run in entirely different circles, period. We don’t even run in the same hemisphere.

Plus, it didn’t help that there was image after image of him with a different girl on his arm at every single social event he has ever attended. I mean, the guy seems to have an endless supply of women, so why on earth would he be remotely interested in me?

“See you Sunday?” I ask, knowing it’s a given.

“Of course!”

I quickly say goodbye before she can ask me anything or give me her unsolicited advice. Mum means well, but she’s a fixer. Rather than listening to what you want or need, she will just fix what she thinks is the problem, and right now, Luke not taking me on another date seems to be a problem for her. I lean against the counter and rub my forehead.

Shake it off! I reprimand myself. I did the right thing. For sure, I would have ended up on the internet and some newspaper or colourful magazine. I can’t afford to be on any platform. I never want Dean to find me, ever!

Lucas Craven will do just fine without me. He is a very eligible bachelor, after all. I’m sure Luke will find someone else to engage him and his so limited time. He certainly doesn’t have any trouble in that department.