I shook my head in disbelief but refrained from replying because I knew it wouldn’t do any good. I knew I wasn’t worthy of the love Scott could give someone and I could live with that, as long as I had his friendship.
8 | Scott
“So, what do you do, Scott?” Mrs.Sparks or Mama D—as she’d told me to call her—asked.
“I work as a Project Manager in a marketing firm. I started the firm with my best friend two years ago, but I quickly realized the administrative work wasn’t for me.”
Mama D smiled at me warmly as she said, “I’m glad you found what’s right for you. It’s important to love your work, I think, or you end up just going through the motions.”
“Yeah. You love running the NGO and the magazine, don’t you?”
If it were possible, her smile brightened even more at the mention of her work, “Oh yes. They’re my babies. I love helping the kids get back on their feet and to be there for them when they need it.”
I smiled at the love that was clear in her voice as she talked about her adopted kids. “That’s how you met Luke, right? Through your NGO?”
She nodded as a worried frown replaced her smile. “Is he doing okay? I don’t think he’d tell me even if he was struggling. He’s a stubborn boy.”
“That he is,” I agreed with a smile before continuing, “and he’s doing okay, all things considered. We spent the day reading together and I think that helped him get back to himself.”
“He does love reading. When I first asked him why he loved reading so much, he told me because books had been the only constant in his life for a long time.” She told me with a bittersweet smile, making my heart hurt yet again for him.
She shook her head, shaking off the smile along with it before giving me a genuine one, “I’m glad you’re getting along well. I was a bit worried when he first told me he was moving out of the share-home but I’m glad he found this place. And you.”
Before I could reply, Luke walked into the room, took one look at us and rolled his eyes. “Table’s set. You can stop talking about me now.”
“Oh no, I was just telling him the recipe of my ice cream,” Mama D said with a warm smile but the look Luke gave her told me he didn’t believe her in the slightest.
The dinner was full of cheerful talk with some well placed quips by Angie thrown into the mix and I was surprised at how easy it was to get along with them. I’d been a bit nervous at first when I’d realized that The Delilah Sparks was visiting our home, but she had this wonderful motherly aura about her that immediately made me feel comfortable around her. I could easily imagine how much the kids at Voice Out appreciated her presence. I only had to look at Luke and Angie to feel the love between the three of them and I wasn’t surprised at the slight tinge of envy I felt at the mismatched but loving family they had. But maybe I could be a part of their family too, I realized, as they pulled me into a conversation about the Pride Parade they had led through the city last week.
Mama D’s ice cream was delicious and I realized that I really did need the recipe, which Mama D promised me she’d text me later. By the time Mama D and Angie left, my stomach was full to bursting and I was looking forward to curling up in bed and sleeping.
“Let’s clean up together and then go to bed.” I told Luke who gave me a raised brow in return. “Separately,” I added with a chuckle and rolled my eyes at him as we started on the dishes.
When my cheek hit the pillow, I conked out instantly, sated from a hearty meal and the cheerful conversations.
The next month passed by with us resuming our routine of reading together before dinner and on weekends. I didn’t even realize how much time I was spending with Luke until Mike reminded me that we haven’t hung out other than at work in the three months since Luke moved in. Considering the fact that I used to be an almost permanent fixture in his apartment on the weekends, he was obviously annoyed at my sudden disappearance from his and his family’s lives. Which was how he’d managed to guilt me into going on a hiking trip with him this weekend. There was a cabin near the trails that he’d booked for us and given me the key to this morning with the threat of firing me if I didn’t show up. Honestly, I was looking forward to hanging out with him, too. The only problem was that today was Tuesday, we were leaving on Friday for the whole weekend and I still hadn’t told Luke about my impending trip yet. I was hoping to tell him today so he could make his own plans if he wanted to.
As I walked out of my last meeting before lunch, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I grinned when I realized it was Luke. I’d discovered over time that Luke preferred texting over calling, no matter the length of the conversation. I didn’t mind either way, I was just happy he wanted to talk to me outside of our time together at home.
Luke: You busy?
Me: Nope, just finishing up for lunch, why?
Luke: I’m near that park that’s close to your workplace. Wanna have lunch together there?
Me: Sure! Should I get lunch on the way?
Luke: Nah, I got it. Deli sandwich okay?
Me: Perfect. Be there in ten.
I smiled as I put my phone away, let my assistant know I was going out for lunch and took the elevator to the lobby. I wasn’t sure why I was so excited except maybe because this was the first time we were hanging out outside of our apartment and I was extremely pleased that Luke had asked me. I’d wanted to ask him to go out sometimes, but I’d hesitated because I hadn’t been sure if he’d want to do that. I’d also not asked because every time I imagined going out with him in my mind, the scene looked more like a date than two friends hanging out and I knew that was something he definitely wasn’t interested in. At least, that’s the impression I’d gotten when he’d asked me what I wanted from him all those weeks ago. Friendship was all he could do and I’d sworn to myself that I’d never push for more. Still, him asking me to have lunch with him sure made my day and I couldn’t stop myself from feeling happy about it.
I spotted Luke as soon as I stepped inside the park. He was sitting at a bench set away from the kid's area way in the back where no one else would be interested in hanging out. I probably wouldn't have spotted him if I hadn't known that he'd look for a quaint, quiet spot like that. Shaking my head, I walked over to him and grinned when his face broke into a wide smile as he spotted me.
As I walked over, I took a moment to appreciate just how the warm August sunlight brightened up his features. His gray, stormy eyes looked even lighter in the sunlight, almost colorless. His plush lips looked so pink and full that I bit my own hard enough to stop myself from thinking about them too much. His black hair was tied off into his usual bun, but a few loose strands hung around his face, framing his cheeks.
"Hey there!" I called as I got into hearing distance and he waved at me. He was wearing his usual outfit of a full-sleeved button-up with a light cardigan thrown on top and dark jeans. A bag from the local Deli sat beside him on the bench and the scent of warm fries filled my nose as I reached him.
"Hey, thanks for coming. I didn't pull you away from work, did I?"
"Nah, I was heading out for lunch anyway. How come you're on this side of town today?" I asked, since the Voice Out office was closer to our house than to my workplace.