Blue Roses(14)

She narrows her eyes at me. “You have a party feeling in your you-know-what.”

“Maybe I do.” I don’t say it, but I’m surprised Rory was able to make a vague reference to sexual desire. I wonder if she’s making progress with her phobias.

We eat quietly. It’s coming up on seven-thirty.

I can’t help myself, so I ask Rory, “Do you ever get a party feeling in your you-know-what?”

She looks up, her golden-brown eyes wide and horrified. For a moment, I think she’s going to throw up, but she doesn’t. She stands, grabs her bag, and lets herself out the door without a word.

I finish eating, brush my teeth, and fuss around with my hair.

The intercom connected to the main house buzzes. I groan, because I know exactly what’s happened. Luca ignored my directions, just like every pizza delivery guy does, and went to the main house.

I grab my purse and run out to meet him.

He’s standing on the front step, talking to my sister. They’re laughing about their shared adventure, selling out the flower shop on Wednesday.

“There’s our Teenie,” he says. “Thanks, Meenie.” He gives her a nod goodbye. She waves at me and disappears into the house.

“You clean up good,” I say, looking him up and down. He’s wearing a button-down shirt with dress slacks and stylish leather shoes. I feel underdressed in my flower-print sundress, topped in a cardigan.

“And I see you brought the flower shop with you.”

I look down, frowning at my dress.

“My best friend Rory didn’t like it, either,” I say.

“That was meant to be a compliment,” he says.

“Thank you. What movie are we going to see?”

“It’s a surprise.” He offers me his elbow in an old-fashioned sort of way.

I tuck my hand into the crook of his arm and walk with him to the street.

He steers us over to an old-fashioned-looking motorbike and hands me a helmet.

A bike. I should have known. And I’m wearing a dress.

The sun has just gone down, and the world around us is midnight blue.

I’m nervous to get on a motorbike for the first time in my life, but one look into Luca’s eyes makes me feel confident. He’s not some punk kid who’s going to drive fast to impress or terrify me. I can trust him.

He helps me fasten the helmet’s buckle under my chin, his hands enveloping mine.

He turns and throws one long, muscled leg over the bike. I climb on behind him.

My heart’s pounding.

I’m on a motorbike, with my arms wrapped around Luca Lowell. I’m about as nervous as Rory would be at a performance of the Vagina Monologues.

He starts the bike’s engine, and the night air fills with a deep rumble. The vibration between my legs is… interesting.

We’re off, riding down the street.

The skirt of my dress ruffles up in the breeze, and I’m sure everyone’s getting a great view of my panties, but I don’t even mind. I’ve got my arms around Luca’s big, strong torso, and I don’t want to ever let go.

We ride past the local movie theater. I try to ask him where he’s taking me, but he doesn’t hear me over the rumble.

Eventually, we pull off the main road and ride into another residential neighborhood. He pulls up behind a giant, white trailer and parks the bike.

My legs feel like they’re shaking when I step off the bike. The engine’s off, but I can still feel the rumbling vibration in my body.

I look around us, at the big trailers, catering truck, and filming equipment.

He said he would take me to a movie, and he did. We’re on a film set.

I pull off my helmet and run my fingers through my wavy hair.

He ruffles up his hair as well. Damn. It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. No wonder people ride bikes.

“Are we allowed to be here?” I ask, glancing over at the elaborate filming setup that’s taken over the block.

“We’re invited,” he says. “I’m renting them some bikes from my collection. They said to come by tonight and watch. We don’t have to stay long if you’re not having fun.”

“Are you kidding? This is awesome.”

He offers me his elbow again, and we walk toward the action, stepping over thick cables criss-crossing the ground.

Luca finds some people he knows, and they set us up with some folding chairs, right near the action. We watch as the crew sets up a shot, taking a hundred measurements and notes, and then a bell rings and they’re filming.

The scene is a guy picking up a girl at her house, then driving away on a motorbike that looks almost exactly like the one we rode here on.

Luca turns to me, his blue eyes looking pale grey in the artificial light. “I was really hoping for a kiss.”