Chasing Forever(62)

He wanted Regan more than anything. After tonight, he could concentrate on his future, and he hoped it included her. He may have to see Olivia at a few family events in the future, but that didn’t mean he had to acknowledge her.

Grabbing his keys off the console table, he left to pick up Olivia.

“Hey, Liv,” he said, walking into her apartment. Looking around, he realized everything about the place suited her personality, cold but beautiful. She’d decorated her living room with a white leather sofa, low and sleek, with two royal blue velvet club chairs, and a chrome and glass coffee table. The walls were white, and the hardwood floors were nearly black.

“Lucas.” She smiled, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, her spicy peach scent engulfing him. A kiss on the cheek had been their standard ritual for the past five years, but now it seemed too intimate and personal. “I can’t believe you missed my birthday last week.”

Not wanting to spend time in her apartment, he stepped back into the hall. “We need to go if we want to make our reservations.”

“I called and moved them back an hour,” she said, smiling. “We haven’t spent any time together lately.” She pointed to a bottle of champagne and two glasses on the coffee table. “I thought we’d have a drink before dinner and talk a little.”

There was something he didn’t trust about her smile. He knew her well enough to know she had an agenda tonight, and that made him very uneasy because he had an agenda too and he didn’t think they were similar.

He stuffed his hand into his pockets, refusing to step over her threshold again because something told him to keep his distance. He forced out a laugh. “Liv, you know I hate champagne.”

“You do?” Her eyes narrowed. “Since when?”

Suddenly exhausted with the whole night, Lucas ran his hands through his hair. “Look, Liv, I have to get up early. I’m slammed at work so tonight’s not the night for this. I planned to go to dinner. That’s it. I’m sorry if you had something else in mind.”

“But this is my birthday dinner,” she protested.

He should’ve told her to forget the whole thing, but he knew he needed to address their relationship tonight. He owed it to Regan. “Let’s go to the restaurant and see if they have a table. If not, we’ll have a drink at the bar and some appetizers.”

“Are you mad about something?” she asked, grabbing her purse off the kitchen counter. “You’ve been distant lately.

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

“We’ll talk about it at dinner.”



***



Lucas opened the door to the restaurant down the street from his apartment. He’d never eaten here before. He picked it because it was close to his house, and he would be home quickly after dinner. He had originally planned to meet Olivia here, but she called that afternoon asking him to pick her up. He should have known she was up to something, but he didn’t argue with her because he was afraid Regan would walk into his office, and then she’d know about their dinner plans and think the worst.

As he approached the hostess stand, Olivia threaded her arm through his. Was she always like that and he failed to notice until now? This night couldn’t end soon enough for him. Maybe he’d call Regan when he finished dinner and they could meet up. She worked on Thursday nights, but he didn’t mind waiting for her to finish.

“Do you have a reservation?” the hostess asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“Yes. It’s under Evanston. We’re early.”

“You’re in luck. We had a cancellation. Follow me.”

The hostess sat them at a small two-top in the corner of the restaurant. It was a little too close to the kitchen for his taste, but he refused to prolong the evening by asking for a different table.

“Your server will be with you shortly,” the hostess said as she placed menus on the table.

Lucas opened his menu. He needed to have a serious talk about their friendship, but he didn’t know where to start.

“Fourth of July is right around the corner,” Olivia said, placing her hand on top of his.

He looked up, smiled, and put his hand in his lap. “It is.”

“I thought we could drive to your parent’s house together. It’d be nice to have a couple hours alone before all the chaos of the holiday starts.”

Frowning, he leaned back in his chair. Fuck. He had completely forgotten about the weekend at his parents’ house with Olivia’s family. “I don’t think I’m going this year.”

“What do you mean? You’ve never missed it before. Well, not since the summer after we graduated from college.” She lowered her eyes as she fidgeted with the napkin in her lap. “Are you mad at me? Did I do something? Because you’ve been distant all evening.”