Turn Over(55)
“Get it. I understand.” Luke rose from the table to refill his mug.
“It will be quick. I promise.” I held up a finger. I’d much rather be spending my morning with him than dealing with all of these bullshit calls.
“Don’t worry about me. I have plays to study. I’ll head to that game room if I can find it again.” He winked and leaned over to kiss my cheek before walking out.
“Hey, Helena,” I answered.
“Girl, I heard you were sick. What am I going to catch? I do not want a cold. Or a sore throat. I spent the entire day with you yesterday and you seemed fine.”
I giggled. “Do you think you could catch Luke Canton?”
“I knew it!”
“No you didn’t. No one knows he’s here.”
“Ok, I didn’t, but I like it. Congrats on the nominations by the way.”
I filled my cup with coffee. “Thanks. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. I’m kind of distracted.”
“Yeah, I can see how that would happen with Mr. Sex Machine in the house.”
I almost spit out my first sip. “Helena!”
“Sexy Pants? Sex Master? I don’t know what pet name you gave him.”
“None of those.”
I sat at the table and looked out at the pool. The water was still and blue. I had thought about adding a fountain at one end, but I hadn’t started the planning yet.
“Well, I’m supposed to call you and start talking about the red carpet, and of course what you’re going to wear to perform, but we can do that when you’re alone.”
“Thanks. Couture isn’t on today’s agenda. But I am excited to talk about it.”
“Are you going to take him with you?”
“What?” I had lost focus on the pool.
“Luke? Is he going to be your plus one?”
I hadn’t thought about a date. “I-I can’t do that.”
“Don’t let Jake ruin this. It’s the biggest night of your career. You should take who you want. Take him. But please let me dress him to match you.”
I was living in bliss. I woke up in the middle of a dream. And now reality was smacking me back in place.
“It’s too much trouble. The fall out isn’t worth it.”
“Ugh. You should take him. He would be an amazing accessory. At least listen to that from your stylist. But I’ll let you go so you two can hang out. I’m excited for you, Lex. On everything. You deserve this. And you deserve him too if he’s what you want.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, ending the call. I decided I needed to unplug for a while. I turned the phone off.
I heard Luke’s footsteps behind me.
“I need your Wi-Fi password.”
“Oh. Yeah. Could we talk for just a second before you go back there?”
“What’s up?”
I was just going to do it. I was going to make all these dreams come true. I’d take Helena’s advice. She was right. I deserved it. I deserved Luke.
“Would you be my date for the CYAs?” I blurted it out before I could talk myself out of it.
Luke stared at me. “Are you fucking with me?”
“No.” I walked toward him. “I want you to be there with me. If you want to.” I looked into his dark eyes.
“Do I have to wear a tux?” He cracked a smile.
I twisted my lips. “Helena could probably find a tux that’s more your style. Does that mean you’ll go? Would you want to?”
His palm landed on my bottom. “See my girl kick everyone’s ass? Hell yeah I’ll go.”
I grinned so hard it hurt. “Oh my God. This is happening.”
He tipped my chin up. “I’ll be there.”
“It’s six weeks away, so I just need this time to convince Jake. Ok?”
I saw his playful look turn to a scowl. He hated Jake’s name. “You realize a lot can change in that amount of time?”
“W-what?” My eyes darted frantically.
Did he not think we could survive the weeks? Because what I felt was the kind of emotion that moved mountains. It was what songs were written from. It inspired epic movies. What connected Luke and me was crushing and suffocating and everything I’d always wanted.
His fingers tickled my belly. “This is what I’m talking about. You could be pregnant.”
“Oh,” I whispered. The relief was replaced with new alarm. Holy shit. I couldn’t go to the CYAs knocked up.
“Do you think you are?” There was something hopeful and sweet in his eyes. Jake had pegged him all wrong.
“I don’t know. It’s too soon to take a test or anything like that.”
“When can you?”
I swallowed. We were talking about this. Actually talking about taking a pregnancy test while we were standing in my kitchen on the day the CYA list came out.