Page 27 of Third Time Lucky

ASHER

Mitzi looks absolutely lovely this evening.

But Lucy is breathtaking – literally. From her short V-neck lace spaghetti-strap dress that ties in the back to the white Converse shoes on her feet, ready for dancing, her makeup is soft, and her hair is down, wavy and tucked behind one ear; she is gorgeous.

Truthfully, it’s making me a little nervous, considering she’s undoubtedly the prettiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

But I’m choosing to focus on the intoxicating feeling that consumes me when she’s close – like a raging wildfire, burning through my chest and leaving me gasping for air. I can’t get enough. I don’t want to resist her alluring pull, even with the uncertainty it brings.

She’s at the bar with Madi but turns to glance my way. Once our eyes meet, a small, knowing smile plays on her lips as if she can sense the internal turmoil I’m grappling with.

‘I’m going to go check on the girls,’ Mitzi says, excusing herself from Aaron and my presence.

Aaron’s voice breaks through my thoughts, jolting me out of my trance. ‘You gonna bring grandma on all your dates with her?’

‘Probably not.’

He laughs, raising an eyebrow.

‘Seriously, Aaron,’ I urge him, grabbing his arm to ensure he’s listening. ‘In the last hour, something has clicked for me.’

He looks at me curiously.

‘I don’t care what happened in our past, all I know is that I am really into Lucy. So, she’ll probably meet someone better in mere months. That’s how my life seems to go. But, until then, I think I want to know where this goes.’

‘Or, maybe you’re the someone better. I’ve met one of her exes; you’re definitely more of a man than that guy.’

I suck in a breath, wanting to be hopeful, but my heart is holding back. ‘That scares the hell out of me too.’

‘So you are afraid of her?’ he remarks. ‘I thought you were afraid of nothing – remember the time you yelled that at me?’

‘We were in the Shanghai tunnels with a tour guide who’d wandered off and left us in a room that felt like it was breathing down my neck. Either I said I wasn’t scared out loud, or I ran out of there like a fucking girl.’

He laughs – exactly like he did that night. Never again will I go on a haunted tour. I walked in a skeptic and walked out feeling like I’d been touched by the other side and desperately needed a shower.

‘So, basically, you’re scared of each other?

’ He shakes his head. ‘You two make shit complicated. Look at her,’ he says, motioning her way.

‘She’s like five-two or five-three and weighs maybe a buck twenty.

The girl’s fine as fuck, pretty as hell, rich to boot, and laughs at all your lame jokes. Seems pretty harmless to me.’

‘ She’s harmless,’ I reply with a sigh, wondering how someone can suddenly be afraid of their feelings. ‘But she has this affect on me that I just don’t understand – and there is no translation book.’

‘Your heart needs subtitles?’

‘Around her, yes.’

‘That’s weird, man.’

I shoot him a glare. ‘Better than my heart needing an STD test…’

He rolls his eyes.

‘By the way, before you drink yourself into oblivion this evening, we’ve got a delivery at the restaurant tomorrow and I expect you there before ten.’

‘Shit, I didn’t know my boss was coming tonight.’

I glare.

‘That sucks. But you know I’ll be there.’

‘Good.’

‘We off the clock yet?’ he asks.

‘Sure.’

‘Man, my boss,’ he says leaning into me. ‘Guys a fucking slave driver.’

I wanna smack him, but out of the corner of my eye, I see Lucy move, and she’s all that exists. She glides effortlessly through the crowd, drawing people in with her infectious energy and radiant smile. I gravitate toward her, unable to resist her magnetic pull on me.

‘Hey there,’ she greets me warmly, bouncing with the beat in our heads, her eyes sparkling with mischief. ‘Got you a refill.’ She hands me a new drink.

‘Thanks, I was parched,’ I lie, sipping the fruity beverage through the straw. I remember why I drink whisky – these cocktails are dangerous.

‘Do you think they’ll crown a queen and king, like prom?’ she asks as we hang out against the cool brick wall, watching dozens of strangers and our friends dance the night away.

‘That would be a fun incentive for this place. Who will earn the title of Lord of the Dance? Definitely not me.’

We both laugh.

‘I am glad you were crowned queen back then. You deserved it.’

‘It was a pity win,’ she says, a twinge of disappointment in her tone.

Her and this pity bullshit.

‘Nah.’

She chuckles. ‘I’d believe you, but they crowned you the honorary king in Kris’ memory. Pity wins for both of us.’

It was weird, but at the same time, I felt him there. I could see the guy wearing the crown.

‘You were a beautiful prom queen and a gorgeous bride, Luce. You deserve to wear a crown everywhere you go.’

Her cheeks are pink as she bites her bottom lip. ‘You sure know how to flatter a girl.’ The announcement of the bar closing fills our headphones when the song ends, filling me with dread.

‘Ohhhhh…’ Lucy moans with a frown, her brows furrowing in disappointment. ‘It’s over!?’

Exactly what I was thinking.

‘Afraid so,’ I say, gently releasing her even though I’d rather not. I pull off my headphones, taking hers as she hands them to me.

‘Here you go, sweetheart,’ Mitzi says, now standing nearby, handing her headphones to me.

But my gaze is on Lucy as she runs her fingers through her hair, tousling it into perfection as the twinkle lights dim, and the moon casts a soft glow over her.

‘I’ll be right back. Don’t you ladies disappear on me,’ I tease, turning to approach the bar to pay tabs and turn in headphones. Something changed tonight in the best way possible, and not just for me, that much I know. I’m ready to charge onto that minefield without armor. For her.