Page 43 of Secrets Bared
Maggie just shook her head.
The Friday night crowd was mostly teens and families. As usual, Maggie and Katya were hopping from table to table most of the evening, while Luke cooked up a storm.
She stole glances at him every chance she got. A couple times he caught her, winking as she blushed. Maggie hadn’t been able to get that breakfast out of her mind, or the way his gentle kiss had made her skin catch fire.
And the way he’d rushed in to save the kid in the bathroom… He was a hero.
After all, not all LEOs were like her husband.
Towards the end of the night, she finally caught a break. Katya had gone home to put her kids to bed, and there were only a few stragglers left sipping milkshakes and eating pie. Maggie ducked into the kitchen before she could lose her nerve.
Luke leaned against the stainless-steel prep table, chugging water. “Hey. Almost done.” He gave her a tired smile, which she returned.
Come on, Maggie. You can do this. He might not be in town long, so go for it!
She stepped next to him, looking up at his flushed face. At least she could blame her sweat on the heat in the kitchen. “Um, Luke?”
“Yeah?” He placed his glass down on the table. “Everything okay?”
“I was just… wondering…” Maggie averted her eyes and put her hands in her apron pocket and started clicking her pen. “Is that invitation for dinner still … open?”
“Seriously?”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m sorry, I understand if you changed your mind—”
“How’s tomorrow?”
Maggie opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Then she looked back up at him to see a wide smile stretching his face. “Tomorrow works for me.”
“Let me give you my number. Is six okay?”
“That’s perfect.” Maggie was off tomorrow, though she had social media posts to schedule for Grace, and a couple other online clients she’d taken on.
“Do you have any food restrictions?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll eat pretty much anything.”
“There’s not much around here, but there’s a steak house towards State College, if that sounds good.”
“That sounds great.” He programmed his number into her phone and texted himself. Then jumped when he saw the time.
“I better get started on the clean-up. Kitchen’s closed.”
“I’ve just got a couple of tables to cash out.” She returned to the dining room in a daze. Holy shit. She was actually doing this. She was going on a date!
What the hell would she wear?
Whenshegotbackto the Haven that night, Maggie messaged Grace. It was late, but Saturdays her employee, Bobby, opened for her so Maggie took the chance she was still awake.
Maggie: I need help!
Grace: What’s wrong?
Maggie: I have a date tomorrow and nothing to wear!
Grace: Do you know where you’re going?
Maggie: He mentioned a steakhouse near State College?
