Page 74 of The Game Changer
“Fine, be all responsible and stuff,” she huffs.
Just then, there’s a knock on the door, and Juni’s eyes light up. “He’s here. Quick, let me see your teeth.”
After checking that I don't have any lipstick on them, and my breath is fresh and minty, I hurry to the door and open it.
Luca’s standing in the doorway, wearing similar clothes to what I see him in at the office: charcoal slacks and a light grey shirt. But the top two buttons are open, baring a bit more skin, and his demeanor is less professional, more relaxed, and entirely too sexy.
He steps forward, cupping my chin and kissing me sweetly. “Hey, wonder woman, you look gorgeous.”
“Thanks,” I whisper, stepping back so he can come inside.
“Hey Juniper, how are you?” he greets my friend warmly.
“Good, thanks. You two have big plans for tonight?”
Luca turns to me with a soft smile. “Sort of, but they’re a surprise for Isla.”
“Hi boss man!” Charlie comes barreling in, stopping just short of the couch. “Hey Mom, Miles wants to know if I can go to the movies with him and some guys from the team tomorrow afternoon.”
“I’m sure that’ll be fine, let’s talk about it more in themorning.”
“Okay. Have fun tonight. Bye Mom, bye Luca.” He turns and leaves as quickly as he came in.
“Love you,” I call out, earning a muffled “love you” in return before his bedroom door closes.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he gets off the video games and out here to play Monopoly with me soon.” Juni starts ushering us toward the door. “You kids go and have fun.”
“You’ll want a warm coat, maybe some gloves.” Luca stops me when I go to get my lighter jacket. I look at him questioningly, but he just shrugs. “Surprise, remember? But warmth is important.”
I move to pull down my winter coat, grabbing a pair of faux suede gloves as well. Glancing down at the booties I spent way too long hunting for, I ask Luca, “Are my shoes okay or do I need snow boots?”
He chuckles and says, “Those will be fine.”
Once we’re in his car, driving toward the highway that leads out of town instead of toward the waterfront like I expected, I break down and ask, “Okay, where are we going?”
Lifting one hand from the steering wheel, Luca rests it on my leg. “Don’t you like surprises?”
“Not really,” I reply honestly.
“Okay, I’ll tell you part of it. But can you trust me enough to let me keep some of it a surprise?”
I relax back into the heated seat. “Fine.” I don’t really want to ruin whatever he has planned, but I truly don’t like not knowing what to expect.
“We’re heading up the mountain for dinner. That’s why you needed a warm coat. We’ll be inside to eat, but Ithought we could check out the stars while we’re up there. There’s meant to be a meteor shower later.”
“Oh,” I say softly, absolutely enchanted by the idea. “That sounds incredible.”
He flashes me a quick grin and squeezes my leg. “Good. I’m glad. There’s more, but I’m holding onto the details for later. Is that okay?”
“Yes.” I cover his hand with my own and settle back. It’s more than okay, it’s perfect. The lodge up at the top of the small ski hill just outside of town has a restaurant I’ve wanted to go to but haven’t yet. From what I hear, it’s small, intimate, and romantic. I should’ve known Luca would think of something that is both public and private. We aren’t hiding anything, but he’s easing me into this by having our first date somewhere that’s not too crowded.
Not much later, we pull into the parking lot up on the mountain. With it being early February, there’s still plenty of snow up here. The ground is a dirty white, and I don’t argue when Luca tells me to wait for him.
He opens my door, helping me out and immediately into my coat, which I do up with a shiver. “It’s so much colder up here,” I say, stating the obvious.
“I’ve got a blanket in the back for stargazing later, and we’ll take some hot chocolate or tea out with us. And if it’s too cold, we can skip that part.”
I lean into his side. “Luca. I’ll be fine, your date night planning skills are top-notch.”
