Page 16 of Lucas & Melissa Falling in Love
“Very likable. About that drink?” I took his hand and we sliced through the crowd in the direction of the bar.
Within minutes of getting drinks—he stuck to champagne and I tried another candy cane martini in spite of his raised eyebrows—we were drawn into singing Christmas carols at the piano. Lucas had a remarkable voice and George’s sister wouldn’t let him go from her side.
I pulled away when I heard my girlfriends arrived. Angela’s distinct movie star laugh cut through a gap in the crowd noise. When I looked up and saw her with Betsy and heading our way, something like panic made me move. With a squeeze of Lucas’s shoulder, I left him sitting at the piano with Louise and went to head trouble off at the pass. Betsy and Angela were an unlikely pair, inseparable best friends like Satan and a saint. I loved them, but I felt compelled to protect Lucas from them.
“Where is he?” Angela said as she leaned down to give me her greeting hug and kiss. I knew she left a smudge of lipstick on my cheek. She always did.
“We’re so excited to see him in the flesh,” Betsy flashed a glance around before giving me a real hug, warm and cuddly. Then she wiped Louise’s smudge of lipstick off my cheek. Like she always did.
“Wait—what?” My mind bent. “How did—“Margo.
“Don’t play coy. You can’t hide him all night,” Angela said.
“Margo texted us a picture.” Betsy held up her phone as evidence and I felt myself go hot with panic and hoped my face wasn’t as pink as it felt. These two would never let me live it down if they ever saw me blush. I took the phone from her hand and studied the picture. The intimate pose and obvious chemistry between us stunned me. And made me hot in a different, much more important way. I was grateful the rush of blood left my face, and I squeezed my legs together to hold onto that pulse as desire pooled.
“So give the details. Who is he? How did you meet?” Betsy bordered on Margo-like hysteria.
“I confess. We only met tonight. It was one of those instant combustion things.” I stopped short of confessing that we met in his car because he was my Uber driver. I didn’t want them worrying that I’d lost my mind. Wasn’t ready to tell them that I’d lost a lot more than that, like everything.
Lucas would disagree, though, wouldn’t he? He’d said I had more than I’d lost. I wanted to think about that, wanted to remember what I had, count my blessings as my mother would have said, but Angela was busy looking past me and pushing me toward the piano where Louise and Lucas were belting out another Christmas tune.
“This is new for you, Lissy. I’m proud of you,” Angela said. She eyed Lucas like a fine arts appraiser assessing a Michelangelo sculpture.
I had no idea what to say to that. I was beyond words, carried away, feeling like a lit match headed for a lake filled with gasoline, there was no way to stop myself from moving toward him, no way to prevent that combustible feeling. No way I wanted to.
He was singing, strong and deep and I vaguely wondered if he were a music student as I came up behind him, leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him, nuzzling him, kissing him, as if we were home alone and he was all mine. Laughing as he wrapped up the song, he put a hand over mine on his chest where I felt his heart beat harder. People around us hooted and whistled. Angela was one of them. I knew her whistle was for me, not the song.
“Meet my friends and fellow trouble-makers, Angela and Betsy.”
He rose and gave them his full attention which they returned with impressed smiles. I could tell even Angela was a little smitten and it was strictly against her code to be anything but bored and judgmental to new people. Betsy pumped his hand between two of hers, but Lucas was not a handshake kind of guy.
“You have no idea how happy I am to meet Melissa’s friends.” He took Betsy in a mini hug and kissed her cheek and then turned to Angela. She gave him a single eyebrow raise, daring him. After only half a beat, his smile widened and he did what he does. The surprising thing was that Angela let him without a fuss.
“You are the charming one. For real,” she said once he stepped back and his arm found its way back around my waist, his large warm hand at home on my hip. I felt branded there, but it was a happy feeling. The giddy smile returned. I knew this by the way Angela and Betsy looked at me, part curious and part impressed. I didn’t feel silly.
“So you’re the one—“ It was all Angela got out though it was enough to cause a stutter in my bubbling pleasure.
Louise interrupted, taking hold of Lucas’s arm and yanking.
“Come on, join me in our traditional rendition of Jingle Bell Rock. The night won’t be complete without it.”
He looked at me, but I couldn’t give permission. That didn’t stop Angela and Betsy from encouraging him.
“It’s my favorite Lucas, honey,” Louise insisted. “Last song.”
He rolled his shoulder in too graceful a movement to be called a shrug and gave me a quick hot kiss.
I nodded okay at the apology in his eyes while my lady parts wept with disappointment. I might need to visit the lady’s room for a quickie and would have if Betsy hadn’t put an arm around me. Lucas sat in his place on the piano bench and Louise started pounding the keys again.
Betsy led us away. She always had a way of consoling. I don’t know why I didn’t like giving into it.
Pride had stopped me.
I looked at her, adorable, glowing and too savvy to be sweet, but still warm and wise, she winked at me and squeezed. I’d always been her foil. Calculating and wise. Some would say cold. Hell, some did say cold. Not Betsy.Not Lucas.
They saw through to that underbelly of mine that I tried so hard to protect. From what, I wasn’t sure, though my old shrink had some theories. Never mind. With a shrug, I accepted the champagne-filled baccarat Angela handed me from a waiter and clinked glasses with her and Betsy.
“You are so far gone.” Angela laughed at me, tickled. She hooked her arm through mine and turned us in the direction of the bar.
