The Fluke

23 - Jules

Luke rests his hand gently on my knee and I immediately realize I had been nervously jiggling it so hard that the table was shaking. I shoot him a freaked out look with wide eyes that makes him laugh.

"Take a deep breathe, gorgeous," he soothes with a squeeze to my knee.

I do as he says and release a shaky breath.

We're seated on the outdoor patio at JC's Cafe waiting for Spencer to arrive. The tables and chairs are bistro style, wrought iron in a rusty brown, and each set is paired with a large yellow umbrella.

Now that Luke has put a stop to my jiggling knee, all my nervous energy must be redirected to my brain because I start to panic.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

Before I finish the sentence, Luke is already shaking his head with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Well, let's talk this through," he says. "Do you want to put an end to us?"

I shake my head no.

"Then there's your answer."

"It's not an answer to the problem. I'm still not sure this is a good idea." I wring my hands together in my lap for a moment before Luke reaches over and takes one of mine in his. "What if he gets so mad and doesn't approve and then we have to end it anyway?"

"Do you always make your life choices based on what Spencer will or won't approve of?" His question is firm, but his delivery is gentle.

"No, of course not. But you're one of his best friends. I'm his sister. You have a history with Tessa. A recent history, I might add."

Luke's eyes close briefly at my last comment and then he nods his head. "I understand, and those are all valid points. But the only thing that really matters here is what you want, and what I want. I know what I want. I think you want the same thing. The rest will work itself out, I really believe that. Give your brother a chance to hear us out."

His eyes are pleading, and the slow, smooth caress of his thumb over the back of my hand is soothing and reassuring. How does he manage to do that already?

My back is to the sidewalk entrance so I don't see Spencer arrive, but I know he has because Luke lets go of my hand and sits back, his eyes focused behind me.

Spencer arrives at the table and sits down, his eyes are shielded by his sunglasses and I can't read any discernible expression on his face.

"I'm so hungover, you guys," Spencer says in greeting, not acknowledging the fact it may be odd that Luke is here. "I probably shouldn't have even driven myself here but you made it sound important, all cryptic like."

Luke and I exchange a look which goes unnoticed by Spencer because he's busy waving over the server.

"I'll have a Bloody Mary. A strong one. Like a triple, please."

The server's eyebrows raise and she smirks, jotting down his order and asking us if we want anything. We both ask for ice water and she heads to the next table.

Spencer takes his sunglasses off and slips them into the neck of shirt.

"Okay, I'm here. I mission impossibled myself out of the house just like you asked. What's the big, secret emergency?"

I swallow hard, blink, and then unable to help myself, I look at Luke. He's looking back at me with a look of encouragement that makes the butterflies in my stomach rage all that much harder.

When I look back to Spencer, his eyes are locked on Luke. They flit down and over, back and forth between us. Only then do I realize how close Luke and I are still sitting. Intimately close. We had been sitting facing each other before Spencer arrived, my knees seated between Luke's.