A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 98 | "It's Not A Date!"

Eko laughed heartily with Mya, feeling completely at ease and in her element. The compliment about her moves brought a smile to her face, and she turned to face her friend, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Piece of cake," Eko replied with a grin, her voice tinged with pride.

Mya chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "I must admit, I'm still surprised you kept up with me. How did you learn all your tricks huh?"

"Well, we did train pretty hard on the moon," Eko said, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her gaze drifted momentarily, trying to keep her cover story simple. "You know, to keep her royal highness safe and all. Even though it didn't help much," she added with a smirk. "But that's what all this is for. To make a change. To put an end to Ezra."

Before Mya could probe further, Sawyer cut in with a teasing tone, "This sounds like secret squirrel business going on here," he said, leaning in to kiss Mya on the cheek. Mya's smile flickered, caught between fondness for Sawyer and irritation at the interruption.

Suddenly, Luke and Evan strode over, their presence like a gust of wind that shifted the course of conversation. Evan's curious eyes met Luke's, and before Evan could voice his question, Luke answered, "No, we're off to dinner after this."

"Great, Eko and I will join you both. It's been a long day, and we could use a few wines," Luke announced, his voice carrying a note of finality that didn't sit well with Eko. "I'm sure you need a good bubbly after training."

Eko was taken aback, her thoughts racing. No, no, no. Matthew was home; finally after all these days apart and she was not going to give them up, especially with those vultures of a fan club circling. No, no, no.

Before she could articulate her concerns, Mya, ever the planner, jumped in with enthusiasm. "We can go to the new Thai place on 5th, then Hassel's after to catch up with everyone," she suggested.

Luke, turning his gaze to Eko with a sly smile, seemed oblivious to her discomfort. "Great, we can do some drinks and dancing," he suggested, the cockiness in his tone unmistakable. Tonight was going to now present the perfect opportunity to ask her out.

Eko forced a chuckle, striving to keep her composure intact. "No, no, no, I told you no, mister."

"You've been enjoying my company, though. We've had dinner every night this week. Besides, this will get us all off base for a while. Loosen up a bit," Luke pressed, unaware of the undercurrents swirling around him.

"Eko!" Mya gasped, surprised by the revelation. She turned to her friend with wide eyes, her mind racing. Damn it, she was going to owe Richie a few thousand for this bet. Absolutely not, she thought determinedly, she was getting those Louboutin's one way or another.

"Stop it, it's not like," Eko sputtered, sticking out her tongue at Mya before turning to Luke with a scrunched-up face. "It doesn't count when someone invades your personal space in the cafeteria for dinner."

"You like me invading your personal space," Luke said, returning his attention to Eko with a wide, toothy grin. Despite the charm he exuded, he wasn't the man who made her heart skip a beat.

"Come on, let me show you how good my company can be without you being paranoid." He raised an eyebrow playfully.

Eko shook her head, determined to set boundaries. "This," she pointed between them, her expression firm, "this is not a date."

"Just friends having dinner," Sawyer interjected, giving a supportive nod to Eko as Mya nodded eagerly, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Pleeeaaaase! I haven't seen you in dayysss, pleeeaaaase!" Mya's begged.