Abby’s luck seemed to have only gotten worse the older she got. She was making headway before she was railroaded, once again, by Luke. She couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t burned in rage over him. It was bad enough they had grown up and gone to school together. All the hard work Abby had put in, making a name for herself, seemed to evaporate into thin air.
Sure, there had been a time when she thought he was cute and perhaps pined over him. Remembering, like it was only yesterday; entering 6th grade as the new girl, not knowing a soul. He’d been kind… for a second. All he had to do was flash his charming smile and wink and he’d win. Every. Damn. Time. And now, now he was closer to the promotion. The one she had wanted, been working towards.
This latest assignment didn’t put them against each other. No, that would have made Abby happy. No, this new project had them working together. She wanted to bang her head against the conference table. Luke caught her eyes across the table and winked. Never mind banging her head, she wanted to bang his head on the table with that smug smile of his. As the meeting wrapped up, Abby gathered her things and was one of the first ones out of the door. She made a beeline straight for her office. Sinking into her chair, she rested her head in her hands. Abby didn’t have long before Luke was taking up the doorway.
“So, I was thinking,” her head snapped up at his intrusion, “do you want to meet up after work so we can brainstorm a few ideas?”
Her blood heated at the sight of him, it was unfair that he was even more attractive. Its always the pretty ones that have shitty demeanor’s she thought to herself. Abby opened her desk drawer and pulled out a piece of dark chocolate, “you want one?” After all, she was raised with manners. He shook his head no as she unwrapped the foil. As the bitter chocolate hit her tongue, she unknowingly emitted a low hum in appreciation.
Abby’s eyes popped open when Luke inched closer to her desk. “Well?”
Inhaling deeply, “Fine. What time and where?” The sooner they started, the sooner they would be finished.
“After six?” Abby nodded in compliance. “I’ll shoot you an email with the address.” Abby nodded again and Luke was out the door.
The afternoon flew by as Abby wrapped up a few small projects. What she really wanted to do was go home, have a glass of wine, curl up on the couch and complain about Luke to her best friend. The email pinged with a new incoming message. Luke had finally sent an address. She typed it into her phone to calculate the distance; too late to go home and change.
Sighing, Abby gathered a notebook, pens, pencils and whatever else she thought they’d need for tonight. The drive over could’ve been relatively short if it weren’t for rush hour traffic. As the GPS announced her arrival, she looked up at the building. This isn’t a restaurant or bar. If this is his apartment I’ll kill him. Putting the car in park she headed towards the building’s lobby. Searching for his name she jabbed the buzzer and held onto it for good measure. The audacity this man had.
“Abby?” muffled from the speaker.
“Yes,” she snipped.
“I’m on the third floor, apartment 12,” with that, the main doors buzzed.
Abby stomped her way to the elevator and rode up to Luke’s apartment. She knocked on his door. As he answered with that smug smile she snipped, “I thought we were meeting at a restaurant or bar. Why are we at your apartment?”
The smile started to slip but turned into a smirk, “I never said anything about a restaurant. Besides, it’d be too loud to concentrate.”
Abby folded her arms over her chest. He was right, but she wasn’t going to admit it. She just assumed they’d be on neutral ground. “Well, you gonna’ come in?”
“Fine,” Abby’s eyes shifted left and right as they took in her surroundings. The apartment was clean and neat with straight lines. It was definitely a male apartment.
Luke gestured toward the couch, “make yourself comfortable. Can i get you something to drink? Water? Wine? A beer?”
“A water please.” Abby started to pull the supplies from her bag and placed them on the coffee table. She looked around once again while she waited for Luke. Abby’s feet were killing her, she slid the offending shoes off and sighed with relief.
Luke walked back in and handed Abby her water. He caught her bare feet and smirked. God, she wanted to slap it off his face. “Hope you don’t mind, I ordered a pizza. I didn’t know if you still liked ham and pineapple so I just ordered cheese.”
Caught off guard, Abby turned to him, “how did you know I liked ham and pineapple on my pizza?”
Luke shrugged, the smile gone for a brief second as he seemed to contemplate something. Just like that, the smile was back in place, “I know a lot of things. Remember in 8th grade, when the teacher made us lab partners.”
“I’d rather not,” Abby retorted.
“You were the only one I could compete with academically and we had to work together that year. How was I going to push myself to be better when I wasn’t going against you?”
Abby’s eyebrows slanted down in confusion. “Are we remembering the same thing? Everything came easy for you. Your looks, sports, grades, friends,” Abby paused and met his eyes, “girls.”
Now it was Luke’s turn to look confused. Abby continued on. “Do you know how hard i had to work and I always came in second, behind you?!” Abby rose from the couch and started to pace. “Here I am, finally gaining traction and you show up, out of nowhere might I add, and start to eclipse me.” She stopped and looked at him, “how do you do it?”
Luke was about to answer, when his door buzzer rang. “Hold that thought, I’ll be right back.” He left to go pay for the pizza.
This is stupid. Why am I even here?
By the time Luke came back she had all her things packed. “I should go.”
“What? No, stay. Besides, we didn’t get any work done. And I shouldn’t eat this whole pizza by myself.” Luke ran a hand over his abs, like the bastard had anything to worry about. Abby could eat one slice and it’d go right to her ass. She should leave but damn, if that pizza didn’t smell delicious.
Abby sighed and sat back down on the couch. Luke set the pizza down and stepped into the kitchen to grab plates. Abby yelled out, “I’ll take that wine now.”
Luke grinned. “Hope you don’t mind red,” he handed her the glass and placed plates and napkins down. He opened his beer, “well help yourself, ladies first.”
Abby opened the box and grabbed a slice, shifting and curling her feet underneath her she bit into the cheesy slice. “Mmmmm.” Talking around her food, “this is so good.”
“Abby?”
“Yeah?”
“You gotta’ stop doing that?”
“What”
“Doing things that make me wanna’ kiss you.”
Abby flushed red. Luke licked his lips and leaned closer, “every time you moan, I want to do things to you. Dirty, dirty things.”
Abby’s heart picked up in tempo. Her eyes widened at Luke’s admission.
littleoleme2016 