Page 26 of Count Down
“It was fun.” Luca unwraps the bar and takes a bite.
“Will you let me take you out to dinner? As a thank you?”
“Is that not what this is?” Luca raises the remaining half of his protein bar.
“I can take you out to dinner tonight if you’re free,” I push through, trying to keep the nerves fluttering in my stomach from showing. It’s like I’m asking him on a date.
“I can be free tonight.” Luca finishes his bar. “How about I take the truck back, get cleaned up, and then come back here in a couple of hours?”
“That sounds great.”
I walk Luca down the hall and to the door of my apartment. I step outside into the stairwell with him to say goodbye. Lexi’s in the kitchen and I don’t want her watching us right now.
Luca kisses me goodbye. In that kiss he’s telling me that he’ll be back. Relief washes over me, knowing that I haven’t spooked him off. I watch him as he jogs down the steps and back outside.
When I walk back into the apartment, Lexi is standing in the kitchen. She’s no longer unpacking, instead standing with her arms folded and an eyebrow raised.
“Details!” She demands.
23
LUCA
I’meager to see Gina again in a few hours. She seems happier in her new place and out on her own. I’m looking forward to seeing what she does when she’s not under her father’s thumb, too. Though I’m not quite sure how that’s going to play out yet.
I get in the truck and drive down to the corner. I turn down a side street and then find another parking spot. I saw someone watching us while we were moving Gina’s stuff into her apartment. I need to find out if they were watching me or if they were watching her.
Standing outside the truck, I watch to see if anyone follows me down the side street. I don’t see anyone pass by or turn down the street, so I start walking back toward Gina’s.
I peer around the corner back onto her street. The same guy I saw before is standing right across from Gina’s living room window. He’s about 5’7”, mid-thirties with short brown hair and wearing tan slacks with a blue polo shirt tucked in. He’s trying to act like he’s hanging out by a car, but he shoots the occasional glance up to Gina’s window and her building’s front door.
I come out from behind the corner and sprint across the street toward him. As soon as I start running for him, he glances at me and then runs the other direction, confirming that he was up to something. If he was really just hanging around, he would have at least been confused by someone running toward him. But he was ready to run.
He runs down the sidewalk and gets into a maroon Chevy Malibu. He quickly pulls out of the parking space and speeds down the street just before I can get to him. Damnit. I was hoping I could grab him and pound some information out of him.
He wasn’t Russian, I know that for sure. He looked like a private investigator. And I know the Russians would never hire one. But I think I know someone who would want to have Gina followed.
I glance up at her window and I’m relieved to see it’s empty. I’d rather not have to explain what I was just doing.
I drop the moving truck off and then head home. I grab a quick snack and then get in the shower to clean up for my dinner with Gina.
24
GINA
I don’t knowwhat to tell Lexi, so I just grin and shrug.
“What is going on between you two?” She insists.
“Well,” I’m not sure what exactly is going on between us. We haven’t really talked about that. “We’re hanging out.”
“And are you doing anything when you hang out?”
I wouldn’t talk about this with anyone except Lexi. She’s more experienced than I am. Well, most people are since I’ve only ever been with Archie. Lexi has dated several guys. And she’s not afraid to share the details with me.
“Well, we did today.” I can feel myself blushing uncontrollably.
“Oh my god. Did you fuck?”