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He’s still senuinely happy to see me, and da the hesitation out of ht," I say, and I hope my smile is the appropriate balance of friendly yet distant "I didn’t see you co a drink when I say this, and his eyes widen over the top of it

" ‘Come back in’?" Luke sets his beer down in front of hi up

My er, she could always tell when I was lying or stalling for tiether until I had this little line in the center of my forehead Apparently I still do it; she says it’s my tell I wonder now if Luke has a tell, too, and if that’s what I’ He’s been so cal hiazelle play cards with a lion

"Yeah, I saw you leave with your friend And yet, here you are"

"Youlogo side up, too

It takesI’ve inadvertently cracked an enor hell is Not-Joe?

"I think we both know I’hs and I know the second he’s pulled hiic trick the way the cocky-jock-curtain parts across his face I have zero doubt Luke Sutter could char

"Youas if the pieces are finally coether for him "I just drove her ho sure she didn’t try to drive," he says "Besides, you had your wicked ith ht When could you possibly have noticed h "Luke, it’s totally fine There’s zero weirdness on this end because you knohere I stand I’ you shit"

"Come on now, Dimples" He immediately reaches into his pocket and pulls out a dollar bill, stuffing it in the jar "I was just being a friend"

Unable to resist, I tease, "Is ‘being a friend’ code for getting your dick sucked in the backseat?"

A laugh bursts from his throat "It wasn’t like that," he says, and one side of his her than the other "I proroup, open it, and replace the cap with a pour spout

"Hang out with me for a bit," he says quietly "Tell me a story"

I’m pulled up short for a breath by the sweetness of this request As uy

"In case you didn’t notice," I say,to my white shirt, apron, and the bar around us, "I’ht now"

He looks around the bar "Yeah, but it’s slow Only about half the tables are full andbeer They’d only call you over to see your legs in that skirt" He stretches on his barstool to get a better look "I knoould"

I swat at hi out with your friends?"

He shrugs "My friends are all assholes, and none of them can beat me at Titanfall"

I bite the inside ofpoint, given your sad perforrins "I think we both know ht"