What did I expect, that he’d be waiting for me at seven thirty with a cinnamon latte, watching me sleep?
Um, I’d kind of hoped that.
But that’s not Keith.
However, I do know for sure that he’ll be here in thirty minutes to drive me to Vanshionista. I’ll try to gauge his mood then.
Holding on to that positive thought, I get ready for work. As I’m putting my coffee mug in the dishwasher, the doorbell rings.
Did Keith forget his keys?
I’m surprised to find Lukas standing at the door. “Hello, neighbor. I see you’re ready.”
“Hello to you too. Come in.” I open the door wide so that he can step in. “Keith isn’t home, but he should be back any minute to drive me to work.”
“Clem, I’ll be driving you.” Lukas looks at me in confusion. “Didn’t Keith tell you?” he asks while scratching his chin.
“Um…yeah. Yeah, he did.” I wave my hand in the air. “I’m so preoccupied with the upcoming fashion show, it slipped my mind.” I turn around, making sure Luke can’t see the hurt on my face. “I’ll get my things.”
Why isn’t Keith here?
Why wasn’t he in the apartment when I woke up?
All the negative voices I’ve managed to silence this morning come crashing down on me.
Lukas and I are driving in utter silence when he says, “Why are you so quiet? Missing Mere already?” He smiles, raising his perfect brow.
I have come to realize all men in Kings Security are quite perceptive at judging your mood, so there’s no point lying to him. I also can’t go to work this upset. It’ll kill my mojo and Vanessa will see right through it.
“What’s the thing you wear around your neck?” I ask, trying to distract myself. His weird pendant has always piqued the interest of the designer in me.
He grabs the chain before hiding the pendant under his shirt.
“So, the daredevil has a secret.”
“Daredevil?” He chuckles. “Is this what girls are calling me now?”
“I don’t know about girls, but that’s what Keith calls you.” Just saying his name out loud makes me feel sad, lonely, and torn. I try hard to keep the vision of last night from crawling back in my mind. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“It was my mother’s.”
“Oh.” Mere told me one night that Lukas has no real family. His parents died when he was a boy. “I’m sorry.”
* * *
The entire day in Vanshionista passes in a blur. It’s less than a week’s time before we leave for Italy. Everyone is working their butts off and living on coffee and sandwiches. It’s eight in the evening by the time Ann and I are done making a list of final alterations while models perform the last dress rehearsal.
I check my phone again and there is no message or call from Keith. There is, surprisingly, a text from Gavin stating he can drive me back to the Kings Security campus whenever I’m done with work.
I shake my phone a few times between my hands, undecided whether to say something to Keith or not. I don’t even know what he’s thinking.
Is he avoiding me, or is he just busy?
“Clem, come on. We need to finalize the accessories,” Ann calls to me and I place the phone back in my purse before following him.
After spending an hour on accessories, we finalized the shoes, which took another hour and now I’m left with no energy.
“Remind me to take a month vacation after this is over.” I sag into a chair in Ann’s office while he is spread out on a couch.