How Times Change

Lucas hung up and handed the phone back to Jade. “All done- two bowls of ciopinot on the way- white wine to the door. Edgar was very gracious.”

“How much did Edgar’s graciousness cost you?” She knew he was buying to impress, and despite herself she was finding it endearing.

Luc shook his head. “I can’t say. There’s a reason why we renamed bribes ‘undisclosed amounts’ JJ.”

She grinned at that, but the name triggered something in her. As much as Lucas had changed, so had she. She’d outgrown the braces and the spiteful cheerleaders with the beach bunny bodies. She need him to see this – was very surprised at how important it was to her. “Lucas. Call me Jade.” ed

He blinked at that and the spoke. “Alright, Jade.” He said it like he was tasting a strange new food. Then he said it again. “Jade.”

Silence fell for a moment.

When Lucas spoke next it was much quieter than Jade was used to. “JJ – Jade—Last night, at Genetti’s. I didn’t mean to spook you off. It was just so damn good to see you again..”

“So you decided to calm my nerves by flying all the way out here on zero notice?” She wasn’t really upset about that anymore, but she did want to see where this was going.

“Well, no- I – well.” He stopped, obviously realizing how eloquent he wasn’t being. “No Jade. I’m out here because of exactly what I said. The big boys down at Mountain View made me an offer. I guess I’m just what they were searching for. They want to buy me out.” Jade had to admit, she was momentarily disappointed at that answer, but his next sentence stopped that cold.

“And I wanted to see you again.”

There it was. Lucas Peters, master jokester had just put all his cards on the table, and Jade wasn’t sure if she should do likewise or run. She could hear her heart in her ears. A giant ball of confusion was bouncing around her mind.

“Lucas, I – I don’t know what to say.” It was as close to the truth as she dared to let herself come. Two years of beating herself up over letting Aaron walk away- Stop it JJ, you didn’t let him, he just left- were suddenly swimming up behind her thoughts. That and Lucas, this Lucas, so different from anything she’d expected. “I’m..”

He raised a palm, stopping her. “Then don’t say anything. At least not yet.” His eyes were intense, almost beaming their own green light. “Just eat some stew with me- harmless, right?”

No. Not harmless in the slightest. Since Aaron, she’d buried herself in her work, never letting herself feel for much beyond what clinical trial was coming next. Now, though, she was all feeling. Her legs were feeling the stretch of her hose and everything seemed too tight. Somehow, she managed to quietly nod yes and met his stare. In a moment he broke into a smile, and mercifully let the gaze drop. 

“Good, because I think our food is here!”

Jade frowned, but at that very moment, someone rapped on the door. Lucas rose up to get it, and after an extravagant tip, and another thanks from Lucas, their food had arrived. Soon the room filled up with the rich smell of oregano and basil and spiced prawns and scallops. Lucas cracked a grin as he laid the steaming Styrofoam containers on the table and handed Jade some plastic-wrapped flatware.

“Fine silver ma’am?”

Jade took a deep breath, full of the smells of the Spanish sea coast, and then nodded.

“Yes. And pass the Pinot.”

Wine burbled into plastic goblets as they dug in. In no time, they were spilling memories of Danbury on the table with the odd drop of red sauce.

It was almost eleven thirty before Jade realized that the time wasn’t just creeping up, it was coming on with sledge hammer. With a belly full of spicy stew, and the wine starting to warm her throat as well, she knew that anytime was a good time to go before she had to think about things much further.

Only when she stood, she realized that the restaurant had sent a very large bottle of wine, and that it seemed to be suspiciously empty. The room was very, very warm. Lucas, who’d happily finished off the bits that she hadn’t been able to spoon through, was showing it too, red warmth living easy on his cheeks. As she stood, he angled himself up from the small table as well.

“We drank that whole thing, didn’t we?” He crooked the neck of the wine bottle back, letting the last drop roll around the bottom. Then he cocked a side long glance at Jade, his frown reading concern. “You’re not driving home tonight are you?”

That had been the plan. Now, though, with Pinot running through her veins and a very tired mind, she had enough presence to think better of it. “No. I did bring my rental down, but I’ll tell the hotel I’ll get in the morning. I’ll just catch a cab..”

“You could stay.”

Ice water splashed on her heart. Those words were the very last ones she needed to hear at the moment. There was just too much locked up behind them that she didn’t yet understand, and she wasn’t going to sort it out with wine and stew sitting on her thought train. She quickly covered, “No, Lucas, I can’t. I mean- I don’t think that would be a very good idea. I’m..”

Lucas spoke up, quickly. “No, wait JJ. I wasn’t saying,” He floundered for a second. “Look, it’s late; you had as much wine as I did. Just stay long enough to get your head on straight, and I’ll have my driver take you home.”