“CAN I SEE you tonight?”

Hearing Luke’s voice made my heart leap. It had been nearly a week since I’d seen him. After his great escape, the hotel hosted members of a conference, and every room was booked. The conference attendees kept Luke super busy, and though I’d tried, I never managed to speak with him alone. I’d been half hoping that he’d stop by to see me after his shift ended some night, but I could understand why he’d be reluctant to do that after all we’d gone through with Barbara.

And then on Wednesday morning, someone from that apartment complex I’d really liked called. A slightly smaller, and therefore more affordable, unit had opened up, and it was available immediately.

Things happened quickly after that. My manager at Hampton Acres offered to pay for movers as a bonus for my hard work. He was particularly impressed that I’d managed to find a new resident. So on Friday, hours before Luke’s shift even started, I checked out of Luke’s hotel. The movers took everything from my room and my storage unit, and just like that, I had my own place. My new apartment complex was nice, but it was sorely lacking a friendly, funny, sexy night manager.

“That would be great,” I said, possibly a little too enthusiastically.

“I’m really sorry about before. With conference it was just so busy. And we’ve been short-handed. Reynaldo quit, did I tell you that? It’s been nuts.”

“It sounds like it,” I said, truthfully. But I also knew how much I’d missed him. It had been disappointing not to be able to spend time with him since last weekend. Part of that was my abrupt departure, I knew. I hated telling him I’d checked out by text message. Things were going to be different now that I wasn’t staying at his hotel. But we could make it work. At least I hoped we could. “Do you want to come over here? There are boxes everywhere, but I could clear a path.”

“That’s okay,” he said with a chuckle. “There’s some place I want to take you, so why don’t you just meet me here after my shift is done? Park in the back by the fence, but wait in your car until I get there.”

“Why? Barbara won’t be there that late, will she?”

“No, but I meant, keep your doors locked until I get there. I want you to be safe.”

“Oh. Okay.” The fact that he was thinking about my safety did a lot to ease the apprehension I felt about not seeing him this week.

* * *

After work that evening, I tore open every box marked bedroom or bathroom trying to get ready for my date with Luke. I made a huge mess, but by the time I was done, I had my favorite purple dress on with black high heels. I wasn’t sure where he was taking me, but I was excited about actually dining in one of his favorite restaurants instead of getting take out. Sitting across a table from him, talking about our days, meeting his piercing blue eyes—that sounded like the perfect way to end the day for me. And I was hungry, too. With my noon-to-eight shift, I’d kept up my habit of eating dinner late—though it wasn’t as much fun by myself in my new place.

By the time Luke rapped on the window of my car, I was so excited to see him I was practically bouncing in my seat. I hurried out of the car and then he had his arms around me, holding me, kissing me. Even in one short week, I’d come to miss this. I’d missed him. So much.

We took his car, and while he drove, I kept sneaking glances at him. He’d obviously changed after his shift. He was wearing jeans and a gray hoodie. That probably just meant we were going some place casual. That was okay with me. He always found the best food whether the restaurant was plain or fancy.

Luke talked a little as he drove, and he sounded really tired. The extra hours he’d been putting in at the hotel had cut into his studying time, and he was worried that he’d done poorly on a recent test. I listened sympathetically and then started to share my news. I was excited about a new program I was instituting at my workplace, an advisory board made up of representatives from the residents. But I’d barely begun when Luke turned into a parking space. “We’re here.”

Looking up, I saw an unfamiliar building. “What’s this?”

“My buddy works here,” Luke said, gesturing toward an overhang with a place for cars to pull up in front of the entryway to a lobby. It was a hotel, a bit larger than Luke’s.

“And it has a restaurant?”

“No,” Luke said. “It’s not big enough for that. But Hank has a spare room we can use without the barracuda interrupting us.”

He got out of the car and opened my door. Wait, we weren’t going to dinner first? Disappointment flooded me. I’d been waiting all week to see him. To talk to him. But then I stood up, and I was in his embrace, his mouth was on mine. I closed my eyes as he plunged one hand into my hair. I melted against him. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry any more, at least not for food.

* * *

“That was amazing,” I said, cradled in the crook of Luke’s arm. It was wonderful to be with him without someone constantly pounding on the door trying to get in.

“You were amazing,” Luke said, and I could hear the fatigue in his voice. He tilted his head down and kissed me on the forehead.

“I’m so glad you had time to get together tonight,” I said, and I felt Luke nod in agreement. “I just—I mean, I knew you were busy. But it was really hard not seeing you last week. I missed you. I missed talking to you in the evenings and eating with you at the end of your shift. I just missed… hanging out, you know? Even if we weren’t doing anything special. Do you think that now that the conference is over, and your test, too, do you think we could hang out a little more?”

Suddenly hesitant, I paused. Had he missed me, too? Or had he just missed this, the sex? “Luke?” I twisted around until I was laying on my side. Luke’s face was still. His ripped chest rose and fell in slow, deep breaths.

He was asleep.