luke

“Today some man comes in to the diner and he was very clearly flirting with me. I told him that I was going back to school to get my degree and he says ‘pretty and smart’ and something about it bothered me more than normal. I just…didn’t like my beauty being so overtly valued by a stranger. I know I’m pretty, but I’m so much more than that…it bothered me a little I guess.” 

Lucas may have never been in a situation, such as what she described, but he could definitely empathized with her, obviously it was troubling her a lot and for good reasons. “Sometimes you just want people to see you for all that you are. I get that.”

After adjusting her specs, she finally makes eye contact. “–Oh, SHIT.” Silence. “Welp– there goes the fun in trying to terrify my date!” She says with forced, fake enthusiasm. “Oh, yeah– and that, too. The getting laid bit– I mean– unless you’re down with BDSM, tonight.” This time around, she’s only partially kidding around. Bliss huffs and averts her gaze to the ceiling. Is she– blushing?

“Well then I guess I’m going to have to go next time” she said as she smiled over at him. “I thrive off your pain so I would definitely have a wonderful time” she teased. It did sound like it would have been a lot of fun, but he really had asked her at the last possible minute. “You know what you need?” she said as she looked over at him again, “you need someone to schedule things for you and keep things organized. You need an assistant” she said with a small shake of her head. Lucas always seemed to be doing everything at the last minute and was unorganized. “I’m going to get you a planner, but I’m going to oversee it because I can’t trust you. Consider me your unofficial assistant” she said with a laugh.

“You are! You’ll have fun. Nothin’ like seeing me stammer through weird ass questions.” He joked along with her, returning the smile. Lucas wouldn’t really say it, but he always thought the trips he went on could get kind of lonely. At her suggestion, his eyes widened and he gave a short nod of agreement. It had been told to him a few years back, but he really did need to seriously consider it. “That is a great idea! You’re hired!--What’s on the agenda tomorrow?” He asked her, giving her a serious pointed look, before the smile curved back up on his lips. “A good assistant would know, but that’s okay, you’re still learnin’” 

Rushing toward the reservation table, having been directed by the host, Bliss calls out. “Yeah–hey, sorry I just, uh– got caught up with something.” A beat as she tousles her bangs, looking somewhat fashionably late. “Local cult gathering.” She says with dry sarcasm in her tone as she seats herself. “You’re even HOTTER in person, by the way, I mean–” A wolf whistle ensues. Adjusting her glasses, the brunette offers a crooked smirk to her blind date. This was one of the many ways that Dr. Gattis acquired a one-night stand– or at least some kind of rush.

“I didn’t think taking a test on something I aced in high school would be hard, but damnit, I haven’t thought about King Henry VIII in years…in decades. I’m gonna fuckin’ fail.”

“Why are you taking a test? Are you taking summer classes or something?”

Harper let out a little laugh, “okay, it’s not that I’m not denying that you’re handsome, but I think she’d probably have a heart attack because you’re just suddenly at her house at three in the morning. She then rolled her eyes at the man, “you’re going to eat my food and be like ‘oh my god harper is the best cook I am so lucky I found her’” she said in a ridiculous deep voice as if she were impersonating him. “Apple juice is pretty great” she said with a smile, “you know what goes best with it? Mac and cheese and dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets. Which I also happen to have in my house at the moment, so we’re in luck” she teased. She then smiled, “No, I promise I am going to take this as seriously as possible and make some amazing five course meal” she said, her expression turning serious “Which will probably fail, so I hope you’re prepared for chinese that I pretend I cooked, but I really just ordered it and disposed of the evidence before you arrived”  

“Here I am trying to think of all the ways to make this old lady’s dreams come true and you’re coming up with all these excuses of why it wouldn’t work. That’s negative...But you’re right. Three is late. I’ll try going over at nine.” He continued to joke. “Was that supposed to be my voice? It was a very accurate depiction. I enjoyed it.” Lucas couldn’t help but chuckle, as he lifted up an eyebrow. “Why do I feel like you’re going to cook macaroni and chicken nuggets? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining at all. Add some chocolate milk to the meal and we got ourselves a feast.--I promise I’m not a picky eater though and whatever you make, I’m sure I’ll love it.”

“What blasphemy,” she gasped over-dramatically. “I’m totally kidding I completely and utterly agree. It’s ridiculous. And not even very good coffee. But you know you are the chump who purchased said overrated, overpriced, not that good coffee.” 

“Why do you think I’m complaining right now?” He let out a short chuckle, as he held up his undesired cup of coffee. “With how much praise it gets, I was expecting this little cup of expensiveness to show me the true meaning of life with just one sip.”

‘‘Ouch. If you would’ve said that while you were still in starbucks, you probably would’ve had coffee poured all on ya, mate.’‘

“But a mocha frap with soy and foam doesn’t get you a little riled up?” A smile was on Cass’ face all the while she spoke, like usual. Often people didn’t understand that she was always making jokes, even in times she shouldn’t, “I really like DD, if we’re being honest about coffees.” 

“I shouldn’t lie...It gets me very riled up.” He played along with her joke, lifting up his eyebrows suggestively. “I don’t know much about their coffee, but I do know they have amazing kolaches. Those things are fucking great. Highly suggest them.”

“But…” Katherine gestured to the cup in his hand, “you can’t talk shit if you have one, you little hypocrite!”

“Katherine.” Lucas said, in a stern warning voice. “Don’t call me out on my bullshit. It makes me feel bad.” He wasn’t being serious at all but the expression on his face made it seem like he was.

“It is obvious, but most of the US population has an IQ below average– so they probably don’t care.” A beat. “People are stupid, Lucas.” Taking another sip, Bliss uses her free hand to adjust her tortoiseshell glasses upon the bridge of her nose with a nimble index finger. “…Yeah. Because if they ACTUALLY wanted more than a dollar in the tip jar, they’d leave a number. Must be a slow day.”

“Congratulations, Captain Obvious.” Bliss murmurs and sips her iced coffee. “You know they spell our names wrong on purpose too, right?”

“Trigger isn’t some word you can throw out for something that offends you. A trigger is something that brings back traumatic memories, and there’s nothing funny about it. Using trigger in that context makes it more difficult for those of us who actually experience triggers to express our situations.” 

“Well I’m sorry that I’ve upset you. Meant no ill-intent by it. But I’ll keep that in mind the next time that I use the word or hear someone use it incorrectly.”

‘The trick is not paying for it,’ Kian countered at a low volume, slinking from behind the conglomerate coffee shop’s countertop, undoing the apron he had no business wearing before taking a sip of the hot chai tea he’d poured himself. ‘I’ve been calling myself ‘Kyle’ for the last fifteen minutes and they really thought I worked here,’ he stated through a chuckle, maneuvering through the crowd. ‘But it is shit. Everyone here pays for the little green woman on the side of the cup. Not the coffee.’ 

Lucas watched with widened eyes and a huge grin on his face as he walked from behind the counter. “I’m honestly impressed.  That’s one hell of a trick. Shit, I need to get in on that.” He let out a hearty laugh. “Well Kyle, it looks like your shift is over. But tell me, does this make me someone important now? Do I seem like a very busy businessman because I’m holding this cup?”