Between me and Luke, we polish off the rest of the saltines and peanut butter. I glance at the clock on the microwave—it’s nearly one in the morning. Even though he put his clothes back on, his shirt is still mostly unbuttoned. He lives all the way in the Bronx, and he’s never going to want to make the hike back to his apartment this late. He’s going to want to stay the night.
He’ll probably want to cuddle all night. A cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck.
“So.” I clear my throat. “This was nice.”
“Yeah.” A smile plays on his lips. “It really was.”
“I wouldn’t mind doing it again sometime,” I say. That part is true. But next time at his place so I could leave when it’s over.
“I’m on board.”
“Any other time. Just… you know, text me.”
“I will.”
“Yes. So.”
A long silence hangs between us. Finally, Luke breaks the silence. By bursting out laughing.
I stare at him, affronted. “What’s so funny?”
He wipes his eyes. He’s laughing so hard, there are tears. “You want me to leave so badly, but you’re too nice to say it.”
“Well…” I fold my arms across my bare chest. “I’m just used to sleeping alone. And don’t you prefer your own bed too?”
“I absolutely do.” He leans forward to brush his lips against mine. “Honesty, I’ve got to be at another hospital in the city tomorrow morning and I wasn’t looking forward to running home at the crack of dawn to shower and get fresh clothes. I would’ve stayed if you wanted me to, but I’m good with going home.”
My entire body sags with relief. “Thank you.”
“But.” He holds up a finger. “You have to let me take you out to dinner.”
“I’m the one who owes you dinner. Remember?”
“Except no way. I want to take you out to dinner.”
From an evolutionary perspective, females are more reproductively valuable than males. After all, we can only carry one pregnancy at a time while men can spread their seed more freely. As a result, male mammals must “earn” female reproductive access by offering gifts. It’s certainly not unique to humans, although I would say sheep or cows rarely find themselves in this particular conundrum.
From a social psychological standpoint, traditional gender roles are often internalized for men. They feel obligated to make decisions and take control while women follow. By setting a precedent such as paying for a meal on a first date, the man is establishing himself as the dominant leader in the relationship and relegates the woman to the passive role.
I consider explaining all this to Luke, but then he leans back in the kitchen chair, which groans under his weight. “I’ll stay here all night if I have to, Adrienne.”
Fine. If he wants it that badly, I will not argue. Despite my distaste at the prospect of falling into traditional gender roles, I’m a little flattered. “All right then. You may take me out to dinner.”
I walk Luke to the front door. Just before he leaves, he grabs me one last time and kisses me. It’s a lovely kiss that makes me tingle down to my toes. I can’t wait to see him again.
And as he heads out the door, the thought flits through my head that maybe Luke could help me out with the EJ problem.
Chapter 26
TRICIA
Present Day
He liked her. He really liked her.
I can hear it in his voice. This was obviously recorded before they were dating, and he just had a crush on her. It’s so sweet, you could almost throw up. It sounds like she let him kiss her. And then some.
Luke doesn’t sound like a killer. He sounds like a decent guy, if a bit nerdy. His voice isn’t dripping with evil like EJ’s.
But of course, this was at the beginning of their relationship. A lot can change. Did she do something to him that made him hate her? She must have.
I shiver in Dr. Hale’s leather chair. The blouse I’m wearing is paper thin, and not nearly warm enough, even with the heat on. Maybe I can get Ethan to turn the heat up a bit. He never showed me exactly how he figured out how to turn it on in the first place. I don’t even know where the heating system is. It could be practically anywhere in this giant house. I’m impressed he figured it out, having never been here before.
I eject the LUKE tape from the tape recorder and stuff it back in the bottom drawer. Then I leave the office and head upstairs to find Ethan.
It’s amazing how different it looks in the hallway of the second floor when the sun is up. It was nothing short of terrifying last night, but now it doesn’t seem so bad. I’m still reluctant to live here, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. The windows make it bright and cheery, although they illuminate every crack and imperfection in the wall.