It had to be Lucas. There was no one else who would send me a text about a date. But then again, it wouldn’t be the first time I got an accidental message, either.
Rosie: Who’s this?
Unknown: Lucas.
Unknown: Are you waiting for somebody else to take you out?
Unknown: I thought I was your only one
“If only you knew,” I muttered under my breath, saving his number while trying to come up with a reply that wouldn’t expose me.
Rosie: fine, we’ll be experimentally exclusive
Lucas: we weren’t?
Shaking my head, I decided to cut to the chase and answer his initial question.
Rosie: 6pm sounds good. Thanks!
I was going to ask how he’d gotten my number—honestly, it was a little strange he hadn’t had it, considering we’d been living together for over a week—but the explanation landed in my inbox in a trail of texts from my best friend before I even hit Send.
Lina: Hey bestie! Just arrived in Trujillo. How is NYC?
Lina: Sorry for the radio silence, we were hiking and out of reception.
Lina: BTW I forgot to mention that my cousin would be visiting for the next few weeks. He’s staying at my place.
Lina: Okay, fine. I didn’t forget, I messed up the dates and thought he was arriving today. I suck. I still have wedding brain.
Lina: Anyways, I gave him your number. ONLY for emergencies, ’kay? Don’t feel obligated to waste your time on him. He’s a grown man.
Lina: if he texts you with unimportant shit, tell him to google it.
Guilt lodged itself deep in my stomach. Lina didn’t know about the rooming arrangement Lucas and I had. In her apartment. Nor did she know about our newly established experiment.
God, I really needed to stop lying by omission to every single person in my life.
Another text notification popped up.
Lucas: check this out.
Tapping on his conversation, an image opened on my screen.
A selfie of Lucas wearing an I NYC blue cap. His smile was lopsided, smug, and I could see the Empire State Building nearby in the background.
My rib cage squeezed, feeling a little too tight all of a sudden.
Rosie: living the full tourist experience.
Rosie: I love the cap!
I didn’t just love it. I loved it so much that before I knew what I was doing, the photo was saved to my gallery.
Rosie: Lina just texted me. She said she confused the dates and thought you were getting here today.
Rosie: she also mentioned she gave you my number.
Rosie: For emergencies.
I was working out a way to tell Lucas that we should probably tell her about the current situation, but his incoming text disrupted my train of thought, derailing whatever intention I had to confess. It was another selfie, this one from an angle that showed that wide and strong upper body I had ogled more than once or twice, and he was looking down at the camera. His crooked smile had been promoted to a full-fledged grin and the earlier flutter in my stomach had no choice but to revel, pulling out the big guns and turning into a riot.
Lucas: looking this good and not having anyone around to share it with was an emergency, Graham.
He wasn’t wrong. He did look good. Emergency-good, good.
And he’s a shameless flirt, too, I reminded myself. Remember his words: No woman has ever complained?
I rolled my eyes at myself because I really had no business feeling bitter or jealous.
Rosie: Hi Lucas’s ego. Nice to finally meet you.
Lucas: He says hi back.
The three dots jumped on the screen for a few seconds, making me bite my lip in anticipation. Then, one last message came.
Lucas: I’ll let you get back to work. Be ready at six. See you later, roomie.
Roomie.
I’d tell Lina about this. I would. The moment she and Aaron landed on US soil, I’d tell her everything.
* * *
Later in the afternoon, at exactly 5:45 p.m., I had just slipped into my favorite pair of jeans when I heard a knock.
“One sec!” I called, zipping them up as I sprinted through the apartment barefoot. “I’ll be right there!”
Throwing the door open, I was not expecting to find Lucas casually leaning against the frame.
“Lucas,” I said a little too breathlessly, before stepping back. “Did you forget your keys this morning?”
He straightened. And boy, I don’t know what was about him in that moment, but he seemed larger than usual. Bulkier, taller. But before I could process that, he took the smallest step forward and let his gaze trail down my body, slowly, in a way I had trouble processing.
Whoa, what… was that?
A slow smile bent his mouth. “Nope,” he said. Nope. Nope to what? What the hell had been my question? “You look very nice, Rosie. Beautiful.”