Jane Doe(14)

I stop to gaze wistfully through a boutique window at a pair of black leather boots I’d love to own, but this Jane isn’t a knee-high, stiletto-heeled-boot kind of girl. Well, she might be that kind of girl in the bedroom if Steven tells her to slut it up a little and stop being such a cold fish all the time. But we won’t be together long enough to reach that point.

I’m busy imagining which of my old outfits would go best with these boots when I hear a man say my name. My actual name, including my real surname—not the fake one I’m currently using.

“Jane?” he calls more loudly. “Is that you?”

I’m so startled that I turn toward the voice instead of pretending not to hear. Damn it.

“Hey!” he says.

A man is approaching from a few doors down. He’s white, about my age, brown hair, average height. He extends his hand as if he’s trying to get my attention or stop my flight. I don’t recognize him until he smiles. That’s when I know him.

My kind aren’t easily alarmed, but I definitely feel surprised. “Luke?”

“It is you!” he says, seeming more delighted to see me than anyone else ever has been.

“Yes,” I say. “Hi.” His friendliness has cast me into an uncertainty I’m not used to. Luke is an old friend. Or something like that. We dated for a couple of months in college, just before I left Minneapolis for a summer internship before law school. I liked him just fine then, though I haven’t thought of him since. But now here he is.

He gathers me into a hug and I return the embrace even as I blink rapidly in confusion. It feels like I’ve been flung back into my past.

“What are you doing here?” he asks as he sets me back on my heels.

“Here? I just adopted a cat.”

He laughs. “No, I mean here in Minneapolis!”

“Oh. I . . . I’m working on a temporary project.”

“Temporary?”

“Yeah. I won’t be in town long.”

“Long enough to grab a drink, I hope.”

I shouldn’t. It’s not smart. If my stay here ends badly, Luke can identify me. But he was always going to be able to identify me, it seems. I may as well be friendly and get him on my side. Maybe I can earn his loyalty.

“Actually”—he swipes a hand through his hair as if he’s nervous—“how about lunch right now? I’d love to catch up.”

I should say no and walk away and hope he has short-term-memory issues. I can’t form any real connections while I’m here. Not that I ever form real connections. No one is ever thrilled to see me now that Meg is gone. No one wants to catch up. But Luke does. Which is . . . an odd experience for me. But he was the nicest guy I ever dated, so maybe warm and welcoming is his default.

He’s not a very good judge of character, obviously. But, unwise or not, I suddenly want to have lunch with him, and I always do what I want.

“I’d love to, actually,” I say, and his face lights up. Nobody has looked at me like that since the last time I saw Meg. My throat tightens in a strange way.

“The place on the corner is one of my favorites,” he suggests. “We could sit outside and enjoy the nice weather.”

I’d just been walking past people sitting outside with friends and enjoying the day, and now I’ll be one of them. I nod, trying to swallow the strange obstruction in my throat, and we turn toward the corner.

“So you said you just adopted a cat?”

“Yes. A terrible idea when I’m here temporarily, but I couldn’t resist.”

“Why should you? It’s a noble cause. When do you get to pick it up?”

“Tomorrow. I wanted to take her home today, but I guess this will give me time to buy everything I need.”

“You always were good at quick decisions.”

I smile at his wording. That’s the nicest way anyone has ever said it. “I think you mean I’m impulsive.”

Luke shrugs. “Let’s just agree that you know your own mind.”

I laugh. Genuinely laugh. And I remember how much I liked him in college. He was funny. And he was decent in bed. I thought he was na?ve, of course. Time hasn’t toughened him up much. Meg was like that too. Always seeing the good in people, even when she shouldn’t. Especially when she shouldn’t.

Luke leads us to the outdoor hostess station and the woman greets him with surprise. “Hey, welcome back!”

Luke’s cheeks tinge with pink. “I met a friend here for coffee earlier,” he explains.

“Oh,” I drawl. “A lady friend?”

“Yes, but not a girlfriend.”

“Such a player.” I sigh and shake my head at the hostess, and the color in Luke’s cheeks deepens when we both laugh.

“Come on, player,” the woman says, grabbing two menus before leading us to a little wrought-iron table.

We sit and she hands us the menus, and my mouth is already watering at the breakfast selections. I like food more than people.

Luke clears his throat. “I honestly wasn’t here on a date.”

He’s very eager to make that clear. I drop the menu a little and stare at him over it. “Are you saying you’re still single, Luke?”

“Not still single. I mean, I’m not in a relationship right now, but I have been. Obviously.” He shakes his head and mutters, “Jesus,” and I’m laughing again. Then he’s laughing at himself, a self-deprecating chuckle, and I’m struck by how absolutely different he is from Steven.