The Certainty of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence, #5)(42)

‘Thanks,’ I say, then joke, ‘but my uncanny beauty isn’t going to help me understand this menu.’

Chuckling under his breath, Luke leans over my shoulder and glances at the menu even though he’s got one of his own. I don’t mind, though, the scent of him is absolutely amazing, like soap and cologne with just the barest hit of cigarette smoke.

His face scrunches up as he sees what I’m talking about. ‘What is it?’ he whispers. ‘Written in French or something?’

I scrunch my nose up. ‘Either that or it’s just food we’ve never heard of.’

Sighing, Luke sits back in his chair and studies the menu in front of him. I take the time to study him, figuring there’s no point in looking over the food selection since I have no idea what any of it is. He looks extra good tonight in a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled off. He’s got a pair of dark jeans on, his boots, and I think he gave his hair a trim because it’s shorter, the perfect length. There’s nothing different about his lips, but I stare at them the longest. Those lips have explored almost every inch of me and right now, I’d way rather be back at our place, dressed in my ‘Halloween costume’ with his mouth all over me, than getting ready to fill my stomach full of food I can’t even pronounce the names of.

‘Enjoying the view?’ Luke cocks his head at me with huge ass grin on his face. I realize I’ve spaced out, put my elbow on the table and rested my chin in my hand. Probably not the best etiquette and the waiter seems to be annoyed as he fills up our glasses water that fizzes.

‘Maybe.’ I bit my lip as I sit up straight.

We’re interrupted by Luke’s father chuckling and Trevor saying, ‘You two are simply adorable.’

Luke and I exchange a doubtful, almost repulsed look then Luke turns to his dad, ‘I’m not sure adorable describes us correctly.’

Trevor takes a sip of his water. ‘Okay, then what does describe you two?’

I contemplate what he said. ‘How about Stoically Aloof and Mysteriously Awesome.’ I combine my nickname for him with one I make up for myself.

‘Mysterious Awesome isn’t your nickname,’ Luke says as he reaches for his glass.

‘Yeah, you’re right. I’m more …’ I trail off, racking my brain for what the hell I am. I think of all the names I was called while growing up, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to bring them up at a nice dinner.

‘How about wildly beautiful, ridiculously smart and a never-ending surprise?’ Intensity burns from his eyes, his lips quirking, half serious, half teasing me. I’m verging toward blushing, which never, ever happens and I refuse to let it happen now.

I’m trying to think of some comeback, something witty to take the upper hand. But Luke’s father interrupts and I’m grateful for it.

‘I think we should make a toast to that,’ he says, raising his glass in the air. ‘Or to you guys anyway.’

I glance at Luke and give him an is he for reals look. Luke shrugs then raises his glass, going along with it and I have no choice but to follow or look like a bitch. But Jesus, I didn’t think people actually did this. Then again, I haven’t spent much time eating dinner with people.

‘To Luke and Violet,’ Luke’s father says. ‘May you always find happiness in each other even in the darkest of times.’

Okay, so his words weren’t that bad. Kind of poetic and fitting actually.

We clink glass and then I move mine to take a sip like everyone else does. But the sparkling water taste wrong and the fizz on my tongue causes me to spit it back into the glass.

‘Sorry,’ I cough, setting the glass down. ‘But that tasted like shit.’

There’s a pause and then they bust of laughing, like full on belly laughter, faces red and everything. Luke’s not laughing as hard, but he looks totally amused as he sets his glass down without sipping from it then winks at me. ‘Thanks for the blunt warning.’

The rest of the night goes smoothly, at least for the conversation part. The food is awful and I mean straight up awful. Even high I wouldn’t have enjoyed it. Luke’s on the same page as me, thankfully, and we come up with this system where we ever so discretely hide as much as we can in the napkins on our laps whenever Trevor and his father are chatting with each other and not paying attention to us. We’re acting ridiculous, giggling like little kids who have a secret. But it’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time. There’s even live entertainment when some dude decides to propose to his girlfriend right there in the middle of a restaurant with a hundred strangers to share the experience.

‘Wow, way to lack originality,’ I remark, pulling a face at what I think is supposed to be chicken but it’s covered in this weird looking sauce.

‘Awe, I think it’s sweet,’ Trevor says. ‘Albeit a little cliché.’ His gaze slides to Mr Price and he gets this goofy love-induced grin on his face. ‘Definitely not a candlelight dinner in my favorite art gallery, but still sweet.’

‘Is that how he proposed to you?’ I wonder, taking a sip of my Coke, the one and only thing I recognized on the menu.

Trevor nods, tearing his attention away from Mr Price and taking a bite of his salad. ‘So tell me Violet, in your opinion, is there really a non-cliché way to propose?’