Sequel: Run the Show ›
Somebody Needs You
Chapter 20
Their practice having been scheduled later than usual due to a concert at the ACC the night before, Luke quickly got ready down in the locker-room along with his teammates before making sure he looked decent and yelling out a bye before hurrying down the corridor, leaving them rather confused. But they all simply put it down to him being the baby of the team, and his current bout of being a love-sick puppy…
Exiting the doors he walked straight over to his car and quickly climbed inside, setting off on a drive across the city, silently praying that he could miss rush-hour. Though he did know better.
He was taking Katie out on a date and he didn’t want to be late.
Sure, they were going down the whole casual route which was why he was in jeans and a t-shirt under his warm jacket and cardigan, but that wasn't a reason to be late. Even though he knew that once he got to her office to pick her up, she wouldn’t be ready. And he’d learned that it didn’t bother him – at least not yet, his teammates liked to point out.
Getting stuck in traffic just like he had predicted he would, he sighed heavily as they were moving maybe an inch each time they actually moved and he fished out his phone. He didn’t like people talking on it or texting on it when they were driving, but stuck in a traffic jam, with nothing but the radio to keep him company, and that wasn't playing any good music at the moment, he made one of those annoying exceptions to the rule.
Sending a text to Katie, reminding her that he was on his way to pick her up he proceeded to engage in a text-conversation with his baby brother. Brayden was currently on the other side of the country, playing junior hockey and with them being as close as they were, he honestly missed him. And with both their careers being busy, they didn’t manage to keep their promise of calling maybe once a day and that didn’t always sit well with him.
Having spent too much of his monthly payment on texting when traffic finally started moving, he was happy to find that he wasn't going to be late, much.
The rest of the drive going quickly, he soon pulled up in front of the three story building with a glass wall facing the street where Katie was working. It was an old building converted into large office spaces, and according to her it was the perfect place to have a design studio as well as all the other parts that made up the brand, like marketing, sales and all that.
About to get out of the car and head inside, he was surprised when he saw Katie walking out the glass doors and hurry across the sidewalk, a wide smile across her lips as she pulled the door open and climbed into the passenger seat. “Hi,” she smiled widely, leaning across the car and pressing her lips against his in greeting.
“Hi,” he replied, feeling slightly surprised as he pulled back out in the street. “I didn’t think you’d be ready,” he blurted out, blushing slightly as he realized what he said.
“I probably wouldn’t have been if I didn’t get your text as I was right in between two things,” she admitted sheepishly, a slight smile across her lips as she looked over at him and reached out, taking his hand from where it was resting lightly on his right knee. “Gave me a reason to pack up and get ready to leave before my day was supposed to end,” she added, lacing their fingers together as she leaned back in the comfortable seat.
Not replying, he simply squeezed her hand as a soft smile appeared on his lips and he continued the drive towards the small diner.
Their food having arrived just a while earlier, Luke and Katie was sitting at a small, secluded table in the small diner, talking softly about everyday things.
“I talked to my mother this morning,” Luke threw out there, only getting a raised eyebrow in response.
“You're like me,” Katie pointed out. “You practically talk to her at least once a day.”
“Right,” he nodded slightly, that was true. “She told me that they have decided to spend Christmas at home this year,” he revealed.
“Really?” she asked surprised. They were only a few weeks away from the holidays, which were becoming more and more apparent with all the decorations popping up all around Toronto. They’d talked about the holidays and personally she knew her family wasn’t coming to Toronto, whilst his family hadn’t decided yet. Apparently they had now.
“Yeah,” he confirmed, clearly portraying the disappointment he felt about it. With his schedule, there was no way that he’d be able to fly home to Saskatoon for just a day a two. “Maddie’s a part of the school’s Christmas play so they can’t fly all the way out here,” he smiled sadly. He loved his sister and he was really proud of her, but that didn’t mean he wasn't disappointed about not getting to see them during the holidays.
“I'm sorry,” she smiled sadly, reaching out and squeezing his hand slightly.
“It’s okay,” he shrugged, looking down t their intertwined hands. “It’s just sad not getting to spend the holidays with the family,” he said slowly, knowing that she had already decided she was staying in Toronto with him and her family wasn’t flying out.
“I know,” she nodded absentmindedly, seemingly being very far away.
“Katie?” he asked, clearly startling her away from whatever she was thinking about.
“Sorry,” she apologized quickly. “My thoughts wandered off,” she admitted sheepishly.
“I know,” he smiled amused, leaning over and quickly kissing her. One of the many quirks he loved about her was her tendency to let her thoughts wander off and ending up in a little world of her own. “What were you thinking about?” he wondered curiously.
“I just…” she trailed off, an adorable frown spreading across her forehead. “I was just thinking that Ottawa isn’t that far away and maybe we have time to fly out there for the holidays,” she suggested. “I mean, the rest of my family are going up to Kristen’s place anyway, so she probably won’t mind two more people,” she figured as she looked over at him.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to spend the holidays with your family this year,” he pointed out.
“Cause I wanted to spend them with you, yeah,” she nodded simply. “It was nothing about my family, I love spending Christmas with them.”
“But what about my schedule?” he frowned as he looked over at her.
“It’s just a suggestion,” she pointed out. “We can look at your schedule when we get back home and I can talk to Kris, ask if it’s alright before we decide anything,” she added, taking a bit out of her food.
“I think I’d like that,” he nodded slightly. “You sure that they won’t mind meeting me under such…intense circumstances?” he asked concerned. Neither of them had met the other’s parents, their own in-laws in a way, and neither of them was really forwards to it. Everything in their relationship had moved so quickly that they were slightly worried about what reaction they would get when they met what for at least a while would be their extended family.
“They won’t mind, besides, Kris had been pestering me about you for weeks,” she smiled slightly.
“Really?” he asked curiously.
“Oh yeah, she’s a soccer mum, she wants to know everything,” she confirmed smiling widely at him, enjoying the slight blush that appeared on his cheeks.
“In that case I’d love to go up there if we can work it out with the schedule,” he told her honestly. Christmas is supposed to be celebrated with family, in whatever constellation, and he really hoped that they would be able to fly up there. Not because his own wants, but because of the cheerful look that appeared on Katie’s face as she talked about them.
“We’ll work on it,” she agreed, smiling slightly as he leaned over and kissed her again.
Exiting the doors he walked straight over to his car and quickly climbed inside, setting off on a drive across the city, silently praying that he could miss rush-hour. Though he did know better.
He was taking Katie out on a date and he didn’t want to be late.
Sure, they were going down the whole casual route which was why he was in jeans and a t-shirt under his warm jacket and cardigan, but that wasn't a reason to be late. Even though he knew that once he got to her office to pick her up, she wouldn’t be ready. And he’d learned that it didn’t bother him – at least not yet, his teammates liked to point out.
Getting stuck in traffic just like he had predicted he would, he sighed heavily as they were moving maybe an inch each time they actually moved and he fished out his phone. He didn’t like people talking on it or texting on it when they were driving, but stuck in a traffic jam, with nothing but the radio to keep him company, and that wasn't playing any good music at the moment, he made one of those annoying exceptions to the rule.
Sending a text to Katie, reminding her that he was on his way to pick her up he proceeded to engage in a text-conversation with his baby brother. Brayden was currently on the other side of the country, playing junior hockey and with them being as close as they were, he honestly missed him. And with both their careers being busy, they didn’t manage to keep their promise of calling maybe once a day and that didn’t always sit well with him.
Having spent too much of his monthly payment on texting when traffic finally started moving, he was happy to find that he wasn't going to be late, much.
The rest of the drive going quickly, he soon pulled up in front of the three story building with a glass wall facing the street where Katie was working. It was an old building converted into large office spaces, and according to her it was the perfect place to have a design studio as well as all the other parts that made up the brand, like marketing, sales and all that.
About to get out of the car and head inside, he was surprised when he saw Katie walking out the glass doors and hurry across the sidewalk, a wide smile across her lips as she pulled the door open and climbed into the passenger seat. “Hi,” she smiled widely, leaning across the car and pressing her lips against his in greeting.
“Hi,” he replied, feeling slightly surprised as he pulled back out in the street. “I didn’t think you’d be ready,” he blurted out, blushing slightly as he realized what he said.
“I probably wouldn’t have been if I didn’t get your text as I was right in between two things,” she admitted sheepishly, a slight smile across her lips as she looked over at him and reached out, taking his hand from where it was resting lightly on his right knee. “Gave me a reason to pack up and get ready to leave before my day was supposed to end,” she added, lacing their fingers together as she leaned back in the comfortable seat.
Not replying, he simply squeezed her hand as a soft smile appeared on his lips and he continued the drive towards the small diner.
Their food having arrived just a while earlier, Luke and Katie was sitting at a small, secluded table in the small diner, talking softly about everyday things.
“I talked to my mother this morning,” Luke threw out there, only getting a raised eyebrow in response.
“You're like me,” Katie pointed out. “You practically talk to her at least once a day.”
“Right,” he nodded slightly, that was true. “She told me that they have decided to spend Christmas at home this year,” he revealed.
“Really?” she asked surprised. They were only a few weeks away from the holidays, which were becoming more and more apparent with all the decorations popping up all around Toronto. They’d talked about the holidays and personally she knew her family wasn’t coming to Toronto, whilst his family hadn’t decided yet. Apparently they had now.
“Yeah,” he confirmed, clearly portraying the disappointment he felt about it. With his schedule, there was no way that he’d be able to fly home to Saskatoon for just a day a two. “Maddie’s a part of the school’s Christmas play so they can’t fly all the way out here,” he smiled sadly. He loved his sister and he was really proud of her, but that didn’t mean he wasn't disappointed about not getting to see them during the holidays.
“I'm sorry,” she smiled sadly, reaching out and squeezing his hand slightly.
“It’s okay,” he shrugged, looking down t their intertwined hands. “It’s just sad not getting to spend the holidays with the family,” he said slowly, knowing that she had already decided she was staying in Toronto with him and her family wasn’t flying out.
“I know,” she nodded absentmindedly, seemingly being very far away.
“Katie?” he asked, clearly startling her away from whatever she was thinking about.
“Sorry,” she apologized quickly. “My thoughts wandered off,” she admitted sheepishly.
“I know,” he smiled amused, leaning over and quickly kissing her. One of the many quirks he loved about her was her tendency to let her thoughts wander off and ending up in a little world of her own. “What were you thinking about?” he wondered curiously.
“I just…” she trailed off, an adorable frown spreading across her forehead. “I was just thinking that Ottawa isn’t that far away and maybe we have time to fly out there for the holidays,” she suggested. “I mean, the rest of my family are going up to Kristen’s place anyway, so she probably won’t mind two more people,” she figured as she looked over at him.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to spend the holidays with your family this year,” he pointed out.
“Cause I wanted to spend them with you, yeah,” she nodded simply. “It was nothing about my family, I love spending Christmas with them.”
“But what about my schedule?” he frowned as he looked over at her.
“It’s just a suggestion,” she pointed out. “We can look at your schedule when we get back home and I can talk to Kris, ask if it’s alright before we decide anything,” she added, taking a bit out of her food.
“I think I’d like that,” he nodded slightly. “You sure that they won’t mind meeting me under such…intense circumstances?” he asked concerned. Neither of them had met the other’s parents, their own in-laws in a way, and neither of them was really forwards to it. Everything in their relationship had moved so quickly that they were slightly worried about what reaction they would get when they met what for at least a while would be their extended family.
“They won’t mind, besides, Kris had been pestering me about you for weeks,” she smiled slightly.
“Really?” he asked curiously.
“Oh yeah, she’s a soccer mum, she wants to know everything,” she confirmed smiling widely at him, enjoying the slight blush that appeared on his cheeks.
“In that case I’d love to go up there if we can work it out with the schedule,” he told her honestly. Christmas is supposed to be celebrated with family, in whatever constellation, and he really hoped that they would be able to fly up there. Not because his own wants, but because of the cheerful look that appeared on Katie’s face as she talked about them.
“We’ll work on it,” she agreed, smiling slightly as he leaned over and kissed her again.