How to Not Fall for My Boss ✔

23. First Date

"Welcome to my humble abode," Luke says while gesturing to Cobie to come inside as if he's a professional butler.

Cobie grins at him, feeling relieved when she sees Luke's outfit. His blue dress shirt and a pair of white pants match her teal silk blouse and black jeans. She changed into four different dresses this morning, three of them were from Rose's collection before she settled on the one she's wearing now. The last thing she needs is being overdressed or underdressed on their first date.

Once inside, she sweeps her eyes over Luke's condominium. Just like a typical men's place, the masculine atmosphere welcomes her right away. The walls are painted white and dark blue, and so is his furniture except for his cat tree house which catches her eyes right away. The condo is not huge, but big enough for a single man who barely spends his day inside. Deep down, she wonders if he lived here with his ex back in the days.

"Don't worry," Luke adds as he closes the front door. "I didn't invite you to lure you to my bed. It's legit our first date."

Cobie chuckles as she walks to the living room and drops her bag on his navy couch. "I'm not worried. I'm just a bit concerned."

"Oh?"

"How big is your cat?" She stares at the cat playhouse in the corner of the room and frowns. The posts lean and bend weirdly, and the cubby house is practically ruined. "Are you sure you bought her the right size?"

Luke drops his head in defeat. "That is a major disaster. It's not too small for her but the quality sucks. It's a rip-off, and I'm never buying online again." He flinched at his cat tower. "I swear the color was soft pink on their website."

Cobie plops down on the sofa and crosses her legs. "Soft pink, huh? Fuschia is not that bad, to be honest."

"What is fuschia?"

"It's a vivid purple mix with a reddish shade. That color." She points at the cat tower.

"That is a strong pink. A stupid pink." Luke shrugs and saunters to his fridge. "My cat is such a grumpy old lady, and she hates that color, and it didn't survive her wrath."

Cobie laughs and looks around. "Where is she?"

"Outside. She's an introverted cat. She always leaves when I have company. What do you want to drink? Coke?"

"Just water, please."

"I'm going to start making lunch now," he says when he brings over a glass of cold water. "You can watch a series if you like. The food will be ready in thirty minutes, and we will eat on my balcony."

"Don't you need my help?"

"No. Why? It's just nachos. The easiest food to make on the planet. Or," Luke says, biting his lower lip. "You can keep me company while I'm making us food, but not too much distraction or I would ruin our lunch."

Cobie giggles and gets up after chugging down her water. "Deal."

She bounces to the kitchen where Luke is now burying his face in the fridge, picking the ingredients he needs for the meal. She leans over the small kitchen island which is also a breakfast table, her elbows on the countertops while her eyes roam over her surroundings.

Luke's kitchen is not spacious yet it's not crammed with too much stuff since he doesn't overly invest in cooking appliances. Between the stoves and the sink, only a coffee machine occupies the spot, and jars of coffee, cream, and sugar are arranged on the hanging rack on the wall next to it. The built-in fridge is on one side of the kitchen counter, while the combi microwave oven is on the other side. She's impressed with how neat the sink is, with no trace of slacking in cleaning up as most male bachelors do.