Dark Matter [Completed]

Nineteen

A few days later Luke finds me again, this time in the dining room. I look up from setting the table. "Can I help you, sir?"

Luke grins. "I thought we were past that, Miss Stephanie." I laugh too and turn back to my work. Luke comes up behind me and, to my surprise, starts helping me. I look up at him curiously, but he just laughs and says, "Hey, it won't kill me. Besides, I have something to ask you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Luke grabs a few more knives and begins setting them out. "So... I was thinking... since we're friends and all now, we should hang out. Get to know each other better, y'know?"

I smile and stop folding the napkins. Stupid fancy folded napkins. They're just going unfold them in the end anyway. "What did you have in mind?"

Luke runs a hand through his annoyingly perfect hair. "Well, there's this new movie theater in town, and I was thinking you can me could go see movie. Maybe get something to eat. I don't know, window shop? Girls like that, right? Window shopping?"

I smile and shake my head. "You're ridiculous, you know that, right?"

Luke laughs. "Do you, though?"

Technically, I've never been window shopping. At least, not for myself. I've always been too busy to notice anything except things that were mission critical. "I do," I say.

"So... is that a yes?"

"I guess so."

Luke raises an eyebrow. "You guess so?"

"I don't exactly know what we're doing."

He grins. "We're getting dinner and seeing a movie. Not that complicated."

"Then... I say yes."

Luke smiles wider. "Wonderful!"

———

Two days later Wednesday, and my day off, arrives. The movie isn't until eight, but we decided to eat first, and Luke wanted to show me around town. What little there is; the town only has few hundred inhabitants. So I meet Luke by the front door at five. I know all the other maids are watching me as I climb into his car. I know there is more than a little jealously in their eyes, but I don't really care. Wanna take my place?

What's harder to ignore is the disapproval on my brother's face if he knew what I was doing. But Alex isn't here and, as much as I love him, he doesn't own me. I'm a big girl; I know full well that I'm playing with fire. What can I say? I've always been a bit of a pyromaniac.

It's an hour's drive into town, but the time seems to fly. Lucius Orion is the only person, except my brother, who has ever drawn a genuine smile from me. He doesn't know how lucky he is. Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it. I mean, he had the misfortune of crossing paths with me. That usually doesn't turn out too well for most people.

Still, I can't help but smile at his easy chatter. For all his claims that he's bad at making friends, Luke has an easy way about him that draws me to him. Maybe it's just me, though. With everyone else he's flippant and nonchalant to the point of not caring. I'm not complaining, though. It's nice to feel special at least once in my life.

Luke parks the car in front of the movie theater, but, instead of going inside, we take off down the sidewalk. We amble along, chatting and stopping to look at whatever catches our fancy. Luke tells me stories about his childhood. Traveling the world, going to big parties, attending movie premiers; all the things the child of a multi-billionaire would do. It seems like the dream life, but something in Luke's face says otherwise.

It doesn't take a detective to figure that he wasn't exactly best friends with his brother, and he still doesn't get along with his father. It's the classic story: parents play favorites, the other brother gets jealous, things fall apart. I've gathered that much from what Luke has said, but I know there's more to the story. There's a reason for everything, no matter how cliche it seems. Everyone has a story, even if they keep it hidden from the world.

Suddenly, I want to know Lucius Orion's story. Not for the mission; just for me. Because he's my friend. I've never known what it's like to have a friend; to be able to talk to someone. To be able to trust them. The only person I've known that with is Alex, but he's family so that's kind of a given. I just wish I didn't know this was going to hurt so much when it ends.

As I watch Luke laughing from the other side of the table, his eyes sparkling, I can almost believe this could work out. I know he believes it. I know he thinks this friendship might turn into something more, but I know the truth. I know us is something that will only ever exist in my wildest dreams.

All we will have when this over is the memories. Pictures in my mind. Pictures of stargazing in the middle of nowhere. Pictures of dancing in the moonlight. Pictures of exploring a quaint, little New England town. A smile. A wink. Fingers brushing. I can only hope these things follow him around too.

I don't really remember what movie we watch; I only know I had a wonderful time. I can't remember a better day. It was so nice to feel normal for just one evening. To forget what my life is really like. But, like me, it is all a lie. Nothing is real. I can't hold onto this. No matter how tightly I hang on, I know it will just slip through my fingers. For the first time in years I feel the sting of tears in my eyes. Silently, I cry in the dark. I cry for everything I never had... and everything I never I can.