Chapter 13: Night To Shine

I checked my appearance in the mirror for what seemed to be the hundredth time, straightening my tie, making sure my hair was perfect. I wanted to look perfect as Annie's date tonight. My shoes were so shiny that I could practically see my reflection in them and I hoped Annie wouldn't think I was in love with my appearance or anything. I just liked to look nice and tonight I especially wanted to look nice for her. I wasn't doing it for me completely.

I reached into my top dresser drawer to retrieve the surprise I had ordered for Annie earlier. It certainly hadn't been easy getting the simple bouquet of deep red roses. I had chosen something simple because I wanted Annie to know that I thought she was more than simple and didn't need fancy flowers to prove the point. I had gotten red roses because hardly any woman I'd ever talked to had ever hated them. They were the best kind of flower to bet on.

It had been hard getting the flowers up to my room because Annie had been in and out all day, taking her paintings to the museum down the street. She had insisted that she take all the paintings down there herself. She didn't want to hire anyone to do it because she was afraid someone might accidentally drop them.

"So you were really being brave the night you asked me to help you carry them to your room the night we met, eh?" I had teased her and she had flushed furiously.

"Well, you looked like the type that could carry a few paintings up to a room without dropping them or spilling something on them," she said, even though we both knew I'd been the only one in the room, which had been lucky for me. I laughed.

"Are you kidding? I used to be as clumsy as an ox. I've improved over the years, but I'm not about to do gymnastics or anything. I'd get seriously hurt," I teased and we'd both laughed.

I'd gotten the roses from the florist while she had been busy setting some paintings up in the museum, but I hadn't made it to my room in time. I had thrown the roses into a nearby open elevator while she returned to her room. She'd looked at me curiously and suspiciously as if she thought I was trying to sneak some of her paintings out of her room and down to the museum for her or something. While she'd been in her room, I'd chased the elevator downstairs and gotten the roses. I'd then realized I'd have to go back upstairs and chance seeing Annie again. Desperate with the need to surprise her, I'd went into the dining room and asked one of the hired help if he could loan me some towels.

I'd finally wrapped the flowers carefully between the stack of towels and had managed to carry them upstairs.

"You'll be gone soon, why are they giving you so many towels?" she asked when she saw them and I shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe they just want to be sure," I had offered, hurrying to my room so I could hide the flowers before she decided to follow me. She certainly did have a way of keeping up to tabs with a person. Maybe she was afraid that I would back out of our promise to remain together. Maybe she really did need me.

I held the flowers behind my back and started out of the room. I paused to lock my door and then I went to Annie's room, seeing the door was open. I peered inside and was greeted with the sight of a dark haired man sitting casually on Annie's bed. For a moment I just stared at him furiously, wondering who he was. Then I realized it was Luke from how Annie had described him. I quickly tried to remain neutral before he turned to see me glaring at him. I didn't want to start off on the wrong foot with him even if I was jealous of him already. Him and Annie would have looked good together …. then again, I remembered people had stared at us when we'd been together a few times like we looked like a perfect couple as well. No wonder Luke and Annie had thought they were related. They both had the same hair color about.

Finally Luke seemed to sense my presence and he looked at me. I was surprised to see that he looked about as jealous of me as I was of him. Then I thought I was probably imaging it.

"Bart! You're a bit early but I'm ready to go. Luke just got here himself. I hope you don't mind if he joins us," Annie said from the bathroom. From where I was at I couldn't see her but I was sure Luke could.

"No, I don't mind at all," I lied even though I had wanted to set my eyes on Annie privately and give her the flowers in private ….. not in front of an old boyfriend.

"Luke, why don't you go and make yourself a reservation for tonight? Surely you'll be too tired to go straight back to Boston tonight," Annie said as if she knew I wanted us to be alone.

Luke didn't look particularly happy that Annie wanted him out of the room and alone with me, but he stood up.

"I suppose I can stay for tonight. But that's it. I have a long trip ahead of me," he reminded, glancing at me. I offered my hand.

"Bart Foxworth. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said. Luke stared at my hand cautiously for a moment before he shook it briefly, his dark sapphire eyes meeting mine.

"Luke Casteel Jr. Likewise," he said, letting go of my hand quickly.

"Luke! Did you know you and Bart are both jr's?" Annie called and Luke looked at me like he wished I'd disappear.

"No. How … interesting," he offered, glancing back at the bathroom before he started out of the room. I watched him as he headed down the hall and towards the elevator. When he was gone, I shut and locked the door.

"Is he always that moody?" I asked as I neared the bathroom.

"Sometimes. He was always quiet. He's got the Casteel temper too. He's just a bit overprotective I guess. That's the way brothers can be," she said.

"He's not really your brother," I reminded.

"He is to me. He is now, in a way," she admitted before she stepped out the bathroom to leave me gaping at her.

She was amazingly beautiful in her dark blue dress that left her right shoulder and most of her back bare. She had used only the slightest trace of makeup and her lips were shimmering red. It took every nerve inside me to keep from kissing right then and there. Her ebony hair was curled and a pretty pair of turquoise hair pins in the shape of flowers made it seem like she was some fairy princess. To top the outfit off, she wore slightly heeled black sandals and had a beautiful white shawl to drape across her shoulders. Her only jewelry was her silver watch and a simple gold chain with a small turquoise teardrop that hung around her neck.

"Wo… you look amazing," I blurted. Her cheeks flushed slightly but she smiled.

"Thank you. So do you," she said, her eyes gazing from my shoes all the way up to the top of my head. I saw that she really did like the way I was dressed and it warmed me up so much inside that before I knew it, I stepped towards her and leaned down to kiss her neck, not wanting to chance messing up her lipstick.

"These are for you …. not for luck though, because you don't need luck," I murmured as I brought the bouquet of flowers out from behind my back and placed them into her hands. She really looked surprised and happy, her eyes locking with mine.

"Everyone can use a little extra luck sometimes. Thank you for the flowers, Bart … I …" she drifted off, her eyes suddenly widening. She put her hand to her mouth and laughed.

"What?" I asked, grimacing slightly.

"That's what you was being so sneaky about earlier, wasn't it? When I was moving my paintings. I thought you were up to something," she admitted, grinning at me. She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me so tightly I could feel the warmth of her body, smell she sweet scent of her shampoo, her perfume …. it made me dizzy.

"Well, we better get a move on. It's not polite to show up late for these things," Annie said and I laughed.

"I bet many get away with tardiness anyway," I said as we started towards the door. Annie paused when she saw the door had been locked and looked up at me, her eyebrow lifting curiously.

"Luke didn't make you get all jealous and possessive, did he?" she asked.

"Not much. I'm like that regardless," I admitted, grinning at her. She just smiled and shook her head before she unlocked the door and opened it. Luke stood a few feet away and glared at me as soon as he saw us. He wore a dark blue suit that perfectly matched his eyes.

"I was wondering if you two had already left. The door was locked," he icily said.

"I'm sorry if we worried you," Annie said, looking a bit concerned and shocked at Luke's behavior. I was beginning to doubt the fact that Luke was over Annie. He might have moved on years ago but it was obvious that he hadn't given up on her yet even if she had done the same to him.

"I feel so lucky to have two handsome men escorting me," Annie said, taking both of our arms as if she sensed the tension swirling around us.

"You should feel lucky. Tonight is your night to shine," I softly said as we started downstairs and onto the museum ….