Gluttony (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2) Page 12

  “That’s all I needed. You got me the contact, I can do the rest. Seriously, thank you so much.” She reached into one of the boxes and pulled out a few bottles, She figured she better get started showing him what she had brought before she really did jump over the table and hug him.

  “Well then, I’m glad I could be of assistance.” Luc waved over a guy from the bar and had him bring them some glasses for the tasting. After he returned, she poured out a few different samples and waited while he tasted one at a time.

  Amanda gave a little description of each sample and mentioned prices, availability, and all the relevant details. Luc nodded a few times and made a few noncommittal noises as she went through everything. It wasn’t until after they were finished that he said any actual words.

  “I was thinking we should have dinner.”

  Amanda stopped in her tracks. She was frozen, speechless. Did he just ask her out… like on a date? Or was this some sort of business thing? He’d done her a favor, helped her more than she expected so soon, so did that mean she had an obligation to accept? Did she actually want to accept?

  “Don’t look so excited.” Luc chuckled. “I know the idea of dinner with me isn’t your number one choice of ways to spend the evening, but if you give me the benefit of the doubt, you might find that you could enjoy my company.”

  Still she said nothing.

  “You don’t have to answer now, if you’re still capable of speaking that is. Just think about it. You can let me know.”

  As soon as her body caught up with her brain, and her brain calmed down a bit, she nodded. What she meant to do was say yes, she would love to have dinner with him, but she couldn’t make the words come out of her mouth. She wasn’t even sure why she wanted to say them. It would have made more sense to ask him if he meant for business or pleasure, but again, words were proving too difficult.

  Luc pressed his lips together and his forehead furrowed. “Is that nod a yes you’ll think about it, or yes, you’ll have dinner with me?”

  “Well, I do like to eat,” she said, finally able to make words leave her mouth.

  “Wonderful, because I just so happen to be an excellent cook.”

  “Oh.” Amanda swallowed hard. “You’re planning on cooking for me.”

  “I was. Is that all right? If you’d feel more comfortable, we can go out. It’s just that restaurants are not the best place to get to know someone and I thought it would be good to have that opportunity.”

  Amanda could hear Toby already.

  I bet he wants to get to know you better.

  Now that he’ll have you all alone in his apartment, he can get to know all of you.

  What exactly is on the menu, an appetizer of Amanda, followed by a main course of Amanda, finished off by some Amanda a la mode?

  She shook off her Toby thoughts and tried to clear her mind of anything else dirty, which was proving more and more difficult as the afternoon went by.

  “That sounds good.” She wasn’t even sure why she’d agreed to it. Dinner was one thing, even if it might have been a date and not business, but she shouldn’t have agreed to it alone in his apartment.

  “Perfect. Do you have any preferences, as far as food goes? You’re not a picky eater, are you?”

  “I like pretty much everything, so anything you want to cook is fine with me.” A flash of Luc splayed out on a table, covered in salad ingredients went through her mind, and she quickly pushed it away.

  “Well, you’re easy.”

  You have no idea, Toby’s voice said in her head.

  “Um, I’m easy to feed anyway.”

  Luc gave her an odd smile. “It’s a start.”

  She wanted to ask him what the finish line led to, but she kept her mouth shut. She was already on a slippery slope and she needed to get the hell out of there before she did something she’d regret. Or maybe she wouldn’t regret it and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

  Either way, she was in for trouble.

  That was the only way that dinner alone with Lucifer Morningstar could possibly end.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Dinner.

  With Lucifer Morningstar.

  Alone in his apartment.

  What the hell did she agree to?

  Amanda went through about fifteen different outfits before she settled on one. Then she tossed it on her bed and went back to her closet. She still wasn’t sure what she was doing. She should just call him up and tell him she couldn’t make it. Of course, he was cooking, so that meant he’d bought all the ingredients and was probably halfway through preparing the meal. It would just be rude to cancel now. It wouldn’t be right to disregard him that way after he’d not only given her her big break, but recommended her to another business owner. One with a string of bars and restaurants all over the city. No, she had to go.

  “It looks like a tornado went through here. I’ve never seen you have trouble picking something out to wear. Are you nervous?” Toby stood in her doorway and watched her with a smug smirk on his face.

  “Of course not. I’m just not feeling any of these clothes right now. I think I need to buy some new stuff.”

  “Uh, no you don’t. That’s why you gave me your credit cards to lock up. You have no self-control. And you have plenty of clothes. Wear that one in the back there, the black one.”

  Amanda’s eyes went straight to the piece Toby was looking at. “You’re joking, right?” She pulled out the little black dress and held it up.

  “I am most definitely not joking. That’s hot and you’ll be hot in it. No, scorching hot. Put that on. You’ll blow his mind.”

  “There will be no blowing going on tonight. I need something with a little more, coverage.”

  “Like a nun’s habit?”

  “Maybe. It would be better than this dress.” She stuffed the dress back into the closet and slumped down on the edge of her bed. “I don’t think I can do this.”

  “Of course you can. And you are going to wear that dress.”

  “I am not.”

  “Don’t you trust me?” Toby bent down to her level and took her chin into his hand. “You have to live your life, Mandy. Just one night, let it all go.”

  Let go.

  Two small words that seemed so simple, but in reality, were the hardest she’d ever encountered. She didn’t know how to let go. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to. She was pretty sure she wasn’t at all ready to. But there she was, about to go to some hot guy’s house, for a little get to know you better dinner. Possibly in a skimpy black dress. She felt sick to her stomach.

  “No, I can’t do this.”

  Toby took her hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. “You’ve got this baby girl. I know you do. Look, I can’t pretend to know how you feel, or what you’ve gone through, but I do know you can’t wallow in it forever. What happened, happened. You have to find a way to move forward. I’m not saying forget, or bury all your feelings about him. I’m just saying, at least for this one night, let yourself believe that you deserve to keep living.”

  “And what if I don’t believe that?”

  “Then fake it till you make it, baby. It’s what all the broken people do who want to find the light on the other side. And maybe you don’t know if you actually want to find that light, but maybe if you just trusted me, and gave it a try, you’d find that I’m right. You know, because I always am.”

  “Pfft. Aren’t you all full of yourself?”

  Toby leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. “You know I love you, Mandy. I wouldn’t tell you to do something that wasn’t good for you. It’s one night. Give it a try, and if it doesn’t work out, then fine, you can go back to your miserable, celibate life, where the only pleasure you get is from drinking like an alcoholic.”

  She raised one eyebrow and stared at him without blinking. If she could hold out, she would be able to say no, and cancel the whole thing. She just had to hold on, stand her ground, do what she knew in her heart was right.


  And therein lied the rub.

  Her heart was staring to melt, and her eyes water, because she knew it wasn’t that cut and dry. Part of her fully believed that Toby was one hundred percent right about everything. It wasn’t her heart that was on the opposite side. It was her stupid brain. It kept up with the negative thoughts, telling her she deserved to be alone, that she’d killed Greg and now she should give up everything that made her feel good. It was ridiculous and stupid, but she couldn’t help it.

  And she blinked.

  And he knew he’d won.

  Toby walked over to the closet and pulled out the extremely short black dress. He looked it over and smiled. She cringed. It was exactly the kind of thing she’d have worn on a date before Greg died. Hell, she’d have worn it to go to the garden market on a Saturday afternoon, just to get the attention of the bored men in monogamous relationships, who wanted to be anywhere in the world, but at the garden market.

  “Fine. I’ll go.”

  “And you’ll wear the dress.” It wasn’t a question. He wasn’t about to let it go until he got his way.

  Typical Toby.

  “I’ll wear the stupid dress.”

  “The only thing stupid about this dress is how stupid hot you’re going to look in it. You did shave your legs, right?” He glanced down at her pajama pants, as if he could see through the material down to her stubbly calves.

  “I haven’t showered yet.”

  “Get your ass in that shower you dirty bitch.” He held his arm up and pointed toward the bathroom.

  “Sheesh, fine. I’m going.” She was glad to end the conversation and stop thinking about that night. Or anything at all. The shower was the one place she could go and clear her mind of anything and everything. She was definitely looking forward to that fifteen minutes of peace. It was likely the only moments she would get all night.

  ***

  It didn’t matter that Luc was an amazing cook. It took him half the day to decide what he even wanted to make. She’d said she wasn’t picky, but he still wanted to make the exact right thing. If that even existed, which it probably did, and he would probably get it wrong.

  In the end, he settled on an herb seared salmon, garlic roasted potatoes, and brussels sprouts in a brown butter based sauce with cranberries. It wasn’t the fanciest dish he could make, but it was one of his favorites. It was the dish that changed the minds of all brussels sprouts haters who tried it. If she hated it, he could always order pizza.

  After doing the shopping, because he didn’t trust any of his employees to pick out the perfect ingredients, and they had to be perfect, he showered, dressed, and straightened up his apartment. Thanks to Az, it needed a good cleaning. He’d also made sure he warned his idiot, intruding brother to stay away for the evening. He wasn’t expecting the date to go further than dinner and some good conversation, but Luc didn’t want to share any of his time with her.

  It was a little tempting to take a peek in the mirror and see what she was up to. He wasn’t one hundred percent certain she would show up. Luc tried to keep the negative thoughts out of his mind, but he was a bit worried that she would call any time, and have an excuse to cancel.

  After his talk with Toby, and since this date was his idea, Luc was hoping that he would be able to convince Amanda to show up, if she did try to chicken out. If she didn’t come, there was nothing he could do about it. He would continue on, as if she was definitely showing up. If she didn’t, he would deal with that when the time came.

  The table was set perfectly, for the first time since he’d bought the thing. This was the first time he’d cooked for a woman in longer than he could remember, and he had an excellent memory. Most of the women Luc invited to his apartment spent their visit in his bedroom, not the kitchen.

  Amanda was different.

  Hell, Luc was different.

  All the crap his brother and Harley had given him about this game changing him, and there he was, admitting that it had changed him. Or maybe it wasn’t even the game. Maybe it was just the realization that he wanted someone in his life to love, that loved him back, and not because of who he was. He wasn’t sure what to think anymore.

  Getting to know Ronnie Falcon had certainly changed him. Trying to get to know Amanda, and failing, had also changed him. Luc wasn’t sure how different he would be at the end of the seven months, but he knew the whole process was making him a different man. Hopefully, it was for the better.

  “Lucifer?” Harley stuck her head into the front door and waited for an invite before going further. Once he waved her in, she met him in the kitchen. “Amanda just showed up. Are you ready for me to show her back, or do you want me to keep her occupied up in the bar until you’re ready?”

  “I’m ready for her. You can show her back.” Luc was putting the finishing touches on the side dishes. The salmon he would finish while she was there so it didn’t get dried out.

  “You look weird.”

  “Weird how?” Luc wiped his hands off on a towel and ran it over the counter to clear away any stray crumbs.

  “Like you’re nervous. Are you nervous?” Harley came up to him and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead the way a mother checks a child for fever.

  “I’m not nervous.” He pushed her off. “And what exactly is that supposed to tell you?”

  “No, you’re lying. You are nervous.” Harley stepped back and grazed her eyes over him with a half-smile. “Lucifer Morningstar, nervous over a date.”

  “I am most certainly not nervous. I’m the King of Hell. I don’t get nervous. And this isn’t a date. It’s just dinner.”

  “Yeah, a dinner date.”

  “The devil doesn’t do dates.”

  “He does now.” Harley laughed deep from her belly. “Did you really think you weren’t going to have to have dates to find your soul mate? That is an important part of this whole thing.”

  “You never said anything about dates.”

  Ronnie Falcon didn’t need dates. Luc wasn’t even sure he knew the difference between having dinner and a dinner date. That was definitely not his areas of expertise.

  “Oh Lucifer. What am I going to do with you? Maybe we should have done some practice runs before we started the actual game. I’m not sure you’re ready for all this.”

  Luc was starting to get the idea that she was right. After Ronnie, he felt optimistic. Sure, it wasn’t right with her, but things went well. They’d connected, gotten to know each other, and he’d helped her make a positive change in her life. Everything worked out for the best. Since he’d met Amanda though, his confidence in this whole thing had plummeted. It had taken nearly half their time together just to get her to have dinner with him.

  “Well, it’s too late now. Just send her back please. I don’t want the brussels sprouts getting cold.”

  “Brussels sprouts? That’s what you’re feeding her on a date? You know a lot of people hate those smelly things, right?”

  “Not the way I make them and I don’t need a food critique. Just send her back.” He gave her the look that said he was serious and she just sighed before walking out.

  Luc looked down at his perfectly cooked vegetables and shook his head. He wasn’t going to second guess himself. Everyone loved his brussels sprouts, even those who swore they hated them. Maybe she wouldn’t enjoy his company, but she damn well would love his food.

  “Hello?” Amanda stuck her head in the same way Harley had and Luc hurried to the door to greet her.

  “So glad you made it.” He helped her out of her coat and draped it over a chair.

  “Me too.”

  “To be honest, I was afraid you would cancel on me.”

  “In the spirit of honesty, I almost did.” Her cheeks pinked, complementing the pale blue of her eyes, which stood out even more against the backdrop of the sexiest little black dress.

  “I like honesty, but I like that you showed up even more.” Luc led her over to the kitchen area and poured her a glass of wine
. He had no idea if she even liked wine, or whether she preferred red or white, but she took the glass, so he would take that as a good sign.

  “Mmm. This is good.” She slid onto one of the stools at the counter and sipped off her drink.

  “It’s a little something I save for special occasions.”

  “And this is a special occasion?”

  “It is. I have a very special, extremely beautiful woman to share the evening with. I can think of no more important an occasion.” Luc avoided looking at her for the moment and went about starting the salmon.

  “Well thank you. I guess we’re having salmon?”

  “We are. Is that okay? If not, I can—”

  “No, no. That’s fine. I love salmon.” She took a long sip off her drink and tried to keep her hands from shaking. “Like I told you, I like most food.”

  Luc’s mind immediately went to wondering what else she liked, but he pushed those thoughts away and focused on the dinner.

  “What are your feelings on brussels sprouts? I’ve been informed that it may have been a poor choice, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like mine.”

  “I actually love them. Boiled, broiled, roasted, hell, I’d probably eat them raw. So, good choice.”

  Luc looked up and they made eye contact. She held it for a few seconds, turned a darker pink, and looked down at her wine glass.

  “I love a women who’s passionate about her vegetables.”

  Maybe that was where she fit in with gluttony. Brussels sprouts. And alcoholic beverages. Luc shook his head to himself and hoped she hadn’t noticed. He was losing it. He had to keep his head in the game. Just focus on the food, he told himself.

  “I’m very passionate about food.”

  Candis and her competitive eating flashed through Luc’s mind and he immediately pushed it away.

  “I mean, uh, Toby would say I have an unhealthy relationship with food. As in romantic. I mean, not that I…” She gulped down the remainder of her wine and pushed her glass toward him for a refill.