Eliza hadn't stopped thinking about Luke all week.There was something about the forbidden romance vibe that, for some reason she couldn't quite explain, was incredibly seductive.
It was as if she had turned into a lovesick teenager again, hormones running wild. Fantasizing about a crush, touching herself multiple times a day.
Maybe it was a repressed desire to go back in time and reclaim the eighteen years she lost in an unhappy marriage. Or maybe it was just a case of sexual withdrawal messing with her judgment.
The truth is, Luke had become the remedy for the boredom she felt.
When Friday finally arrived, the day of the dinner at Mary's house, she was nervous. Like a girl going on her first date.
She took a long shower, deep conditioned her hair, exfoliated her skin, shaved her legs. She got ready as if she were preparing for a date — a date she hoped would end with a happy ending.
Of course, it was still a family dinner. Her kids would be there. She couldn't wear something provocative, do killer makeup, or spend the evening teasing and seducing Luke. As much as she fantasized about doing just that.
She still had to keep up the image of a good divorced mother. But there was a chance they might brush against each other. If it happened, she wanted him to feel the softness of her skin — so she used her best moisturizer.
If they greeted with a hug, she wanted him to smell her perfume. If, by fate, their legs touched under the table, she wanted to be freshly shaved. That's why her shower had taken so long.
Luckily, her kids hadn't noticed anything — or at least hadn't let on that they had.
She was so anxious and rushed the kids so much that they arrived early.
"Welcome! It's been so long since we last saw each other," Mary greeted them warmly.
She was still the same wonderful person as always. A friend Eliza could always count on. At that moment, she felt a bit guilty for having spent the entire week fantasizing about her friend's son. Guilt that, for some reason, was also exciting.
Luke wasn't there yet, which left Eliza slightly disappointed.
— "Is it just us today?" she asked, curious about Luke but trying to hide it.
— "No, John went to the store to get some drinks, but he should be back soon. Luke is coming straight from work, should be here any minute too."
Eliza felt relieved. She really was acting like a lovestruck girl.
— "You and Luke would make such a cute couple!" Eliza jumped when Mary said that. But then realized her friend was talking about Clary.
— "A little romance would do you some good, Clary," she said, feeling a little guilty for using her daughter to cover up her real interest.
— "Mom!" Clary protested, but Eliza noticed that her daughter actually liked the idea.
Were mother and daughter crushing on the same guy? Once again, that same strange mix of guilt and excitement.
— "Luke's grown into a really handsome man," Eliza added, teasing Clary.
— "I know," her daughter's response caught Eliza off guard.
— "Oh yeah? Have you two seen each other since we moved back here?"
— "No, but there's this thing called Instagram, you know, Mom?"
Their conversation was interrupted when the door opened. Luke had arrived home.
— "Oh. Good evening, everyone. You're already here."
Right behind him came a young woman, stunning. Probably his age — a girlfriend? Eliza was already feeling jealous. Once again, conflicting feelings. As ridiculous as she felt acting like a teenage girl, she also felt alive — for allowing herself to feel, even if it was just in her fantasies.
— "This is Tiffany, my boss. When I told her I couldn't go to the company happy hour because of a family dinner, she wouldn't stop bugging me to bring her. I hope you don't mind, Mom."
Luke started greeting everyone in the room. Eliza's heart pounded as he got closer.
When he finally got to her, she could smell his scent, feel the touch of his skin as he kissed her cheek — his hand gently brushing her arm during the hug.
For a second, she was in a trance, imagining how that innocent greeting would become fuel for many, many solo sessions.
— "Tiffany is always welcome, sweetheart," Mary's words snapped Eliza out of her daze.
No one had noticed, right? But when she saw the sly expression on Tiffany's face, she wasn't so sure. Her instincts told her the girl knew exactly what was going on in her head.
— "Are you two dating?" Eliza asked Luke and Tiffany.
— "What? No, she's just my boss and a friend."
— "Luke's a total snack, but I swing another way," Tiffany added.
The way she looked at Eliza when she said that sent shivers down the woman's spine. Was the girl flirting with her?
Dinner went on, and the way Tiffany seemed more interested in Eliza than in any other topic confirmed Eliza's suspicion: the girl was definitely flirting.
She was also sure Tiffany had picked up on her interest in Luke. The subtle yet pointed remarks made it obvious.
Luke, for some reason, seemed uncomfortable — almost embarrassed. It brought out a shy side of him. Eliza caught him looking at her several times, only for him to quickly look away when he saw she was looking back.
Could their feelings be mutual?
As the night progressed, she became more and more convinced they were. All that sexual tension — between her and Luke, her and Tiffany — was incredibly arousing to Eliza.
It was all completely inappropriate. Every logical alarm in her brain was blaring, warning her she was stepping into dangerous territory. But for the first time in months — no, in years — she felt truly alive.
— "I think my mom should get a job. I don't know why she still accepts being financially dependent on my dad," Clary's comment pulled Eliza out of yet another daydream.
— "You're distracted tonight, Mom," Caleb chimed in, and she started paying more attention to what was going on around her.
— "She could come work with me," for some reason, Luke choked on his food just as Tiffany said that.
— "Our line of work doesn't really suit Aunt Eliza," Luke added quickly.
— "On the contrary, I think she'd be perfect. My gut never fails me."
— "Just because she's older doesn't mean she can't work with internet stuff," Mary defended Eliza.
— "What exactly do you do?" Eliza asked, her curiosity piqued.
Before answering, Tiffany exchanged a look with Luke. Clearly, there was some secret. Some illegal activity? Were they part of a mafia? Eliza's imagination began to race — though she could never guess the truth.
— "You could say we're a kind of online service start-up."
— "I think Luke's right. My mom's terrible with technology, and this job of yours doesn't sound like it's for her," Caleb said.
— "We don't offer any technical service…" Luke gave Tiffany a little kick under the table. "Well, what we do is boring, so let's not ruin the mood with explanations. What we really need isn't technical skill — it's life experience."
— "My mom's got plenty of that," Caleb added, and Eliza wanted to smack him.
Eliza wasn't sure what exactly it was, but she knew there was something behind that "life experience" comment. Which made her even more curious — especially about what Luke actually did at that company.
— "What do you do at this company, Luke?" she asked.
— "Cybersecurity. I lead the cybersecurity team. I'm not part of the service provider group." The way he said "service provider" made it even clearer that something was being left unsaid.
— "If she's offering a job, you should take it, Mom," Clary said.
— "Why don't you come visit our office on Monday? I'll show you everything, and then you can decide," Tiffany said, now with a tone almost like a command.
— "Sure, I'd love the opportunity," Eliza replied, intrigued. She wasn't sure if she actually wanted the job, but the mystery excited her.
— "Great. Luke, bring her with you when you come to work on Monday," Tiffany ordered.
— "Uh... right? Sure, I'll bring her," he replied, sounding a bit uncomfortable.
The night ended without any more major events. Eliza went home with her imagination racing, fantasizing about what might happen on Monday.
For the first time in a long time, she felt whole. It was as if life had become interesting again.