Like a Boss - Annabelle Costa Page 0,37

how awful for him,” her friend replies. “No wonder he keeps it quiet.”

I feel a surge of resentment. I know for a fact that Luke wouldn’t want people in the audience to pity him. What, just because he’s in a wheelchair, his life is awful? That’s absolutely not true.

And moreover, he looks really sexy in that suit. Why aren’t they discussing that?

“I know you’re all here to find out how to make some serious money in business,” Luke is saying at the front of the room. “My first tip: Have rich parents.”

There’s a round of laughter from the audience. It’s true Luke came from a wealthy family, but from what I’ve read online, it sounds like Thayer Industries was stagnant and even struggling when Luke took over the company. In the four years he’s been CEO, the company doubled in value. I have no idea how he did it, but needless to say, Luke’s a smart guy and a phenomenal businessman.

The audience sits in rapt attention as Luke speaks, throwing around some economic concepts that are pretty much jargon to me. Sometimes I wish I had taken some economics classes in college. Of course, Luke went to business school after college and has an MBA (from Harvard, where else?). He told me he completed his degree a month before his accident.

The lecture is forty-five minutes, and afterward, several students rush onstage to ask Luke some questions. I can’t even get near him for at least another forty minutes—I’m tempted to leave and take the bus back home before the last student finally leaves.

“Sorry,” Luke says to me. “I told you that you’d be bored.”

“I wasn’t bored,” I say. Okay, I was slightly bored. But he’s so charismatic and such a great speaker, it was fun to watch him, even though I had no idea what he was talking about. “You’re a really good speaker.”

“Well, thanks.”

“I always thought you were going to become a politician. I thought for sure you would. Weren’t you class president?”

“That I was.” He frowns. “I thought about politics—I really enjoyed it—but after my accident...”

“What are you talking about?” I say. “There are politicians that use wheelchairs.”

He nods and looks down at his legs. “Yeah, but not me.”

“Are you serious? Because if it’s something you really want—”

“Ellie.” He looks up sharply. “I said I’m not interested. This isn’t something I’m going to debate with you.”

I bite my tongue to keep from saying anything else. Obviously, he made up his mind a long time ago.

Ed returns to help him bump down the stairs. He holds onto his legs to keep them in place, but he still has to adjust himself at the bottom.

“Thanks for giving the talk, Luke,” Ed says.

Luke nods. “My pleasure.”

This is the time when they might have shaken hands, but instead, Ed just pats Luke on the shoulder. The gesture seems patronizing, and I catch a look of irritation on Luke’s face.

After Ed walks away, Luke loosens his tie and tugs open the top button on his expensive white shirt. As good as Luke looks in his suit and tie, he looks sexier when he’s slightly casual. It occurs to me I’ve never even seen him in a T-shirt before, at least not since college. Or shirtless.

Shit, why am I thinking about that? Stop it, Ellie!

“So,” he says. “Can I treat you to dinner? Make it up to you for having to sit through that?”

“Um…” I want to say yes, but I’m disturbed by the thoughts I’ve been having about Luke lately. I’ve been spending too much time with him. I consider telling him I have plans, but then I remember how he always seems to know what I’m thinking and especially when I’m lying.

“Nothing fancy,” Luke adds. “There’s a wicked good bar around here that serves, believe it or not, the best lobster rolls in New England. Under ten dollars.”

“I find that hard to believe,” I say.

“I guarantee it,” he says. “You go up to Maine, you won’t find anything better. Come on, let’s get some lobstah.”

“All right,” I agree reluctantly. I’m hungry, I suppose. A casual dinner won’t be so bad. “But only on one condition: you have to let me treat.”

“That seems fair.” Luke grins at me. “I mean, I bought you a five-thousand-dollar dress yesterday, so… I guess this will even things up.”

I really hate Luke sometimes.

He leads me through the Yard and into Harvard Square. One thing that always shocked me about the Square was the number of homeless people