Like a Boss - Annabelle Costa Page 0,57
As we sit in the pizza parlor, I rant to Luke about how much I disliked the movie.
“Why does she even like that guy?” I say. “Furthermore, how come he’s so dumb that he keeps robbing banks even though the police are after him? Nobody is actually that dumb.”
“Haven’t you ever heard of suspension of disbelief?” Luke retorts.
“Suspension of disbelief?” I snort. “This wasn’t, like, some fantasy movie.”
“Actually,” Luke says, “while the term ‘suspension of disbelief’ was first coined to describe reading about the supernatural, the modern use of the term has been expanded to include somewhat unrealistic plot vehicles.”
“You mean plot holes,” I say. “That’s total bullshit. So a plot doesn’t make sense and you put the onus on me to suspend my disbelief? Come on.”
“Well, Ellie,” he says, “if you were familiar with any of the works of Shakespeare, you’d realize that suspension of disbelief is an essential component of theater. He says it himself in the prologue to Henry V.”
“You know,” I huff, “I actually have read…”
I’m about to tick off a list of the works of Shakespeare that I ended up reading in my Tragedies class in college, but then I see that Luke is grinning at me. “What?” I say.
“Nothing,” he says, still smiling. “I just… I love you.”
At first, I’m at a loss for what to say. “You love me because I hated that stupid movie?”
“Yes, partially,” he says. “I also love you because I can’t shut you up when you have an opinion about something. I love you because you’re the most intelligent woman I’ve ever met. I love you because of how cute you look when you’re arguing with me… and when you’re not. And… I just love you. Just because.” He pauses. “You don’t have to say it back. No pressure.”
“I don’t feel pressured,” I say. “I… I love you too.”
Luke nods at our half-eaten pizza. “You want to get out of here?”
I’m once again amazed and pleased by Luke’s ability to know exactly what I’m thinking.
Chapter 23
These days, Luke doesn’t work quite as hard as he used to. For example, it’s a Sunday morning now, and instead of being at work (as he usually would be), we are lazing around in bed together. My head rests on his muscular shoulder, my leg is draped over him, and his arm is wrapped around my body. I lift my eyes to look at his face.
“Are you itching to do some work?” I tease him.
“A little,” he admits. He squeezes me best he can. “But mostly, I just want to spend the rest of the day in bed with you.”
“That can be arranged…”
Whatever would have happened right then gets interrupted by the sound of his cell phone ringing. Luke groans, but he reaches over to grab the phone. He may have loosened up a little, but not enough to ignore a phone call, even on a Sunday morning—God, I hope he doesn’t have to go to the office. But when I look at the screen, I see the name “Sophie Thayer.”
“Let me see what she wants,” he says. He taps on the screen with his knuckle. “Hi, Mom. What’s going on?” He listens for a moment. “Yes. She’s here…”
I raise my eyebrows at him. They’re talking about me.
“About what?” His jaw tightens as he listens. “Now?” Then he lets out a sigh and looks at me. “My mother wants to talk to you. Is that okay?”
It’s more than okay. I’m dying to know what Luke’s mother wants to say to me.
Luke put the phone on speaker, and Sophie’s melodious voice drifts from his iPhone. “Ellie! How are you, darling?”
“I’m fine, Sophie,” I say. “How are you?”
“We’re missing Luke very much and also wanting to get to know you better. Would the two of you come for dinner tonight?”
Luke is mouthing “no” and shaking his head emphatically. “Sure,” I say.
“Mom, I’m very busy with work tonight,” Luke protests, which is a dirty lie. He has already promised to take me out to dinner tonight.
“Well, Ellie already said yes,” she says. She was clever to get me on the phone. “And we miss you so much, sweetheart. Please. Just stay for an hour.”
Luke grits his teeth. As much as he does not want to go, he has a soft spot for his mother. “All right, but Dad needs to be on his best behavior. If he starts in on—”
“He’ll be good. I promise.”
Luke rolls his eyes, but he agrees to the dinner. When he hangs