I smiled and cocked my head.

"The sand is terrible, isn't it?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted me before I could agree.

"Would you like to ditch this joint? I also despise formalities, and ties, and boring business meetings."

"So we can leave?"

"You're mine for the next few hours. We can do whatever our little hearts' desire, and I can guarantee that does not include long walks on the beach."

He stood and placed his hand on the small of my back and led me from the cramped space of box number twenty-six.

Luke found Jesse and Mr. Felton at the exit.

"We are leaving. Be back before curfew."

I heard a slight edge in his voice. The three of them turned and looked at me. Jesse rolled her eyes just to confirm that she still hated me. Mr. Felton lifted his eyebrows as if to ask if leaving was okay, and I nodded my head. Why the hell did he have to look at me with such intensity? Fucking Finnley Felton fucking with my feelings. Or maybe it was my emotions playing tricks on me?

Luke left Mr. Felton with a firm handshake and headed toward me with a smile on his face.

"Since that's settled, where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere but here."

He opened his arm for me to link onto. Before we left, I looked over my right shoulder and saw Mr. Felton watching me leave. I winked at him and turned around.

Take that, Mr. Fuckton.

"Is everything okay?" Luke asked.

"It is now."

Once outside, the cool air drifted across my legs, and I soaked in the fall breeze. He opened the door to the white Volvo, and I slipped in.

"I think I've got the perfect place for us to get to know one another a little better."

Within ten minutes, we were pulling into the entrance of a park. I lifted my eyebrows and turned to Luke.

"You'll love this place, I promise."

We walked toward a pond. Along the bank of the water were benches occupied with kissing couples. He led me one in front of the playground and then checked his watch.

"Just wait," he said.

A light breeze rustled the leaves behind us, and he leaned his shoulder into mine. The apple scent of his body mixed with the cool night air. Without warning, lights across the pond flashed and blinked. The trees branches glittered and danced like they were synchronized to music. Then the finale happened, and all the lights on the trees lit up at once and then slowly faded away to nothing.

"That was awesome! I've only seen things like that on television."

"Isn't it? I used to come here all the time when I was bored and contemplated life and love. If you play Chopin Nocturne Opus 9 as soon as it starts, it syncs nicely."

"Really? Classical music?"

"Yep. I love a good Chopin, Bach, or Beethoven. Occasionally Mozart. The music clears my mind whenever I'm working."

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a painter."

He looked at me, and I looked back. Luke was pure man and pure sexiness. Weeks ago, I would've imagined this night to be full of sex, and sleaze, and everything nasty under the moon.

"Want to swing?"

I laughed, totally not what I expected.

"Um… sure."

I kicked off my heels, and Luke threw off his suit jacket and loosened his tie.

"Last one there is a rotten egg?"

I ran to the playground barefoot. Forget the etiquette. Forget the training. I hadn't been on a swing set since I was a little girl, and though the gesture seemed childlike, it felt nice to let go and push my feet toward the sky. The swings screeched and urged us to stop, but we didn't.

"You aren't like most of Felton's girls, you know."

"Really?"

"Not at all."

"Luke, what's your story? Why did you choose to use The Elite? You seem like the kind of guy who doesn't need a call service."

He lifted an eyebrow, contemplated answering me, and then continued. I wasn't supposed to ask questions like that, but I felt comfortable with him.

"Too many women have used me. They try to be genuine, but aren't. With The Elite, I'm able to find someone who I am compatible with on many levels with no hidden agendas. No lies. It makes it easy. We are all on the same page. Now it's your turn. Why The Elite?

We continued to swing on the hard plastic until we wore ourselves out. Gripping the cold chains, I thought about my life, goals, ambitions, and dreams.

"It was an accident, sorta. Something that just happened. I moved to Vegas with aspirations of becoming an accountant at Simon and Fitch."

"Really? What happened?"

"I didn't get hired. Actually, I was turned away at my interview for being one minute late."

"Who would do such a thing? Don't stop dreaming. You've got greatness inside of you. I can tell."

"No, you can't." I dug my bare feet into the sand.

"I don't have to know someone to be able to judge their character. This might sound crazy, but… I feel like I've known you forever, like a long lost friend that I was reunited with again."

"Yeah, I get that sometimes. I think it's the southern hospitality thing that's engrained in me."

"I've got another confession to make."

Luke completely stopped swinging and glanced over at me.

"I'd like to go on another date with you. I promise no beaches."

"I'd like that."

"Great. I'll arrange it with Felton when we return. Which"—he glanced at his watch—"we should probably head back."

After dusting off my feet and placing on my heels, Luke's suit jacket found its way around my shoulders.

The ride back to the office happened in slow motion. Luke's laughter was contagious, deep and hearty. The genuine smile he gave me, and the way his crystal blue eyes lit up as he looked at me, made me feel pretty.

He led me to Mr. Felton's office, and our images reflected on the glass. With tousled hair and clammy faces, we looked as if we experienced a night of wild sex.

Mr. Felton sat at his desk, fully focused on paperwork. When we entered, he didn't acknowledge us whatsoever.

"Here she is. Ten o' clock."

No response. He continued to write vigorously as if he would tear straight through the paper.

Luke turned my body away from my cheery boss and gave me the sweetest kiss on the cheek, then whispered in my ear, "Until we meet again."

He left me in Mr. Felton's office, a place I hadn't visited in weeks. I glanced at the floor, and then focused my attention out the window and watched the city lights. I stood firmly with messy hair and Luke's jacket on my shoulders.

I waited for Mr. Bossman to give the command to sit. Because as an Elite, we must be instructed before we can act, speak when spoken to. Follow Rules.

Minutes passed before he finished writing. Once he did, Mr. Felton shut the black notebook, put down the pen, and looked at me.

"Have a good time, did you?" The edge in his voice returned.

"I did, thank you."

"I assume you are still a virgin after your rendezvous with Luketon?"

"Your assumption would be correct."

"Are you sure? You look a little disheveled and flustered."

"If he did stick it in, I didn't feel it. So I guess you'll have to trust me, won't you?"

With the word trust, he gave a devilish grin.

"Trust. I've learned to trust those who are trustworthy. Is that you, Ms. Downs? Are you trustworthy?"

"Yes."

"You would do anything that I told you to and tell me the truth if I asked?"

"Yes."

"There is no reason to lie to me if I ask you a question, is there?"

"No."

"So, Ms. Downs, did you have a good time tonight?"

"Yes. I did, sir."

He stalked toward me with as much fluidity as a cat.

"What did you call me?"

He gave a chuckle as if he were experiencing an inside joke with himself.

"It sounds quite nice coming from your lips. Continue to call me that instead of Mr. Felton until I say. Do you understand?"

"Yes… sir." I hesitated.

I did it to be sarcastic, and now, he wanted it as if it turned him on in some fucked up way.

"Did he kiss you?"

"No." He cleared his throat. "Sir," I added quickly.

"Did he touch you in inappropriate places?"

"No, sir."

"Did you want him to?"

I hesitated again. I hadn't thought of Luke touching me anywhere throughout the whole night. The date wasn't full of sexual tension and getting naked. It was innocent and fun.

"Answer me." Harshness blanketed his tone, and I flinched.

"No, sir. It wasn't like that."

Mr. Felton walked toward the window and peered out at the busy streets and groups of people pounding the pavement.

"You may sit, Jennifer."

I sat in the chair across from his desk, and waited for him to address me, but he seemed lost in the city.

"Luketon will ask for another date. And you may go if you would like. But you can refuse the offer if you'd rather not."

"I would like another date… sir."

"Great," he said flatly. "You can leave now."

I pushed the chair under the desk and laid the coat jacket on the back. Mr. Felton would see Luke before I did.

As I turned the doorknob to leave, he grabbed my hand. I turned, but refused to look into his eyes. His jaw clenched, and he lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. No words exchanged between us, just a weird electricity as if our bodies were speaking in a language that neither one of us understood. He released my wrist, and flicked his head insinuating I should leave.