Chapter 6: Bundt Cakes and Personal History

Chapter 6: Bundt Cakes and Personal History

(Now)

Luke motioned to the bartender, ordering another round for both of them. To Bella he joked, "So Bundt cakes, huh? I like Bundt cakes."

"Hmm, what? Oh! Bundt cakes. Well, you know how morning shows go. Recipes, fashion, pets, don't hold fireworks in your hands…True story—we once had two guests nearly come to blows arguing over whether potato salad should be hot or cold," she laughed. "No, seriously, you can't make that up!"

Luke shook his head laughing. "Wow! And I thought my job was dangerous."

Bella raised her wine glass to his Scotch. "To dangerous jobs!" They toasted, chuckling as they did so. Just to fill the silence, "So you've been in news since 9/11? What did you do before that?"

He smiled slightly. He'd noticed her eyes glaze over as he was talking earlier, figured she wasn't listening. "Well, like I said," slowly, as if speaking to a child, "I was in the Navy. Special Ops. I was a photog, and a lot of times they'd send me in posing as a journalist. I'd get intel in places uniformed military couldn't get into. We did a few joint operations with British Special Forces, which is where I met Bear."

Bella blushed, embarrassed. She took another sip of wine before speaking. "I am so sorry! I guess I zoned out when you were telling me. God, you must think I'm a ditz. I just have a lot on my mind. I mean, I've traveled a lot, but just for pleasure. And I've done news, but this is something completely different." She looked up at him earnestly. "I really want to make this great."

God she's pretty when she blushes, he thought to himself. Almost makes up for putting me on ignore. "Yeah, this is a different animal," Luke agreed.

He'd noticed that with each sip of wine she had slightly more of a Southern accent. "Do I hear a little bit of a drawl?" he asked, smiling.

"You do, sir," accent more exaggerated, and then she giggled. "I try to cover it up but sometimes it sneaks out a little. I'm from Alabama originally. Birmingham. Ever hear of Grant Steel? That's my family."

"Holy shit! You're a gen-u-wine Southern debutante!" he mocked playfully.

"No, I am, for real! I was presented to proper Birmingham society when I was 18." She rolled her eyes. "I had the white dress, wrist corsage, the whole nine yards. Can you believe that?!" Bella shook her head. "Yep, I was supposed to marry some investment banker and pop out little trust fund babies." She took a bigger swig of wine. "No thank you. Not for me."

She looked at Luke. "After that summer, I left home, went to school at Columbia. My major was English with a minor in journalism. After graduation, I got a job as a reporter at a station in Austin. Let me tell you, my father was pissed!" She laughed humorlessly.

"Wow. You never married, then?" he ventured.

"Oh, yes, I did. I'm pretty sure I did it mostly to further piss off my father. There was this musician in a bar in Austin. He had a band. Go figure," she rolled her eyes again. "I was young and stupid. He had a fondness for tequila, and then for hitting me." Luke looked at her, shocked. Bella shrugged. "I stuck with him way longer than I should have, but I couldn't let my father be right. I left him when I'd finally had enough. Got a reporter job in Anaheim, about as far away from Austin as I could get, then divorced his ass." She waved for another glass of wine.

Luke sat quietly, taking in this revelation.

"So is there a Mrs. McGillicutty around somewhere?" she asked casually, taking a sip.

"No!" Luke replied emphatically. "No, no, no," shaking his head with each word.

"So…no, then?" she said, mockingly, resting her chin in her palm and regarding him levelly.

Luke laughed. "I mean, there was once. But that was years ago. I was never really in one place long enough. As you can see, I travel light. Most women have a lot more baggage," he smirked, playfully.

"What?!" she laughed. "Ok, I may have to concede that point. You haven't seen my big-ass Louis! It could house a small family."

Luke's phone rang and he checked the screen. "Finally! It's Charlie. Hey, old man!"

As he spoke with Charlie, Bella watched him carefully. He was really quite nice looking; she didn't know how she hadn't noticed before. And she was very much enjoying their conversation. He was attentive and funny and… Just stop it right now, she chided herself. This is a professional relationship. Keep your head in the game.

"I can't believe you're doing this!" he was saying into the phone. Bella frowned, wondering what was wrong. He hung up with Charlie and looked at her with a grim smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "How do you feel about Edinburgh?"

"Edinburgh," she repeated, blinking, as she dug her tablet out of her bag and fired it up, beginning a search for Edinburgh. She made a mental note to ask Luke later what that was all about. "When is our flight?"