Free Slice (The Elledge Family #1) by L Johnson

could.”
    “Awesome, you think you could even interview Lucas?”
    It was apparent that Lucas was someone important to me. They could tell by the way he smiled when he walked in the room. Then there was the fact that when he was not here he called me. He worked here sometimes when he finished his school work. It was an honor for them to have such an established author on their payroll. So he wrote occasional spotlight pieces. “I could.” I grimaced.
    “It’s just that he doesn’t really talk to any of the rest of us like he talks to you.
    “Yeah Ms. Tucker, is he your boyfriend?” Brent had developed a crush on me. It was not cute to me though. He was annoying. He wanted more than the friendship that I had to offer him and unfortunately for him it was the only thing that was on the table for him.
    “Just friends.” It was not a lie. Lucas and I had not laid a title to our new romance. Truth be told I wasn’t sure if I was ready to even step back into something. My heart was still a tad tattered from the battle of Philip.
    “That’s good to hear.” Brent smiled his tight lip smile that made his slanted brown eyes squint together even more. He then pushed his stringy brown hair from his face and winked at me. Brent had potential to be handsome, but it would take years of molding and sculpting. “I’ve heard some bad things about that guy.”
    “Like what?”
    Brent cleared his throat and turned towards me. He shrugged his shoulders almost knocking the square rimmed glasses to the ground. “For one, all of his ex-girlfriends have either gone missing or have been found dead.”
    I laughed at his tale. “You really are desperate aren’t you.”
    Ginger corrected, “It was only two. They just found one of them the other week. She was killed with her boyfriend at a family estate.”
    “You two are ridiculous.”
    “Just a warning Cypress.” Brent grew quiet as he stared out the front window. “Speak of the devil.”
    His Jeep whipped into the front parking spot by the door and he hopped out gracefully and made his way to the door. Lucas was effortlessly perfect. His white T-shirt fit tighter than normal revealing his chiseled arms and tattoos. I wasn’t sure how he was surviving without a coat on. The cool breeze of autumn had set in and it was not like home where a cool breeze just meant chilly weather for two or three months. It felt like the beginning stages of winter.
    “Lucas!” Ginger said. Her voice too chipper for my liking. I ignored it and continued to organize the few papers I had left on my desk.
    “Ginger,” He smiled. “How’s everything? I’m not bothering anyone am I?”
    “You’re the Editor.” She giggled throwing her shoulder forward. Her hands touched his chest and I exhaled.
    Lucas eyes locked on mine and his face lit up with amusement. “Busy Cypress?” Lucas nodded at Ginger and dismissed her with the quick look. He made his way to my small brown desk, shifting through the disarray of desks in the middle of the room. He perched himself on my desk. “How are you?”
    “Good.” I said quietly.
    “Are you liking it still?”
    My eyes darted at Ginger who had gone back to her desk. The model everything it seemed. “Sure.”
    “Ignore her love, you have me blinded.” His lips touched my forehead lightly. “What are your plans for today?”
    It soothed me to know that he cared enough to ease a fear I hadn’t fully formed yet. “I’m meeting with Asher.”
    His eyebrow shot up and he sighed. “The library kid?”
    “The library kid, he said that he could help me with some theories.”
    “I bet.” He smiled. “Could I borrow you after your lesson in personalities?”
    “Yes.” I closed my laptop. “What are we doing?”
    “Watching the stars’ weep.”
    “What?”
    “The shooting stars are passing through tonight.”
    “I can’t wait!” I shrieked unintentionally. The eyes were all on me, and I could feel the heat racing to match my mortification. “I