I crossed my legs and surveyed the restaurant to distract myself, taking in the opulent gold accents and framed artwork lining the walls. The other tables were largely occupied by people at least ten years older than us, all well-dressed and well-groomed. I wouldn’t have chosen this place myself, given the chance, but Luke had surprised me. It was the thought that counted, right?

After another minute, he shut the menu and set it aside. As if we’d summoned him, our server instantly reappeared. He was astonishingly tall, reed-thin, and looked like he would blow away in a heavy breeze.

“What can I get you started with this evening?” He gave us a bland smile that said he didn’t believe we could afford to be here. It was half-true.

“We’ll take a bottle of the River Estates Cabernet Sauvignon,” Luke said, handing him the wine menu.

“Excellent choice.” The server gave us a little bow before turning on his heel and leaving.

I hoped he would return soon so we could order dinner. After living on peanut butter sandwiches for a month to afford the little black dress I was wearing, the thought of seeing a loaf of Wonder bread or a jar of Jif ever again made me want to hurl. Now I was ravenously hungry for real food, though the menu was written entirely in French, which I couldn’t speak, let alone read.

Luke reached across the ivory tablecloth and took my hand. He stroked the back of it with his thumb. “I’ve been thinking a lot about after graduation.”

“Do you have news?” Excitement bubbled in my stomach. I leaned closer, studying his face in the candlelight. “Who does Gavin think will bite?”

As captain of Callingwood’s Division I hockey team, the Bulldogs, Luke’s game had been solid over the last year. A number of NHL teams had showed an interest in signing him, which gave him a degree of bargaining power and almost guaranteed he would go to the league.

The big question now was which team he’d sign with. Specifically, which team his agent, Gavin Harper, could squeeze the best offer out of.

He drew in a breath and flashed me a tense smile. “That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about, actually.”

My stomach fluttered. “Okay.”

This was it. We were finally going to make a plan. Long-distance would be tough, but we could do it. It was only for a year while I finished college. I could fly to him, he could fly to me, and in the off-season, we could live in the same city. Plus, we could FaceTime every day. Totally doable.