New role play

Luke listened to her reply, "That's something I don't really believe..." Her voice didn't break its determination. He sat in silence and not sure what to say, it's hard when a guy is shut down and that's when he heard a bottle open on her end, "Wine?" He heard a confirmation and for him to open his beer.

Hour later, beers later and wine for her they were both laughing, "You know, you know how to make a guy feel like a million bucks....you dig the beard thing?"

Vera laughed. She didn't hold back or try to make it cute. She was genuinely drinking and genuinely laughing and genuinely enjoying Luke.

"Are you kidding me? I dig the beard thing entirely. I'd basically be in romance novel heaven if every good looking man walked around looking like a lumberjack."

She'd just volunteered that yes, he was good looking. She might have been embarrassed had she not been on her third glass of wine. She was pretty sure he knew it, anyway.

" I think it's pretty obvious I like what I see and hear as well..., come on, let me visit you. I assure you I am housebroken, Christmas is time for family and I will hide in a storage somewhere and not ruin your time with them but just give me a day, one day. I don't care if you've gains 100 pounds and that's why no recent photos but I have to meet you. I think more beer is needed to keep me this corny"

He indeed opened another beer.

Vera couldn't say he wasn't funny. And charming. And unbelievably handsome. He was such a catch, she wondered how he wasn't married by now. Any woman worth a cent would've claimed him by now.

"Luke..." God, it hurt to follow his name with a no. It hurt more than it should've. "This image of me you have, I like it the way it is now. It's not the weight or something silly, I just... I don't want it to change, and it will."

Luke didn't know what to say, "I have flaws too...it's why I keep talking to a stranger I've never met, instead of meeting people the old fashioned way but I'm not going to force you into something you're not interested in and it's fine. I get it. Just be honest."
After a moment of silence from the both of them, "Friends it is, I'm fine with that. I'll text you next week some time. Good night"

He hung up and very much so called up Jenny, of all people, he was feeling lonely and he was drunk. He invited her over and sure enough a movie on the couch turned into a lot more.

It had been weeks since Lucas' last text. It was over and there was no misconstruing his message. Why, though, did Vera feel as though she'd just been through a serious breakup?

She barely knew the man and he had her all twisted up. And a little bit heartbroken. But what did she expect after leaving him hanging?

She found herself going through the motions in the days leading up to Christmas. While she frosted cakes and made intricate fondant creations, she listened to music and tried to zone out the distractions as best she could. Soon they'd be closing up shop for Christmas, Luke was off doing his own thing in Philly, and she'd be going to her parents' massive Christmas celebrations stag once again.

Lost in her work, she murmured along with the lyrics blaring through the speakers of the back room.

My body is a cage that keeps me from dancing with the one I love, but my mind holds the key.

She considered calling him. She wanted to, and then she decided against it. The depressing music came to a halt, jarring her from her thoughts. Nat marched in and rolled her eyes. "So a stranger has you listening to Peter Gabriel and crying over my mixing bowls? Is this what we're doing now?"

Vera sighed. "I'm not crying."

"Yeah, whatever. When we get off, I'm force feeding you alcohol until you learn how to crack a smile again. Goddamn, child, you depress me."

Luke wished he could take back sleeping with Jenny, who seemed to think it was a long term thing. She even invited him to her parents for Christmas and he didn't know how to get out of that one. He looked at his phone time to time, wanting to text Vera. He could understand not wanting to meet, but they got along so well.

It was a chilly December 23 and he was hanging out with his mentor from the group home, college. A good friend named Adam and honestly owed Adam his life in more ways than one. Adam was playing video games with him.

"you seem distracted for a guy who's got a girlfriend" Adam clicking the controller. Luke glanced, "Not my girlfriend...." Adam takes the remotes and pauses it. Luke yelled out, "What the hell...I was just---"

Adam looked at him, "Spill it"

Luke looked at him, "Spill what? I'm living the dream...got my own place, my own rules...not wife to answer too, definitely no kids." Drinks his beer. Adam had all those things.

"Having a family is a good thing, I didn't know it till Juliett was born. You should be visiting more often" Adam said, Luke looked at him, "Dude, I invited you over to blow shit up...not talk about this."

Adam nods, "Okay man, we can do that." They sit back and play some more when suddenly Luke says, "You know, I tried to lock down something real..,something I thought was actual feelings. Even though none of the relationship made sense, I just----"

"Want to talk to her and no one else?" Adam concluded. Luke looks at him," This is really taking a weird turn. I tried and it didn't work out"

Adam shrugged, "Mary took months to convince herself to go out with me..."

Luke played his game, thinking and it caused his guy to crash and burn. He stood up annoyed and looked at Adam, "I really hate you...but looks like I'm off to Ohio" he walks off and Adam yells out that's where she is? You hear a yup reply.


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Luke was able to get a flight the next day, only 46 minutes and he got a discount offering to drop off a package, it worked out well. Everything fell into place. He even got a cab right outside the airport when he landed!

It took him right to the bakery and wasn't cheap, he got out and grabbed his bag and looked at the bakery from outside. Thinks he's being crazy, she doesn't want him here but wil spend the rest of his life wondering.

He pushed the door open, taking off his mitts and scarf. Snow crashing to the floor thanks to his boots and saw no one, he rang a little bell and out walked some woman, wasn't Vera.

Nat took 1 look at this customer and knew exactly who he was, she finally spoke "Can I help you?"

He goes up closer, "I'm looking for Vera...if she's around?"

Nat stood there staring at the man from the texts and the Facebook photos. The one Vera still wasn't over. She couldn't hold back her laugh.

"I told her this was either stranger danger or the plot of the best romance novel ever written," she said, neither confirming nor denying that Vera was in the back room, putting the finishing touches on a Christmas tree cake for a client. "Holy hell, Luke. I'm impressed either way."

She held out her hand. "I'm Nat."

Luke nodded, "I feel a danger to myself more than anything and yeah, she's mentioned you before." Nat excused herself for a second, after handing him a coffee which he thanked her for. She disappeared to Vera.

Nat looked at her, "Christmas come early for you....your present is in the bakery right now."

Vera looked across the table at Nat, her face full of confusion. "My present?"

Nat's answering grin was more unsettling than anything. Her suspicions raised, Vera stood and dusted the flour off of her hands. "Nat, you're making me nervous. What's outside?"

"Jesus Christ, V," Nat replied, exasperated. Then she paused. "Actually, that's a pretty good hint."

"What are you on?" Vera asked. "What's the hint? Jesus?"

Nat groaned. "Ok, there's no way I'm ruining the surprise. Get your ass in the lobby."

She didn't wait for her to agree. She tugged on the arm of her blouse, leading her through the swinging doors, and it didn't take long to register what the gift was. Her heart dropping in her chest and her eyes wide, she took in the face of the man who'd refused to leave her thoughts. Here, in her own bakery, in Granville, Ohio, he stood. And he'd come for her.

Luke stood in the lobby of the bakery, sipping the coffee and wanting to swear to himself for doing this. Didn't take long for someone else to come in and it was a woman, who looked somewhat like Vera.

The woman walked in and saw no on helping out the young man, "Are you waiting for them to come back?" The woman said, Luke just gave a nod, "I'm waiting to see Vera but something tells me she can see me already and isn't coming out..."

Woman looks at him, "Who are you? I'm her sister." Luke extended his hand saying his name, Nat came out leaving Vera to cower on her own, "He's....Veras love interest."

Luke looks at Nat, "I don't know if I'd go that far..." Sister then suddenly hugged him and he stood their confused, "You're Luke, yes she showed me the text messages...oh this is wonderful. You will have to come to my parents annual Christmas party..."


Nat nods excited and Luke looks at them, "Ladies...I still need to speak to Vera." And that's when he heard her voice, saying I'm here and the ladies disappeared somewhere leaving the two of them alone. He looked to see her, her feet to her legs which were long and her hips, her chest and finally her face......

Silent for a moment, suddenly understanding everything and why she delayed meeting him. She looked like she wanted to cry, he went up to her "Hi...." Was all he could manage to say,

Vera didn't know what to say or where to begin. Overwhelmed was an understatement. There was no hiding her face, no making excuses now. He saw her, hideous scars and all.

"Hi," she whispered back, letting her hair fall down past her shoulders to frame her face. She wished she could hide behind it.

"I, uh... I guess you know now."

Luke at first didn't know what to say and then finally, "You know, you did warn me...that seeing you I'd feel different, I really don't know what to say when I see a cookie crumb below your lip." He wipes it away, trying to smirk.

Just like that, her fear dissipated. She laughed, unshed tears still gathered behind her lids.

Her voice still unsteady, she took a step closer, rubbing her arms against her sides to dust off what was left of the flour still on her skin. "Would it be weird if I hugged you just now?"

He looked at her and they stepped into a hug, he looked to kiss her but soon sister was back saying hurry up we got a party. Luke looked at Vera, "I'll go if you want but I need to drop my bag off at the hotel I passed on the way here first, give me the address and I'll meet you there..."

Sister looked at him, "Nonsense, Vera can go with you and then drive you back....and don't forget the cakes Vera." She and Nat left like that. Vera and Luke headed out of the bakery, locking up the place and he took the cakes from her to carry. They walked in silence to the hotel which was not very far at all.

"I looked up greyhound to getting here and it said it would take 12 hours, walkng was 6 days...and plane was 46 minutes . Plane it was and yes I'm making conversation for the hell of it...."

"I can't believe you went all this way for me," she said, feeling a pang of guilt for how she'd left things the last time they spoke. "Plane tickets are expensive."

She had so much she wanted to say, and all of it felt too soon. She could see the hotel up ahead, but before he had a chance to respond, she stopped in front of him and turned to face him. "I'm a baker. I bake. And it just occurred to me I've never asked what your favorite dessert was. And we've been walking in silence and I'm still trying to get over the fact that you're here and the fact that you came here for me. I don't know how long you plan on staying, but I need to know your favorite dessert. So that I can make it." She cringed. She wanted to thank him somehow for this small gift of his being here and being real, but it wasn't coming across all that well.

"I ramble," she apologized. "It's something I do."

He looked at her, "I did tell you I would come and honestly, I can either fake it with someone this Christmas or for once in my life enjoy it with someone I enjoy talking too. You don't need to pay me back or think you owe me anything....so don't think that."

"I like apple crumble..." He admits.

Vera smiled. "Apple crumble it'll be, then." And just like that, they started walking again. She helped put his things away, taking in the small room and then him. He was even better in person.

"I guess I should warn you I've got a pretty large family but they're all great. I think they'll love you. And don't be scared by the judge thing. My dad is a totally different person outside of the courtroom. And my mom? She's basically everyone's mom all at once. You'll love her as soon as you meet her. And the kids, oh my god-"

She stopped talking. Here she was going on and on about her massive family to a man who hardly had any. The guilt slowly returned. "This is too much, isn't it? Do you really want to go or do you feel like we're forcing you? I mean, you just got here. I want you to be comfortable with whatever."

Luke was sitting on the bed for a second, relaxing from his journey "It's a little weird but I can't not expect it being Christmas Eve. I don't mind going, I wanted to see you and this was the time I had to do it. I can stay for 4 days...lets just get to know each other?"


Before anything more can be said, "is the scar really the reason to not ever meet me? I'm a little....disappointed. You know what I do for a living, I am anything but judgemental. I'm also not perfect and you tend to get me talking a lot more than I normally do."

Vera fell silent. It was hard to vocalize how she felt without spilling every little thing that contributed to her inner turmoil. "I used to really like the way I looked," she confessed, self consciously running a finger along the raised edges of her scar, the one that cut diagonally across her face. "I partied and I had fun and I dated before it happened. And then I lost a lot. More than my face, but just... a lot. Everyone in this town knows my family and ever since then, everything has changed. I see the way they look at me. Letting you in was a bigger step than I've taken in a long time. Jesus, Luke, you're... you're gorgeous. And it's not so much that I thought you'd run screaming from my face, but there's more ugliness than just the scars. I guess there's a lot I've been running from."

Wow, that was a lot of truth for a virtual stranger on the first day. Somehow he had the power to make her want to divulge. Not everything, but the tip of the iceberg at the very least. It was a hell of a start for someone like her.

He looked at her, "My scars may not be visible ones but trust me I have them. I want you to be honest with me above all else, I can over look a lot of things but lying I won't do. You tell me what you want me to know, that's fine."

He gets up and grabs some clothes to change into, "A judges house...yeah that's a little intimidating." she picked out something for him, helping him. He went off to the washroom and changed, finally coming back out.

"I think your still really beautiful by the way..." He looked at her but suddenly was attacked by her lips.

Something about the entire unusual situation had Vera throwing a few inhibitions out the window. She'd wondered for months what it would be like to meet Luke in the flesh, and damned if he wasn't saying every right thing in the book. She felt stupid for letting it take so long to reach this point.

And so, she kissed him. It was a thank you and a welcome and an invitation all at once. She wanted more than his friendship. She wanted another chance.

"Honesty," she promised him. "I can do that."

His eyes searching her face, vibrant and green and intense, he nodded. And she kissed him again.

A moment later and far too soon, her phone rang from her back pocket.

Luke broke off and looked at her,"Let me guess, parents?" Meaning her phone,

"Mmm," she responded with a nod. "Yes."

God, he was a good kisser. She knew they had somewhere to be, but she just wanted a minute more. She pressed her lips to his once more, and his hand rose to meet her jawline, his thumb tenderly stroking her cheek. She hadn't connected this way with someone in ages. She'd missed it more than she wanted to admit.

Not long after silencing, her phone rang again. She couldn't leave her parents hanging again. Surely Nat and Sarah had told them about Luke by now. She didn't want them to worry.

She answered quickly, stepping away and casting an apologetic glance in Luke's direction. "Hey, sorry," she breathed into the phone, trying not to sound as winded as she felt.

"Hey there, sweetie," came her dad's baritone voice, the sound of chatter and Christmas music greeting her from the other end of the line. "Your sister told me you were bringing someone along this time. Luke, was it?"

She cleared her throat. "Yes. Luke. I was helping him unpack. We're on the way now."

Her family was the worst at keeping secrets. Growing up with a judge as a father, the girls learned all about truth and integrity. Save for a few pregnancy tests back in the day, the sisters weren't ones to keep much from their parents. If one person knew, pretty soon they all did. It was part of what made their family so close.

"Well, I can't wait to meet him! Your mother's going nuts."

She could imagine. She smiled at Lucas as she watched him comb his fingers through his hair, taking one last glance in the mirror. It was sweet how much he seemed to care.

"She won't be nuts for long, Dad. We're about ten minutes away. Be there in a jiff!" She hung up, still red-faced, and grabbed her bag from the edge of his bed. "We should get going."

Luke wasn't sure about the parents, he really just wanted to meet her and now meeting her parents, he gave a nod and they headed there. Not before Luke insisted on stopping at a liquid store no grabbed a nice bottle of whiskey for her dad. They got to the door and took a moment before knocking, he gave another kiss and of course like right on que the door opened and behind a woman screamed loudly with excitement!

It was her mother has assumed pulling him in for a hug, she was saying over and over how great it was to have him here. She let go and gave Vera a hug as well, mother stepped and took him in "What a lovely young man, please....come sit, you must be exhausted from all that travelling. Vera get him a drink."

Luke was pushed to a couch, "Thank you for having me over...." He then stood up as Veras father came into view and shook the man's hand, handing over priced the gift he brought along. The father took it appreciatively.