ooc: continued from Destination Paris: Arriving

IC:
Raina eagerly accepted the idea of going to dinner in a quante Paris resteraunt with Luke. She quickly got herself dressed up in a short gray dress and thigh-high black boots. She wore a long shimery silver scarf and piled her hair up as high as she could. It was winter in Paris too so she carried with her the long dress jacket.

On the trip down from the elevator Raina stopped in the lobby to browse some of the brochures advertising for local businesses and settled on "Belle Nourriture". It wasn't worth a cab ride and she insisted they walk so they could enjoy the sceneray.

Upon arrival Raina led Luke in with a smile having chatted about how much she was enjoying herself the whole way. They were seated in a private booth near the back and a waiter approached.

"Est-ce que je peux prendre votre ordre ?" asked the waiter.

"Oui." replied Raina she turned to Luke. "I'll order if you're ok with that." she grinned. "the whole menu is in french!" she giggled. "besides, it'll be nice to surprise you!"

She turned her attention back to the waiter. "nous tous les deux aurons un ordre de Monsieur de Croque" she said order a traditional fancy french ham and cheese sandwhich with specific vegetables and spices cooked in butter. "également nous prendrons le potage de poireau et d'oignon" she added ordering Leek and Onion soup to go with it. "l'eau à boire svp!" she added asking for water.

She turned to Luke. "I think you'll really enjoy this. It's a sandwhich... but a really fancy one!" she giggled. "I figured soup would be nice too."

Once Raina accepted the idea of going out to dinner, Luke moved into his own bedroom to see about getting dressed in something just a little more casual. It was the weekend so he was perfectly right in trying to be a little more relaxed instead of the business formal he would wear to the meetings.

After taking off the business wear and hanging it up in the closet Luke quickly pulled out a combination that would blend well. As always, he was thankful for the small labels had got sewn into each item of clothing so that his fingers could identify each garment.

Moments later the blind man walked out into the living area to meet up with Raina. He was dressed in slate gray slacks, black wool socks, black hiking boots, and a forest green knit sweater pulled over a gray polo shirt. Just to be on the safe side he had grabbed his black leather jacket and had it folded over one arm.

***

As soon as the pair were seated at "Belle Nourriture", Luke was lost. The waiter came up, speaking in fluent French which Raina answers without the slightest hesitation.

"I'll order if you're OK with that. The whole menu is in French!" Raina said, her voice teasing before moving on to a delightful giggle, "Besides, it'll be nice to surprise you!"

"Go right ahead... I guess I've surprised you enough that you have the right to surprise me." Luke replied with a smile, his voice obviously amused.

Luke knew that he must look strange with his sunglasses still in place so, very casually he reached up and removed the glasses, slipping them into one of the pockets in his leather jacket. He had been carrying his collapsible cane the whole time, though he hadn't used it much since he had been walking hand in hand with Raina much of the time. After collapsing his cane down he slipped it into one of the other pockets in his leather jacket and then turned his attention back to Raina who had just finished speaking with the waiter.

"I think you'll really enjoy this. It's a sandwhich... but a really fancy one! I figured soup would be nice too."

As always, Luke was captivated by Raina's voice. There was something about it... maybe it was the fact that even when she was just talking you could tell she was only a touch away from singing. Her whole voice and demeanor had a musical quality about it that he had never seen in any other person.

"I'm sure it will be wonderful." Luke replied with a slight grin, "And so, since I am your captive for the evening and day tomorrow due to my lack of language expertise, what do you have planned? Where all do you want to go and what all do you want to do?"

As much as Luke would have enjoyed just the two of them spending all night and day in the hotel, he didn't think that was a good suggestion. For now they were going to focus on enjoying the trip as boyfriend and girlfriend without any strings attached. "I'll just pretend it's the first or second date... no one gets to physical on just the first or second date... do they?"

Raina beamed sitting across from Luke at the table and even a few passerbys marvelled at the energy coming from the two. "I feel a lot better now that were out of New York. So many things go on there it's so nice to go to a place where we haven't left a mark yet. I hope it leaves a good mark on us. " she gazed around the room but her eyes instantly fell on Lukes. She loved his eyes. Even if they couldn't see her. They were hazy and sometimes she'd become lost in them.

Feeling rather romantic she reached across the table and held his hand. "I was sort of thinking of exploring the hotel. It's so big and there's a pool, a sauna, a weight room, and a spa!" she chimed. "Our room is so beautiful too. I think enjoying everything would be good for tonight. Then tomorrow I want to sleep in because I haven't in so long." she laughed. "but maybe we can go exploring tomorrow on our own. We don't need a set plan... just go out and see what happens." she stared across the table at him as the weighter appeared with their food. 'Merci!" she called to him as he left.

"I don't know if it's possible Luke but on the practical side of things it would be ideal for me to be able to use the pool sometime this week. It's really hard on me when I get back to work if I havent used my powers in a while. I guess it would be akin to having a regular work-out and then skipping it for a long time." she stirred her soup slowly as she spoke. "I don't know if there's any way we could pull any strings so we could get the place to ourselves... and it's certainly not an expectation... but it would be really ideal." she blushed a little/

She didn't want Luke to throw money and favours around for her sake... the room itself had been a huge treat and she wanted to be appreciative. But she was being fairly practical and she knew getting back to work after this was all over would be really painful if she couldn't transform once or twice during their trip.

Greg had alerted Derek that the couple had arrived at the resteraunt of a man who owed Derek a favour for which he was going to call on. Having learned recently of Dr. Che's arrival from Leslie he was eager to get this show on the road.

But fist he'd need to know everything he could about this couple- more than what Che described. He needed to know for sure if Luke Jacobs was a mutant. If he wasn't this whole operation would go belly-up fast. He didn't think his minions would care about a fish woman even if she was encrusted in gold. It was the long time riches they wanted. Those ones they could call on again and again.

Derek was a man of power and enjoyed holding things over people. Using his powerful ability of hypnosis some of the legions had started calling him Hypno. Personally he preffered his own name having been named from his powerful crime lord father. But the lessers still called him Hyno and he regarded it as a status of his power.

He was at the resteraunt now having 'convinced' the hostess that he was a friend of the owners he looked for the red hair that was characteristic of his target. There she was in the back. Sure enough adjacent to a man fitting Luke's description. They were having a conversation and he waited until they were finshed. When they went for their food again he approached. He'd try the french first.

"bonjour je suis le propriétaire de ce restaurant. Visitez-vous d'Amérique ?"

He gave them a toothy grin placing his hand comfortably on the back of the woman's chair.

When Raina took his hand, all Luke could do was smile. She was beautiful and he loved taking the time to just look at her. In a restaurant setting like this he always pulled his sonar in tight so that it would disturb other diners but with the control he had slowly been learning and growing he was able to still caress the young woman's features with the light waves of sound. While nowhere near full power, it was still more than enough for him to just enjoy the way her features changes as she talked, laughed, and enjoyed life.

"I was sort of thinking of exploring the hotel. It's so big and there's a pool, a sauna, a weight room, and a spa! Our room is so beautiful too. I think enjoying everything would be good for tonight. Then tomorrow I want to sleep in because I haven't in so long. But maybe we can go exploring tomorrow on our own. We don't need a set plan... just go out and see what happens." Raina said, her voice intermingled with laughter as she allowed herself to be free and just enjoy the moment.

"I always knew I like your adventurous spirit." Luke replied with a grin of his own, "I'll throw some items in a pack and we can explore wherever you feel like going."

Right then the food came and Luke turned his attention down toward the plates and bowls. Though he couldn't see everything, his sense of smell was more than capable of making his mouth water. "I think you made a good choice... everything smells wonderful." Luke observed as he took his napkin and laid it across his lap.

"I don't know if it's possible Luke but on the practical side of things it would be ideal for me to be able to use the pool sometime this week. It's really hard on me when I get back to work if I haven't used my powers in a while. I guess it would be akin to having a regular work-out and then skipping it for a long time. I don't know if there's any way we could pull any strings so we could get the place to ourselves... and it's certainly not an expectation... but it would be really ideal." Raina spoke again as the two began to move toward eating. Her voice was a little bit slower and quieter, as though she felt that she might be pushing him to much.

"I think it can probably be arranged." Luke replied with a slight chuckle as he took a spoon and cautiously dipped it into his soup, playing the part of a blind man to perfection, "It might have to meet either really late at night or really early in the morning, but we can probably schedule something with the management." Luke didn't bother to mention that since they were staying in the two most expensive suites in the hotel, the management would probably cater to their every whim. He'd just have to talk to them upon their return to the hotel.

Allowing the conversation to drop for a moment, Luke lifting the spoon to his lips, sipping the soup quietly. The warmth of the soup quickly spread through his body and he found himself quite comfortable, even with the chilliness of the air.

"Bonjour je suis le propriétaire de ce restaurant. Visitez-vous d'Amérique ?"

Startled, Luke did his best not to jump. He was so used to having his sonar extended that when it was pulled it tight it was quite easy for people to surprise him. Struggling to comprehend what the other man had just said in French, Luke did his best to mentally translate it and then reply in English.

"Bonjour." He replied with one of the few French words he actually knew as he swiveled his head to try and get his eyes to look in the man's general direction, "Yes, we're from America, and you have a very nice restaurant here. Please compliment the chef on his food."

Extending his sonar cautiously, Luke took a quick look at the man that had come up. The most important thing that he saw was that the man had his hand far to close to Raina's back than was truly comfortable.

Raina jumped as Luke jumped at the sound of the man's voice. She stared at him a moment blinking trying to catch what he said. Luke did a great job and answered perfectly that they were from America. Apparently this man was the owner. Raina's features relaxed a little. It was never good to sneak up on someone who could blast you with ice.

"Oh, you speak English. Pardon my french." Derek winked at Raina "but you understood nes pa?"

Raina nodded. "We understood, but if you don't mind english would be a bit welcome. I've been giving my rusty french a work out all day. You own this resteraunt?"

"Oui Oui I do I do." nodded Derek. His hand on the back of Raina's chair was holding a very tiny bug. Not the creepy crawly kind, but the kind with tiny video cameras and microphones in them. With any luck he could get this on her coat. It was on a timer and whether or not they were back in the hotel in a few hours it would detach. He was on a mission to make sure it attached for now and that they did head back to the hotel. "Pardon me miss but would you happen to be a resident of the School for Gifted Youngsters?"

Raina darted a worried luke to Luke and tightened her grip on his hand a little before turning her attention back to the man. "Why?" she asked in a neutral tone. "That's a pretty long shot only knowing I'm from America." she said sternly wondering if this man was a mutant too and could tell she was a mutant.

"Forgive me. My cousin is a mutant who spent some time at the institute and you look exactly like a music teacher he described." Derek hoped he wasnt in over his head here using the information Che had sent him. But he had to gain their trust "If you are the young woman I would be completley in your debt and offer you your meal for free as a thank-you for keeping my young cousin safe."

Raina relaxed again. That wasn't so strange. She run into family members of the students before. "I am the music teacher." she said with a smile extending her hand. "Raina. What's your cousin's name?"

Derek hadn't thought that far ahead. "ah, her name is ... Giselle but as I understand it she only knew of you as you had recentlly come to the mansion when she was leaving. Sometime before the camps? She fleed America when the camps started" bingo. He got away with this one.

Raina nodded knowingly. "Yes. that makes a lot of sense. I think I would have fleed too" she admitted "given the chance"

"Ah but you stayed and protected the children with the headmistress Tricity. That was no easy task. Please enjoy anything you'd like from my resteraunt. I hope you'll enjoy your time in Paris and forgive me if I should ask for a hug from one of the strong women who protected my Giselle?" he looked as innocently as he could muster

Raina grinned "well, how could I refuse that offer?" she stood up and embraced the man not knowing of the tiny gray machine he'd placed on her back before bowing his head to the couple and taking his leave.

"Nice guy. That's happened to me before. Never thought it would happen in Paris." commented Raina before diving into her sandwhich

As the conversation carried on, Luke remained silent, simply listening like the poor blind man he seemed to be. However, out of habit, his sonar was sweeping over the man, taking in his facial features, muscle tendencies and the like. On a brief meeting like this he couldn't be very precise but he still would have some memory of the man and what he looked like.

Lifting another spoonful of soup to his mouth, Luke's body worked on auto-pilot as he felt a slight shock to his system at the man hugging his girlfriend. If he had been focused more he might have noticed the small device that was now hugging the back of Raina's coat but with all of the frustration of the past few weeks combined by his emotions toward Raina, there was no way he would notice something that small.

"Thank you." Luke called after the man as he owner walked away.

"Nice guy. That's happened to me before. Never thought it would happen in Paris." Raina said as she sat back down and picked up her sandwich.

Nodding absently Luke focused on finishing his soup as he tried to push aside any jealous thoughts that might be coming to the surface. Raina was a celebrity in her own way and he would have to accept different people showing her affection for the heroic things she had done in the past. But that still didn't mean that he necessarily had to like it. He just had to put up with it.

"You've done a lot of good things Raina." Luke said as he set aside the empty soup bowl and then pulled his sandwich plate closer, "It makes sense that people would want to thank you for them. There were a lot of kids that got hurt during the registration... I'm sure it meant a lot to all the parents that you were able to help protect them."

That was diplomatic... quiet but still sincere enough to show that he meant it while hopefully not raising any red flags. Luke had never thought of himself as a jealous person but what he had with Raina was different. This wasn't just some casual fling... she was special. That gave him a right to be jealous... didn't it?

"Maybe you can perform a concert before bed tonight." Luke changed the subject as smoothly as possible while he picked up the sandwich with both his hands, "I'd love to hear you play some more." Lifting the food to his mouth, Luke took a bite and chewed thoughtfully as he returned to just watching and listening to Raina.

"I've done bad things too. It's much nicer when the parents are happier with you than when they are angrier." she replied dryly stirring the spoon around her soup. She'd finished the sandwhich quickly but the soup just wasn't fitting her stomach. "Thanks for saying something so nice though. I think Im better now than I was before. I'm very naieve... I always think people have the best intentions."

she thought a moment of the situation with Victoria a few days ago that had left her feeling so uncomfortable. In retrospect with the birthday party, sara's visit, Victoria, and then the tabloids... taking a vacation really was the best thing Raina and Luke could do together right now. It was odd to her then when Rupert came to mind. Raina had long since let go of everything she held for Rupert good and bad (the bad was much harder) but at moments like these when she was reflecting on how naieve she could be he couldn't help think about Rupert. He was her biggest attestment to that.

"You're such a sincere person Luke." began Raina. "I really trust you. Even if you kept a secret from me I think I trust you so much that Id instantly know it was for a good reason." she looked up from her soup now and though she was very serious a smile hung on her lips. It had just dawned on Raina that despite everything she did trust Luke and she wondered if the same relization was just coming to his mind.

As he mentioned the piano Raina thought to herself about well, sex. Not in the "let's get it on" kinda way, and not even in the horomone charged way she had trouble addmitting to herself that she was thinking of. But in a practial way. Raina knew she wanted it to mean something and suddenly... it really did. Raina trusted Luke. That right there was a real reason to be intimate with someone.

Her eyes fluttered a moment. "I wrote you a song." she breathed. "On guitar. but seeing the piano I think I could transpose it."

in the mere second it took her to respond with that sentence her brain had already gone through a wave of emotion and realization

As Luke chewed on his sandwich he thought about what Raina had just said. She was willing to trust him, even if he admitted to keeping secrets from her. That was the kind of trust that you didn't run into just any day. That was something special and Luke had to wonder whether she really knew what she was saying.

"You wrote a song?" Luke suddenly asked as his mind focused on the one thing she had finished with, "About me?"

There was no easy way to take that. Luke was honored of course but the first thing that came to mind was also the first thing he said, trying to keep the mood light. Honestly he wanted to let things get charged between them once again but Raina had wanted things to be toned down a touch and he was going to do his best to go along with that request.

"You must have really been starved for subject matter." Luke joked before taking another bite of his sandwich and rapidly chewing.

"I may be sincere, but I'm far from perfect Raina." Luke said a few moments later, his voice serious as he decided to go back to what she had said a few moments before, "I have an emotional breaking point where I lose it completely."

As he spoke, Luke's mind jumped back to his situation back at the house with CS and Sara. He had come so close to killing one of those gang bangers but then he had been stopped. In fact Luke had been so out of control that he couldn't even remember which of them had stopped him. The differences should have been obvious but blinded by the frustration and anger that had been building for so long, Luke couldn't remember. It was all a blur that ended with his staring at the blood that was slowly dripping off of his hand and onto the snow that covered the ground. The red on white had been shocking and to be quite honest it had scared him... more than anything had ever scared him in his life before.

For a moment Luke was tempted to tell Raina about it, but he decided that now wasn't the time. They were on vacation and Raina deserved to be able to relax instead of worry about the emotional issues that Luke had been facing over the past few weeks.

"But, you've got me curious now." He said, his voice lightening up again as a smile lit up his face again, "You are gonna have to transpose that song so I can hear it."

Raina grinned across the table at Luke. "There's no way anyone is more emotional than me. Don't you remember my nice little profanity at my birthday party when bone girl went after you?" she giggled. "it was even worse at the camps! we all have extremes. I like you a lot." she reached across again and squeezed his hand.

***

Dinner went by smoothly after that with brainstorming of what they'd do the following day. It was dark out quickly thanks to the time difference and though she'd had a lot of sleep on the plane Raina felt a bit tired when it started to get dark so the couple decided to head in.

When they arrived the front desk was closed so Raina reminded Luke to see about the pool tomorrow. She didn't want to nag but it was something important for her.

As they made their way back into the elevator Raina grinned at their reflections. She remembered their earlier heated moment and a bit of blush came to her cheeks. She reached over and giggling slightly held Luke's hand. "Come on Tiger." she teased leading the way back to their room.

In the ambient light the hallway was beautiful and Raina realized just how much she'd missed of it in her earlier frenzy and heat. It was stunning. Opening the door again she thought she'd be ready for what she saw but in the setting sun the room was even more beautiful. She walked in slowly and took her shoes off standing in the light. Her body was bathed in the warmth of the setting sun that made the marble floor glow like stars and the windows illuminate. She felt a tinge of sadness that Luke would never be able to appreciate this for what it was.

She frowned but was determined not to let it change her mood and she removed her coat draping it over the couch. She didn't realize that as soon as she did there was a small whirl of gears as a tiny button sized electronic bug detatched from her coat and affixed itself to the closest magnetic force- the metal chair leg. It watched and recorded everything silently.

Raina sat herself at the piano and without a single word began to play a melody of notes that started out quite robotic at first as Raina transposed but soon began to flow into a lullaby. "There aren't any words yet." she murmered. "I kind of like that." her fingers danced across the keys wildly and she hummed along with the harmony a little careful not to set any ice in the room but perhaps cool it just a tad.

It wasn't long before Raina became emmursed in her usual musical trance as she played. She didn't notice much around her but the piano beneath her fingers and the warmth leaving Luke's body.

The rest of dinner had gone smoothly and even though a part of Luke still told him that he should give Raina more details about his breaking point he decided it wasn't important. She hadn't shared details about the camps and he hadn't pressed her for them so there was no real reason to tell her about his crazy day with CS and Sara. It wasn't like he was keeping secrets it just wasn't really all that important.

***

Raina was quiet most of the walk back to the hotel, seeming to just be enjoying the moment. As they rode the elevator back up to their floor, Luke could feel his lips curving into a slight smile. Their earlier moments in the elevator had been enjoyable and while he wished that it had progressed to something even more, he knew that this was for the best. They needed to make sure that a solid foundation had been built in their relationship before anything progressed.

"Come on Tiger." Raina's said with a giggle in her voice as she took his hand and led him down the hallway to their suite. It was obvious that she had probably been thinking about the same thing and Luke was happy about that... it would have been worse if she were trying to forget it. Her remembering was a good sign.

Once they were inside the room, Raina made her way immediately over to the piano. Obviously she had taken his comments about a concert to heart.

There aren't any words yet. I kind of like that." Raina murmured as the melody of a lullaby began to fill the room.

"It's beautiful." Luke replied softly in response as he took off his own coat and set it beside Raina's before walking over to stand just behind her. It was a replay of what had taken place earlier in the evening but he didn't mind. The very fact that Raina was willing to let her hair down around him, to use the expression, was all he could ever ask for.

As Raina sang the room began to chill and things became clearer and more sharply defined in Luke's sonar. In cold air sound always seems so much more crisp and clear and the same thing happened with Luke's mutated sight. While it wasn't as good as when he was underwater, it did allow him to take in Raina's beauty even more than he previously had. Her new haircut framed her face, accentuating her cheek bones and the fullness of her lips. The way her eyes closed ever so slightly as she concentrated on her music was endearing and all Luke could do was watch.

A strong part of him just wanted to lean down and kiss her neck but for now, Luke maintained the control he prided himself on. They were keeping the relationship lighter and he wasn't going to push for anything else. But, he had to make a sacrifice in order to maintain that control. After a few minutes of gently massaging Raina's shoulders, Luke turned and walked over to the couch. Taking a seat there he just relaxed and listened to the music, the small smile still on his features.

The black haired young woman sat watching her computer screen just like she had been ordered to do. The image showed Raina playing the piano with her blind boyfriend behind her massaging her shoulders. The image was serene and the woman actually felt a little sorry for what was going to soon happen to the two of them. When her phone rang she dug into her purse and quickly pulled it out.

"Derek." She said her voice even and somewhat emotionless.

<"Are you getting the feed?"> Derek asked in flawless French.

"English Derek... I speak English."

"As you wish Michelle. Is the feed coming through? What are they doing?" Derek replied rather coldly.

"Well, let's see." Michelle Lingson replied somewhat sarcastically, "Girlfriend is performing a concert for the boyfriend. Boyfriend was massaging her shoulders and now he's walking over to sit on the couch. Pretty casual stuff."

"Watch them closely. We need to see if they develop any patterns we can exploit. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah... bye Derek." Michelle replied to the sound of a dial tone before closing the phone and stowing it back into her bag. Turning her gaze back to the computer screen she watched the red-haired beauty play, apparently lost in the music.

"I'm sorry," The young woman murmured as she continued watching, "but it'll be worth it if I can just get rid of this curse."

When Raina finished she sat lingering at the piano just a little longer. She gave a yawn and stood up making her way to the couch where Luke was positioned. On the way she picked up a knit blanket from an ottoman and brought it with her. She sat on the couch and brought her feet up with her and nuzzled right into Luke with the blanket. "mmm... much better than trying to lean over airplane seats." she grinned.

She sat like that in silence for a moment enjoying the relaxation and then a thought crossed her mind. "Luke." she began in a hushed tone. "I have something to tell you." she thought carefully about how she'd chose her next words. "Something happened ... just days before we left. After evrything with Victoria..." she thought back to the events. "I was with Emerald... there was this thing we stumbled on and had to get the police involved in..." she wasn't going to share all the details of that horrific night because it was just that- horrific. "but I uh... well.. I ended up with a pup." she looked up at him with her big eyes for a reaction. "Em's watching him for me while I'm with you. It all happened so fast. I named him Star. " she grinned. "I think he fits in well around the mansion... and Em's really helping me out with him... I just wasn't sure what you'd think." she eyed him cautiously. "You're not allergic or afraid or anything like that?"

In truth she really wanted Luke to like Star and thinking of him briefly made her miss the little pup that sort of landed in her lap.

When the music finally ended, Luke remained in his relaxed state, just sitting on the couch wit his eyes closed. Somewhere during the music he had turned his sonar off, just focusing on the sound of the music and nothing else. He heard Raina moving around but chose not to extend the sonar, just remaining relaxed. A few moments later he felt her take a seat beside him and nuzzled up close with a blanket of some sort thrown over her.

"Mmm... much better than trying to lean over airplane seats." Raina said in an obvious happy tone.

"Much better... we'll have to spend more evening like this." Luke replied with a slight grin.

For a few moments, a comfortable silence stretched on between them. There was nothing uncomfortable about the lack of speech as the two of them simply enjoyed being in either others presence. This was the kind of moment that helped to prove whether a relationship was really working and in Luke's mind, they were definitely passing the test.

"Luke. I have something to tell you." Raina said softly, before falling silent as she apparently thought about her next words.

"What is it, Beautiful?" Luke asked quietly, his mind suddenly completely alert as he felt his spine tense. Was this a secret that she felt she needed to share?

"Something happened ... just days before we left. After everything with Victoria... I was with Emerald... there was this thing we stumbled on and had to get the police involved in... but I uh... well.. I ended up with a pup."

Luke felt his eyebrow quirking up slightly in a question or surprise, but he remained silent as Raina continued.

"Em's watching him for me while I'm with you. It all happened so fast. I named him Star. I think he fits in well around the mansion... and Em's really helping me out with him... I just wasn't sure what you'd think. You're not allergic or afraid or anything like that?"

For a moment Luke was silent as he processed what Raina was sharing. This was it? This was her big secret? She had gotten a puppy? Why should that even affect the relationship?

"No... no I'm not afraid or allergic." Luke replied with obvious relief in his voice before nudging her slightly with his shoulder, "Raina! Don't do that! You were about to give me a heart attack worrying about what your big deep secret might be!"

This revelation did raise another question in his mind though. If she had been so open that she even though it was important to tell him about something as minor as a new puppy, shouldn't he share with her about his night out with Sara? He didn't need to go into explicit detail, but she deserved to know something... didn't she?

"Uh... have you had a chance to talk with Sara since she was over at my apartment?" Luke broached the subject slowly waiting to see if maybe Raina already knew about it. If she and Sara talked a lot then it was possible, but if they didn't then she deserved to hear... something.

Raina made a silly face. "Oh, sorry I'll try for some better secrets." she laughed. "Luke..." she said in the best serious tone she could muster without laughing. "I find you very attractive. I was afraid if you knew you'd hold it over me." she tried to sound sultry but ended up giggling. "I've got lots of secrets. Nothing I really keep from you on purpose... but I mean... you don't exactly sit down with someone and say 'hey, these are all the things I don't talk to anyone about'!" she nuzzled back into him. "Of course if you ever wanted to know something you could ask and I'd tell you... but girls usually find out at some point or another that having a conversation like that is enough to send a man running for the hills." she laughed and started mocking a bit "and then... in tenth grade... I put glue in Cindy's hair!" she snorted a bit which made her stop and turn red... and then laugh all over.

When he asked her if she'd seen Sara latley she was leaning into his chest and looking up at him upside down. "Nope. I've been kept pretty busy getting everything ready so I could come. She alright? Sara's pretty good at taking care of herself"