The Long wait

Lucas's POV To say that I am excited is not quite right. "Excited" felt far too simplistic, too mild for the maelstrom swirling within me since Lia's call last night. My emotions were all over the place, a chaotic symphony of hope, apprehension, disbelief, and a longing so profound it felt like a physical ache. I’d spent the hours after her call pacing my penthouse apartment, the city lights outside my window doing little to calm the tempest in my mind. Lia. She had called. Not a dream, not a cruel trick of memory. Her voice, husky and business-like, yet still capable of sending shivers down my spine. My schedule, usually a meticulously crafted tapestry woven months in advance, had been brutally cut. Afternoon meetings, crucial negotiations, a philanthropic dinner – all cancelled or rescheduled with a single, uncharacteristic command to my secretary. "Clear my afternoon, effective immediately. And block out the entire week, just in case." Eleanor, bless her unflappable soul, had merely