Page 14 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride
Regardless, I brought the phone to my ear and murmured my greeting while taking my break behind the cafe.
“Ah, good…looks like I caught you at the right time,” Dad said, using a slighter warmer tone than usual. He was normally neutral, if not slightly brighter, given the fact that he was my father, but never quite like this, almost like he was eager to hear from me again. “How are you, dear?”
“I’m fine,” I returned with a hint of caution in my tone. “Just busy at work.”
“Nothing unusual for you then,” he said with a small chuckle. “Listen, I’m calling to ask if you have some time to spare for your old man. How about we go for lunch?”
Going quiet for a moment, I blinked through the brief surprise and mild confusion that overcame me. Lunch? Just a casual, unassuming lunch?
Maybe that shouldn’t have caught me off guard, but that wasn’t usually something we did. We never just went out to eat for the sake of it.
As much as my knee-jerk reaction was to say I couldn’t and just continue with my day, there was something in his voice that made me pause and consider it.
Perhaps it was him asking, not telling…or maybe it was the fact that he was taking the time to check in on me beyond any obligation.
Before I could stop it, my heartstrings were pulled.
“Yeah…sure. Where were you thinking?”
His voice reached me with immediate satisfaction. “No need to worry yourself about it. I’ll make the reservation and pick you up as soon as your shift is over.”
A faint sense of hesitation lingered just beneath my skin, and something in the back of my mind didn’t feel entirely settled about the whole thing. Part of me wanted to ask him what was going on, but I didn’t want to be rude.
Besides, I wasn’t prepared to look like the worst daughter in the world by declining a simple lunch.
“Okay. I’ll see you soon, then,” I confirmed, unable to shake the lingering curiosity clinging to me.
“Excellent…I look forward to it, as I always do.”
The positive note in his words did something to quell the faint worry within me, and after a short exchange of parting words, we both ended the call.
I stood there for another moment, still questioning where it was all coming from.
Normally, if we did meet up, he would talk some kind of business, usually business that had nothing to do with me.
But the way he spoke made it sound like he had no interest in talking shop. He did seem genuinely excited, which felt even more surprising.
Before long, my morning shift came to an end, and Dad swung by with his driver. He greeted me with increased enthusiasm, more like I was the precious gem of his life than the daughter he checked up on every once in a while.
It was strange, but also…nice, in a way.
As expected, we pulled up to an upscale bistro, and the driver was quick to open my door.
While that kind of courtesy wasn’t outside the norm, given the wealth Dad possessed, I could never quite get used to the lavish aspects of his life, how he glided through it all so casually, like it was second nature for him.
But I didn’t have a driver, a cook, or anyone to clean my tiny apartment. I was sure I could have it all if I asked for it, but that wasn’t like me.
It was his lifestyle…not mine.
Dad was dressed as finely as usual in his tailored suit, letting me know he likely came from some sort of meeting. He kept his hair neatly slicked back, giving off a certain air of authority and importance I was used to seeing.
Once seated outside on a small terrace, we were presented with our respective drinks before his gaze settled on me with a tenderness that seemed sincere.
“I’m glad you could come, my dear…it’s always nice to see you.”
There shouldn’t have been anything alarming in those gentle words, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t stop myself from questioning why he was being more outwardly caring toward me.
Try as I might, I couldn’t put my finger on why he was putting me on edge, or why he was being so affectionate in the first place.
