“Well, we’re definitely not standing in that line,” Lyric announced as we rounded the corner and headed toward the door with the huge BAR sign over it. There was another entrance in the front, but it seemed to only be for the reserved restaurant guests.
She dug into her small purse and retrieved her phone. I watched as she placed a call and put the phone up to her ear. Seconds later, she got an answer.
“Laike, can you guys come out to get us? There’s a line, and I’m not standing in it.”
There was a brief silence before she continued.
“It’s Ever and I. We’re at the bar entrance. You’ll see us as soon as you step out.”
She ended the call right after, then shoved her phone back into her bag. Gnawing at the inside of my lip, I fixed my eyes on the door ahead. When the realization that Luca would in fact be exiting it soon hit me like a sack of bricks, I quickly turned in the opposite direction. I wasn’t ready. It didn’t matter how much I’d tried to prepare myself to see his handsome face again, I wasn’t ready. If I wasn’t aware that running away with my arms piercing the air as I squealed would make me look as immature and stupid as I did in my head, I would already be headed in the other direction doing that exact thing.
Collapsing my hand on my chest, I tried slowing my heart rate and gaining control of my sketchy breathing. I transferred my weight from one foot to the other as I watched Lyric’s face light up from my peripheral vision. I swallowed deeply before closing my eyes and bracing myself for what was to come. Bracing myself for him. For Luca. He was a lot. Possibly without intention, he was so much. Too much, almost.
“Laike, this is my friend, Ever,” Lyric said as she pulled at my arm, forcing me to turn around.
Face to face with the man she was introducing as Laike, my breath hiked in my chest.My God, I cringed. I didn’t understand how it was even possible for two men to be equally fine. Though slimmer, Laike was the spitting image of his older brother.
“I’m Laike,” he said, extending a hand for me to shake.
Though he stood front and center, my eyes drifted over his shoulder where the man of the hour stood with his eyes trained on me. I could feel my body’s temperature spike as our orbs stalked the air, hungry for one another.
“Ever. Nice to meet you,” I introduced myself, absentmindedly shaking his hand. My eyes and attention wereelsewhere. Not too far, but definitely not where they were supposed to be at the moment.
Turning slightly, Laike followed my line of vision. I bit into the side of my jaw as I realized I hadn’t been as discreet as I’d imagined. His handsome face turned toward me again as he snickered.
“Y’all ready?” he asked, finally letting my hand go.
“We are,” Lyric answered for us both. I wanted to thank her because I wasn’t capable.
We followed Laike up the walkway, forcing me to encounter Luca on the way up. He stood with his shoulders squared, consuming the attention of so many around him. His presence was so demanding, even without a word ever leaving his lips.
As I neared him, he lowered his head, stuck the toothpick from his hand into his mouth, pulled the right corner of his lips into a smirk, as if he was pleased with what he saw. With the way that my romper was hugging curves I didn’t even know existed, I didn’t blame him a bit. I felt his eyes on my backside as he fell back, choosing to walk behind us all.
I could smell the zestiness of his cologne as we passed the line to gain entry into the bar without incident. As we stepped inside, I understood why the line was as long as it was and no one seemed to have an issue standing in it. Well, except Lyric, of course. The place was impeccable.
The bar wrapped around the entire space. There were high top tables, bar seating, and carved areas with rope that reserved space for those who belonged in the cubbies that seated at least six. Laike led us behind the ropes of one and to our seats.
Laike. Lyric. Me. Luca. The order was chaotic. Just as I considered the empty chairs on the opposite site of the table, Luca stood and decided to take one of them. I sighed but my victory was short-lived when I realized he was now seated acrossfrom me. All night, I’d be forced to refrain from staring at his unique, strikingly beautiful features.
As he made himself comfortable, I tried focusing on something else, anything else. But every few seconds, my eyes ended in the same direction – his. I wasn’t sure how I’d get through the night without revealing my fondness for Luca, but I prayed I managed.
“What y’all drinking?” he asked Lyric and I, yet his eyes were trained on me as if there was no one else in the room and he hadn’t just addressed more than one person.
You,I wanted to respond, but refrained. Instead, I met his question with my silence. I was drawing blanks with him gazing at me, unwaveringly.
SEVEN
“I want Hennessy and cranberry juice,”Lyric told me.
Though I’d heard her, it wasn’t her response that I was waiting for. I could’ve guessed her drink of choice on my own. It was Ever’s request that I was waiting on. When she didn’t respond, I lifted a finger to press the button on the table that would alert our hostess. Her service had been purchased with our reservation.
While we waited to be serviced, I removed the two cases from the empty seat between Laike and me I’d brought inside earlier and sat them on the table. I watched as Lyric’s eyes bulged and her hands went over her mouth. Seeing her happy never got old. I loved that shit.
“You really grabbed me something from Rico?”
“I told you I would.” I’d always been a man of my word. I wouldn’t stop being that, either.
I slid one of the black velvet cases in front of Lyric and the other in front of Ever. Her eyes bloomed, never leaving mine. Lyric looked from Ever’s case to me to see if I’d meant to slide the case in her friend’s direction. I had. If she was going to be in my presence, I wanted her to look the part.
