Siren's Heart (Siren's Duet Book 1): Love at first sight

7. Chapter Seven - Luca

I can”t believe Asher.

When he told me about the double date yesterday, I was over the damned moon. The whole night, I kept thinking about it, tossing and turning, imagining Millie’s beautiful smile and how it would feel to have it directed at me. I only fell asleep when the first rays of sunshine already peeked through my curtains, and Rich called me out more than once today for losing my focus.

All the while, Millie had no idea this was going to be happening. Goddamnit, Asher.

But it”s a chance, a foot in the door, my opportunity to get to know her. I just have to make the most of it, even if it means pretending that I also had no idea that’s what our friends were up to.

I conceal my determined sigh by clearing my throat before I step into the street and wave down a taxi. According to my now former best friend Asher, there should be one waiting for us, but since I”m not seeing it, I”m taking matters into my own hands. Millie might not have known I”d be the one joining her and Kayla on this double date, but I”ll make damn sure she”s happy about it.

When a taxi stops right in front of us, I open the door and let her enter first. She shoots me a small, sweet smile before climbing in, and I quickly circle the vehicle to get in on the other side.

”To Fantasia, please,” I tell the driver, and he gives us a quick nod before merging back into traffic.

Silence settles in the car as we ride. I try not to stare at her, but goddamnit, it’s just impossible not to. Her pretty dress reveals her legs, riding up higher since she’s fiddling nervously with the hem, and her biting her lips doesn’t make it an easy task.

There”s so much I want to ask her, so much I want to know, all her deepest secrets and biggest fears. Not while having a stranger listen in, though. Who knows what he”ll do, maybe record us and send it to a magazine? Give interviews telling another magazine what we smell like?

It’s possible. I didn’t sit through five hours of Van’s media training for nothing.

Then again, staying silent is just going to be awkward.

I fidget in my seat. How much longer will it take until we’re there? To my dismay, I realize we”ve barely moved. Thank you, Philly rush hour traffic.

Sighing, I sink deeper into the seat, trying to get more comfortable, putting my hand flat on the middle seat between us. From the corner of my eyes, I watch her roll the pearls of her bracelet between her fingers. It”s cute. Simple, but why is there only one pearl in another color?

There’s so much I want to ask her, so many things I’m dying to know. And I realize that I want every second I am with her to matter, that keeping silent just isn’t an option.

”So,” I break the silence, my heart doing a little flip when she looks up and our eyes meet. ”How are you liking Philly?” I cringe internally.

I mean, usually, I”d rather rip my tongue out than entertain small talk this superficial, but at least it”s a safe topic to talk about. What is a tabloid going to write? ”Superstar likes Philadelphia?” ‘Superstars do small talk?’

Even if they did, that”s hardly scandalous.

”It”s really nice here,” she says softly, a small smile playing at her lips. I know mine are curving up as well, because her voice is so bright and clear, it feels like rays of light streaming through a clear window, falling onto my skin. ”Very different from other cities I”ve stayed at. I haven’t seen much of it yet, but I really enjoy Philly”s vibe. How about you?” She tilts her head, looking like an adorable golden retriever with the sun hitting her blonde hair and big eyes.

”I”m enjoying Philly, too.” My fingers find the hem of my shirt, and I twist it between my fingertips. ”Where did you like staying the most?”

”Hmm,” she hums, tipping her index finger against her pursed lips as she rolls the question over in her head. My eyes are transfixed on it, and before I even realize it, her lips become the star of a daydream. I bet they feel amazing against mine.

”Ah, now I know.” Her eyes light up as she directs her eyes back at me, and I shake off the fantasy of kissing her. ”I lived in Amsterdam for a bit; that was nice. It was so different from any cities I’ve stayed in the US. Like every city, it has its issues, but the canals and historic buildings are lovely.”

I ask her more about Amsterdam, and with each answer, her smile widens and the glow on her face intensifies, until the car comes to a stop in front of the restaurant. Before she can even attempt it, and I see her reaching for her handbag, I hand the driver enough cash to cover the ride and a generous tip. He didn’t say a word, which is perfect service in my book.

”Give me a second,” I ask her, willing her with only my eyes to remain seated before I jump out of the car, quickly walking over to the other side to open the door for her.

”Thank you,” she murmurs, barely audible, the slightest blush tinting her cheeks.

”You”re very welcome,” I tell her, clearing my throat when I realize how rough my voice suddenly sounds. At once, the nervousness is back, taking the smoothness out of my movements and the confidence out of my voice. ”Let”s go inside.”

She nods and starts to walk ahead. For a second, I can’t help but stare after her, before I hurry to catch up and stroll beside her.

God, I really want to put my hand against the small of her back. I have to actively fight the pull that is beckoning my hand closer, like a magnet, waiting to snap together. Being next to her without touching her makes a distant feeling of anxiety settle in my stomach. It has me feeling like something is missing, as though I”m walking without shoes, or wearing my t-shirt inside out.

I open the door to the high-rise building for her, and my eyes scan the area as we walk to the elevator, but for once, nobody is paying us any mind.

Fuck it.

I stop fighting the pull and place my hand on her lower back, gently guiding her to the elevators. Through one of the mirrors lining the walls, I see her eyes dance, trying to avoid me as her teeth capture her lower lip.

Once the elevator doors close without anyone joining us, both of us breathe a sigh of relief, chuckling when we hear the other. And just like that, the atmosphere relaxes, and tension seeps out of our muscles.

Compared to the taxi, the silence now is comfortable, and we don’t speak a word, even as we step out on the highest floor and enter the restaurant. She lets me go ahead and talk to the host while her eyes roam over the entryway curiously.

Recognition flashes in the host’s eyes, but he doesn’t act on it, even though I see his eyes almost bulk out of his head when he sees Millie. After all, this restaurant is renowned for the privacy it provides to celebrities: people like Millie and me. ”Discretion” is basically their unofficial subtitle.

”Party of four, yes?” he asks after quickly schooling his face, his eyes darting behind us to check for other guests.

”Yes, we will be joined by two more people later… Michael,” I read out his name tag and shoot him a quick smile. My mom once told me that using names makes people feel more liked and respected, and I”ve tried to live by that advice and use names whenever I can.

Michael nods and leads us through the restaurant, to a secluded section hidden behind a wall of flowers and greenery. Once we step into it, the gentle piano notes from their live pianist turn barely audible, and the soft murmur of people in conversation drowns out.

I pull out a chair for Millie to sit down, and I’m faced with a grateful little grin tugging at her lips, as she does just that. Then I take a seat on the other side of the table, right opposite her.

I’m glad for the barrier to the outside world. Here, it’s the perfect volume to have pleasant conversation without having to talk over other people and music, all while knowing that no one can listen in without consent.

”I really like your bracelet,” I tell her when I scoot my chair closer to the table.

”Thank you.” She lifts her hand and turns it until the black pearl faces her. ”I made it myself.”

”That”s so cool.”

”Thank you,” she says again, the red in her cheeks deepening. ”I like creating things with my hands sometimes. Helps me shut off my brain.”

”I get that.” I nod empathetically. From experience, I know that clay figurines are too nerdy to mention on the first date, so I swallow my urge to tell her about my hobby. Instead, I change the topic. “So, Kayla didn”t tell you who you”d be meeting?” I ask her what”s been burning on my mind, accompanied by a teasing tone.

”No,” she admits, the most wonderful melodic giggle falling from her lips. ”She asked me to come along as moral support.” Her curls bounce as she shakes her head. “You realize those two are setting us up, right?” She sounds a bit annoyed at her friend, but the happy twinkle in her eyes betrays her, and I high-five myself internally. She”s not mad about it!

”Well, they weren’t exactly subtle about it,” I chuckle and prop my elbow on the table, leaning my chin against my palm while I drink her in. The way her eyes dance over me, then away for a moment, like she”s embarrassed, but then right back to me. ”Asher knew I really wanted to meet you. Officially.”

”Well, we are meeting. Officially.” She winks at me, and my heart somersaults in my chest. ”And now that finally, there”s nobody listening in, we can skip the small talk.”

”Thank fucking God.” I burst into laughter, and she looks adorable with that contagious grin on her face. ”But, just for the record, I really did want to know how you”re liking Philly so far.”

”And I would like to know if you”re single, and that”s why you wanted to meet me.” She narrows her eyes at me playfully, and I gulp. She”s direct. I like it.

”I am, and it was. Is. The reason, I mean.” Damn it, I’m flustered. Taking a deep breath, I will my nerves to calm down before I return the question. “How about you?”

”Yes to both,” she sighs and reaches for the menu, hiding her face behind the thick paper. ”Wonderful to have that out of the way.”

”You”re telling me,” I mumble and reach for the heavy paper card as well. There is a set menu at Fantasia that everyone who dines here receives. Which is completely fine with me. I’ve never heard any complaints about this restaurant. But I”m checking out their drinks, and I’m amazed at how many different wines and champagnes they have. No alcohol for me, though. I want to be sober for every single second of whatever this evening is going to be. I haven’t received any new message from Asher, and right now, there”s no telling if he and Kayla will even turn up, or stay wherever they are and let Millie and me have this dinner to ourselves.

A waiter comes over, and we order our drinks – sparkling water for me and homemade grapefruit lemonade for her.

Once he”s gone, uncomfortable silence falls. There is so much I want to know that I don”t even know where to start, and judging by the strained lines on her face, she”s not quite sure which topic to breach, either. And then my phone starts buzzing insistently in my pocket, the sound loud in this little enclosure.

”I’m sorry.” I grimace and fumble it out of my pocket to see who dares to disturb this date, rolling my eyes when I see the name on the screen.

Of course, it just has to be Summer with her impeccable timing. With a sigh, I decline the call, but within seconds, it starts buzzing again. I tap the red decline sign again and put it into my pocket, where it instantly makes itself known again.

”It”s alright,” she assures me with a sweet smile. ”It looks like it”s urgent.”

”I”m so sorry,” I tell her as I fish the phone out again, glaring at the device. ”It”s just my sister. I”m ninety-eight percent sure she just wants to annoy me.”

”Hmm,” she hums, like a small dragonfly. “Would you like me to answer?” A mischievous twinkle pops up in her eyes, and I freeze. My eyes jump from my phone to her, and my mood instantly lifts.

”Actually, yes. That would be hilarious.”

She reaches out her hand and wiggles her fingers until the smooth black surface of my phone touches her skin. With a grin on her face, she waits until it buzzes again.

”This is Radio One, and we are reporting live from the studio.” Her voice changed from giggly to firm within a second, and I stare at her in awe. She actually sounds like a radio speaker. ”And we are in with the next caller wanting to share their most embarrassing high school story. What is your name?”

She waits for a few seconds, her eyes dancing over my face, then her hand sinks down, and the adorable giggle is back. ”She hung up.”

I burst into laughter and accept the phone back when she hands it to me; just as it starts to ring again. This time, I answer.

”What’s up, sis?”

”What the fuck is wrong with you, Luca?”

”Nothing is wrong with me. Why?”

”Oh no, we”re not doing that. Who just answered your phone? Tell me, right now, or I”ll tell Mom and Dad.” I roll my eyes. She”s acting like telling our parents is supposed to be a bad thing. I mean, yeah, they”d probably get their hopes up for an autumn wedding and a pregnancy announcement for Christmas. And by ‘they,’ I mean Mom. But that”s about the extent of what would happen.

”I can tell you, but I can also do you one better,” I reply, raising one questioning eyebrow at Millie. She tilts her head, confused lines between her eyebrows that smoothen once she realizes what I”m doing.

Holding my phone away from my face, I turn on the camera and wait for Summer to turn hers on, too, biting down a grin.

I laugh when she comes into sight. Even though it’s late afternoon where she is, she’s either still, or again, in her pajamas, a tub of ice cream in her lap, and I am ninety percent sure she hasn’t left her bed today. She”s currently on break from college and went home to spend time with our parents. I just know she”s being pampered by them. Now that they face their empty nest, I think they sometimes feel lonely.

”Not a word,” she mumbles, pointing at the screen with her spoon while a drop of melted ice cream drops off it, and I roll my eyes. Then I turn the phone around, and Millie waves at my screen.

”WHAT?” Oh, shit, that’s loud. Quickly, I turn down the volume, then turn the phone back around to see her shocked expression. And to take a screenshot of it–I’m her brother, after all.

”You”re kind of interrupting something here, Summer. Was there anything urgent?” Her eyes are so wide I’m afraid they’re about to pop out of their sockets, and then she slowly shakes her head. ”Wonderful. I”ll call you later tonight, alright?” Another nod. ”Great. Byeee.” I can”t help but singsong the dismissal, knowing full well she”s bursting with curiosity, probably getting her ass out of bed to tell my parents anyways.

Ah, the joys of being a big brother.

”You look alike,” Millie points out as I set my phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ and put it back into my pocket. I’m not letting anyone else interrupt this date, not even Asher or Van. ”Is she older or younger?”

”Six years younger than me,” I tell her, and she blows a low whistle.

”Six years? That”s quite a bit.”

The waiter returns with our drinks and asks if we would like to proceed with the menu.

”Let”s give Kayla and Asher fifteen more minutes, and then we”ll start,” I propose, and Millie nods along in agreement. The waiter types something into his tablet and disappears again.

”Where were we? Right, six years. Yeah, it’s a kind of a lot. I remember being an only child, so I really didn’t appreciate having to share my parents’ attention in the beginning. But now we get along great.” The corners of my mouth pull upwards. ”Well, most of the time. I wouldn”t lend her my car, but I”d donate a kidney if that makes sense.”

”It does,” she assures me, leaning her chin on her propped-up hand. ”It”s basically what Kayla and my relationship is like. Are you close with the rest of your family?”

Her other hand lays on the table, fiddling with the hem of her napkin, and my eyes are transfixed on it as I go on.

”Yeah. I talk to my parents almost every day. A house in their neighborhood was my first big purchase, and I usually spend my time off there.” Finally, I tear my eyes away from her pearly white fingernails and back to her face. ”They”ve been really supportive of me becoming an actor. Of course, all the travels they get to do, thanks to it, might play into that.”

”I love that.” She grins, and I just can”t help myself. I grab my glass and take a sip, resting my hand right next to it after I set it down again. Close enough to hers that I can feel a magnetic pull again, but I don’t give in. At least not yet. ”I meet mine at least once a month for family dinner, and we call each other a lot. It took them forever to accept that I want to spoil them, but finally, they let me send them on all the travels they’ve been wanting to do. They still insist on flying Economy class, though, because they don’t want me to ‘waste my money’ on first class.” A deep sigh leaves her pouty lips, and she rolls her eyes.

”I”m sure they”ll grow out of it,” I assure her. From the corner of my eyes, I can see our fingers, mere centimeters away from each other.

Just do it, Luca. Take her hand. What”s so hard about that? I gulp.

”Mine took a while,” I say, trying to distract myself. “I paid their mortgage off behind their backs and gifted them tickets for a trip to France that I told them were non-refundable.” That makes her giggle, and it might just become my favorite sound.

”Such a good idea. Maybe I’ll try that with their next flight tickets. I’m sure they’ll never return to economy class once they’ve tried it out.” She shifts in her seat, and suddenly, I feel her pinkie finger touching mine. Ever so slightly, it rests warmly against mine, not moving away as she avoids my eyes. I accept her invitation and lock my pinkie with hers, making the adorable blush on her cheeks deepen.

”How about your sister? I”m sure she”s thrilled to have a famous older brother.”

”She doesn”t give a fuck,” I chuckle, trying not to stare at where our fingers lay intertwined. ”To her, it doesn”t change a thing. I’m still the guy who tugged on her pigtails and stole her candy. The only difference is that her university is paid for, and she gets to walk on one red carpet a year.”

“Only one?”

“Oh God, yeah,” I chuckle. “And that’s exhausting enough. She’s like a toddler, always wandering off.”

”I bet those events are still a lot more fun if you have your sister with you.” She blows a curl away from her face. ”I swear to God, if I have to sit through another eight-hour award show, only to get online backlash about not looking happy about being bored out of my mind, I”ll … well, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll start bringing pillows and blankets to those for nap time.”

”So only seven hours long, got it,” I say with a wink, and she narrows her eyes at me before amusedly shaking her head.

”I wish I could do my job only doing shows and recording music,” she sighs, her eyes turning sad. ”This whole... fuss around it is just no fun. I want to make music and have a good time, not get cramps from forcing myself to smile while networking.”

Is the whole media fuzz around her that bad? I’ve never seen anything, but then again, I’ve never looked. Maybe now is the time to check it out.

”Yeah, I know what you mean.” I nod and give her pinkie a slight squeeze. ”I love acting, but I”m not doing it to win awards.”

”That”s exactly it!” Her eyes light up, and my heart is doing another flip in my chest. ”I don”t care what a committee of I-don”t-know-how-many and I-don”t-know-how-old-men think of our music. I care about what our fans think about our music.” She grabs her drink and takes a sip. Notably, not with the hand resting intertwined with mine, which makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter about excitedly.

I”m just about to answer her, when rustling behind her makes my eyes shoot up.

”Sorry we”re late.”