Chapter 8
Axel
The warm summer breeze filled the car, sending Luca’s hair all over the place.
I stretched my arm out behind his headrest to get comfortable.
Blaring horns were a backdrop to the music coming from the radio as Lower Manhattan passed by.
Riding in his timeworn car made me wish I could go back and relive the things I’d missed growing up.
“Is this what it was like being an American teenager, riding around with the windows down, music blaring?”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. That wasn’t my life.” My eyes drifted to him, waiting for a story. But the smile had faded, so I let it go.
Nightclubs, restaurants, and the life I was accustomed to were at my fingertips on this side of the island. But was this what I still wanted out of life? Across the East River, Brooklyn was like a different country. “Do you prefer Brooklyn to Manhattan?”
Luca glanced my way. “I don’t know. I’ve never lived in this part of Manhattan.”
“Fair, but which place do you prefer?”
He shrugged. “To me, it’s like choosing between steak and hamburger. Both have their pluses, but one costs more.”
“Interesting way to look at it.”
“Why do you ask? Are you thinking about living in Manhattan?”
I shrugged and looked around the area. “Maybe. But it probably won’t be convenient. Everything I need is in Brooklyn.”
I gripped the seat when he took a hard right toward the Brooklyn Bridge. My fingertips grazed his shoulder, then caught in the wisps of his hair floating in the breeze.
Luca winced. “Shit, sorry. I should have warned you about the sudden turns.”
I tugged on a strand of hair. “I’ll just hold on here.”
“Asshole,” he muttered, with a smile. He cut his brown eyes to me, then reached up with a single finger to pull a strand of hair from his mouth. Even though I’d tracked him down and showed up at this office like a stalker, Luca appeared to be enjoying the company. More relaxed than before.
Adjusting my sunglasses, I returned to the view of the city. In the week I’d been here, Brooklyn felt comfortable, like I could breathe. My father was in Manhattan, so living in Brooklyn put a river between us.
“Sorry about the windows. The air conditioning is out.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind. The breeze is nice.” It wouldn’t take much to fix that.
“I thought we could eat in Brooklyn, if that’s okay. Closer to home for both of us.”
“Yes. That works. What are you in the mood for?”
“You can get whatever you like where I’m taking you.” That’s not what I asked him. But as we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, I took in the East River and the buildings along the waterfront. They were an eclectic mix of new and refurbished buildings. Maybe I should consider living on the waterfront?
“How did you get my phone number? Not many people have it.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“I don’t have that many friends outside of work.”
I shifted to look at him. “Why not? You’re a nice guy.”
One side of his jaw tipped up. “You don’t know me. I might be an asshole.”
I tried not to smile at him. “Impossible.”
He took his eyes off the road to glance at me. “What makes you so sure?”
“Because I’m one.”
Luca chuckled but didn’t reply until we stopped at a traffic light.
“I don’t agree. I think it’s what you want people to think.
” He turned his eyes on me. “Assholes aren’t kind like you.
” A horn blared, yanking his eyes back to the rear-view mirror.
Leaving me speechless, he pulled through the light and into the parking lot of a small diner.
No one saw me that way. “The food’s good, and they have a wide menu. ”
Removing my arm from behind his seat, I leaned forward to look out the windshield. Our shoulders brushed as he leaned forward. Turning, still shoulder to shoulder, I looked at him. “Are you sure this is where you want to eat? You could choose anywhere you like. I’m paying.”
Luca’s expression softened as he looked out the window.
“I’m positive.” He didn’t flinch away from my touch as he gazed fondly at the Silver Stream Diner.
It looked like an oversized iconic motorhome retrofitted with a million windows.
“You gave me a choice, and this is my favorite place in the world.”
A new feeling of contentment filled my chest. Luca was an enigma of a man. He didn’t want my money or care about my fame. He was magnetic and the most genuine human being I’d ever met. He reminded me of my brother. But there was a story here, and I needed it. I needed to know him.
“Let’s go,” he said, rolling up the windows. Exiting the car, we climbed the steps to the front door and made our way inside. We were greeted by an older lady with gray hair. Her uniform was clean, and her face lit up when she saw Luca. Was she his grandmother?
“My sweets,” she crooned, pulling his face down to kiss his cheek.
She meant something to him. “Hey, Edith,” he murmured, wrapping her in his arms. “How are you?”
She pulled back and softly patted his face. “I’m doing fine, sweets. Are you hungry?” As she looked him over, her expression slipped into concern. “You’re working too hard, Luca. I can see it in your eyes. And you’re too skinny.” I tried to see what she saw. He was thin, but not gaunt.
He kissed her cheek. “I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.” He changed the subject with practiced ease. “What’s the special today? We’re hungry.”
As her eyes slipped from him, they landed on me. The smile returned as a sparkle appeared. She folded her arm through his as she looked me over. “And who do we have here?”
Luca turned to me and rolled his eyes. “This is Axel. He just moved here.”
I held out my hand. “Hello. Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Her eyes lit up. “You’re not from the States.”
“No ma’am,” I chuckled. “I’m from the UK.”
Before she could get started with the questions that filled her eyes, Luca changed the conversation. “Edith, where are we sitting? We’re both starved.”
As if he uttered the magic words, she turned back to him with a smile. “Good. I have just the place for a date.”
His eyes widened as he leaned down. “Not a date, Edith. Just dinner with…” He looked over his shoulder at me. “A new friend.”
There was something wrong with me. Maybe my social skills were underdeveloped or something because here I was at thirty years old, beaming at being acknowledged as his friend. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted that. Someone outside of hockey, someone normal, like him.
After sliding into the booth, she handed each of us a menu. “I’ll give you boys some time to look it over.”
She walked away, leaving Luca to glance at me briefly over his menu before he looked back down. “Sorry about that. She gets carried away thinking I need….” His cheeks pinked as he waved the last words away.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind.” Scanning the fifties-themed diner, my eyes landed on Edith. She glanced at me, then winked. Turning back to him, I caught his eye. “She loves you. Like she’s your gran.”
His eyes softened when he looked at her. “She’s great. But not related to me.” Luca closed his menu and placed it on the table. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Which one was that?”
He raised a brow. “You know which one. How did you get my number?”
I smirked. “It was easy. I threatened your former boss.”
His warm brown eyes danced as a laugh bubbled up. It looked good on him, and I preferred it over the worry lines on his face. “With what? I have to know.”
I closed my menu and leaned forward. “Threatened to buy the building if he didn’t give it to me.”
More laughter bubbled from him, and I wanted to keep that look on his face. “God, I wish I could have seen it. That was probably the one thing that would stir him up.”
I shrugged one shoulder, but the smile remained. How could anyone want to harm such a beautiful person? “It worked. And I might do it. Just to prove a point.”
Luca’s laughter filled the sparsely populated diner. Glancing at Edith, her smile said it all. “But how did you get my address? I only list a P.O Box.”
He might not appreciate this one. “Yes, I know. But my brother-in-law is a private investigator.” To soften the intrusion, I offered a bit about myself. “He located me. For my brother.”
I expected anger, but he surprised me. “Okay. I’m going to come clean. After you called me out of the blue, I did some research online.” He leaned forward, mirroring me. “About you.”
“And what did you learn?” I murmured.
“What a big deal it was for the DEL’s biggest star to leave and come to the NHL. I figured you must have a good reason. And I’m guessing it was to be closer to your brother. But I hate to tell you, Hughes, you aren’t close to San Diego.” He was fucking charming
I pursed my lips but couldn’t stop the sarcasm. “No? It’s a lot closer than Europe.”
I expected a litany of questions, but he only made a statement. With a heartfelt expression, he caught me off guard. “I’m really happy you found him, Axel. Now you’ll always have someone in your corner.”
My chest caught. I was right. He was probably the most genuine soul I’d ever encountered. He deserved someone to be there for him. And I wanted that to be me. “Thank you. You remind me of him.”
“How’s that?”
I looked into his brown eyes. “He’s the kindest, most sincere person I’ve ever met.”
“What makes you think I’m like that?”
“I just know.”
We sat back when Edith walked up with a tray carrying two glasses of water. “Are you ready to order, or do you need more time to chat?”
Luca rolled his eyes. “Do you know what you want, Axel?”
Yes. I do. “Whatever you’re having is great.”
His face lit up. “You sure?”
“Absolutely. I trust you.”
“Okay.” He turned to Edith with a smile. “We’ll have two plates of liver and onions, rare, with a side of sauerkraut.” He turned back to me. “That okay?”
My brows pulled together at the horror of what he’d ordered. “Uhh…” I muttered as my mouth fell open. Gross. Did he really eat that?