9. Chapter Nine - Luca
The Gods must be smiling down on me. How else would I explain to anyone that within a day, I not only have the chance to get to know her, but also have two chances to be alone with her? I could kiss their manager for sending Asher off with Kayla!
My hand fits the small of Millie’s back like a puzzle piece as the two of us walk outside, and once I need to let her go, I feel incomplete. It’s weird. It”s corny as hell, but she”s like a magnet. Like the sun. And just like a damn sunflower, I just can”t stop my eyes from following her wherever she goes and whatever she does. They always find her, and she has me turning in her direction, yearning for her attention.
She tells the taxi driver her address, and off we go. It’s an older gentleman with kind eyes. He doesn’t give me any ‘I’m going to call the paparazzi on you’ vibes. So I take her hand. And fuck if it doesn’t fit perfectly into mine. Just like before, my skin starts prickling where we touch, and a satisfied hum forms in my throat.
I don”t want this date to be over yet. I’m just not ready to part with her. But we”ve just met ‘officially’ and have only now gotten to know each other. I’m painfully aware that expecting more of this day would be crazy.
A smile doesn’t leave her lips throughout the ride, not even when she gnaws on her lower lip, or her gaze wanders out the window. And I hope I’m the reason for it.
I whistle, impressed when we approach the skyscraper where her apartment is. Ours is a few blocks away, but not too far. If it weren’t for the paparazzi, I could definitely walk over.
The one she and Kayla live in looks a lot fancier than ours, though. From what I can see through the car window, there”s a lobby with marble floors, high ceilings, and a doorman keeping his eye on whoever enters and exits. I can’t say that the building they put Asher and me in is shabby, but this? This is just next level. A way higher level.
Her eyes dart around anxiously as we approach, as if she’s waiting for someone to jump out of the neatly trimmed bushes along the main entrance.
”I hope the paparazzi haven’t found out where we live,” she sighs with a grimace distorting her beautiful face, and I can”t help but give her hand a short, reassuring squeeze.
”If they did, you’d see them, I’m very sure of that.” I nod for emphasis, and she seems to relax the tiniest bit under my touch. Drawing small circles on the back of her hand with my thumb, I also keep an eye out for anyone looking suspicious, but I see nobody with any cameras around.
The driver moves the car right up to the main entrance and comes to a stop right in front of the doorman.
”Well,” she says softly, turning to me and locking my eyes with hers. ”This evening was lovely.”
”It was,” I agree. My eyes jump between hers and her pouty lips, one of them caught between her teeth as she looks down at our intertwined hands. ”I would really like to do this again, Millie,” I say softly, and her eyes settle on my lips as I talk. She is so close that I can see my breath move her curls the tiniest bit, and I can see small glitter particles of her eyeshadow on her lids. “Without Asher and Kayla,” I clarify and raise my hand to brush one of her curls behind her ear, feeling her heated skin under my palm. “Will you let me take you out on a proper date?”
”Luca,” she says my name softly, like a whispered sigh. “I would really like that.” She curls her lips into a smile.
Then she startles, the moment gone, when the loud sound of someone hitting the roof of the car. My heart is racing, almost jumping out of my ribs, when I turn around and realize who the culprit is.
It”s Kayla, looking inside the taxi, shielding her eyes with her hands from the side to look through the mirror foil.
”Just kiss already!” she shouts, then bursts into a cackle, turns around, and marches right into the lobby, waving at the doorman. Say what you will, but she and Asher would suit each other.
When I turn back to Millie, she has her face buried in her hands, the red from her cheeks seeping down her throat.
”I”m so sorry about her.”
”Why? She”s right.” I reach out and snake my fingers around her delicate wrists, her self-made bracelet cold under my palm, and pull her hands away from her face. There is not an ounce of resistance. Instead, she looks at me with wide eyes, like a deer in headlights. ”I should kiss you. Let me clarify. I really wantto kiss you.” Her face grows more crimson, but at the same time, her smile curls wider. “But I think I”m saving it for a moment she doesn”t ruin.” I wink at her and lift one of her hands to my face, pressing my lips into her palm before gently setting her arm down. ”I”ll message you.”
She looks at me and blinks. Then again. And I can see her fight the urge to bury her face in her hands again to hide her blush from me. God. She’s so adorable.
”Okay,” she says with a smile and opens her seatbelt. When she opens the door, she looks at me, then the front door, and back at me. Finally, she breaks into a smile and points her finger at me. ”Don”t you dare ghost me.”
”I would never.” I lift my hand with the palm facing toward her. ”Scouts honor.”
For a moment, she eyes me skeptically, then she chuckles. ”Good. I”ll be waiting. Have a good evening, Luca.”
”Sweet dreams, Millie,” I say to her just before the door closes. The driver starts the engine again, but I stop him. ”Please wait until she’s inside.”
The poor guy seems annoyed with me, mumbling something along the lines of ‘fucking gentleman,’ but I don”t give a damn. I’d rather have a stranger be miffed with me than have anything happen to her on my watch.
Millie makes a quick stop next to the doorman and seems to greet him. As soon as she does, his face grows softer, and while they exchange a few words, his stern face takes on an almost soft expression. Then she continues inside, a happy swing in her step as the glass doors open for her. Kayla is waiting for her behind them, and they step out of sight.
”Alright, you can go,” I let the driver know, my cheeks starting to hurt from grinning so much today.
”About damn time.”
”Damn, you’re back only fifteen minutes after me,” Asher whistles when I round the corner to my apartment. Of course, that asshat has planted his butt right at my front door, blocking it with his body and demonstratively checking his watch. ”I feel sorry for the girl.”
”The woman has a name, and I know that you know it, dude,” I point out with an eye roll and pat my pockets for my keys. ”And what did you expect? That we fuck in a taxi? Did you forget drivers exist? I”m not going to give a stranger a peep show.”
”I mean, that would definitely be a way to distract the media frenzy about Kayla and me.” He chuckles, and my head shoots up just as my fingers close around the key.
”Shut up. Are you for real?” My eyes widen.
”Oh yes.” This chuckle sounds less amused and more strained. ”So, let me fill you in, because let me tell you, you missed so much in the thirty minutes we didn’t see each other.” I raise my eyebrow at him.
“So, when we arrived at Fantasia, there were all these paparazzi, and they started pushing and shit, so I grabbed her and pulled her behind me. And according to social media, we are now America”s dream couple.” A dry laugh escapes him. ”Don”t worry, though, from what I’m seeing, they really didn’t know you and Millie were there too. You’re welcome.”
”Ehm…” I tilt my head, confused. “Thank you… I guess?”
Finally, I unlock the door and step inside my apartment. Asher continues to talk, something about Kayla not liking him, but I’m not listening to him. At all.
Throwing my jacket into a corner and walking over to my couch, my whole mind is occupied; no capacity for any thought but her.
The way she played around with her bracelet, the way she bit her lip when she wanted me to kiss her. The way her cheeks turned red, and she tried to hide her face.
I”m so smitten. My cheeks hurt from all the smiling I did today, and that’s when I realize I’m doing it again. The amount of power Millie has over me, even when she’s not in the same room. I only need to think of her and break into a grin.
”Hello? Earth to Luca?” Asher waves his hand in front of my face, looking at me worried and gently shaking my shoulder with his other hand. ”Is everything okay? You looked like you were about to pass out.”
”I”m not sure.” But happiness starts bubbling in my stomach. Then, it rises until it breaks out of me in laughter. It starts as a chuckle, but it takes only a few moments until I”m lying on my couch, looking at the ceiling, full-on belly-laughing. ”Shit, Asher, I’m so fucking happy.”
He blinks at me. Once. Twice. Then his face softens, and he throws himself on the couch next to me, hitting my shoulder as he folds his giant frame onto the couch pillows.
”God, you got it bad,” he points out and joins my laughter.
”No shit, Sherlock,” I press out and put my forearm over my face in an attempt to calm down. ”Holy shit.”
”In a good way, though, right?”
”In a very good way,” I confirm, laughter slowly subsiding until all that’s left are heavy breaths. ”This never happened to me before. God, half a date, and I want to put a fucking ring on her finger.”
”Well, that would be a bit creepy, so maybe hold off on that.” The couch moves as Asher shakes his head. ”I mean, she could be a witch for all we know. I’ll eliminate the gold digger option, because I’m pretty sure she’s worth more than you and me combined.”
”Her being a witch would explain my infatuation, though. Maybe it”s a love spell.”
”Or maybe it was just good old love at first sight,” Asher says in a high pitch, teasing me.
”Just because you don”t believe in it, doesn”t mean I can’t,” I tell him and roll my eyes, even though he can”t see it with both of us looking at the ceiling. ”And, to be fair, it wasn”t at first sight. It was at first date.”
”Keep telling yourself that.” This time, I can basically hear the eye roll in his tone. ”Be honest with yourself, Luca. You were fucking whipped the second you asked me for her name when you saw her strut across that field.”
”I hate you,” I tell him with an exhausted sigh, and he chuckles, knowing I don’t mean it. Then he gets up and offers me his hand to pull me into a sitting position as well.
”No, you don”t. So, what”s your next plan of attack?”
”Well, I got her number, no thanks to you.” I glare at him, and he raises his eyebrow, daring me to keep the discussion going. But I don’t do him that favor. “I’m going to message her and see where it goes.” Asher narrows his eyes at me, before he starts to shake his head disapprovingly.
”Luca, Luca, Luca.” He clicks his tongue in an ‘I’m not mad, just disappointed’ way. ”You need to have your plan before you ask her out.”
”Says who?”
”Says me.” He sounds way too cocky for his own good, but sadly, I know that he’s a pro at dating. ”Trust me, she”ll appreciate you taking charge.”
”That sounds good and everything, but I don”t know what to do. I’ve talked to her for the first time today; how am I supposed to find something out that would blow her away.” Because if I approach her with an idea–it better be perfect.
”Okay, let”s brainstorm then. What did she say she liked? Walk me through it.” Asher nods and starts pacing the living room while I sit back down on the couch and bury my face in my hands, trying to relive all the conversations we had today.
”She had a bracelet on, and she made it herself,” I remember, and I wrack my brain for other things she said she likes to do. ”She said she likes creating things with her hands.”
”Okay, so maybe something crafty.” Asher walks around the couch, scratching his chin as he thinks. I bet if he had one, he’d draw on a whiteboard and do the whole connecting-the-dots thing they like to do in crime movies.
What else can you do with your hands? I saw an advertisement for a bouquet workshop a while back, but I mean, how fucked would it be to make her create her own bouquet? That”s not happening. At least not now. Maybe someday that will be a fun thing to do together.
”You could go blow glass,” Asher snickers, and I lift my head just to shake it at him. ”Get it? Blow–”
”Yes, I get it.” I sigh, exhausted, and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I”m just not humoring you.”
”Boring,” he pouts and resumes walking. ”Did you know they call the oven thing a glory hole? Glory hole, Luca.” He starts chuckling as he continues to pace until he suddenly stops and punches his fist into the air. “Ha! Speaking of ovens. I got it. Pottery!”
”Pottery?” I tilt my head and think the idea over.
”Yeah. Just think about it.” His eyes light up, and I hope it”s with happiness that he found something we can do, not mischief. ”You can make each other cute, heart-shaped bowls and engrave adorable things.”
”Why do I have a feeling that you”re making fun of me?”
”Oh, because I totally am,” he laughs and throws his giant body back onto the sofa, almost making my body bounce off the pillow with his momentum. Reaching behind me, I take one of the pillows and throw it at his face.
”Did I mention that I hate you today?”
”Yes, you did, but no, you don”t. I just gave you a wonderful idea for a date. You can’t hate me.”
”And I”m not stealing the date idea if it means I”m not going to hear the rest of it.” I roll my eyes. ”I”d rather think of something else then.”
”Fine, fine. I won”t bring it up again.” I look up, raising my eyebrows at him. He looks sincere. So I hold out my pinkie, knowing that in his childish mind, locking them will actually make him take a promise seriously.
”Promise?”
”Where”s the trust?” He sighs dramatically but ultimately links his finger with mine. ”Fine. I promise.”
”Thank you, Asher. You can go home now.”
”Wow, what a dismissal,” he chuckles and hits my shoulder playfully. ”I get it. Go and agonize over the message you”re going to send her. Let me know how it goes.”
”Will do. See you tomorrow, Fuckface.” He gives me a lazy wave with his middle finger as he walks out of my apartment, pulling the door shut behind him.
So... pottery, I guess. Where”s my phone?
After a bit of searching, I find it under one of the couch pillows. It must have slipped out of my pocket when I sat down.
With cold fingertips, I pull up my contacts, scrolling through the list until I find her.
”Millie ;*”
God, even the way she saved her name in my contact list is adorable. I open a chat with her and stare at the empty conversation. Then I change tabs to my browser, and Asher”s words echo in my head. ”She”s going to appreciate you having a plan.”
I fear he’s right.
After a quick research, I find a pottery studio and text Van, asking him to call them and get us an exclusive spot. Honestly, I”d do it myself, but ever since I landed some bigger roles, I’ve had some wild reactions to calling places. From people trying to give me meals for free to people not believing that it’s actually me who wants an appointment.
Plus, Van knows all the NDA stuff and probably has a mountain-high pile of those hidden somewhere in his office, so I’m sure it makes more sense for him to talk to the owners anyway.
I hope he won’t make me wait too long. Nervousness starts creeping into my body, settling in with the feeling of ants crawling over my body.
Now it”s my turn to jump up and pace the living room, until finally, after seventeen minutes and forty seconds, Van messages me the ”okay” from the studio. Thank God. I answer him with a thumbs-up emoji before pulling up the chat with Millie once more.
And then I stare at it. And stare at it even longer, hoping that the words are going to write themselves. Sadly, they don’t.
Fuck. What am I going to write?
What if the pottery idea is way off, and Asher fucked it up for me? What am I going to do then?
No, Luca, calm down. It”s going to be fine. She likes crafting and even said herself that she likes creating with her hands. She’s going to love it. Everything is going to be okay.
Taking a deep breath, I finally let my fingers dance over the keyboard and type out my message to her.
Luca: Hi, it”s Luca.
I accidentally hit send and almost throw my phone away. Fuck. Quick like the wind, I continue to type.
Luca: I had a wonderful evening. About that date we talked about. Are you free on Tuesday evening?
I cringe after I send it. Why the hell am I writing like that? It sounds way too informal.
I take a sharp breath when, almost immediately, the three points indicating she”s writing plop up.
Did she stay up to wait for my message? Maybe she’s just as nervous as I am.
My heart is beating in my chest like a horse on a gallop as I watch the three dots while she types. They dance, then they’re gone, then they appear again. That woman is going to give me a fucking heart attack.
Millie: I really enjoyed myself, too. I”m free on Tuesday!
If possible, my heart picks up another beat. She enjoyed yourself too. I”m so glad. It makes me giddy as a child on Christmas morning, getting the exact thing they asked for.
And I reckon if there was ever a rejection coming, she would have given it to me now. There is no way she would continue to lead me on otherwise. She doesn’t seem like that kind of person at all.
A whole bunch of weight is suddenly off my shoulders.
Luca: Great. I”ll pick you up at six. We”ll go for dinner, and I”ll have a surprise planned. Wear something comfortable.
She answers me with a GIF of a saluting dog.
Millie: Can”t wait!!
Ooof, that”s two exclamation points. I let my phone sink down and grin like an idiot, happiness simmering inside me. I want to open the window and scream my happiness from the rooftops, but honestly, that would be embarrassing.
So instead, I grab my phone again and send her a sticker of an impatient cat wiggling its butt.
That”s cute, right? Trying to distract myself from thinking about it too much, I pull up my sister”s contact info and finally call her back as promised.