Page 86 of Luca
I glanced around as we moved towards the back of the restaurant. It was classy, but there was a romantic atmosphere to it. One whole wall was made of glass and looked out onto the busy New York street. The south wall had exposed brick, the bronze chandeliers flickering lights against it.
The bar in the far corner reminded me of the old movies. The entire back wall behind the bar was brick and had mirror cabinets stocked up with hundreds of shiny bottles. The barstools in front of it were made out of red vintage leather, while the floor was made up in black and white.
Pablo stopped at the door that blended with the mirrors. He pulled it open, revealing a large yet very intimate room.
A table that could sit twenty sat in the middle of it and the entire room smelled divine.
“Our guests will be coming shortly too,” Luca informed him.
Music played softly in the background as Luca pulled out a chair for me.
“Thank you.”
He smiled at me, his eyes a deeper, darker color in this light. “I’m sorry about your mother. Not sure how she learned we’d be here.”
“Yeah.”
“What did she think she’d accomplish by cornering you like that?” he demanded to know.
A heavy breath left me. “I stopped wondering long ago what my mother’s angle or goal is. I’m sure she has one, but it changes so frequently it is exhausting to keep up.”
He watched me pensively, as if he was contemplating something but he didn’t say anything else on the matter.
I twisted my hands in my lap, glancing at the door.
“Are you nervous?” Luca asked.
I shook my head. “No, not really. There isn’t much Uncle can demand. We’re legally married and my aunt can screech all she wants about Áine’s unfortunate wedding to your brother.”
“One day she’ll get over it,” Luca mused.
“You’d think by now she would have,” I grumbled.
A girl dressed in a stylish black pantsuit entered the room and behind her were my uncle and aunt.
“Ah, speak of the devil,” I muttered.
Uncle and Aunt walked in, their expression slightly in awe, glancing left and right.
I went to get up but Luca’s hand came to my shoulder as he stood up.
“Don’t overexert yourself, dear.”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek at his comment. This would require less exercise than sex with him and he wasn’t concerned with that. But I didn’t protest.
Uncle grinned widely and rushed to me. “He’s right. God, girl. Your arse gave me a scare. Disappearing like that.”
I smiled awkwardly. “I didn’t disappear. It was just a long vacation.”
He shook his head. “I almost had a heart attack. I had to go to your Da’s grave and pray for forgiveness.”
Luca smiled coolly. “Maybe you should ask your niece for forgiveness for trying to force a marriage on her.”
Uncle’s brows furrowed. “Maybe, but having Margaret single with a baby in our world would have left her open for targeting. She’d be in danger.” Uncle grinned. “But all's well that ends well. Both my girls married King brothers. Who would have ever thought?”
Well, at least Uncle seemed relieved that I was married. Staining our family name and the bullshit that went along with it, I presumed. Never mind it was the twenty-first century.
“It’s not an ideal scenario,” Aunt commented.
