Forgiven // l.h. // Book 2 in Bully Series

21. Hands

"Rockpool." I read the sign printed on the windows of the building as we walked up to it. Luke and I had been walking for only a few blocks, but the paparazzi had found us about one street ago. They weren't loud, but that was probably because there were only like three of them. Mainly they were curious what we were doing and why Luke and I were so dressed up. I figured that, much like it was for me, it was a surprise for them to see Luke in anything other than ripped skinny jeans and a band shirt. For the most part, we ignored them, though Luke had to ask them to back off a bit when one guy ran into a woman walking on the sidewalk.

"This looks expensive." I muttered as we entered the large archway that led to the doors of the restaurant. Luke sent a glance my way as he opened the door.

"Well, it's a good thing you're the girl and you don't have to pay, now isn't it?" He quipped, giving me a cheeky grin in response to the half-hearted glare I sent his way. I was going to say something else, but as soon as I looked forward again and saw the interior to the restaurant, my words disappeared. I'm pretty positive my jaw dropped and I looked like a fool to anyone who was already inside.

The restaurant itself looked smaller on the inside than it did on the outside, but that certainly didn't take away from the overall grandeur of the place. It was decorated with dark colors, the only contrasting pieces being the white tablecloths on the many tables and the lights themselves, which hung from long chandeliers attached to the ceiling several yards above. I looked around in awe even as Luke led us to the front podium area and spoke with the man there.

"This way, Mr. Hemmings." I finally snapped out of my trance when the man spoke and we began walking yet again. I glanced at the fancy outfits on the people sat at the tables as we passed them. The man led us to a staircase, then out into the balcony seating area. It was a lot more private on the second floor, as there were less tables. Out of the seven or eight tables up here, only three were occupied; one by an older couple, and the other two by groups of four. One group had a younger girl, who, upon seeing Luke and I, froze in her spot. Nobody else at the table noticed, but I did. Luke must have, too, because I saw him subtly lift a hand and wave to her as we approached a lone table near the edge of the balcony. 

Luke pulled out one of the chairs and gestured for me to sit in, giving me a goofy grin when I lifted an eyebrow at him. Chuckling, I sat down in the incredibly comfortable black chair and scooted forward as he rounded the table and sat down across from me. The waiter arrived only a few moments after we sat, handing us two one-page menus and saying he'd be back with the wine menu and to take our orders in a few minutes.

"You don't happen to know what Ahi Tuna Tartare is, do you?" I questioned, my eyes darting over the seven selections on the menu in front of me. A quick glance up at Luke answered that question for me; he was giving the menu the same confused look I was. I laughed, setting my menu down on the table. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you don't know what half the things are on the menu either." Luke finally looked up at me, his expression exasperated.

"Don't make fun of me. I thought it'd be nice to bring you to a fancy place. Thought you'd like it." He looked down at the menu again, and I instantly felt bad. I wasn't making fun of him. Actually, I thought the entire idea was wonderful. It was great to be able to dress up and go to a fancy restaurant. I never had any reason to wear anything fancier than street clothes on a regular basis. Hell, my work uniform was less fancy than something you'd wear to Starbucks.

"Hey, I'm not making fun of you." I said gently, reaching out and pulling the menu out of his hands so he couldn't hide behind it. "I think it's really awesome that you chose to come here. It's a beautiful restaurant." I assured him. He smiled gratefully, and I couldn't help but feel my stomach do a tiny flip.