"Don't you think that maybe you should wear one of the things your step-father bought you honey? You know, make a good impression?"
Emilia tried very hard not to chuck the tube of mascara at her mother in the doorway, who had been hovering for at least 20 minutes trying to make her change. Into what did she want Emilia to change into? At the very least she wanted her daughter to take one of the luxury brand bags, but even touching one of those things had her in fear of getting a smudge or dare she drop food on it. Really she wanted Emilia to wear anything that wasn't the cami-tank top, jean shorts, and light cardigan that would fend off the breeze, most likely she wanted Emilia to wear the dress that she was now holding up.
"I think I will make the best impression just by being myself, mother." She knew that she had snapped, and that her mom thought that was actually doing this because she wanted to, but. . the pressure was suffocating. Everyone's lives were hanging on her shoulders and all she really wanted to do was run away.
Besides, if he didn't like her just because she was herself, she couldn't do anything to fix that, right? She set down the tube of black mascara trying not to shake as she looked at her mother, her mother didn't even meet her eyes in the mirror. Turning, she tried so hard to give an effective smile but she wasn't even looking. "I'll, I'll see you later."
"Yeah, have fun on your date." It was such a brittle bridge of peace between them these days.
"Yeah."
Emilia slipped past her mom and out the door.
"We are here Miss Emilia."
Startled from her thoughts and woes, Emilia looked out the window. A marina restaurant looking out over the water, fancy enough to be expensive, but not fancy enough to only serve dinner. Unfortunately it was actually a rather perfect first date spot, not some shady Turkish place where she would get killed.
"Right, thank you."
It was habit now, to accept his hand as she stepped out of the car. He felt comforting, even if he was stiff as a board. She could feel those storms watching her, even behind those glasses, his hand was so solid, the only thing that didn't move in this whirlwind of a universe. It was like they had tossed her in a hurricane and were waterboarding her until she submit or drowned. He dropped her hand like it was lava, returning to that stupid casual stern look that made her want to either slap him or kiss him to make it go away.
"I wasn't sure if I was to expect you or not. I know you replied yes but, well. . . I figured that was Anthony." The little smirk that accompanied the utter disrespect of calling Mr. Delmont by his name came from Lukas Luppino's lips. It fit what she had learned about the guy pretty well. He seemed to play the golden boy very nicely, but there was a viper beneath the open button-down shirt and casual kakis.
"Mr. Luppino, I couldn't miss this if I tried." Emilia gave him a bland smile, it was the truth and as much as she didn't trust this guy, he may be her ally in the end.
"I remember asking you to call me Lukas, but that is alright, Miss Delmont." His smirk widened slightly, he knew that would bother her.
"My apologies Lukas, and it's Emilia Heart, if I may jog your memory." It hurt to try and smile at this snake, but she had to play his game.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Emilia." He offered his hand, and regrettably, she accepted, shaking once, twice, before they released.
This had to be by far the most formal date she had ever been on. It felt like a business meeting, not a romantic outing. "Like wise, Lukas, shall we eat?"
"Right this way, I have a table reserved." He bowed theatrically, throwing out an arm for her to walk into the restaurant. She just hoped the food would be worth her time as she started walking. "Oh, not you, don't worry, she'll be safe with me."
Emilia looked over her shoulder to see Lukas' arm barred across Mr. Knyte's stomach. She found it hard to believe that Lukas was that stupid. They weren't much different in height, but Mr. Knyte certainly filled out his suit considerably more and the look he was giving Lukas right now, Emilia could feel the death stare from where she stood by the door.
"With all due respect, Lukas, I only obey Miss Emilia's orders." Emilia just wanted to know why him saying that was so fucking attractive.
"Thank you, Mr. Knyte, but I will be fine." They both knew she was lying, but he didn't dare question it, not in front of this guy. He merely nodded before turning back to the car, Lukas had never even spared him a glance as he walked to the restaurant's door and holds it open.
"After you, Miss Emilia." It was mocking.
She could survive this, just an hour, she only had to survive an hour.
Turns out, when Lukas had said that he booked a table, he really meant that he had booked them half the restaurant. The entire terrace was empty but for them, the curtains closed over the glass doors for privacy. It was shockingly beautiful too, the wooden deck over the waves with even a dock reaching out for people to pull up in their boats. Afternoon sun heated the seats but with the umbrella up, it was surprisingly pleasant outside.
"I understand that before your mother married Anthony you were in college?" The conversation seemed casual if it wasn't for the innuendo that she wasn't in college anymore.
"Still am, I have another year." She tried to sound polite but it was difficult, he was pushing all the wrong buttons.
"Sure, and what did you study?" Still with that stupid past tense.
"Why does that matter to you exactly?" She tried not to spit it from between her teeth, but she couldn't even think long enough to pick her food, let alone be polite.
"Just making small talk." But she could see his eyes above the menu, the way his mouth stayed in that permanent smirk like he knew everything and she knew nothing.
"I'm sure, and if this is such small talk then why are you talking about my education in the past tense?" Emilia didn't care what this man thought of her, but she felt like she needed to know what he did.
"Have you not been informed that your education has been postponed in the name of the newlyweds?" It was casual, all-knowing, and tickled a memory between her and Mr. Delmont. One of the conversations that she was desperately trying to block out.
"Postponed, not ended." She muttered, snapping the menu closed after choosing the first thing her eyes finally register.
"You sure?" Lukas closed his own menu, leaning his elbows on the table to look at her a little more sincerely. "From what I heard Anthony seized the rest of your college funds as payment from your late father and gave them to my dad, a kind of down payment if you will."
Emilia froze mid thought, he did what? It fit in with everything she had learned, about her father, about Mr. Delmont, but a down payment for what?
"How? I thought it was protected for my education only?" It was lower this time, her voice bordering a tremble.
"That I don't know, some kind of loophole I'm sure, nothing either of them do is exactly legal regardless. Either way, your education is on a permanent hold at the moment, just like the rest of your life." Was that a threat? Was he directly threatening her in public? She had to take this shit from Mr. Delmont, but Lukas? Never, she would not take one more man telling her what she could and couldn't do.
"How. . " She was cut off as the waiter finally showed up.
"Hello, my name is Derek, may I start you off with any drinks?" His smile had no effect on his two customers, one a relaxed blonde glancing between his companion and the interruption, and the other someone who looked either so pissed off she might throw her drink on him, or was bordering a good cry.
"Yes, I would love a water and a glass of your Sancerre, I believe she will have the same. Isn't that right, sweetheart." Lukas wasn't daring her to challenge him in front of a witness, it was more of an offer for her to avoid speaking with another person. But honestly she was still trying to keep herself from doing anything that might get the police called.
"An excellent choice, and are you ready to order as well or would you like more time?" The waiter was either oblivious or too well tipped to care what was going on. Or it wasn't his first time going through something like this.
"I believe we are ready. We will start with the calamari and then I will have your grilled Sea Bass." How was he just so casual?
"May I have the cedar plank salmon with wild rice then?" Emilia tried to keep her voice steady, hoping he would disappear any moment now so she could throw her plate at him and give him the concussion and hospital visit he clearly needed. She promised she wasn't a violent person, but looking at the white plate with crisp blue napkin and perfectly parallel silverware on the light wood table, there were a lot of extremely violent thoughts sprinting around her brain at the moment, maybe the threats were finally getting to her and making her think of retaliation.
"Of course, I will be right back with your wine and calamari." Derek flashed that casual service smile and finally walked away with the menus.
"Thank you." Lukas nodded, watching him leave without even turning his head.
"How. . "
"I'm not threatening you Emilia, Anthony has already done that, I am just stating the facts of your current situation." For the first time his smirk slips into something different, it was sad and knowing, like he had already been through this.
"That is not. . . I am not. ." She was still seething, but the threats and anger that she had directed towards him couldn't come to fruition when he was right.
"Oh please Emilia, after that stunt you pulled the first night I bet he hasn't let you sleep without that bodyguard outside your door. Let alone anything outside his little house. Am I right?" He folded his arms across his chest and the lift in his eyebrow, he wasn't mocking her, he was luring her in.
"I won't say you're wrong." Emilia grumbled, folding her own arms as she narrowed her eyes at him. "So what, is this supposed to be my taste of freedom? A lick of the good life that you can give me?"
"On the contrary, this is a business meeting." His smirk was back, but this time it had her intrigued.
"A business meeting for what exactly?" He was a snake, a viper, but maybe he wasn't her enemy.
"That is undecided, but I would say that we have similar interests."
"And what, precisely, are your interests?" She asked, slowly, carefully unfolding her napkin into her lap as the lovely Derek returned.
In his hands were two glasses filled with a white wine and a plate of calamari to share. Theoretically she was about to break bread with this man, but she had no idea of his intentions. Originally she had thought that he was just following orders like her, using her to get ahead in the sick games his family played. But she might be more than his pawn.
"My interests lay outside of may family's I would say. " He accepted the glass, sniffing it before he took a slow sip, nodding his approval. "Thank you Derek." His dismissal wasn't rude, but it was final.
"And how would you describe them exactly?" Emilia may not love alcohol, but she followed suit, sniffing at the wine before taking a slow sip. It wasn't bad actually, but she still wouldn't call herself a fan.
"I would describe them as . . . ambitious. I am second place, I have the freedoms afforded with second rank but a vision that doesn't fit. You however, you might be the perfect thing to get me out of the lime light." He reached for the first piece of fried squid, popping it in his mouth.
"Am I the pawn in your game as well?" She responded, oh the joy of being useful but expendable.
"No, if my game is a chess board, you would be my queen." Emilia shuddered, she hated the sound of being his anything. "You are a powerful piece on the board and no one but I realize just how strong you are."
"Really? If I am such a powerful piece then how do you intend to use me?" She asked, twirling the stem of the wine glass between her fingers as she watches him intently. Lukas doesn't pay any attention however, just snacking on the fried bits of mollusc.
"You are exactly as Anthony sees you. You are the link between our families, but not in the way he thinks. You are what will make me powerful and I can give you your freedom."
His promise sounded too good to be true, an empty promise. Besides, how could she be what gives him power? "How?"
"I need inside information, I need to know the weaknesses between Anthony and my father, so we can destroy them from the inside out. And once we do, the blame falls to my brother, the power falls to my grudging shoulders, and you get your freedom back." Emilia stared at him, she couldn't stand being used, but this sounded more like a partnership than anything else, could she get some of her power back?
"I need to think about this." She murmured, looking out to sea. She had to think about if she really had any other option.
"Of course, let's just enjoy our first meal, as prospective partners." He raised his glass towards Emilia and she hesitated. "Towards allies."
Taking her glass, she clinked it against his. "Potential, allies." She reminded him, before they both swallowed a sip. Allies, right.