Care to Command

16 Restaurant

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Chapter 16

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Lucas drives for nearly an hour back to LA. The ride is quiet, with the hum of the engine and the tunes of the music between us. The indigo gloom of the night has cloaked the streets, drowning him in the shadows. The only glimmer of emotion is from the neon lights, catching the contemplation in his eyes.

I fidget with my hands, imagining the many scenarios he has planned. Where could he possibly be taking me? What could he show that would make me trust him?

For as long as I've known, he's been provoking me about this promotion. Now he's offering to help me with it? Why the random change of heart? None of it makes sense.

He parks on an unfamiliar street and turns the car off. Looking around, nothing stands out. Just a line of shops, some with lights off. There's a bus stop and a few benches. A homeless man is asleep on one of them.

"Did you change your mind about dropping me on the side of the street?" I ask. He remains quiet, hands still on the steering wheel. "Lucas?" I murmur, leaning closer. "You ok?"

He gets out and opens my car door, leading us down the street. I wrap my arms around myself, scanning for danger. When I see two dark figures approaching, immediately I tense.

Lucas wraps his arm around my waist and swiftly moves me to his other side, away from the men. I don't miss the way he lifts his head and stares them in the eyes. I almost don't realize that his hand is still enveloped on the curve of my waist until I stumble on a crooked pavement and get steadied by him. It burns my face and I nod angrily when he asks if I'm ok. I keep my eyes down to check every step, until I'm pulled again this time to the other side.

"Can you stop tossing me around like a rag doll!?" I hiss in the dark silence of the street.

"We're here."

We're standing in front of a single story brick building with black windows and a matching door. My lips part open when I read the sign - 'Lucas & Danny's'. The white italic letters are covered in dirt.

Lucas quietly unlocks the door. The metal squeaks as he pushes it open. A press of a white gadget by the door illuminates a small light source. Surprisingly, the inside doesn't appear as dirty as the outside.

He switches the rest of the lights on the walls. They're not as strong as ceiling lights with electricity, so the atmosphere is dim. A line of tables with chairs come into display, along with the a kitchen and a bar area in the far back.

The space isn't large, perhaps enough to fit twenty tables with room to move. The inside walls continue in cozy brick layers, with black metal trims and ceilings. The furniture is a rich shade of brown wood, and the kitchen counter is crisp white, adding a striking contrast. Black couches line the walls for added seating, with empty shelves above. It's stunning, minimal, intimate. Yet at the same time, sad, abandoned, and hollow.

Lucas walks around as if he's here every night, unaffected, unseeing. He's quiet, cautious, a safe distance away. He goes behind the bar, swipes the white marble and rubs his fingers together.

"Do you clean this place often?" My eyes widen when he nods, I look around and notice this place really is flawless. "But... it's not operating. This place isn't open, right?"