Chapter 10

12.8K 544 178
                                    

Lucas

Seven rolls around a lot quicker than I expected, but for the first time since meeting Scarlett, I show up on time to her dorm. Since this isn't a date date I don't know if I should go in and knock on her door, like a true gentleman or just send her a quick text telling her that I'm outside. I'm going back and forth between the two options, contemplating which one is the best approach to the situation, when I see Scarlett emerge from the building with a dark-skinned girl with long dreads. 

I watch them go over to a black vehicle with tinted windows and unnecessarily loud music. The girl with the dreads gets into the back while Scarlett leans into the passenger side window obviously talking to the occupants. She throws her head back in laughter and walks away from the car, which pulls away and speeds out of the parking lot. She turns in the general direction of my truck and sees me. She gives me a quick wave as she makes her way to my car. I take this time to check her out. 

She looks good. 

Really good. She's wearing a black tight-fitting off-shoulder top that's tucked into high waisted ripped skinny jeans and black heeled sandals with ankle straps. She's wearing a bit more makeup than usual and her curly hair from this morning is straightened. I resist the urge to open the door for her before she gets in, remembering her stance on the whole "chivalry" thing.

"You look nice," I tell her, leaving the dorms behind us. It's an understatement of course, but I don't want to make her uncomfortable by telling her something along the lines of she looks beautiful. 

"Oh god don't start." She shakes her head. "I let it slip to Ricki that I was going out and she made it her personal mission to doll me up. She said something about if I'm going out to the city then I need to look like a 'snack'. Her words, not mine."

"Well, you are looking a bit "snackish" tonight if I must say." Scarlett just laughs at me and says nothing else.

The restaurant that I'm taking Scarlett is about 20 minutes away from campus. It has some of the best burgers in Boston. I've been coming here since I was younger, usually with my family, but since we've gotten older my family's Boston Burger Company trips have gotten less frequent. We went so often that my parents became close with the owner and we had our own table solely reserved for us. It's the first time I've been here in about a year so I think I'm more excited about the burgers than I am about spending time with Scarlett.

I walk in with Scarlett trailing behind me, walking slower than usual, most likely due to the heels. The restaurant is extremely busy, which isn't unusual for a Saturday night in the heart of the city. I'd be worried if it wasn't busy. I spot Mario, the middle-aged owner, and family friend, amongst the dinnertime rush. He must have spotted me too because I'm quickly engulfed in a bear hug.

He inspects me at arm's length while firing off questions. "Lucas! It's been so long! How've you been? You've been working out? You got a tan! How's mom? How's dad? Business still booming? How are your sisters? How's are your brot-"

I quickly cut him, afraid that if I don't he'll never stop asking me questions. "Everything's good. Everyone's good. I'm good."

Mario wraps me up once again in a bear hug, no doubt wrinkling my freshly ironed dress shirt. "What brings you here? - Wait don't answer that. You're here to eat."

He must have spotted Scarlett behind me because the corners of his mouth turn up in a mischievous grin. "Ohhhhhhhh," He says as though he finally understands what's going on. "You're on a date with a beautiful woman." He hugs Scarlett, not as aggressively as he did me but enough to startle her. "I'm Mario. Lucas' family and I go way back."

Healing YouWhere stories live. Discover now