By Chance (Accidentally In Luck #1)

38. Popcorn for... Three? - Cora

*Cora*

Turned out, phase two actually belonged on the 'slightly illegal scale.'

I climbed off Luca's bike in the parking lot of a Rite Aid and looked around in confusion at my surroundings. We didn't seem to have reached any real destination and I had no idea why we had stopped. I stared at Luca for a second, waiting for an explanation, before my phone's buzzing distracted me.

Pulling up the screen, I read Elle's response to my text, laughing at her insane way of texting.

what the FuCkInG fukkkkkkk?!??!?!?!?! and ThEREs MoRE?!??!?!?!! DETAILS CORA DETAILS NOW

Trying not to be rude, I typed out a quick reply.

chill mon amie lol he took me to a... rite aid?? not sure what's happening actually keep you updated

Luca waited patiently for me as I slid my phone back into my pocket (God bless this dress). I smiled at him. "Thanks. Elle's all excited about me actually going on a date, so just know I'm not trying to be rude, but if I don't reply she'll think you've murdered me."

To his credit, Luca laughed and nodded sympathetically. "My mom's the same way kinda." Then, as if realizing what he'd just said, his cheeks slowly grew red. An almost awkward silence grew between us as I didn't want to laugh, but didn't know what to say and he was clearly embarrassed. Finally, he said, "I'd really like to make that sound cooler, but there's no possible way to do that now, so yeah if you see me on my phone tonight it's because I'm texting my mom."

I tried to be nice and not laugh, but I just couldn't keep it in. "I guess we're even then." I felt my phone buzz again, but this time Elle could wait.

He nodded back at me, an embarrassed smile growing on his lips. "You ready?"

"Ready? Ready for what?" I asked, looking around curiously. There was seriously nothing here. The only thing that even kind of stood out was the mildly U-shaped office(maybe?) building across the street. But this was LA. Even that wasn't that weird.

Blush fading, he took my hand and grinned that stupid grin again and started leading me straight towards the office building. "You'll see."

I looked at him suspiciously. "Luca, what is this place?"

He gave my hand an extra tug and started towards the steps that led up around the side of the building. "Oh, you'll see. Thing is, the lines are always way long, tickets are too expensive, technically we're underage and uh, well, I'm not Theo like you're probably used to, I just work in my uncle's pizzeria, so we're taking the back way in."

I didn't like the way any of that sounded. "Ok, two things. First, what do you mean, 'like I'm used to?' And second, what's the 'back way in?' I don't like the sound of that."

"Well," Luca shrugged, "you've been hanging with Theo a lot and because I've never seen him with anyone but that other dude, I assumed he was taking you to all those fancy, overpriced places all those stars and famous people go. I mean, that's probably great and all, and I would love to take you places like that, but I don't make near enough bank for that." He grinned, clearly unashamed of not being famous, but the envy was still clear in his voice. "And as for the back-way in... I know a guy who lets me in here through the maintenance entrance. My dad did a pretty big favor for him some time ago, so the guy pays back the whole family whenever he can."

Well, at least the second half of that kind of made sense, but did he really think E and I had been parading around LA, being seen left and right?

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You know the only public places E and I have ever been are small places like your uncle's, right? Like, we don't do the big name, fancy, overpriced places. In fact, usually when we hang out, it's with Elle and Jay and it's at someone's house doing dumb stuff."