Page 47 of All at Once

“Yup,” Luca confirms.

“That felt like ten minutes.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?” he says facetiously.

I scoff. “And I thought that I was the most sarcastic person that I know.”

“I thought you couldn’t tellwhenI was being sarcastic?” he says, raising a brow at me, smugly knowing that he just proved a point.

I bite down on my smile. It’s hard to keep up with his wit. But I also find myself not knowing how to stop.

_________

The gallery is also nothing like I expected it to be. Thinking it would just be filled with paintings, I’m surprised to find pieces of pottery in the corners and intricate sculptures in the center. The tones are bright, yet balanced. Some vibrant, others more subdued. It’s hard to focus on one standout piece though, when the room is filled with the most vivid color palette.

My attention is redirected when a woman quickly comes from the back, struggling to hold a few boxes. Luca rushes over to help her, but she insists, “I got it.” The box on the top slowly slips from her hands as he catches it. She turns her face to the side that was previously covered by the cardboard, when I notice how much she resembles Luca.

He immediately confirms my suspicions. “Sofia, those took hours to find. I thought we agreed on carrying them one at a time?”

As she moves closer, I really start noticing the similarities. She has the same shade of dirty blonde hair and golden tan from the summer sun as her brother. Her height is several inches shorterthan him, but she’s still pretty tall. The main difference I pick up on is how her eyes are a few shades greener than her brother’s, almost teal rather than pure blue.

The sparkle in her eyes continues to brighten while she walks toward me with a wide grin. “Are you Jasmine?”

“Yeah.” I smile back, wondering how she knows my name.

That would mean Luca talked to her about me, right?

Sofia’s voice brings my focus back. “I’m sorry we couldn’t meet sooner. I’ve been running around all week preparing for this art festival.”

“Oh don’t worry about it,” I say. “It’s great to finally meet you.”

“Please excuse my short replies right now,” she says while walking toward the back again. “Just give me a few minutes, and we can go grab a cup of coffee. I can’t wait to hear all about your stay so far!”

“No worries. Take your time,” I say before turning my attention back to Luca. “Your sister’s so bubbly. I wonder where she gets it from.”

“Subtle. Nice,” he says, feigning a smile.

“I find it interesting how you told her about me,” I add coyly, pretending to look at the paintings.

“Yeah, I told her how I met someone clumsier than her,” Luca deadpans.

The moment I’m about to reply, a stunning portrait of the beach catches my full attention. It’s so vivid that it looks more like a picture than a painting. But my brows immediately furrow when I notice how the artist has the same first name as Luca. It’s then that it occurs to me how I don’t know his last name yet. I doubt this is his picture though.

He said he doesfinance.

Before I have a chance to ask him, Sofia’s back.

She sets another batch of boxes onto the counter that Luca’s now sitting at and asks, “Do you mind bringing the rest? My shoulder’s already sore, and I still have a day’s worth of paperwork to fill out.”

“Yeah. Of course,” he says.

“You’re the best. I love you,” she says, leaning forward to kiss the side of his hair.

He quickly pushes back with a look of disgust, making me giggle to myself. “We’re still doing that?”

“Bye!” Sofia replies as she walks toward me. “There’s a café a few shops down,” she says, before locking her arms with mine as we exit the gallery and fall into steps with each other on the sidewalk.

When we sit down with our coffees, she looks at me with a mischievous smile. “Luca didn’t mention how pretty you are.”

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