Page 165 of Flawed

"Sure. Where are we going?" I ask.

"It's a surprise," he declares.

I groan. "That's not fair."

He opens the door and motions for me to exit my condo. I step into the hallway, and he follows, adding, "Sorry."

"Even Zara knows," I whine.

He grunts. "She doesn't know everything."

"She doesn't?" I question.

He presses the elevator button. "I told her I'm taking you to my new French-Italian fusion restaurant."

"But you're not?"

"It's a half-truth."

I furrow my eyebrows in question.

The elevator doors open. We get inside and he presses the ground-level button. He adds, "She only knows about the restaurant."

"What else is there?"

He hesitates then replies, "I had something built out."

"Which would be..."

He chuckles, stating, "You'll see." The elevator stops and the doors open. He maneuvers me through the lobby and into an SUV waiting at the curb.

It only takes ten minutes to get to the restaurant. When we pull up, he quickly gets out and leads me past the line of people waiting to get in.

Luca nods to the hostess then leads me through the dimly lit, crowded restaurant. We get to the back, continue down a hall, and Luca stops in front of a door. He presses his palm on a security pad, and an elevator opens. It takes us to another floor.

We step into another corridor then a private room. One wall is glass, but everything is dark behind it. A bouquet of fresh roses and tea lights grace the center of a table. There is a set of water and wineglasses, silverware, and plates. Soft music plays, and a sitting area is in the corner.

"What do you think?" Luca asks.

"It's beautiful." I point to the glass. "What's behind that?"

Arrogance washes over him. He replies, "You'll see."

"Oh, come on! Please!" I whine.

He chuckles then pulls a chair away from the table. "Sorry, stellina, not until after dinner."

I pretend to pout and sit.

He takes the other seat and moves it next to mine. He sits and then leans close to my face. "You look like Zara right now."

A server comes in, and we both sit straighter. He holds a bottle of red wine, asking, "This just arrived. I thought you'd appreciate it." He adds a little to a glass and waits.

"Go ahead," Luca orders.

I swirl the wine in the goblet, inhale the rich blackberry and currant scent, and take a sip. The flavors burst in my mouth. I swallow and state, "Wow. This is amazing."

"It's a rare Malbec from France," the waiter informs us, then fills another glass for me and one for Luca. He asks him, "Did you want to stick with the menu you already put together, or is there something else you want?"

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