He waves me into my seat anyway. When he comes back with the drinks, he looks so happy that I decide on the spot this is what I want.
It could be like an arranged marriage.
I’ve read about those.
Apparently they’re not nearly as bleak as they sound.
“What’ve you been up to this week?” he asks.
His eyes are kind. I can see myself becoming very enamored of him over time. Then no one could suspect me of being attracted to Caspian.
“I’ve been reading about the Industrial Revolution.”
I tell him about the Spinning Jenny.
He looks enthralled. A definitive sign of compatibility.
I’m sure Caspian has no idea what the Spinning Jenny is. He’d assume it’s a woman called Jenny who enjoys spinning recreationally.
We would never be a good match.
“You know,” Luca says, voice dipping, “you’re kind of magnetic when you talk.”
“Oh.”
No one has ever called me magnetic.
Flirt back, Antonio. Say something.
“Your hair looks nice.”
Luca looks pleased.
“Yeah? I thought it looked like a bird’s nest.”
“It does,” I admit before I can stop myself. “But it’s a very stylish nest,” I add hastily.
Luca laughs, sounding delighted rather than offended.
When we step outside, he asks, casually but not casually, “Do you want to come over? I’m staying with my parents for the summer, but I have the basement to myself.”
My stomach flips.
I know what that means.
Luca has a sex basement.
I should definitely go.
Especially since I’ve already decided that Luca is the one I want. If I’m going to step into arranged matrimony with him, I probably have to step into his sex basement, too.
“Sure,” I croak, aiming for confidence and landing closer to a socially awkward ferret.
The walk to his house is a case study in overthinking.
Should our elbows touch? Am I breathing weirdly? What does Luca want to do—and am I ready for it?
Why are there tears burning behind my eyes, sending my body stupid, contradictory signals?
