LUCIAN
I laughed out loud. It was like being smashed by a train, and I was doubled over on the floor, my gut begging for mercy.
"And then… and then she fell in the water!" I wheezed, clutching my stomach.
The vision of Tessa, decked out in her prom best, splashing into that inky lake, now that was classic comedy. "By the time we fished her out, the game was over. The dress was completely soaked. And the hair was a mess. And gosh her mascarra ran down her face, making her look like she was possessed or something.."
I was on Adrian's couch. It was some plush leather business that likely cost more than my rent. His entire damn apartment was a flex: stark white walls punctuated by these brooding, dark paintings in ancient frames. Biblical vibes… maybe? Hell if I knew. They were fierce, brooding, as if they were judging me.
Me, I'd leave my walls bare, fewer things to think about.
Adrian sat before me, with this smug bastard grin on his face, twirling a glass of red in his hands. Guy was just total badass, end of debate. I'm little, yeah, but I've been working out with him, so I'm lean, I'm wiry, I'm not some regular chump.
Still, Adrian? He's built like a fucking tank: tall, wide-shouldered, pale as hell, with that blonde hair slicked back like he stepped off a movie set. No one else could have rocked that look, and Adrian owned it. Even sitting there, chilling with his glass of wine, his suit was an in-your-face statement of moolah; jacket returned, the tie slack, black shoes buffed to a sheen.
And my suit felt like a thrift-store reject next to his… literally. Two months of my salary wouldn't cover that getup.
"She was… yeah, it was her high school prom," I said, giggling. "She was pissed. I had to pull her home and she missed the whole damned night."
"Oh my, you took her home?" Adrian's brow rose, smile spreading open into a tease.
I barked a laugh. "Man, I wish! Naw, five minutes after we arrived, she broke up with my ass in a blind fury. It was a total meltdown."
"Ouch. You have my sympathies." Adrian chuckled, taking another sip of his wine and essentially willing himself not to laugh so hard that he did, in fact, end up spilling it. Not that it'd make a difference, or that the guy couldn't afford a new couch if we're being honest.
I lifted myself from the couch, my legs tingling with the need to move. Adrian's setup just always blew my mind. Huge-ass TV mounted to the wall, floor-to-ceiling windows presenting the city like a goddamn postcard. And the floors? Marble. Marble. My cheap-ass shoes felt like interlopers, scuffing around in something too perfect for me.
"Ever date anyone after?" Adrian's voice pierced through my musings, and I'd be damned if he didn't make me leap out of my skin. He was standing right next to me now, as soundless as a ghost.
"Nah," I mumbled, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "Tessa was it… first and last. Threw me to the curb before I even rounded second base." Heat rushed through my face and I faced the window, looking out at the city lights.
"Ooh, I see. So that's what all this is about… you want me to fix you up with a girl?" Adrian's voice was casual, but it felt like getting pricked.
"No… well, maybe."
Shit! I thought, feeling stupid as hell.
He swirled his wine, the red of it flashing in a splash of light like blood. "Lucian, I take your scrawny ass to the gym every other night. You even chat up folks there. You ain't that weak lil' punk from five years ago. Thought you'd have a little balls by now."
"I've got balls," I snapped, but it didn't sound strong even in my own ears.
"Then what's the deal?"
I sighed, shoulders slumping. "Dunno. Maybe I just hate people. The whole goddamn world's afraid of idiots."
"Or a dingbat who spends too much time online, jacking her standards up to crazy."
"Yeah, that too." We both laughed and some of the tension began to recede. Weirdest friendship in the world, the two of us, like oil and vinegar.
Adrian was slick, chill, built like a goddamn statue. Me? A scrawny smart-mouth with too much time on my hands and a chip on my shoulder. But we clicked.
"So, you got that promotion at Barksen's?" Adrian said, propped against the window, one arm crossed, wine glass hanging like an accessory.
I shrugged. "You know I had my eye set on law school. I guess I'm just too convincing at twisting arms, viewpoint-wise. Barksen locked me down early."
He smirked, sarcasm dripping. "Can't blame him. You're a master at twisting people to fit your will."
I shot him a wink. "Barksen thinks so! He hired me straight outta high school, didn't he?"
"Yeah, but you've been holed up there three years, man. Barksen's got you cheap. He'd pay three times as much for someone with a degree in that gig."
I narrowed my eyes at him, then grinned, feeling a tug of pride. "True, true. But I've hoarded some cash, and I've been working the angles. Barksen's clueless. One of his co-op hands is dying to break, and neither realizes Mr. Turner's mining this grotto. I have an in with him already."
I must have looked pretty smug as hell, and who could blame me? I'd figured it out: good job, promotions, early retirement, the works. That's what I wanted, right?
"It sounds like you've got your shit together, then," Adrian said, nodding.
"Damn right."
"No risks?" Although he was casual, there was a kind of force and purpose in the way he flashed his eyes at me.
I froze, my smugness wobbling. "I… dunno. Why would I?"
He drank his wine slow. "When you have something that you really want, there's usually somebody or something standing in the way. That's where risks come in."
"Yeah, I guess," I murmured, my voice lowered. "Just ain't come across nothin' worth that kinda heat."
Adrian glared at me, one of those hard stares, as if peeling back the layers. He even licked his teeth with that weird tic of his. He sighed and pushed off the window, gliding to the kitchen.
Living room, kitchen, stairs up to bed; place was a fucking mansion. He snatched the wine bottle from its place on the counter and topped off his glass without pausing in the least.
"And if you had one?" he said in a low voice, as if he was almost challenging me.