A Flame From The Past

18: Dinner Pt.2

His hand wrapped around mine, and a smaller hand on the other side of me held onto the bare edges of my fingertips as we arrived at the dinner. It was across town, further in a more populated area. But our secrecy stayed, I didn't want Ray bombarded; it was something I feared for him and myself. Luca had told me the world of fame, came with its many downsides, and being surrounded by someone with that, would only make life tougher on him.

The aroma of the restaurant filled my noses with herbs and spices, as the manager led us to the room. Charlotte had booked us a private room, she said it would all be worth it once we got there. She was mainly convincing Luca, who groaned and ached as we all got in cars begging for us to just have dinner at the hotel.

And in private he was begging me every chance he had to just stay in the hotel room and unsurprisingly get us a babysitter. It was his new favorite word.

"Let's go home", hearing the quarreled and begging sentence, I looked to my left at Ray, but his mouth didn't move. I looked to my right, to see the man hovering above me, pulling at my dress and flashing his begging eyes to go home. I would think Ray had said that but it was actually Luca, as we approached the room and held onto the small of my back. His hand's tight grip at my dress, soon relaxed as we entered the room.

"Luca, you made it", a voice rasped from the distance. The smell of alcohol blocked out the fresh herbs and spices that had fluttered around the room, and as I looked around I was relieved and satisfied with Charlotte's choice. I had worried anything drastic she had done would always be bad, I didn't trust her. Especially around Luca.

"I have been meaning to talk to you", I turned to see the man luring Luca into the corner of the room avoiding the prying eyes and prying ears, and there were many. Across the room, he was the only one who carried a briefcase in his hand, and he was the only one who looked like there was no possible way he could be on the team. His hair was dipped in a grey shade, with flimsy glasses, and brittle bones.

"Who fucking invited you here?" Luca spat at him in a derogatory tone, gaining the audience of the people surrounding the room. He gained my attention, but I had already been focused on this sudden grasp of attention. The room's eyes wandered over to Luca, but he was too occupied with this man to even consider looking back.

And as my eyes wandered as everyone returned back to what they were doing, I caught a mischievous glance from Charlotte as she wildly smirked at the whole debacle and raised voices.

"I said no", he pleaded, this time in a more reasonable tone, as the old man shook his head. And Charlotte's smirk disappeared as he returned back to me.

"Who was that?" I asked, trying to look over or even around his tall shoulder, but the man was already gone.

"A recruiting agent, he's been following me around for a year now, the way he finds me, he does better work than the paparazzi", he tried joking about the whole situation, but it was far from jokeable.

"Oh Carina, I thought you were coming to the guys practice today, I didn't see you?" She asked, after giving her greetings to Luca. But as she answered this question, I knew it was still a topic of discussion on the table for Luca and I.

"I couldn't make it", I said, clamming up my fingers grabbing the inside of my hand, counting softly at each tip. Until I felt a hand slither into mine, and he looked at me affirmingly.

This level of understanding between us both  and the fact he didn't even know why I couldn't go into that stadium but instead he chose to comfort me. He was definitely special.

"We can cut the night short only if you want too", I whispered to him as soon as she had left, I remembered his urging and tugging at me when we had walked in.