___________________
🎶 If you ever wanna fall in love 🎶
If you ever wanna bet on us
If you ever wanna be my one
🎶 I'll be waiting 🎶
___________________Located in the heart of San Francisco's eclectic Mission District, "Lily's Diner" exudes warmth and nostalgia. The diner's façade is a charming blend of 1950s Americana, with neon signage and a vintage exterior that beckons passersby to step inside.
As I enter, the lively chatter of patrons and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the scent of sizzling bacon and homemade pies - cooling on the counter. The interior is a mishmash of retro décor, featuring red vinyl booths, chrome-trimmed tables, and jukeboxes playing classic rock 'n' roll hits.
The walls are adorned with black-and-white photographs showcasing San Francisco's rich history, adding a touch of local charm to the space. Friendly waitstaff, sporting classic diner uniforms, navigate the bustling dining area with trays laden with plenty food and bottomless cups of artisanal coffee. I look around, trying to locate a certain brunette with lovely lavender eyes.
When I fail to find any familiar face, I step further inside and take a seat on the stools positioned along the gleaming counter. I can feel a couple of the customers and the staff eyeing me, wary of the tall and scowling woman dressed in all black. But I just ignore them.
Sebastian must be late.
After the spectacularly disastrous reunion in the bookstore's back alley, I went straight to a popular and extremely private BDSM Club which is owned by a colleague of mine. My intention was to find a willing submissive to fuck and abuse. But, of course, like the countless other times before, I just ended up drinking and snarling at anyone who came close.
I just want to be left alone with my pain and memories. Moving on is overrated.
Then, this morning I woke up to a text from Sebastian with a simple location and time. Technically, I'm supposed to be on my plane back to Russia right now, but... I have never been able to deny my little lamb. Plus, after months of silence, I was not going to ignore his first text.
Suddenly, I notice that I have been sitting here for nearly ten minutes and not a single waiter has approached me to ask for my order. I strongly suspect it has something to do with Seb, so I stay put.
"What happened to your face?"
Surprised at the small voice next to me, I turn sharply to the kid next to me. His clothes are a little battered and dirty. The writings on them are faded. The boy is small but his eyes are big and he's staring at me intently. Although I can never guess children's age, he looks about eight to ten years old.
"What?" I narrow my eyes at the rude question and try not to lift a hand to my face. I'm almost certain there is nothing on it, since I showered before I came here.
He points to his forehead, above his eyebrows. "Did you get in a fight?"
He's talking about the scar I got a few months back. It is lighter in color than my skin tone and runs diagonally on the left side of my forehead and disappears into my eyebrow. I honestly don't remember how I got it except the pain of the stitches when I woke up the next day. Still, I nod to get the kid to stop talking to me. "Yes."
He's silent for less than a minute before he asks another question. "Are you here for Sebby?"
"Yes. Do you know him?" I ask, trying not to appear too interested.
YOU ARE READING
The Mafia Queen's Husband
Romance♔ She is cruel, ruthless, and arrogant. She is stunning, cunning, and deadly. She insists that we are not equal in this arranged marriage. She is the boss. She makes the rules. She can make me kneel in front of her with just a sweep of her lashes. S...