Chapter 24
4
Realizing her thoughts were starting to spiral, Luciana took a breath and forced herself to refocus. She ducked her head to hide the flustered look on her face and grabbed a backup pencil. She picked up the pace.
Two, maybe three hours later, the finished sketch came to life on paper. It was so realistic it looked like the husky might jump off the page at any second.
Alicia was beyond thrilled with the result. Without hesitation, she transferred six thousand dollars straight to Luciana’s phone.
Luciana looked embarrassed. “Alicia, this is way too much… Something like this usually only goes for two or three hundred dollars.”
“Oh, please.” Alicia waved her off. “Top design student at Jorendale University sketching my GoGo? That’s a privilege. It’s worth every cent.”
To be honest, whether Thiago actually liked Luciana or not, Alicia found herself genuinely enjoying Luciana’s company. They just seemed to vibe. There was no forced energy, no awkwardness. It was easy to be around her.
Thiago, off to the side, muttered irritably, “c
kids.”
you please rename your damn dog? The day he gets snipped, I’ll feel like I just lost my future
Alicia ignored him and pulled Luciana over to sit. “I had my manager send over food. Look at the time–it’s almost evening and you haven’t even had lunch. I’d feel like a monster if I let you leave hungry. Come on, eat something first.”
Luciana glanced at Thiago. He happened to be looking at her too, which made her quickly shift her gaze and stand up. “No, really—it’s fine. I don’t want to intrude…”
Thiago’s voice cut in, slow and lazy. “Luciana, did you already forget what you left with my shirt the other day?”
Luciana instantly piped down.
“Sit down. Eat first. Then go.”
“…Okay.”
A few minutes later, Alicia’s manager, Elise Young, showed up with a massive spread from The Court, one of the city’s most famous restaurants.
The three of them gathered around the table. Luciana made sure to sit next to Alicia, putting as much space between herself and Thiago as possible.
While they ate, Alicia kept casually chatting with her. “So, Luciana, does the design department have more guys or girls?”
Luciana answered between bites, “It’s pretty even, actually. It’s not like the engineering department where it’s mostly guys.”
“Hmm, makes sense. And with you being so pretty, you must have tons of guys after you, right?”
Luciana didn’t know how to reply to that.
“Come on, spill! I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately. I’m thinking of doing a college romance drama.” As she spoke, Alicia reached over to put some food onto Luciana’s plate. The next second, her cutlery was knocked right out of her hand.
She stared wide–eyed at Thiago. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Thiago gave her a bland look. “She’s allergic to zucchini. Don’t give her that.”
Luciana froze, totally thrown. She blurted out, “How do you know I’m allergic to zucchini?”
Thiago shot back, “You always complain about the rashes but still eat it anyway.”
She wanted to curl up and disappear into the floor. She was allergic to zucchini, but she loved it. She would always sneak a bite, only to break out in itchy red rashes on her arms.
From then on, she kept quiet. She shoveled the food into her mouth with silent urgency. She didn’t even chew loudly. She just wanted this meal to end already so that she could leave,
She didn’t get why she was trying so hard to avoid Thiago, yet somehow, he kept showing up in her life anyway. If she had known this would happen, she never would’ve come here to sketch that husky.
Maybe that spark she felt the moment they reconnected had always been doomed to burn out of control.
Thiago seemed to sense her thoughts. His expression darkened slightly. He didn’t even mean to react like that, but he couldn’t stop himselt.
When the meal finally wrapped up, he pushed back his chair and stood. “Luciana, I’ll drive you home.”
