I practically skip my way back to Lukas, well, as much as one can skip in heels without breaking an ankle.
“Invitation secured.” I announce cheerfully. Lukas’s jaw actually drops.
“Wait, seriously?” He stares at me like I just pulled off a magic trick.
“You were talking to him for like a minute. How did you make that happen?” He asks, clearly baffled and amazed. I shrug, all innocent.
“I’d love to say I used some brilliant strategy or master-level persuasion, but honestly?” I flash him a grin.
“I’m pretty sure the guy just wants to get into my pants… And possibly yours, too.” I add. Lukas freezes. He blinks… Then blinks again.
“… Excuse me?” He demands. Before I can react, he grabs my hand, slipping into my mind to confirm whether or not I’m joking. I giggle, squeezing his hand reassuringly.
“Relax. I told him I was here with a friend, and, well, he’s a bit of a sleaze. I’m pretty sure he assumed I was here with another woman. He’s just trying to increase his odds of getting lucky.” I explain. Lukas makes a face like he just bit into something sour.
“That’s… Somewhat comforting.” He says slowly. Then his eyes narrow slightly.
“But don’t you think he’s going to send us away the second he realizes his ‘odds’ aren’t exactly improving?” He asks, concern creeping into his tone. I shake my head, confident.
“Nah. He wouldn’t want to make a scene in front of his friends. Plus, he won’t want to risk whatever tiny chance he still thinks he has with me.” I scrunch up my nose in distaste. Lukas’s lips twitch. Then, suddenly, he grins. A slow, mischievous grin that immediately puts me on high alert.
“Oh.” He muses, amusement flickering in his eyes.
“This might be entertaining then.” He announces calmly. I narrow my eyes suspiciously.
“What are you planning?” I demand. Lukas just smirks, looking far too pleased with himself. And now I’M the one who is concerned.
Lukas grips my hand tightly as he leads me toward the table where the sleazy guy is waiting. His pace is steady, purposeful, almost too purposeful. It’s the kind of walk that says, I have an agenda. I don’t think much of it at first. Until, without warning, Lukas pulls me flush against his side, his arm wrapping around my waist in a way that feels almost… Possessive. His grip is firm, bordering on territorial, and he’s making more eye contact than I’ve ever seen him make with anyone. Ever. Like, I’ve seen Lukas avoid eye contact with cashiers, yet here he is, locking onto this guy’s gaze like they’re about to have some kind of showdown.
*Uh… Take it easy.* I silently nudge his mind, barely masking my concern.
*As much as I would normally love to scare off a creep like this, he needs to think he still has some chance or he really might rescind his invitation.* I silently remind Lukas. I force an extra friendly smile onto my face, determined to smooth things over before Lukas makes this too weird.
“Hello again!” I say, all bright enthusiasm.
“This is my friend Daniel! Oh, and I’m Ari, by the way.” I add. The fake names slip out on instinct, a last minute precaution. Can’t be too careful. I brace myself for disappointment or annoyance, some sign that this guy realises he’s been played and sends us packing. But to my surprise, he just looks… Interested.
“Your friend, huh?” He repeats, tone dripping with unspoken meaning. I don’t know what that meaning is, exactly, but I really don’t want to find out. I nod anyway.
“Yep! I was just telling him how super nice and helpful you were, offering to show us some games.” I nudge Lukas in the side, trying to subtly encourage him to play along. Still holding an alarming amount of eye contact, Lukas nods stiffly.
“Yeah. Sure.” His voice is flat. Unconvincing.
*What the hell, Lukas?* I silently scream at him through our mental connection, my panic ramping up. He is going to get us thrown out at this rate. And not only is he being weirdly hostile, but he’s making an abnormal amount of eye contact for a normal person, let alone Lukas, who normally acts like looking directly at someone will physically hurt him. What is he doing? As if sensing my rising concern, Lukas tightens his grip on my hip, fingers pressing lightly into my side. It’s supposed to be reassuring. News flash: It is not. I don’t know what game Lukas thinks he’s playing here, but if he doesn’t rein it in, we might lose our way into this group before we even sit down. And judging by the way the sleazy guy is still eyeing us with that curious look, I’m starting to suspect that he thinks there’s a game happening too. Just… Not the same one we’re playing.
The sleazy guy leans back in his chair, flashing a lazy, self-satisfied grin.
“Well, come on closer, sweet thing. You’ll see much better if you stand right next to me.” The invitation is exactly the kind of thing I expected him to say. It drips with smooth, practiced confidence. But something about it feels… Off. Maybe it’s the fact that he isn’t actually looking at me. His gaze, his entire focus, is locked onto Lukas. I hesitate for only a second before taking a half step closer, just enough to play along without getting too close. But before I can move another inch, Lukas catches my waist, stopping me. It’s not a forceful grip, just firm enough to make his point. The guy smirks. A slow, smug expression that makes my skin crawl. He looks pleased, like he just won something. I don’t understand what’s happening at all. Lukas, still holding onto me, leads me forward, but instead of letting me take the space the guy offered, he positions himself between us. There isn’t a ton of room, so he ends up practically pressed against the guy’s side. For a second, I think it’s just for the sake of brushing against him to read his mind. But the more I think about it, the weirder it seems. There is space on the guy’s other side. Lukas could have easily stood there. But he chose to stand here, between us. The guy doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he still looks… Smug. Why? I don’t have time to analyze it because the game starts. The other players shift gears, talking less and playing more seriously now that Lukas and I are lingering nearby. Makes sense, they don’t want us listening in on whatever conversation they were having before. Of course, that makes no difference to Lukas. I turn my attention to the rest of the table, casually scanning the faces of the other players. That’s when I notice something else. They’re watching us. Or rather… Watching Lukas and the sleazy guy. A woman sitting across from us catches my eye, amusement flickering in her expression. She winks at me, then glances between Lukas and the guy, smiling like she’s watching something highly entertaining. I don’t get it. What is happening right now? Before I can think too hard about it, the sleazy guy suddenly gestures toward his chair.
“You don’t have a lot of space over there, darling. Why don’t you come closer?” His tone is smooth, too casual.
“You can take my seat if you like, it’s rude to make a lady stand so long. I’ll stand next to you.” He adds, not waiting for my response. Then, without waiting for a response, he just stands. I blink, caught off guard. Did he just give up his seat for me? I glance at Lukas, hoping for some kind of silent guidance, but his expression is unreadable. Meanwhile, the sleazy guy is still standing there, expectant, waiting for me to sit. There’s no way to refuse without making things weird. So, suppressing my discomfort, I carefully perch on the seat. He looks beyond smug.
Over the next half hour, things only get weirder. This guy, who, by the way, still hasn’t even told me his name, makes about a dozen passes at me. He keeps making excuses to stand close, brushing against me, lingering in my space. At one point, he even asks me to hold his cards for him. On the surface, he’s acting exactly how I’d expect a guy trying to flirt with me to act. Except… Every single one of his actions is directed at Lukas. Like, painfully obviously at Lukas. Every little move, the way he leans in, the way he smirks, the way he glances at Lukas after every comment, feels like some kind of pointed challenge. And Lukas, for his part, is giving nothing away. He’s completely unreadable. Stoic. Silent. But I can feel the tension rolling off him in waves. I watch as the guy ramps it up, trying harder and harder, like he’s waiting for Lukas to react. And that’s when it finally hits me. Oh my god. He thinks this is a competition. This guy doesn’t just want to flirt with me, he wants to win. When Lukas walked up with me, standing too close, holding me too tightly, this guy saw it as a challenge. He thinks Lukas is staking a claim, and now he’s determined to steal me away. I highly doubt he even wanted me that much before, certainly not enough to put in this much effort. But now? Now it’s about his ego. I can practically hear his thought process. ‘This guy thinks he can just waltz in here and claim this girl? Hah. Watch this.’ I resist the overwhelming urge to facepalm. I have somehow become the prize in some kind of twisted, macho, territorial pissing contest. Ugh. Gross.