his tone is stern. “You know, I don't even think I can trust you to sit anywhere else.”
“He can sit over here,” Marcus volunteers, his table the one directly across from us.
Andy tries to refrain from smiling while Luca shrugs. “I guess that's alright. I can still keep an eye on you from here. Go sit over there with Marcus. Try not to kiss any more girls.” His voice whispers though his lips don't move, “When he asks, her lips were soft, sticky, and tasted like bubble gum. I caught you right after that.”
He nods rapidly and plays along, “Sorry again, Mr. Luca.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Luca shoos him away. “Go eat.”
Andy turns around and walks away to Marcus's table. Out of the corner of my eye I watch him settle in the table immediately being bombarded with questions. Within a matter of a few bites they're laughing together and welcoming him as if it's where he's always belonged.
Okay so....that was kinda cool.
I smile. “That was very sweet of you.”
He gives me a slight shrug. “No one likes to be left out.”
“He could've sat with us.”
“And never lived that down. Marcus is a slick kind of bully. Everyone wants his approval. I built Andy a bridge and he just needed to cross it.” Luca raises the pitch in his voice, “They probably won't end up like braiding each other's hair or sharing showers...”
And there goes his sweet points.
He returns it to normal, “because they're dudes, but at least now he'll have some sort of respect to get him through the rest of summer.”
Impressed by not only his logic but the slick execution I reach for one of the wings off of his plate. “You do know that's not what all girls are like, right?”
He licks the sauce off his fingers. “Of course. I've met you.”
Very much so hate having my hair braided and with four sisters there was always someone determined to fucking do it.
Between bites I casually ask, “Do you remember your first kiss?”
“Yeah. It was my best friend's sister.”
Shouldn't even be remotely surprised. Yet. I am.
“Really Luca?”
He laughs lightly and snips, “You asked.”
“I did. But seriously? You're best friend's sister? How old were you? Twelve?”
“Ten.”
Baffled, I shake my head. “Ten? How old was she?”
“Thirteen.”
I lean back against the booth and wait for the story.
This has to be like a junior version of a Mrs. Robinson story.
Luca wipes his mouth and casually explains, “I woke up in the middle of the night to pee. She was on her way out of the bathroom, I was on my way in, and kinda just went for it. She kissed back. It was quick. Little tongue. Wasn't a huge deal.”
Unable to help myself I snap, “Story of your life, huh? Just going after whatever it is you want.”
A sly smile slides on his face. “I'm a Larson. We always go after what we want.”
“What does that even mean? I'm a Larson.”
“My father...he...taught me from an early age to set goals and reach them. Failure was not an option. You needed to do whatever it took to make your goals come true. Dreams are simply wishes of the lazy. Goals are achieved by those who are diligent. I come from a long line of men who believe in perseverance and never stopping until they get what they want.”
“Do you always get what you want?”
“Eventually.”
With a roll of my eyes and bite of my pizza, I shake my head. “My father's never really shelled out advice. My mom either. I guess with five daughters trying to instill any one belief in all of us probably would've been a lost cause. We were given more general guidelines, like follow your heart wherever it takes you. You know, Disney's brand of bull.”
“I'd say the most important lesson I've ever learned was taught to me by both my parents.”
“What was is it?”
“The only thing standing in the way between what
“He can sit over here,” Marcus volunteers, his table the one directly across from us.
Andy tries to refrain from smiling while Luca shrugs. “I guess that's alright. I can still keep an eye on you from here. Go sit over there with Marcus. Try not to kiss any more girls.” His voice whispers though his lips don't move, “When he asks, her lips were soft, sticky, and tasted like bubble gum. I caught you right after that.”
He nods rapidly and plays along, “Sorry again, Mr. Luca.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Luca shoos him away. “Go eat.”
Andy turns around and walks away to Marcus's table. Out of the corner of my eye I watch him settle in the table immediately being bombarded with questions. Within a matter of a few bites they're laughing together and welcoming him as if it's where he's always belonged.
Okay so....that was kinda cool.
I smile. “That was very sweet of you.”
He gives me a slight shrug. “No one likes to be left out.”
“He could've sat with us.”
“And never lived that down. Marcus is a slick kind of bully. Everyone wants his approval. I built Andy a bridge and he just needed to cross it.” Luca raises the pitch in his voice, “They probably won't end up like braiding each other's hair or sharing showers...”
And there goes his sweet points.
He returns it to normal, “because they're dudes, but at least now he'll have some sort of respect to get him through the rest of summer.”
Impressed by not only his logic but the slick execution I reach for one of the wings off of his plate. “You do know that's not what all girls are like, right?”
He licks the sauce off his fingers. “Of course. I've met you.”
Very much so hate having my hair braided and with four sisters there was always someone determined to fucking do it.
Between bites I casually ask, “Do you remember your first kiss?”
“Yeah. It was my best friend's sister.”
Shouldn't even be remotely surprised. Yet. I am.
“Really Luca?”
He laughs lightly and snips, “You asked.”
“I did. But seriously? You're best friend's sister? How old were you? Twelve?”
“Ten.”
Baffled, I shake my head. “Ten? How old was she?”
“Thirteen.”
I lean back against the booth and wait for the story.
This has to be like a junior version of a Mrs. Robinson story.
Luca wipes his mouth and casually explains, “I woke up in the middle of the night to pee. She was on her way out of the bathroom, I was on my way in, and kinda just went for it. She kissed back. It was quick. Little tongue. Wasn't a huge deal.”
Unable to help myself I snap, “Story of your life, huh? Just going after whatever it is you want.”
A sly smile slides on his face. “I'm a Larson. We always go after what we want.”
“What does that even mean? I'm a Larson.”
“My father...he...taught me from an early age to set goals and reach them. Failure was not an option. You needed to do whatever it took to make your goals come true. Dreams are simply wishes of the lazy. Goals are achieved by those who are diligent. I come from a long line of men who believe in perseverance and never stopping until they get what they want.”
“Do you always get what you want?”
“Eventually.”
With a roll of my eyes and bite of my pizza, I shake my head. “My father's never really shelled out advice. My mom either. I guess with five daughters trying to instill any one belief in all of us probably would've been a lost cause. We were given more general guidelines, like follow your heart wherever it takes you. You know, Disney's brand of bull.”
“I'd say the most important lesson I've ever learned was taught to me by both my parents.”
“What was is it?”
“The only thing standing in the way between what
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