Chapter 2 - BREADSTICKS AND BODYGUARDS
I sat down awkwardly, positioning Leo across my lap so his head rested in the crook of my elbow. A waiter appeared almost instantly, setting down heavy leather menus with trembling hands.
I opened mine, glanced at the numbers, and immediately began scanning for the cheapest item that wasn't a side of decorative parsley. Seventy-eight dollars for a pasta dish? Absolutely insane.
Adrien watched me. He didn't even open his menu. He leaned back, rested his forearms on the table, and motioned to the waiter.
"We'll have the prime rib eye, the roasted asparagus, the lobster risotto, and a basket of the warm sourdough."
"Wait," I interrupted, raising a hand. "I haven’t chosen yet."
"I know," Adrien said smoothly.
"You just ordered half the kitchen for me."
"I ordered options."
"That sounds like control with better branding."
This time, the smile was indisputable. It softened his harsh features, revealing a dangerous kind of charm that made my pulse jump for a reason that had nothing to do with being late.
Suddenly, Leo stirred. He rubbed his eyes with his small fists, stretched his arms, and blinked against the bright chandelier light. He looked up at Adrien, staring at him intensely for five full seconds without blinking.
"Is this your date, Auntie Maya?" Leo asked, his voice echoing in the quiet corner.
"Yes, buddy," I murmured, smoothing down his messy curls.
Leo evaluated Adrien from his slicked-back dark hair down to his golden cufflinks. "Oh."
Adrien raised an eyebrow. "What does 'oh' mean?"
"Don't ask," I warned Adrien quickly.
Adrien ignored me, leaning slightly closer to Leo. "I'm listening."
Leo leaned toward Adrien and stage-whispered at a volume that carried to three adjacent tables: "He looks expensive."
I closed my eyes, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole. "Leo, please."
Adrien didn't look angry. In fact, he reached out and flicked his wrist, glancing at his watch again.
Leo pointed a chubby finger at the watch. "See? Expensive." Then, his gaze drifted behind Adrien to the two imposing men standing silently with their hands crossed in front of them. "And he has two grown-ups watching him."
"They work for him," I explained, rubbing my temples.
"Why?" Leo asked, taking a piece of warm sourdough from the basket the waiter had just set down. "Does he get lost?"
I choked on my sparkling water.
Behind Adrien, the taller security guard—a broad-shouldered man with a scar running through his eyebrow—turned his head sharply toward the wall, his shoulders shaking in a stifled laugh. Adrien’s eyes gleamed with genuine amusement.
"No, young man," Adrien said, his deep voice smooth and patient. "They make sure nobody bothers me while I eat."
"Can they make lions stop eating sharks?" Leo asked through a mouthful of bread.
"Sharks would win underwater," Adrien replied without a second of hesitation. "Lions don't have gills. It's a structural disadvantage."
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Leo frowned, chewing thoughtfully. "What if the lion wore a bubble on his head?"
And just like that, the most intimidating man in the restaurant spent the next hour debating apex predator physics with a kindergartener.
