strangers to lovers

CHAPTER-SEVEN:

Luke stared at me as we continued our search for the driver. The fact that I was so dressed up was something I wasn't used to, so I had difficulty maintaining my composure as a result of the feeling of self-consciousness that I was experiencing. Despite graciously acknowledging after the makeover that I had risen from an average six to a solid ten, I was equally enraged that he didn't look at me before I got dressed up. After frowning at him again, I saw him ogling me once more. The driver was nowhere to be seen and he coughed as he circled around for him, shading his eyes from the sun as he scanned the streets. I suggested the subway instead of the bus. You breathe in about 15% of particles from your skin in the subway. Skin cancers aren't just caused by exposed skin. When I heard that people from around the world came to this area, I asked him, "How do you know this to be true?" He replied, "I read pretty much everything." He knew such random facts because of that study we did back in 2008 when we studied the metro system." That's how he became so knowledgeable about them. New York City is famous for the amount of human waste in the air. I scowled at him, but my ankle snapped as I landed, ruining my menacing plan. I just spent a grand on that dress, and you want to tarnish it already?" "Yes, but it isn't as uncomfortable as the subway. But the seats are filthy."As I lost consciousness, I started to lose my balance. Luke wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me against his body. I removed my gaze from his chest so I wouldn't be distracted by how thick it was. Therefore, I stood up straight and avoided his thick chest. I apologized to her mumblingly for the lack of experience I had with heels. Seeing me stare at him for a few seconds, he smiled and looked at me amusedly. The other mature thing I could do was to cross my arms as well, which I did in addition to accepting that I couldn't say anything at the moment. "Would you mind holding hands?" he asked. in my heart, I felt a sense of apprehension and unease as I stared at him. Even though I took extra precautions not to slip this time, I began to slip down the sidewalk as I rolled my eyes. After rolling my eyes, I began to slide down the sidewalk. Upon finding the driver, I was grateful for his presence, and jumped into the cool BMW. I noticed the smile on his face as he kept up with me. A rumbling rumbled from my stomach when I held my hand over my stomach while driving back into the convoluted streets filled with taxis. As he crossed his legs, his ankle rested on the knee of the other leg he was using. We went out for dinner. I had been lying on my back as I smoothed down the fabric while crossing my legs at the ankles. After several minutes of mimicking his gesture, I was incapable of replicating it. When Luke asked, he smirked a little and replied, "What kind of place is it?" My imagination made me almost believe that the Trump Tower stood out against the sleek, multi-story building twenty minutes earlier as we strolled through the small streets in the crowded area. It took a few moments for me to identify what I thought to be the entrance with the polished panels and waterfall. Due to how the panels reflected the street lights and roads, I could see street lights and roads beneath the panels. Ten-foot-high fountains were lit by colored lights. A giant letter emblazoned with the word Connor adorned the front doors of this enormous house. When Luke nodded to me, I heard the car slow down. There's nothing better than visiting a flagship hotel for the first time, is there? As I searched for answers, my heart thumped. It was just a hotel, nothing more, so I wasn't sure what made me so nervous. The woman I was looking for was nowhere to be found. The hotel room could be rented by anyone who wanted to stay there. It was not necessary to be wealthy or wear a certain dress code to participate in this event. I wouldn't stand out. However, this was Luke's hotel. The property belonged to him. The first time we set out on a date, we might find it a bit strange to be taken to such an unfamiliar place for our first date. It would have been good if he had eased into this slowly, wouldn't it? Does this mean that I have already been thrust into the spotlight? I was being pulled back into reality by the thoughts in my head. "Ella?" I asked. The express hotel does not have our restaurant, so I forgot to mention this to you. I have stayed there before, but this is my first time here." In order to establish a more credible relationship between us, I would like to introduce you to some of our business partners. Following my instructions should help you to overcome this problem, so I hope that you will be able to do so. In order to prevent embarrassment on both our parts, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Rather than being spoken to, I would appreciate a simple glance rather than a conversation." My intention was to keep track of how many days passed between his insults that were oblivious, and keep a record of how many days it took. What's the point of telling me what to order when you don't even know what I'll order?" I asked snidely. As he looked at my sarcasm, the eyebrows on his forehead twitched slightly as he looked confused once again after he had missed my sarcasm. There seemed to be so much space between the door handle and me that I reached for it, sighing as I did so. "Forget it." "Wait!" was the young man's muttered response as he unbuckled his seatbelt. My first reaction to his words was to tell him that I was fine as soon as I heard them. However, I decided instead to let him deal with the situation as I thought it was right for him to do so. As a polite gesture, I guess it was the right thing to do. He probably wanted to achieve a chivalrous look in his appearance, which was probably what he was aiming for. After my door opened a moment later and I had an opportunity to speak with him, he offered me his hand. As he gripped the steering wheel and grabbed me by my arm, I was able to pull myself out of the car with one hand. The other was holding onto his waist. "Let me know if the squeeze I am giving you causes you to feel uncomfortable," he murmured to me as he squeezed my hip inward. In the midst of this situation, I felt a tingle run down my spine. It was not uncomfortable, but he was not aware of the pain in his hand despite the fact that it wasn't unpleasant. It was as we walked towards the glass entrance doors of the hotel. He gently pushed me forward as we walked towards the glass entrance doors of the hotel. There were several men in suits standing near the entrance of the hotel chatting and smoking cigarettes. Despite the fact that I was standing in a public place, the No Smoking signs were clearly visible. A gust of smoke wafted through the air, which prompted my coughing fit. It was Luke who laughed loudly under his breath as we walked up to the group. Upon approaching them, they stood directly in our path as a result of our approach. Luke cleared his throat. In the area where we are sitting, smoking is not allowed; the only man who looked at us was irritated and looked away. A look of horror crossed Luke's face when he saw the man. He threw down his cigarette and smashed it against the road. In an effort to get the butt off his own back, Mr. Connor bowed his head and scooped it up. He said, "I'm so sorry!" The other men, seeing what was happening, spit out apologies and quickly removed their cigarettes from their mouths and quickly spit their apologies out. There was something impressive about it. Luke only needed to take a glance at these guys to know they were walking on glass. My first impression of Luke was that he seemed intimidating. This is because he had name tags on each of the men. When I examined those tags, I realized why he was so intimidating. "We had no idea that you would be visiting us," he said with a wide smile as he saw the first guy's wide eyes. Our hotel has implemented a no-smoking policy in order to provide a safe and healthy environment for our guests with breathing problems. As a matter of fact, it is a rule, not a suggestion. "I expect all of my employees to follow the establishment's rules at the very least and I expect this to be a positive experience for everyone," Luke said. It wasn't long before another man apologized in his own voice, joining the chorus. It was almost impossible for me to recognize Luke when I looked up at him. His stern expression gave him the impression that he was older than he actually was. Does this sound like the attitude that he had toward all of his employees? Do you believe this is the case? What is going to happen to these guys? Are they about to get fired?" If you need a cigarette that badly, you should use the employee courtyard rather than standing outside the entrance. I noticed that his expression gradually softened after a few moments, and he eventually said, 'Use your heads.' I’m assuming that you are on your break at this moment." You are welcome to continue your conversation in the courtyard if you wish. After they nodded and disappeared into the building, we followed them into the building, where they disappeared into a different part of it. There was another hotel attendant who greeted Luke by name as he approached the door of the hotel. Once Luke had caught them, he told me that I had been very fortunate in not being a mother to those guys. My attention was distracted from the words of the speaker by the hotel's interior design. It was beautiful. I was impressed with how sleek and modern everything was. It was used to create patterns on the floors not only with white marble but also with brown tiles. In the living room, the walls were painted a deep earthen hue with white trimming, while the ceiling was a lofty height. Having said that, it seems to me that they are very respectful of you." I commented after thinking about it for a moment. Serious Luke seemed to be something of a hothead, to be honest. Those that I observed were enamored with him, in my opinion, as were most of the female employees. I believe that there is always a positive side to the boss-employee relationship. There was a possibility that I could have disagreed with my boss at Coffee House, but I chose not to do so. He was different from most bosses in the sense that he had something about him that made him stand out. Our friendship was more like that of true friends than that of enemies. Most places were more professional than others in terms of handling their business. I was directed to the elevator by Luke who was standing at the far edge of the lobby. It would probably be pleasant to know that everyone knew who he was and clung to him all the time. Does that mean you don't have to announce you're here as you will probably never have to tell anyone that you are here? " In return, he replied with a smile on his face as he spoke, as if to indicate he was not here to work today. The smile returned to my face before I took a quick glance away from him. "I'm here on a date." Kind of cheesy, but I didn't mind. The exact date of the event was not known. It wasn't long before the excitement subsided. There's an ample amount of parking options in the area, so I asked for directions to the restaurant. "Is it upstairs or on the roof?" I repeated. My guess is that it was twenty stories high! In response to my reaction, Luke laughed when I told him about it. The building has a few rooftop patios. One of them holds a restaurant, and the other holds a few lounges. Here are a few of them." "Okay. As I walked away from him a bit, I looked at him suspiciously. "What a world for you," he said with a faded smile. There has been a record set so far of three minutes. Our elevator was tense as we ascended to the second floor. It didn't matter to me whether Luke was offended by my comment in spite of my concern. It seemed like every time he said something, he was offending me more and more. In the midst of our journey, the elevator dinged and he suddenly started to move closer to us once we had reached the tenth floor. "I count on you," he said. When I hooked my arm through his, he responded by hooking my hand through his as well. No matter how much I would like to be able to do something to humiliate him, I would never intentionally do it. This was my job. The happiest girlfriend in the world is someone who does everything in their power to be the right girlfriend. My heels clicked against the hardwood floor as the elevator door opened and we walked towards the second floor, clicking against the doors along the way. However, in spite of my efforts to walk more lightly, I still had deaf ears. I swallowed a nervous peal of air when I saw a stumbling pair of women laughing loudly as they stumbled down the path. Their eyes were fixed on Luke as they talked between themselves. My grip tightened as I grasped him even tighter and tighter. Upon stepping outside the glass doors, we were greeted with a flurry of laughter and music that pierced our ears. The warm gust of air that blew across my face caused a gust of saliva to blow onto my stomach while I was lying on my stomach. We were surrounded by the twinkling lights of the city, despite the fact that the hotel towered over us. An ethereal glow emanated from the lantern lights that were sporadically erected near the sculpture, along with heavy shadows and crickets. It was beautiful. I tried to imagine what the sky would look like at night after the sun had set, now that it was sinking into the ocean. There were wooden tables on the floor where customers sat, many of them along the roof line in order to have the most spectacular views from their tables. As you walked along the side of the hotel wall, a brightly-lit bar sparkled in the sunlight where men and women enjoyed mingling while holding drinks in their hands. "Wow," I breathed. He was pushing me at the same time that he was saying, "Come on, I've selected the right table for us." and at the same time he had me placed onto his back. After almost tripping over, I pulled myself up and managed to stop myself from falling. As of now, there was no need to worry about embarrassment. The dim setting made it unlikely that anyone would be able to notice anything. Despite this, I had to take precautions. One of the bartenders at the bar called Luke as we passed by the bar as we were walking by. Others turned to look at him as well. Upon realizing I would be interacting with humans, I straightened my back as a precaution after I realized that I would be interacting with them. "Who's that foxy lady over there?" he asked a cheeky bartender looking at me intently, and raising his eyebrows at me. Upon seeing me, he flashed me a pair of white teeth that stood out against his golden complexion. In addition, his black hair was styled in a backward manner. There was no doubt that he was extremely attractive, and he was very appealing to the eye. "This is my girlfriend." He greeted Ella, initially recognizing her as his girlfriend from their first meeting. There is no doubt that he is a trustworthy liar. George, one of our bartenders, is here to answer any questions you may have. The brows on his forehead lifted even further as he asked, "You're Luke's girlfriend, aren't you?" Despite avoiding his gaze, I managed to smile at him in a bashful manner. "Y-yeah." Smooth, Ella. Smooth. "Wow," he said. What a day. We never imagined we would see the day when we would finally be able to meet. How did your meeting turn out? Were you married? Were you in a book club? I would appreciate it if you would leave out the information that you met through a business partner." Luke's face was very concerned as he cleared his throat, as his expression could be described as one of discomfort as he spoke. As Eugene spread his arms wide, he let out a laugh that filled the room. Please accept my apologies, Ms. Ella. I would appreciate it if you let me finish this now. Would you like to have a drink with me? I'll pay. What would you like? As soon as I heard the question, I answered, "Uh, wine is fine." I was only left with the option of drinking alcohol in order to get through the night and wine seemed to be the most suitable option for me. Her favorite bottle was ordered for her and delivered by Luke. My smile kept showing on my face as George nodded and said, "I want her to try something for the first time that she has never done before; I want her to taste that." Alcohol was without a doubt a wise idea, and there was no doubt about it. In response to the voice of a distinct voice, Mr. Connor asked, "What exactly are you doing here?" When Luke and I turned to look at the man in a business suit, we were surprised to see that he was bald. He also had a smile that could melt any heart. He explained that he had a date that night and informed the man of it. He chuckled. Having grown up, it must be enjoyable to be young. As far as I know, you are dating someone. I did not know that. The topic of this conversation has never been discussed by your mother before." "It's a novel topic." "Don't let him bully you." "Are you sure?" the man asked me. Suddenly, I felt my grip tighten around Luke as I forced myself to pretend to laugh. By then, it was too late. When Luke took the time to introduce me to Mr. Sawyer, one of the hotel's managers, he offered my hand to him when he introduced me to him. I would like to thank you for taking the time to meet with me. 'Ella,' I told him. He nodded and chuckled. A sudden person, who appeared out of nowhere, stared at him. He nodded his head and said, "I agree." "You're very welcome, Mr. Connor!" It's so glad to see you! Luke replied, "I'm glad you're doing well, too." "I'm doing well, thanks so much for asking." I replied back, "I'm okay, thanks for asking." Our project blueprints were emailed to you via email, so you can get started right away. I was wondering if you would mind taking a look at these? There is some information that I want to mention that might be of interest to you...," Luke interrupted him immediately, apologizing in a suave manner. "I feel like I shouldn't be here at the moment." Justin gestured, "I would like to chat with you, but I don't want to be rude to my guests." I had no idea what he was pointing out, and I hadn't even noticed. I had no idea I was so ordinary." A quick apology was sent to the two of you, and I apologized immediately for bothering you. After Luke had given me a stern look, he replied, "Please feel free to speak." He then offered, "Let's sit here, Ella." I closed my mouth and avoided glaring at him. I responded, "Let's feed her before she bites me." What was my response to that? Was it really a dog? I want to make sure that I don't get stopped by anyone else." A few steps higher than the rest of the tables that were in the hotel, he led me away from the bar and across the street. He led me to a few tables that were positioned and arranged higher than the rest of the hotel's tables. Several tables lined the ledge in this section of the room, but only one person sat at one of the tables. In the process of approaching him, I realized that he was Luke's friend Dylan. I was greeted with a friendly hello by Dylan as we approached the dining table. While he was standing up, he reached out his hand to me and extended it to me. He surprised me with the sight of him, so I took a hold of his hand and kissed him. In addition to looking just as good as Luke, his suit was freshly pressed, and he wore it with confidence. He looked up at me with a slack lip as he said an amused "Hello?" He asked, "Do you remember my name?" Taking a deeper look at him, I said, "Crab?" and he laughed as I responded. As Luke pulled a chair out of the corner of the room, the chair leg scraped along the floor. Upon turning toward him at the loud noise, he gestured for me to sit with my face straight and he gestured for me to do the same. This was done in order to avoid the skirt riding up when I was doing so. I was able to sit down again immediately after returning to my seat. This was followed by Dylan, who had sat down next to me, and Luke, who was seated opposite my seat. Dylan asked me, "What are you doing here?" I didn't know what to say. I thought it was a date the minute I walked into the room when I met Luke and he walked into the room. "Luke was afraid of being alone with you, so I was just following along, just to make sure he didn't harm you." "That's not what I intended." As he spoke, his seat was tilted a bit back to the left, which contributed to his discomfort. "I thought you might feel more comfortable with a third person," he explained to me when I inquired why he believed bringing a stranger would take away the awkwardness, and whether that was the case. I was curious as to why he believed this would be the case. The atmosphere surrounding Sebastian, however, was one of calm and serenity. I have already noticed an improvement in my level of comfort. "Does saying that you look beautiful sound corny to you?" Sebastian asked, smiling at me, as he walked towards me. When I touched my hair, a smile spread from ear to ear across my face. He shook his head with a haughty grin, thanking God for the waiter who just happened to appear with our wine just at that moment. In a sense he was haughty. He declared to his co-workers, "What else would you expect from the people I employ?" She must be beautiful, he reasoned to himself. There was a man standing there who asked me in a language I had never heard before, "Sassicaia Red, please?" Immediately after letting him fill up his glass, I sipped from it as soon as I saw him pulling away from the table. There was disgust in my eyes, as Dylan took the glass to his lips and raised it to his lips. Wine not your cup of tea? I answered immediately, contemplated the results, and then decided not to touch it again for the remainder of the evening. According to Luke, "maybe she's a bit more refined in what she enjoys," he suggested. This plan was scrapped due to unforeseen circumstances. Drinking was necessary for me. The moment I grabbed the glass in my hands and drank a tall glass of water, my lips were on the edge of my mouth. In the event that I asked Luke something like a thousand dollars, he would probably say something like that. My eye was drawn to him as he said, "Alternatively, I can offer you $250.00." After he had drank a glass of wine, he was shocked and surprised to realize just how right he had been. The hotel would not be affordable for someone of lower status, he replied, in response to my question. We believe that keeping our prices affordable is one of the keys to our success. As a general rule, we lose guests if our prices are increased too much, since many of our guests are one-time guests who might add a few dollars to the cost of dinner and drinks, but will not return. By patting the back of my thigh and telling me that the bottle of wine that I was about to buy wouldn't cost that much, Luke made me jump. It was at this point that I ignored him and swallowed the remainder of my wine as I ignored him. As Dylan grinned and eagerly filled up the bottle once more, he filled it up again with excitement and anticipation. Dylan and Luke did not request menus, so the waiter brought them to us as well. As soon as I saw that the name of the band had chicken in it, I immediately pointed to it and started pointing. The two other men had already started copying each other after he had left, so I put my napkin on my lap and copied them. There was a slight slouch in Dylan's stance as he leaned into the seat in front of him, leaning back into it. The young man replied tiredly, "Oh, so you're going to have your first date at your own restaurant, aren't you?" "That's the right way to spread the word," he replied, "because there is no better way to get people to know you." Apparently, someone has informed my mother about this. "Why don't you just tell her and ask her to meet her right away?" "Because then she will be able to eat with us right away." I narrowed my eyes at him, as I knew that as soon as she met Ella, she would realize that she wasn't up to her standards. My eyes narrowed as I stared at him. It is said that a woman could tell by the clothes you wear just how poor you are and that you are not up to college standards." A grimace appeared on his face while he grasped his wine glass tight and forced a smile on his face. Therefore, she cannot meet Ella before that time, which is why she cannot see her before then. Until the plan fails, I can't even say I'm in love." "Oh, silly me." "I should have known my poor would show through." The bright lights of the city caught my attention as I looked past Luke into the distance. The idea of acting like someone else was impossible for me. It was not something I was particularly adept at when it came to the art of lying. It would be better if I kept my mouth shut in most cases. Pretending that I am mute might be a much easier thing to do! It would also be fine with me if that were the case. If Luke were to speak all the time, it would be much easier for me. During the conversation, Dylan asked me a question and I answered it. In response, I shrugged my shoulders in a sheepish fashion, which was only natural for me to do. Some people were destined for school and some weren't. To each their own. Some people were meant for school, some weren't. He frowned, "Oh, I don't know yet, but I'll be taking classes in September. This will be my first year since I can afford it." My throat closed up, and I almost choked. "My brother." He tried to help me, but I was able to catch my breath. He apologized profusely, "I'm sorry." He asked, "Do you have a brother?" He asked, "I'm fine. "Uh, I'm fine. "I'm fine. Uh. Sorry. Luke looked at me as the door closed, but he did not see me. I flipped my hair back to let him see me, but he didn't.