I regret everything the second I step out of my car.
The lounge looks exactly like I imagined. Low lighting spilling through the tall glas windows, warm and dim, like it's hiding a huge secret instead of people. Through the entrance, I can already see the soft glow of amber lights reflecting off the polished wood.
This was a mistake. I check my phone, 6:58PM. Too early to be late. Too late to back out. "Get it together" I mutter to myself. I push the tall, luxurious door open, and the first thing I notice is the music. Low, slow, something with a steady rhythm that makes everything feel....closer? Conversations hum softly in the background as I take everything in. Glasses clink. The air smells faintly of something expensive. Wood, cologne, maybe even a hint of smoke.
Then, I see him. Lucifer is already there, seated in one of the leather booths like he owns the place. Dark clothes, sleeves slightly rolled up, one arm resting on the backrest. He looks.....unreal. Like he doesn't belong in the same world as me. His eyes lift, and land directly on me.
For a second, neither of us move. Then he smiles, slow...knowing. "Right on time" he says as I approach. My brain short circuts. "Y-yeah. I mean-yeah" Smooth, so smooth, Arlo. Kill me now. "Sit, Arlo" Lucifer says, casual, but there's something softer underneath it. I sit, almost immediately. Because apparently, I've lost all control over my body. There's a brief silence as I try not to stare at him. Handsome.....Don't stare.
Up close, he's worse. His presence fills the whole space, clam...but intense. Like he's completly aware of everything, including me. "You look different" Lucifer says. My heart drops, deep. "Different?....Bad?" A pause, ThenLucifer says more quietly, "Different good" Oh. Oh. "Thanks," I mumble, suddenly very interested in the table.
A waiter appears, saving me from completly combusting. We order drinks, something simple, something safe. My voice almost cracks when I speak. Great..Amazing! I'm thriving! When the waiter leaves, the silence comes back, more heavier. Not empty, just...waiting. Lucifer leans back slightly, studying me. Not in a creepy way. In a he's trying to figure me out way. "So," he says. "Library." I freeze. Right. That. "You remember" I say, trying to sound normal, like I'm not exploding in the inside. His lips twitch. "Hard to forget someone who looked like they were about to fight a bookshelf." I let out a small, embarrassed laugh. "It was a very aggressive bookshelf." "Clearly."
There's a pause, then Lucifer's gaze sharpens, just a little. "And the club?" He asks "You remember that too?" My fingers tighten slightly around the edge of the table, just a bit. "Parts of it." I admit. "Mostly you" The words slip out before I can stop them. Shit. But Lucifer doesn't laugh. Doesn't look suprised. If anything, his expression softens. "Good," he says quietly. My heart does that stupid thing again—fast, uneven, impossible to ignore.
The drinks arrive. I take a sip almost immediately, just to have something to do. Anything. Lucifer watches me over the rim of his glass. "Relax," he says. "You look like you're about to be interrogated." "I'm not nervous," I lie. He raises an eyebrow. I sigh. "Okay, I'm a little nervous." "A little?" "Okay, a lot." WHY DID I TELL HIM ARGH, but that earns a real smile from him. Not teasing, not guarding, Just...real.
And for some reason, that's worse, Because now I feel it too. That uncomfortabel shift. The something. The space between us feels smaller, warmer. Dangerous. The thumb brushes against the side of my glass, and then, accidentally. His hand.
It's brief, barely a second. But it's enough. Neither of us pull away immediately. And in the moment, everything goes quiet. The music, the conversations, just...this. Lucifer's gaze drops to where our hands touched. Then back to me, slowly. "Still think this is a bad ides?" Lucifer asks. My breath catches. Because the answer should be yes.
It should be obvious, it should be easy. But sitting here under, under soft lights, with him looking at me like that. "I don't know" I admit. And that's the problem.