Love At First Glance (Love At Firsts Book 1)

by Garcia, Muriel

  He chuckles shaking his head. “I knew you loved my fine ass.” He smirks but quickly sobers up. “I’m sorry I was the cause of your fight.” He squeezes my hand.

  “It’s alright, it’s all fixed now.” I smile.

  “Good.” He winks at me and scares me half to death as he speeds down the road.

  A few minutes later we park in front of a very fancy restaurant that I have never seen before. It doesn’t look like my cup of tea, but I don’t say a word. It’s his night so he gets to choose where we eat. I do however wish that he had a date and Spencer was here though.

  A valet opens my door for me and holds his hand out for me. I take it and step out of the car where I am instantly hit with the cold air. I definitely should have worn a long dress or something warmer. Valentine tosses his car keys to the valet and joins me on the sidewalk. I link my arm in his, more for the fact that I would less likely fall flat on my face if I held onto someone than wanting to walk so close to him. As we walk towards the building, we are bombarded by people with cameras taking our picture. Not that I mind being in pictures, but this is fucking weird. Why do some people enjoy this feeling of being judged with every single step they take. One bad move and the whole world will know. Quite horrific if you ask me.

  “Why are they taking our pictures?” I ask him quietly.

  “It’s all part of the club opening thing. For the promotion or whatever the publicist team I hired said.” He shrugs and holds the door open for me. I walk in and sigh in relief as warm air hits me.

  The Maître d’ shows us to a table in the back, away from the big crowd and the windows but still with a nice view of outside.

  Wine is immediately brought to our table along with food which is odd because we’ve only just sat down and haven’t even managed to pick up a menu yet.

  “Is this really for us? We haven’t ordered anything,” I whisper loudly looking between the plates of various food that are set in front of us, to which he just winks at me and takes a sip of his wine. “Is this going to be another cryptic night?”

  “No.” He chuckles. “When I made reservation, I asked for their best wine and dishes.”

  “What if I don’t like something? You can’t expect to woo a woman if you don’t give her any choice as to what she wants to eat or drink.” His face falters at my confession.

  He snaps his fingers and a waiter comes over. “What can I do for you sir?”

  “This young woman would like a different menu than what I initially ordered.”

  “Very well, what would you like to eat, Miss?” The waiter looks at me expectantly with a smile on his face. I hate being put on the spot.

  “I…uh…”

  “Order anything you want, Haven. They’ll cook it for you, even if it’s Mac and Cheese.”

  “Don’t tempt me.” I grin.

  “Our chef would be honored to cook you Mac and Cheese if that’s what you’d like.” The waiter smiles politely at me.

  “I’ll actually go for a steak, medium rare, and a side of Mac and Cheese please. I want to see what a fancy restaurant like this one does to such a simple dish.” I smiles sheepishly.

  “Anything different to drink?” the waiter asks.

  “No, the wine is perfect, thank you.” I smile at the waiter and he walks away. I pin Valentine with my gaze. “You own this place.”

  “What makes you think that?” He looks amused.

  “I know you do.”

  “How can you be so sure? It’s not unheard of to book the best food and wine in advance.”

  “Because they gave you the best table, they are doing anything you ask, and while I’m sure it’s not unheard of, all the tables around us were looking through the menu when we walked in. Also, I’m pretty sure Mac and Cheese isn’t on the menu. Plus this place screams you.” I shrug.

  “Very good point. Yes, I do own this place.” He smiles.

  “So you’re taking me to a fancy restaurant, with all the fancy expensive food and won’t even have to pay. What a date.” I frown, trying to keep a serious face.

  “Is that another big warning flag when taking a woman out on a real date?” He looks worried and I can’t help but laugh, earning us glares from other tables because I’m too loud. I don’t bother apologizing, it feels nice to laugh.

  “Sort of. It’s nice that you’d want to take her to a very nice restaurant, but make sure she’s into that kind of thing. Not every woman is attracted to money and fancy places like this. You could have taken me for a pizza and I’d have loved it.” I shrug and take a sip of wine. “Although the wine is definitely better here than at a pizzeria.”

  “I surely hope so.” He chuckles.

  “How much is this bottle?” I ask, raising my eyebrow because I know it’s going to be expensive.

  “You don’t wanna know.” He grins sheepishly.

  “That expensive?” He nods.

  “I love good wine. Wines and cars are the only things I’d never look at the price tag for,” he says a smile playing on his lips.

  “Priorities.” I chuckle. “And don’t try to give her diamonds on the first date or anything other than flowers, it’ll look suspicious, like you’re trying to buy her or something.”

  “I know a lot about women and yet I don’t know any of the things that matter.”

  “You’ll get there.” I smile. “Just do what comes naturally, don’t try to impress her with money or expensive things, she’ll think you’re an arrogant bastard.”

  “You shouldn’t say things like that in a place like this.” He points to the tables around us whose occupants are clearly outraged by my words.

  “What? I’m not going to filter myself because we are surrounded by stuck up people,” I say a bit too loudly.

  “Good thing I own this place or we’d have been kicked out already.” He laughs.

  “Not even sorry,” I tell him as I hold the gaze of the old woman sitting at the table next to ours.

  “Good.”

  Our food is brought to the table and I’m speechless. It looks and smells amazing. They really did make me Mac and Cheese and it looks divine. I give it a try and the waiter looks at me expectantly. Once again, I’m rendered speechless. It is to die for. It’s rich and creamy but not too heavy. The perfect balance. I give the waiter a thumb up and he leaves smiling.

  We make small talk as we eat, learning about each other’s hobbies and our aspirations in life.

  I say no to dessert. I don’t want the seams of my dress to burst or look like I’m pregnant. I pull my phone out quickly as Valentine is talking with one of the waiters and shoot a quick text to Spencer to let him know we’ll be on our way shortly.

  Me: Hey Love! We are done with dinner. We’ll be at the club shortly. How long do you think you’ll be? Do you need me to give you the address again?

  I see that the iMessage has been delivered and wait for an answer, but nothing comes through. Maybe he’s still busy with his assignment and will be late. I try not to let it get to me, but it’s difficult and I cannot help the uneasy feeling I get in my stomach. Stop being ridiculous, you only sent the message a minute ago! I put my phone back in my bag and stand up when Valentine comes back with my jacket.

  He helps me into my jacket and we leave the restaurant to see that the valet has his car parked in front of the restaurant and, like before, he helps me in. I smile and thank him before checking my phone quickly, but still see no text from Spencer.

  “Are you okay?” Valentine asks me.

  “Yeah, just waiting for Spencer to reply to my message. I told him we were on our way to the club but he hasn’t answered yet. I don’t know how we’ll manage to find each other when we’re in the club.”

  “I’m sure he’s okay and there’s a VIP area which is where you’ll be and he’s on the guest list for it too, so don’t worry.” He smiles and speeds to the club. The opening is in a few minutes so we don’t have much time to spare.

  We turn onto the street where the club is and I
shoot Spencer another text.

  Me: We’re at the club, are you still coming?

  I put my phone back in my clutch and climb out of the car with Valentine’s help. I love this car, but it’s a bit too low considering the tight dress I’m wearing.

  There are photographers are everywhere snapping pictures of us as we make our way to the entrance of the club.

  Valentine holds my hand and we walk up the few steps to the entrance. Like any inauguration, he has a speech planned and doesn’t look nervous at all, it’s clear he was meant to do this.

  “Thank you everybody for coming tonight to the launch of The Vault. This place has been in the works for years. The hard work that has been put into this place by the amazing crews working on, both the inside and outside of the club, has really paid off. I can’t wait for all of you to see and hopefully enjoy it. I couldn’t have done it on my own; thanks must go to my sister who has been such a great support and even helped with the interior design and also to my friend, Haven for her support these past few weeks.” He smiles at me and kisses my head. No doubt, people will get the wrong idea with that move. He smiles and takes a pair of scissors that someone handed to him and he cuts the purple velvet ribbon. “Welcome to The Vault.”

  The two massive doors open and I’m in shock; the interior looks even better than what I had imagined. His sister did an amazing job decorating the place; the entrance hall is pretty simple with monochrome colors and small light fixtures lead the way to the cloakroom. There’s a massive room with two gorgeous women standing in the doorway to collect coats on the right and a photo booth on the left side. Valentine smiles at me, grabs a hold of my hand and walks us inside. From where we are standing, I can tell that it’s noisy inside, but it’s not deafening. Once we get closer to the hallway, that I’m assuming leads to the first room from what Valentine has previously told me about the place, my ears start to buzz. I’m not used to loud music anymore. I take my phone out and snap a couple of ‘before’ pictures since Spencer is nowhere to be seen making sure to get pictures of the place whilst it’s still empty, to show off the club décor in the article and I’ll ask Spencer to take more pictures later for an ‘after’ shot. Valentine gives me a quick tour of the place before they let the crowd in. I try to focus on the work aspect of tonight, at least for now, but it’s hard because I just want to dance.

  Each level is different in color, theme and music. The main floor plays dance/hip hop music which isn’t exactly my style, but it looks amazing. There’s a massive bar lining the right side of the room that’s lit up by UV lights and is stocked with a large choice of alcohol. There are a couple of booths situated on the left side with a dance floor in between the seated area and the bar.

  The second floor is for the metal heads. The décor is a lot simpler and less glamorous than the main floor but still remarkable nonetheless. The left side is adorned with a simple bar that’s also well furnished with alcohol. There aren’t any booths on this level because there is a decent sized stage instead. From the little I could hear from Valentine, it’s set for local bands to play in a new venue, which is a fantastic idea. It’ll make concerts more intimate, even though it’s still a huge room, and will give new acts the chance to perform in front of people. I make a mental note to mention this in the article.

  We walk up to the third and final floor which has more of a lounge cocktail bar kind of feel. The music is a lot calmer but still as loud. There’s another large bar that stretches across the whole of the back wall with booths on both sides of the room, as well as tables and seats around a smaller dance floor. This floor is more my style. I look around and take even more pictures.

  “What do you think of the club?” Valentine asks in my ear.

  “I love it. It’s remarkable; you’ve done a fantastic job. There’s a level for everybody and they are very well thought out and decorated.” I smile.

  “So you’ll write a good article about this place?” He squeezes my shoulder gently.

  “Of course,” I yell over the music. He grins at me, visibly relaxing and leads me to a booth on the third floor before they let everyone in. We sit down and a waitress immediately walks over to us with champagne to celebrate.

  “To The Vault and to an amazing article.” He raises his glass.

  “To The Vault and to an amazing article.” I echo, raising my glasses and clinking it with his. We both take a sip and I start to snap pictures of people beginning to fill in the room. It’s wonderful to witness the start of such an incredible place that I hope will be here for a very long time.

  I check my messages and text Spencer again, needing to make sure he’s okay.

  Me: Are you still alive? The club is open and it looks amazing. When will you be here? I’m in the VIP lounge on the top floor, Valentine put your name on the guest list.

  Spencer: Sorry. Something came up I won’t be able to make it tonight unfortunately. I hope it goes well and that you have fun. Don’t miss me too much.

  Me: Is everything alright? You know I’ll miss you. I need my partner in crime.

  Spencer: I’m sure you’ll be okay without me. Yes, everything is fine, don’t worry. ;)

  Me: Do you want me to come over?

  Spencer: No. Have fun, you need and deserve it. I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t worry.

  Me: Alright, buzzkill. You should be here though, it’d make for amazing pictures.

  I send him a few of the pictures of the place but he doesn’t answer right away.

  Spencer: Looks good. We can go next weekend if you want.

  Me: Yes, that’d be great. You’d love this place.

  Spencer: Have fun and text me when you get home safely.

  Me: Will do. Have a good night <3

  Spencer: You too. <3

  I put my phone back in my clutch and sip my champagne, trying to relax and enjoy myself. Whilst I love what Valentine has done, I’m not a big party animal. I don’t drink much or often, or even go out much for that matter, but I try to keep my spirits up, I refuse to be a downer on Valentine’s big night.

  A gorgeous blonde walks over to him and hugs him. I wonder if it’s the woman he has a thing for.

  “Haven, this is Valery, my sister,” he yells over the music. Okay, maybe not his love interest.

  “Hi. Nice to meet you,” I yell over the music and she does too.

  “I’ll leave you two ladies for now, behave, I have some people I need to see.” Valentine looks between us smiling and leaves.

  Valery and I ended up getting along pretty well. We talked about everything: what we do for a living, for fun, what Valentine was like growing up, his love life, how I met him and all that good stuff. After talking, drinking a lot more than I'm used to and dancing, we both realized that we like a lot of the same things. It's great to finally meet another woman who is as weird as I am and embraces it.

  Needless to say, I’m dead on my feet now and just want to crawl into bed. The driver Valentine assigned us drives onto my street.

  “We so have to do this again,” Valery exclaims as we come to a stop in front of my building.

  “Yes! Call me if you wanna do lunch or something.” I smile and hug her before exiting the car.

  “Will do!” She waves at me as I walk into the building. I wave back before typing in the code to get in. It takes me three tries to get it right and once I’m inside the building I immediately take off my shoes. I love those heels but they are killing my feet. I never expected to spend so much time on my feet tonight. Had I known, I’d have packed a pair of flats like Valery did. Clearly I’m not used to partying anymore.

  I make my way up to my place with the help of the elevator; knowing what I’m like, I’d trip up the stairs before falling all the way down to the bottom. I fumble with my door key as the sneaky little bastard refuses to go into the lock, but after a couple of tries, I manage to unlock and fall through my door. That would’ve made Spencer laugh like he used to do when I lived with him the first time. Good times. I sm
ile at the memories.

  I make my way off of the floor and lock the door behind me. I smile when I see Bernard curled up on the couch. My little furry baby. I tip toe to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water from the fridge and take a sip. I quickly head to my room and strip to my underwear. I crawl into bed and grab my phone to text Spencer before I crash.

  Me: At home, slightly drunk but it was fun. I missed you though :( Love you! <3

  I drink half of the water bottle and check my phone for an answer but see nothing. I try to focus my eyes on the time and I realize it’s five in the morning and I should probably get some rest. I try to resist falling asleep to see if Spencer replies, but sleep quickly steals me. I’ll pay for tonight when I wake up.

  CHAPTER 18

  The Next Day

  I groan when I hear loud music playing near me. I reach for my phone on the nightstand, but it’s not there. I know you’re near me you little shit, I can hear you ringing loud and clear. I look for it in bed and finally find it.

  “What?” God my voice sounds raspy.

  “Someone sounds rough.” Spencer sings down the phone to me.

  “No shit. I’m never drinking like that again.” I pull the duvet over my head to block out the light.

  “At least not when I’m not with you. Check your bedside table.”

  “Why?” I ask confused.

  “Just do as I say for once.” Spencer’s amused voice sounds down the phone.

  “Fine.” I groan and look over and see a bottle of orange juice and two Advil. “You’re a life saver.” I sit up slowly, take the two pills and down the orange juice.

  “I know.” He chuckles.

  “When did you come over?” I curl back into bed.

  “A few hours ago, I needed to check to see if you were still alive and I knew you would be feeling rough so…”

  “Thank you, Spence.” I sigh happily.

  “You’re welcome, Have.”

  “Why didn’t you stay?” I pout and then realizing he can’t see me.