It was night time and Asteria and her mother were eating dinner with Luca along with Asteria’s mother’s date. His name was Egan and her mother had been seeing him for a couple days and wanted to bring him home for dinner. Asteria wanted no part in meeting him but her mother wouldn’t allow it so she convinced Luca to have a double date with them. She was able to get him to go because she told him she would cook and he immediately said “yes” because he was dying to try her cooking after hearing praise from both Vita and Florian about how great her cooking was.

Asteria and Florian were sitting in front of each other at the table while Egan was sitting beside Florian while her mother sat at the end of the table near Egan. Asteria was stirring her pasta around her fork aggressively while Luca enjoyed his food as he was almost finished with it while Asteria’s mother and Egan talked about their next date.

“I can not wait to see you in that new dress I brought for you, Nailah,” said Egan to Asteria’s mother as he grabbed her hand.

Asteria’s mother gripped on it and smiled at him, “I can not wait either. The dress is just so beautiful I can’t stop admiring it,” She said before she gave Egan a kiss on the lips.

Asteria looked at her mother with a glare as she remembered how they were talking before Luca and Egan arrived. Her mother had no intention to go any further with Egan. He was amazing in bed so she was having fun for awhile with him and then she was going to cut the relationship off. Her mother looked at her and winked. Asteria shook her head in disgust as she turned her attention to Luca.

“Do you like it?” Asteria asked as she giggled at Luca’s face covered with tomato sauce.

“I’ve had spaghetti before but yours beat it all even if it’s been  made by my personal chef back at home who owned a five star restaurant back in his twenties,” said Luca as Asteria grabbed a napkin and reached over to him.

Luca stopped talking as Asteria wiped the sauce off his mouth. Asteria then crumbled it up and went back to eating. Asteria’s mother and Egan both looked on as Luca blushed while Asteria acted as if she didn’t do what she did. Asteria then asked Luca to keep talking as she gave him a smile. For the rest of the night the two couples had their own separate conversations and only joined them together whenever Asteria’s mom tried to embarrass her in front of Luca and Egan. The night ended with Egan being pushed out the house and Luca and Asteria in her room alone.

They were sitting on her bed and their hands were intertwined as Luca leaned in for a kiss as Asteria closed her eyes. As he grew closer all she could think about was Florian. She liked him more than she liked Luca so why was she with Luca and not with Florian. She knew if she kissed Luca then it would not be real. She had feelings for Florian and she knew she couldn’t play with Luca’s feelings. Asteria opened her eyes and she was caught in by his extremely good looks. Her entire decisions changed in seconds and she knew if she didn’t kiss him then, then she would definitely regret it so she allowed him to kiss her.

As Luca pulled away he was very red while Asteria felt bad. She should’ve stopped him after all as she looked at him as she realized he really did like her.

“So can I kiss you on your lips now instead of the cheek?” Asked Luca.

Asteria blushed, “I guess that’s okay,” She said before Luca pulled her into another kiss.

Luca left after their second kiss and Asteria went to bed satisfied but also guilty. Asteria was aware Luca knew that she liked Florian but he was still attempting to maneuver her feelings toward him and she was allowing it because liking Florian wasn’t a easy task when he was constantly cheering her relationship with Luca on. As Asteria tried to go to bed she got a message from her mother. She sent her an article about the missing girl. Asteria jumped up and read about it. Her name was Hailey and she was only 16. She was Asteria’s age and that made her nervous because that could’ve of been her. Her mother then texted her telling her that she had to be careful and she was to walk with Florian or Rilynn to school and back. Instead of Asteria texting back she went to her mother’s room and hugged her. They then laid there in each other’s arms reassuring each other that everything was going to be fine.

At the business district in the early morning, adults ran around like maniacs trying to meet deadlines in the offices so they could get home to their lives. Some overworked themselves and others did the bare minimum to get the job done faster. Asteria’s mother Nailah was one of the ones who overworked themselves to finish her work no matter what and that was what Blight admired about her. 

Nailah was on break onside on the roof of the building in which Blight owned.  She was smoking until she suddenly stopped, “Boss, sneaking up on me won’t scare him,” She claimed as she turned to face Blight standing behind her holding two cups of coffee.

Blight chuckled, “Another fail then but I did come with coffee,” He said as he handed the coffee to Nailah.

Nailah grabbed it and placed her cigarette inside of it making Blight shocked, “Coffee isn’t my favorite and it will never be my favorite,”

“I asked around and they said you drink coffee,”

“It was tea. When people want to be nosy they usually get the information wrong and so you came here with coffee instead of a nice cup of tea,” said Nailah.

Blight sighed and then he took a sip of his coffee, “Well I guess it’s alright. The coffee was free so you don’t have to pay me back,” 

Nailah chuckled and then Blight looked at the cigarette in the cup, “You should stop smoking. It’s not good for you,” He said as Nailah gave him a playful glare.

“I will let you, a kid, boss me around about work but when it comes to my personal decisions I won’t allow it. I’m older so tell that to someone your age,”

“I’m not a kid. I’m 25.”

“And I’m ten years older so yes you are a kid to me,”

Blight then looked Nailah up and down, “You look my age so it wouldn’t matter. We could even pass as a couple,”

Nailah smirked at him, “Oh slow down there boss, you might get reported for inappropriate behavior with a employee,”

Blight smirked as he took another sip of his coffee, “Say what you want but you won’t report me. Now tell me why do you smoke,”

Nailah then looked out at the buildings and the crowded streets, “It keeps my mind at ease. When I smoke I don’t think about my husband and I can be able to be there for my daughter instead of the other way around,”

“Your husband died in a car accident right? I remember you telling me that,”

“Yes and my daughter and I were devastated but I had to be strong for us both especially because she...” Nailah was going to continue but she stopped herself, “My daughter is my world, Blight. My beautiful daughter is kind hearted, her smile keeps me going every day, and she cares a great deal for people.  She has her moments where she can be a bossy demanding little monster but she will do about anything to help someone in need and when it comes to people she loves she will be the first one there by your side,” Nailah continued on.

“She sounds like a wonderful young lady. I hope I get to meet her some day,” said Blight as he sipped his coffee.

Nailah nodded agreeing with Blight as they watched the cars go by on the streets. Blight glanced over at Nailah as he leaned her arms over the side. She was smiling but he caught a tear fall down her face. He then turned away as she wiped it and continued to drink his coffee quietly beside her.