why should we worry?

@ momentai.
Mariah Lowell made her way into the restaurant with her two friends, Alissa and Julie. It was a nice hot summer day and the small classy diner was the perfect lunchtime spot. It was somewhere she remembered fondly from her childhood. It wasn't the fanciest place around but that's what Mariah liked about it - it was a break from the elegant and classy candlelit restaurants that bored her endlessly. There was something nice about the quaintness. They were seated at a nice window seat and she looked out the window, observing the hustle and bustle of the busy street. "I think we should arrange a pool party." Julie suggested and Mariah turned her attention back to the conversation. She needed something in her life to bring back the fun of summer.

Luca awoke early that morning, getting ready for the day -- a long day that was ahead of him. One of their biggest days was ahead of them... Being the right hand man to a gang leader like Jess was an exhausting business but he was happy to have the honor. He didn't know what exactly the gang business was today - some sort of heist was his understanding, and it was all hands on deck. He got ready and then called Skylar, Jess's sister. That was probably a bad idea, uncharted territory of his boss's sister, but he had grown quite fond of her. He was just letting things happen as they would... "Hey, you awake sleepyhead? Your brother wants us pretty early." He said.

Jess was found walking the streets, his hands in his pockets. He planned to leave the heist to his gang, figuring that they could manage it. For the most part, it was a test, to make sure that he could trust them to do well on their own, since he planned to deal with a few things on his own every now and then. It was a relief to know that Luca, his right hand man, would be able to handle things, though, and Jess hoped that his sister would be okay, too. As he walked, he passed by a diner and paused as he glanced inside. His eyes fell on a group of girls, though his attention was mostly caught by one specific one and he wasn't entirely sure how somebody could be that beautiful. But, he was also certain that he shouldn't let himself be too interested; she looked rich, which meant she'd likely have no interest in him, ever.

Skylar was pretty nervous about the heist today, so it wasn't surprising that she was awake so early. Jess was already gone, it seemed, and she figured he went to do his own thing for now. Heists weren't really something that Skylar got involved in - really, she didn't do much for the gang in general, because she had trouble with it. But, she knew that some people would start complaining and talking about special treatment because she was Jess's sister, which was why she wanted to at least try to do what she needed to. She didn't want to cause trouble for her brother, after all. When she heard her phone ringing, she reached over to grab it and a small grin formed on her features when she saw Luca's name as she answered it. "Yeah, I'm awake," she confirmed quietly, "Are you ready for the day?"

Mariah perked up a little as a guy maybe a year or two older than her walked by. Here was her break from her normal nine to five job, something exciting. He looked like trouble but maybe that was what drew her to him. She was sometimes drawn to the "bad guy" appearance. It was her rebellious nature that was still attached to her childhood in a rich home. She knew she had caught his eye and she winked. "Um - I'll be right back." She said and scooted out of the booth and excused herself from to go after him. "Hey!" She said, catching him as he walked down the sidewalk. "Do you always just make eye contact and walk away from a girl?!" She asked and her gut caught her. She didn't know what she was thinking. She was sure they had nothing in common but she needed a little spontaneity in her life.

Luca smiled when he heard her voice. He didn't know what it was about her but she always seemed to make him smile - and it made his heart race. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He said with a smile. "You know, you don't have to sound so nervous... You're going to stay right by my side and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, you know that, right?" He knew that Jess was trusting him to lead this heist and he was going to do that.. He was going to do that all the while taking care of Skylar. He would impress both siblings in one motion.

Jess was set on getting as far away from the diner as possible, because he definitely did not want some girl screaming at him about looking at her in an inappropriate manner or something - which he hadn't done, but he knew some rich girls were a little crazy. When he heard somebody called out and he turned his attention to her when he realized this girl was talking to him. "Huh?" he asked with surprise, his eyes widening slightly when he realized it was the girl from the diner. "Wait, what?" This wasn't really something he was used to, though he tried to regain his composure. "Well, most rich girls don't really want to be approached, so I figured it was best to just leave, I guess."

Skylar's expression softened when she heard Luca's words and she tried to ignore the way it made her heart feel better about the situation. "I know," she said quietly, though her voice reflected how happy she was to hear him say something like that. "Thanks, Luca. It means a lot." And, it really did. Like Jess, Skylar trusted Luca a lot. But, Skylar also happened to like Luca a lot, too, in a way that she probably shouldn't. She tried to avoid letting it be noticeable, especially since she didn't want Jess to notice and be mean to Luca or something. "Where are we supposed to meet up, anyways?"

Mariah blushed a little once she realized what she had done. She wasn't normally the spontaneous one like this and it was all crazy... What was she doing? He looked like trouble and she knew that she should run as fast as she could but she was already too deep in. When she heard his response, she stuck her nose up and crossed her arms. "Really? Why would you say I'm a rich girl - maybe I'm not a rich girl." She blushed a little. She knew it was really far-fetched but she didn't want to just be perceived as the rich girl. That was what she was to everyone and it got exhausting.

Luca smiled a little at the happiness in her voice. She sounded truly relieved by what he said and he loved that. He loved knowing that he could make her feel safe. "I think we are meeting at the normal rendezvous point. I can pick you up and we could get there together if you'd prefer. We have two hours... If you're ready soon we could even catch some breakfast first." He offered. He liked spending time with her - and he especially enjoyed when he got her to himself for a while - when Jess wasn't around and watching his every move with her.

Jess arched a brow to her words, though he looked a little amused and folded his arms over his chest as he eyed her. "Well, for one, your response makes it a little obvious," he pointed out, motioning to both her words and her behavior. "Two, you were in a popular restaurant that rich kids hang out at." Sure, it didn't particularly look like a fancy restaurant, but he knew that was what gave it the appeal to rich kids. Eying her, he gave her a once over. "And, your clothes say it all as well."

Skylar was fairly happy when she heard Luca's suggestion and she couldn't help but to nod, despite knowing that he couldn't see it. "Breakfast sounds really nice," she admitted and she tried not to let her excitement show in her voice, but she doubted she'd managed to hide it. She'd been so nervous earlier that she hadn't been able to eat yet. Luca really had a way of calming her nerves, though, all while making her nervous in an entirely different way. "I'll get ready and wait for you here."

Mariah blushed with his easy analysis of her. Yes, she was so predictable and that was getting on her nerves. She didn't want to always be so predictable like this... She was almost offended. "So what does that make you?" She asked as she crossed her arms, shaking her head. "A mobster with your tattoos and ratty clothes?" She asked. She knew she was being unkind, but she couldn't help it.

Luca smiled when she accepted his proposal. "I'll come pick you up in like twenty minutes." He said happily. Sure she probably only saw him as a friend who was also an important person in her brother's life, but there was something about the fact that he was almost going on a date with her that made him thrilled. He waited the twenty minutes and then stopped by her place. "You ready?" He called as he let himself in.

Jess smirked with the irony of her words. She was awfully close to the truth, wasn't she? It wasn't like he hid it, though. "Something like that," he mentioned casually before he shrugged slightly and turned his attention to look around them. "But, you know, stereotyping isn't very nice." Regardless, he was amused and it was obvious that he was.

Skylar couldn't help the grin on her face and she hung up the phone before she went to get ready. She really shouldn't be this nervous over breakfast. She spent almost every day around Luca, after all, but it was always with Jess around. By the time she heard Luca's voice, she was almost ready. "Yeah, just give me a minute!" she called back.

Mariah was confused by the smirk that showed up on his face after her speaking and she crossed her arms tighter. "Says the one who stereotyped me first. I wouldn't have stereotyped you if you didn't stereotype me." She said and then shook her head. "But fine if you don't want to talk to me - I'll go." She turned on her heels, hoping that wasn't the end of it...

Luca smiled when he heard her voice. "Where should we go to breakfast Sky?" He called. "I'll take you wherever your heart desires!" He was glad to get her alone.. Was he bad for considering this their first date. It was one of the first times that he didn't have to worry about Jess being right there which would be nice.

Jess wasn't really sure what had gotten into him, but, when she turned to leave, his hand reached out and took hold of her elbow gently. It took him a moment to realize what he had done, but he didn't care and instead tried to think of something to say to make up for him suddenly grabbing her. "Did I ever say I didn't want to talk to you?" he asked eventually.

Once Skylar was finished - she had to change twice because she had to remind herself that she couldn't dress like this was a date when she was meant to join Luca on a heist in just two hours, - she peeked her head out of the room. "Ah, anything's fine, really," she assured before she headed down the stairs to see him. "You know I'm not picky."

Mariah was completely in shock when he grabbed her arm and her face clearly showed it. She was so caught up in her own confusion that she almost missed his words all together. "Well you never said that you did want to talk to me." She said, pulling her elbow from his hand and crossing her arms again. "Besides, you moved pretty quickly to get away from the diner. If you did want to talk to me, you would at least invite me to dinner." She challenged.

Luca smiled when he heard her words and nodded his head, knowing she couldn't see since she was just descending the stairs now. "Well, I know of a really great diner close to the rendezvous point that I am positive you're going to love." He said with a smile. She wasn't dressed up in any particular way that he hadn't seen before for their general duties but he still marveled at her beauty. "Well, don't you look pretty today." He said, trying to sound like he was just joking - so he didn't seem too forward.

Jess was mildly surprised to her words and he eyed her for a moment. "That's a high expectation to just talk to you," he mentioned, though he idly wondered if that was what rich girls were used to - only talking to guys when the guys asked them on dates. "Alright, fine, I'll invite you to dinner, on one condition," he decided as he shrugged, "I'm cooking."

Skylar grinned at the mention of it and nodded. "Sounds great," she decided, though she blinked to his later words and looked down at her clothes. "Oh... Well, I didn't think dressing up for would be the best idea since we have to meet up with the others and deal with today's business right after we eat... I don't really want them to ask questions."

Mariah smiled a little. It been a while since someone could match her wit and she was excited to be talking to him - even if she felt like he was bad news. It didn't matter - she was an adult and she could do as she pleased. "Oh really? You're going to treat me to a home cooked meal?" She asked and smiled. "I accept."

Luca smiled and nodded his head as she looked down to herself. She looked so innocent and cute and he chuckled lightly. "Well I mean, it's not like there is anything to dress up for anyway, is there?" He wanted to know if she expected this was a date as he did, but he didn't want to say so.

"You accept? Even though I could easily be some kind of sexual predator?" Jess asked with surprise, though he definitely wasn't. He didn't even like the idea of his sister being touched, so there was no way he'd hurt another girl. "What do you want to eat, then?" He'd have to come up with some way to keep Skylar out of the house for a while, too.

Skylar wasn't sure what to say and she mostly stood there, looking uncertain. On one hand, she'd partially hoped that him inviting her to breakfast meant something, but on the other, it wasn't like this was anything new. And, from his words, it didn't seem like there had been any hidden meaning to the invitation. "I guess not," she murmured after a moment.

Mariah rolled her eyes at his surprise. Really? She had never heard someone have such a bad way of showing their interest. Maybe he wasn't interested. "I'll take whatever you want to give me - I like surprises." She said with a smile. "You know, you're pretty bad at flirting. If you don't want to entertain me to a date, just say so." She wasn't about beating around the bush.

Luca sighed a little, his eyebrow furrowing as he tried to gauge what she was thinking from her body language but he couldn't really interpret it. "I didn't mean it like that..." He said, hoping she was only saying things as she did to not get hurt. "I mean, if you thought it was something more, I wouldn't be upset..." He said softly.

"I never said that I didn't want to have a date," Jess told her as he watched her. "I was only pointing out the possibility." He shrugged slightly and looked away. "Alright, I'll figure out something to cook, in that case. Where should I pick you up at?" He looked at her, arching a brow while he waited for her answer.

---

Skylar eyed him for a moment, though she was genuinely at a loss for words. She wasn't really sure if she had expected it to be anything more than a simple breakfast, and she worried about how Jess might react if he thought something was going on. "We should just go," she said quickly, though her voice was quiet.