•MANUEL•
Adrian parked the car, and we both stepped out, immediately drawing whispers from people nearby.
“Aren’t those Manuel Collins and Adrian Carter?” someone whispered, loud enough for us to hear.
“Wow! They look so handsome!”
“This is my first time seeing them in real life. They’re both so hot. What are they doing here, though?” one person asked her friend.
“This is a public restaurant, but didn’t you know? Adrian Carter owns this place,” her friend replied, almost smugly, as if she were proud to know such privileged information.
I smirked, amused by the comments as we made our way into the restaurant. I was used to the attention—enjoyed it, even. People’s whispers, the way they stared, it all fed my ego in ways I wouldn’t admit out loud. Adrian, on the other hand, was as unaffected as ever, ignoring both the compliments and the stares like they didn’t even exist. He was always so… calm.
We settled at a table a little removed from the others, enjoying a rare moment of calm before a cute waitress approached us.