4. I Met You

Anonymous:  We should meet. It's about Leah and Joshua. Eight o'clock at night. Past that, I'm leaving, and you'll miss an opportunity.

Even though the text message was from someone she didn't know at all, Luna found it difficult to ignore it. The message came in with a string of numbers with no names listed. It was obvious that it was a stranger, but the message mentioned Leah and Joshua.

Luna had been trying to figure out who the messenger was since lunchtime. If it was a friend or relative, it was a question mark for using a number she wasn't familiar with to send a message. If it was a stranger, though, there was still the matter of how the stranger had obtained Luna's mobile number.

After that came the other question, about which side the messenger was on. Was it Leah's side or Joshua's? Was it about the same hatred or something else? And what opportunity would be lost if Luna ignored it?

Luna's mind was overflowing with questions. Of course, that made it much more difficult for Luna to ignore. Her interest grew more and more. Luna wished to speak with the message's author.

A place was mentioned in the second message. That night, Luna went to the address the sender had given her—a five-star hotel with all the amenities and luxuries that were visible from the gate.

Luna had eaten at the luxury hotel's restaurant once. It was the most beautiful restaurant, with a pair of olive trees rising like pillars in the center of the room. There was a mural painted by the best painter from Sweden, making Luna feel like she was in a painting gallery.

Luna checked her watch. There was still one minute left for Luna to choose between going in and meeting the stranger or going back home and assuming it was a prankster again.

After a few deep breaths, Luna took the first option. Her curiosity was running high. Luna had to take the offer when it came to her older sister and her asshole ex-boyfriend.

A young woman who was a waitress greeted Luna sweetly. She asked if Luna was alone or had an appointment with someone else. That's when Luna started to get confused. She had an appointment, but she didn't know who.

"Mmm... actually, someone told me to come here. The problem is, I don't know his name," Luna complained, embarrassed that she felt stupid. She should have asked the messenger's name, but because of the gangbusters, Luna didn't.

"Does Miss know which table?" asked the waitress patiently.

Luna shook her head weakly. Her honey-colored eyes roamed the restaurant with uncertainty. Until a favor came her way. A man with a bow tie, tall in stature, approached with a friendly smile.

"Are you Miss Luna?"

A confused Luna automatically nodded in response.

"Please follow me. Someone is waiting for Miss Luna."

Luna followed the tall man, whom she guessed was the restaurant manager. They walked to a corner of the restaurant that was quite private. There was a semi-circular, curved partition wall, which was enough to block the view of others.

The mural on the wall was the first distraction, as it depicted Cupid, complete with arrows, playing on an olive tree with some angels. The second distraction was the curved red velvet chair with no dividers. It would allow Luna to sit close to the invitee.

That's when Luna saw a man sitting in his dark blue suit, with his arms folded across his chest and his gaze fixed on Luna. The man did not stand up to greet Luna.

"Please. We'll prepare the meal," said the tall man.

"Thank you," Luna replied.

The tall man walked away, leaving Luna standing confused because the sharp-eyed man didn't let her sit down.

"Did you send the message?" asked Luna, still standing. There was a feeling of annoyance at the man's ungentlemanly behavior.

As if he had just realized his rudeness, the man stood up and got out of bed. Luna was stunned to see the man's figure, which, when standing, looked very tall and very large. The man's chest was broad and wide, and he stood tall.

"Welcome, please take a seat."

The man's voice was heavy and deep. At other times, Luna was sure that voice could carry her to bed.

"Who are you? How did you get my number?" Luna ignored his admiration and focused on her original goal.

"Sit down first," the man pleaded.

"Answer my question first." Luna folded her arms across her chest, challenging the man.

The man approached Luna, his face showing signs of impatience. Luna grew concerned at the warm sensation of being so close and took a step back, stopping when her feet touched the velvet couch.

"We'll converse while seated. Please."

The look in her eyes was so intense, it made Luna's defenses weak. Luna reluctantly sat down. She didn't move to the center, staying on the edge, because that way she wouldn't have to get close to a stranger.

The man kept his position in the middle and sat there, keeping his distance from Luna.

"I'm already seated. So, who are you?" asked Luna quickly. She didn't need pleasantries.

"Galen," was Galen's short reply.

Luna frowned. It was a completely foreign name.

"I'm an investor in Joshua's company," Galen continued.

"If this has anything to do with Joshua, I don't care. He and I have nothing to do with each other anymore." Luna, annoyed, prepared to stand up and decide to leave the restaurant. She felt that Galen was going to play a trick on her.

"Is it really that painful?"

Galen's question stopped Luna from leaving.

"What does that mean?" asked Luna after sitting down with an annoyed face.

Galen didn't answer; the main dinner dishes were served. Luna refrained from rushing over.

"Please eat."  Galen casually sliced the grilled meat on his plate.

"I'm not hungry, and I want the conversation between the two of us to end quickly."

Galen drew one of his eyebrows up into a sharp arch.

"I'm the one who's hungry. To convey something important, it takes energy." Galen spooned a small piece of meat into his mouth.

"Then I'm going home," Luna threatened.

"Whatever. But like I said in the chat, this meeting is an opportunity for you."

"What's the occasion? Who exactly are you? Where did you get my number? What's your purpose?"

"To answer all your questions, I need to eat. You don't have much choice but to eat with me or wait for me to finish eating. Unless you like the third option."

"What's the third option?" asked Luna curiously.

"You go home, bury your curiosity, and throw away the opportunity I'm about to offer."

***