Within those twenty minutes Lara had given me to prepare, I showered, put on some deodorant and brushed my teeth. When she called at the front door, I was scrambling through my clothes piles, dressed in nothing but boxers and a black T-shirt. It was certainly not the best presentation of myself, but as the doorbell kept ringing, I had no choice but to answer the door in my charming outfit.

"Sorry that I'm early," she said as she saw my appearance. I could see how she tried to keep a straight face, but at least she had a smile tugging on her lips, rather than a scowl.

I glanced over my shoulder, spotted the clock on the wall and noted that she, in fact, was a couple of minutes early. My tense shoulders sank at the revelation, and I decided that, boxers or no boxers, if she wanted me to have this job, she would have to accept me for who I was.

"I'll go and put on some clothes," I replied, trying to sound unaffected by the fact that I was embarrassed and half naked in front of an attractive woman.

"Nothing formal. We're off to eat breakfast."

I arched an eyebrow. She was dressed in something that could pass off as the epitome of formal. Sure, it wasn't a dress, but the skirt and matching jacket were definitely things businesswomen could wear until it was time to wear said dress.

No matter what I put on, I would feel under-dressed in her company.

Screw this, I almost said and left her to put on some casual clothes. I might as well set the standards early on if anything came out of this strange job interview slash meeting with the wild musician.

Lara didn't bat an eyelash as I returned to the hallway in a pair of jeans and a hoodie. She opened the door, stepped out and waited for me to follow without another word. I wasn't sure if I found it unsettling, or if I in fact enjoyed the lack of pointless verbal exchange. Perhaps she was one of those who spoke when they had a purpose to what they were saying, but not much otherwise. It was a quality I thought most people lacked. Talking for the mere sake of talking wasn't my thing. Words held meaning, so why use them as if they didn't?

"We're going to Dante's hotel," Lara said when the elevator doors slid closed behind us.

Perfect. Sighing, I tried to avoid my reflection—which was next to impossible since all the walls, apart from the door itself, consisted of huge mirrors. I would probably be frowned upon if I stepped inside a hotel, but perhaps I could hide beneath the beanie I'd slipped on before we left. I had to cover my unruly blond hair, since it always refused to behave after a shower if I left it to its own devices.

Despite the early hour, the sun warmed my face as we walked outside. We weren't far from the city center, and the air quivered with the sounds of passing traffic and the smell of exhaust. I knew it would only get worse over the coming summer months.

A black sedan with tinted windows waited at the curb. The driver appeared in a flash, opening the door for Ms. Demalier.

"Thank you, Tom," she greeted. He acknowledged her with a short nod and continued over to the other side. I rushed past him and opened the car door before Tom had the opportunity. He sent me an annoyed glance. I had no idea why—I just saved him some work. Apparently that wasn't welcome.

"Do you have a passport?" Lara asked as I fastened my seatbelt.

"Yes." I silently thanked Ayden and Cal for taking me to Santorini for their post-wedding celebration. Without that, I would have stayed passport-less until this day. Before that journey, I had never traveled beyond the States.

"Great, then we don't have to worry about that. Saves us some time that we didn't have."

"You sound like I've already accepted the job."

Lara had the courtesy to blush at that. I didn't think she would, and at least that made me like her a bit better.

"I'm sorry, Chris. It's just that I really need this to work. I can't tell you all the details at the moment, but let's just say that I think the situation might turn out very badly if he continues on the road he's traveled for these past six months."

I was about to repeat that she wasn't selling the idea, but something in her eyes stopped me. She cared about him.

Instead, I asked something else that had crossed my mind several times since Lara had introduced me to Dante. "How do you and Dante fit together?"

"Good question. In the good ol' days, I guess one would have said that he's my protégé, but I call myself his sponsor."

"Is this a common duty for a sponsor?" I wasn't sure if she would understand exactly what I meant, but once again, I learned not to underestimate her.

"If I were callous, I would say that I'm looking after my asset, but I'm not that kind of person. I care about Dante. I've been a part of his life since he was a thirteen-year-old prodigy. After nine years together, I would consider him family even if he doesn't see me that way."

I knew the story wasn't finished there, but Lara sank into yet another silence. Despite my curiosity, I didn't want to pry. Perhaps it was stupid of me not to ask for more information since I should understand what I was saying yes or no to if the situation was as precarious as she let on—or didn't let on. At least I'd learned how old he was.

The car stopped outside an enormous building, graced with the name Stanton. I had never been inside the place, but, judging from the opulent entrance, it wasn't the cheapest choice on the block. Everyone walking through the revolving doors wore suits or something equivalent, carrying themselves as if they owned the world. I felt like snorting. Rich people got on my nerves, and Lara was no exception.

"Thanks, Lara," I muttered under my breath. I didn't intend for her to hear, but again, I should have known better.

"If you wore a suit, Dante wouldn't talk to you." Again, her perception of what was going on in my mind was eerily accurate.

Her words explained why I didn't have to fit in, but I still felt out of place. The interior of the hotel could be described in three words—steel, slate and sleek. I doubted I would have felt comfortable with or without a suit. This wasn't my kind of venue at all.

"I hope someone woke him up again," Lara grumbled as we made our way to the breakfast lounge. Her words weren't meant for me, so I didn't reply.

The buffet was massive and completely over the top. While I stood there, staring at the outrageousness, Lara exchanged a few words with the breakfast manager and waved for me to come with her.

"Dante is in here somewhere, let's find him."

I nodded and glanced around the room. It didn't take long before I spied his dark mop of hair in a far corner. It was almost the first place I checked, and I wasn't surprised that he sat by the window as far away as possible from everyone else.

Lara hadn't seen him yet, so I pointed in his direction when her eyes found mine.

"Great, there he is." She took the lead and snaked through the throng of round tables.

As with any kind of interview, my palms started sweating and I became aware of all the things I could have done to present myself better. At least I could have done something about my wild hair and perhaps I could have chosen a pair of jeans that wasn't falling apart.

No longer comfortable, I tried my hardest to school my facial expression. I didn't want to appear afraid in front of him. In fact, I didn't want to appear at all. My entire body was telling me to run in the other direction, but Lara's determined steps beckoned me to continue.

The closer we got to Dante's table, the harder it became to keep my nerves in check. Wiping the sweat off my palms, I put a fake smile on my face. I told myself it was the setting and the possibility of a job that freaked me out—hoping that was enough to explain what was going on inside me.

Dante's gaze found Lara before it swiftly continued toward me. I couldn't read any sort of reaction in that face of his, and it unnerved me.

"What's he doing here?" he asked Lara.

The sound of his voice brought back memories from our last conversation. It was full and deep, holding a slight twang that made me think that he hadn't grown up in the US. I wondered why I didn't pick up on that the last time we talked. Perhaps I had emptied more glasses of champagne than I'd thought.

"I asked him to come." Lara sat on an empty chair and rummaged around in her handbag. She was clearly doing her best to ignore him—as if she hoped he would stop asking about it if she kept herself occupied with something else.

It left me in a strange position. I had no idea if I was supposed to sit down, shake his hand, or whatever. I stood there, awkward and ready to walk away.

"You should grab some breakfast, it's delicious." Dante stared directly into my eyes and plopped a grape into his mouth, taking a bit too long to let it pass his lips.

I had to look away.

Lara rose from her seat, rubbing her hands with sanitizer. "That's right. Let's grab something to eat. We'll be back in a minute." She smiled at me and took hold of my elbow to turn me around. Not in the mood to be towed through the room, I tried to shake her off, but she didn't budge until we were close to the tables teeming with breakfast delicacies.

"That went beyond my expectations," she said and let go of my arm.

"What?" I couldn't believe she was serious.

"Even if you can't see it, I can. Just go with the flow, Chris. It seems he's already accepted you." She took a porcelain plate and gave another one to me. I thought she would continue, but she seemed more focused on checking out every single dish available.

She added a miniature omelet to her collection. "So, this means you'll have to come, Chris."

"You can't force me, and why exactly do you think a twenty-year-old fits this job?" That had been on my mind for quite some time. "I can't even legally drink."

"Darling, you're going to Europe. They don't have our silly rules."

I knew that. I was just temporarily lost in confusion.

She continued to place various things on her plate while I struggled to find something that I thought I could stomach with everything going on around me.

"Listen, I'm going to give you an advance and a paid shopping tour to get you some outfits for the journey. I'll pay your expenses while you're there, if they're reasonable, then I'll give you another paycheck when the two of you are back at home, safe and sane."

I hummed in response. I didn't know what kind of money she was talking about. An advance could be anything, and what would the paycheck be? Perhaps she thought I was fine with paid expenses in Europe, and perhaps I should be fine with that. I wasn't a greedy person, but I hated to use Ayden's money to pay for my classes and fees.

"Is an advance of five grand reasonable?"

I almost dropped my plate. She had to be kidding. After hearing that number, it felt impossible to say no.

"Good, I see you've changed your mind. Now, let's make Dante come up with the idea." She winked and made her way back to the far window while I stood there and tried to understand what was going on.

Walking across the room felt like trudging through a thick layer of mud. It was strange. Dante acknowledged me with a nod as I sat, and, without a word, he poured me coffee.

I chose to ignore that he hadn't even asked me if I liked coffee or not. Lucky for him, I did. "Thanks."

"Lara tells me you're bored with life."

I stared at Lara, shocked that she would say such a thing. She immediately shook her head. No, she hadn't said that. He'd said it. What an asshole. However, he wasn't entirely wrong. I didn't laugh enough. It was almost as if I had forgotten how to enjoy myself.

"I'm pretty sure she didn't, but yeah, life is life." I didn't want to tell him about my mother, but I knew that her passing was the cause for the boredom and general depression that had kept me in its claws for over a year.

"True. Life is boring, but never around me." He sucked another grape into his mouth. He was baiting me, that was for sure, but I wondered if he knew that he was the one being manipulated. I didn't like it, not one bit, but I didn't want to tell Lara how to deal with someone she knew a lot better than I did.

"Perhaps," I replied, even if it felt a bit odd to follow his strange dance.

"Do you want to find out?" he asked, and I knew Lara had won. I wasn't sure if I had won, though. Time would tell.

"How?"

"You said you don't like to be rooted. I'm going to Europe this summer. You should come." Dante's lips quirked into a grin, but there was something else there—something in his eyes that made me want to nod yes right away without any single regret. I had no idea who he was, but, if anything, he was the most intriguing person I had ever met. Perhaps that was the reason I felt drawn to him.

A depressed moth to a wild flame. I just hoped that flame would brighten my life, not burn me alive.

A/N This is the end of the excerpt available on Wattpad. You'll find information how to access the novel, and when, in the next part <3