Capítulo 21: Happy New Year
Lucas pulled the woman up with curiosity. What was the reason for her act? Was she some kind of a social media influencer that had to uphold a fake image? Or did she create an online facade to scare away possible suitors?
Now that he thought about it, that was quite a smart method to avoid wasting time on blind dates.
Perhaps...he should also create an obnoxious account like that. Maybe half his blind dates wouldn't even turn up if they got scared away by his social media account.
Maya looked at Lucas nervously as she reached the rooftop and climbed over the ledge. She was a bit worried about how he would react to the truth, but she couldn't lie any longer. She had never been good at lying. But just as her foot landed on solid ground, she stumbled forward a little and tripped.
Lucas subconsciously caught the woman and held onto her tightly. "Are you OK?" he naturally asked. The kindness in his voice surprised Maya a little.
"I-I'm OK," she stuttered nervously as she regained her balance.
As she took a step back, she glanced up at the man who was only a little taller than her and suddenly felt herself blush a little. Her palms were pressed against his chest and she could feel his strong muscles as they lifted up and down with each breath.
Looking away shyly, she noticed the view from the rooftop for the first time. The opposite side of the rooftop faced a big government complex and the right side provided a clear view down the Las Vegas strip. Although there were much taller buildings along the strip, they were far away so they did not obstruct the view.
Maya approached the opposite side of the rooftop, looked at the building facing her, and suddenly let out a laugh.
[We really are on that building.]
When she was looking around earlier, she had roughly guessed their location, but now that she was looking down from the rooftop properly, her guess was confirmed.
Directly opposite them was a government complex, and on the ground floor...there was a police station.
Lucas approached with a chuckle, "I told you we were visiting the police station..."
Maya looked at the man's cheeky smile and shook her head helplessly.
She turned back to look at the building opposite and saw the big glass windows on the side of the building. They were tinted from the outside for privacy, but she knew the view was clear from the inside.
She had heard about this building. Not just because it housed the local government offices, but also because of the many protests and advocacy displays around the building.
"Have you been here before?" Lucas asked as he analyzed her fascinated expression.
Maya shook her head. "No, but I've heard about it. There have been many big protests outside this building," she explained.
Not able to contain her excitement, Maya leaned over and looked down the side of the building that they were standing on. There were some windows, but there was also a big blank space in the middle of the wall.
Pointing to the blank part of the wall, she said, "My favorite street artist once painted a controversial artwork here."
Lucas looked at Maya with curiosity, "Your favorite street artist?" Like he had mentioned earlier, he enjoyed art, so he was impressed that the woman actually knew something about art.
But the woman's reply surprised him even more.
"Yes, he's known as L7 and he gave the cops, the government, and the local shopping centers a huge slap in the face by painting a suggestive artwork a few months ago about child labor and overseas sweatshops. It's a shame that it's been removed now. I would have loved to see it in real life," Maya sighed.
Lucas held back a smile and reconfirmed, "Your favorite street artist is L7?"
Maya nodded her head without hesitation, "Have you heard of him before?"
Lucas stared into the woman's eyes and nodded his head, "Yes, I have."
[Impressive, she actually knows about L7.]
"I was in Vegas when that artwork was revealed. I even took a photo of it. I think he was highlighting a very important issue: so many people are still buying items that are being produced overseas in cheap sweatshops, and unfortunately, many of these sweatshops illegally exploit children. Normal people may not be aware of it, but many companies, especially some of the big brand name fashion labels along this strip, know what they're doing but they're turning a blind eye to it for the sake of cutting costs. Worst of all, the government isn't doing enough to prevent it."
Maya listened intently as the man provided his views on the topic and found that this rich playboy was surprising her more and more by the second. He actually seemed educated, aware, and quite compassionate. No wonder her sister said he was a good guy...
"Unfortunately, some people only care about themselves..." Maya sighed.
At that moment, she remembered that she was deceiving the man and hadn't told him the truth yet. If she didn't tell him the truth, she would be just as bad.
Softening her gaze, she began to explain, "Actually, there's something I want to tell you..."
But just as she opened her mouth, there was a loud bang in the distance.
Lucas smiled and pointed to the right.
Looking at the direction that he was pointing, Maya saw a series of golden fireworks exploding in the sky. "Wow!" she gasped.
She quickly checked her watch...and realized it was midnight. Looking back at the fireworks, she smiled. It had been a long time since she watched the new year fireworks and they were mesmerizing.
"It's beautiful," she whispered as more and more colors filled the sky.
At that moment, she suddenly felt some breathing beside her and it sent a tingle down her spine. Before she could respond, she heard Lucas' charming voice whisper into her ear, "Happy New Year..."
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Yunyi
Yunyi Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2021 will be a lot better for you. Please stay safe and I hope that I will be able to bring you some joy with my writing.
Love Yunyi xx
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