Impress Me Not: The Architect

Chapter 24

Why did his emotions have to do this? It was getting more difficult to focus around him, too. He had to fight to keep himself in check a lot.

"I figured it was better this way," the man shrugged. "This way there isn't any confusion as to which table it is or if one of us came before the other."

"That makes sense, I guess," he said, letting him guide him to the hostess. The man's hands were on the small of his back, pushing ever so gently. He was hyper aware of his touch. He hadn't felt it since the weekend before. He had been trying hard to stay away from it.

He missed it.

They were seated in a small booth, where they were given their menus. Once they told them what they wanted to drink and the waiter left, there was nothing left but silence as they both tried to pick out their order. It was crippling. It was probably just him, but Valentino hated awkward silences. He was already stressed about this whole thing as it was.

"What do you think I should get?" Casimir broke through the silence.

"You can't pick?" Valentino looked from over his menu. "I kind of thought this was going to be easy for you."

He would have to thank him someday for breaking the quiet.

"You're the one that's been here before, though," Casimir folded the menu and leaned back in his seat. "Besides, all this food looks amazing."

"All of it?" he raised an eyebrow. "You know there's a lot of authentic food here, right?"

"I wouldn't expect a more finer place for you to recommend," he chuckled. "I've been around the world and back plenty of times for work, and tried many different things on my journeys."

Valentino rolled his eyes. Here came the deal breaker. This guy was going to get cocky with him and try to show off. He didn't like the guys who did that before, and he definitely wasn't going to now.

"And you've tried everything on this menu?"

"I didn't say that," Casimir laughed a little more. He seemed to enjoy everything that came out of his mouth, even when Valentino was trying to get under his skin.

"What are you trying to say then?"

"I'm trying to say that you should pick for me," he leaned in. Those light blue eyes looked so focused on him. He hadn't had someone look at him like that in a long time.

"You really don't want me to," Valentino warned, an evil smirk growing on his own lips. "I guarantee I can find the one thing you won't like."

"I like a challenge," he smirked back at him. The way that he looked right then, under the warm glowing lights that barely lit up the place, was enough to bring him all the way back.

"Did you really think I was done, Darling?"

It wasn't right what one look could do to his whole body. Those eyes had him on fire. And that was exactly what he was playing with right now.

Fire.

He remembered one of his exes talk to him about that. He was a real artsy guy, just a bit too sensitive for him. He told him that Valentino was his fire. And, when things didn't go well, just like Valentino predicted, he told him that their love burnt out, just like fire. He just thought that it was his way of trying to get back with him or something. Those artsy people are weird. The whole fire metaphor seemed ridiculous when he heard it. He just thought the guy was being dramatic, or over romantic.

Never did he fully understand it until now.

He felt like such an idiot for doing this to himself. The past him from just a few weeks ago would be slapping him in the face right now. But, if he was going to fall, he might as well enjoy the ride.