𝓡𝓪𝓯𝓮
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I kill the engine right outside the hotel where she's staying. It's five minutes to 8 pm.
The place is a bit quiet and empty, just the sounds of the heavy traffic on another street can be heard. I get out of the car, angling myself toward the entrance of the hotel and leaning against the hood. I pulled a good outfit, making sure to wear something stylish, but still comfortable after such an exhilarating day. It's a date after all, even though she is obliged to come.
You should have seen her face earlier today. It was obvious this date will piss her off. I had another idea, but once I saw her reaction, I couldn't resist. Plus, I don't go out a lot lately, so it wouldn't hurt to have company tonight.
I wait patiently for her, checking my surroundings from time to time. I suddenly hear some footsteps of heels on hard concrete, and just by the sound, I could tell it was her. I turn my attention to the entrance just to see her getting out of the hotel, and my breath was stuck in my throat. She looks stunning in forest green suit pants and a black blouse. Her hair is styled into soft waves and falls on her shoulders perfectly. I could feel my sugar levels rising at her sight, but I compose myself to walk to the stairs in front of the hotel.
"On time. Quiet exact, Lopez." I hold out my arm for her to help her walk down the stairs, "Shut up, Alvarez" She ignores my hand, walking down on her own. I purse my lips holding back my smile, already starting to enjoy this. "I recall saying red suits you." I hold the car door for her. She faces me with an irritated look, her grumpy face cute as always. "You can't get everything you desire, Rafe. Plus, I can wear whatever I want." Her voice is so angry that it shows how much she's pissed off on this date. You did a good choice, Rafe, I thought to myself.
She climbs into the car and extends her hand to close the door, "No need to gentleman acts." She pulls the door with force to close it but I stop it. I support my weight with one hand on the car door and the other resting on the top of the car, leaning closer to her. Not too much distance between our faces as her perfume fills my nostrils. I whisper gently looking into her eyes, "Yeah you can say so, but that doesn't stop me from treating you with the respect and courtesy you deserve, mi sol."
I close the door gently and walk around to the driver's seat when I hear her screaming from frustration. A chuckle leaves my throat. Damn, this woman. Once I'm in, she says something under her breath. I can't hear it but for sure she's complaining, expressing her annoyance by what she's forced into.
"One day you're so harsh and disrespectful, a day later you're acting like a man." A small smirk crosses my expression, she really can't get over our first interaction. I did, I appreciate that accident. "How many victims of this scenario there are?" she asks."The list is still blank. Thank you for opening it with your name." She rolls her eyes.
"Where are you taking us?" She wonders, irritation still evident in her voice. "Where do you think?" I try to leave it vague, playing with her a bit. "Hell, for sure." I chuckle at her response, "Iré allí por ti, mi sol."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Stop using a language I don't understand." I bite my lip to stop my grin from growing too wide. "A usual restaurant I usually visit when I'm here," I answer her previous question. "Cool, the lion's den," she mutters, I raise my eyebrow at her, "I'm a lion?"
"Yes, a big pussy."
This woman...
"You couldn't even choose a good plan for a date with me. A dinner? You can't be serious?"
"That is not my first date with you."
"Yeah, because I was obliged to come."
"Beca─ That is a reason, too. But also because the meaning of a first date is far away from what we're doing today." I focus on driving, the faint music from the radio playing in the background.
"What's the meaning then?"
"A first date is an idyllic moment of serendipity two people, who like each other, share. You don't even stand me for reasons I surely don't know."
"You surely know, you're just avoiding them."
"What are they, then? Tell me."
My question stays there with no answer since we've reached our destination. I'll see if I can have the answer later. The restaurant concierges come and open the car doors. I hand one of them the keys to the car, thanking him. I join Eleanor on her side, putting my hand on the small of her back to guide her to the entrance of the restaurant. "Space, Alvarez," she warns me, hurrying away from my touch, I remove my hand but stay vigilant.
The hostess escorts us to our table, hands us the menus then leaves us to peruse them for a few minutes and decide what to order. After a few moments, I break the silence, "What would you like to order?" She holds up her eyebrow, her eyes still focused on the menu, "I thought this was a forced date that I have no opinion in." The corner of my lips raises in amusement, "Though it's required, you still have the freedom to do what you want, including choosing your own meal."
"Doesn't it include also shopping your dick with this knife?"
"Mr. Alvarez !" I was about to laugh when a familiar voice speaks, a very thick Italian accent I know very well. "Mr. Orlando, a pleasure to see you." Alexandro Orlando, the owner of this restaurant, is a very good friend of mine. "Long time no see, good to see you again," he smiles brightly, "But I can see you're not alone as always."
Eleanor can't see his left eye that winks to me before he turns to face her with a huge smile and his hand to salute. "Miss?" He asks, "Eleanor Lopez. An honor to meet you, Mr. Orlando," she replies, extending her hand for a handshake. Though, Orlando surprises her by taking her hand and kissing its knuckles, "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Lopez." "I wouldn't love to interrupt your night much longer. I've heard Mr. Alvarez is here and came to greet him. Here, Mr. Dante, my very talented chef," he nods at the man standing behind me, "will take care good care of you tonight." The chef in his white uniform bows politely, "I'll be happy with preparing your meal for the night." I can't but feel grateful that they eased the tension with their warm hospitality.
"That way, can I have Mr. Alvarez's head grilled with mushroom sauce and sautéed vegetables, please?" She seems serious as she places her order with a light smile. The two men are surprised by her brave. Mr. Orlando laughs before turning to me,"Molto intimidatorio e selvaggio come hai detto tu." I chuckle. "Così tanto".
He winks then claps his hands joyfully, "Well, I wish you two a beautiful night. Enjoy your food." With that, they leave us to order our meals."Anything to have, except my head?" I ask her. I would gladly give her whatever she wants, but I'd love to keep my head stuck to my body. She shakes her head: "Anything delicious, you can choose."
The waiter jots down the order I put forward, as I ask for a bottle of fine wine served before our meals. He heads off to place our order in the kitchen, and we fall into a comfortable silence for a moment. He gets back with the bottle of wine, carefully unfrocks it and pours the liquid into our glasses. I dismiss him with a smile.
I turn in her direction to see her gazing at the lovely view of the city from the restaurant floor to the ceiling window, having a thoughtful expression on her face. I take some minutes to enjoy the view as well. I take a sip of the wine, savoring the taste as my eyes savor her charm and elegance. Her perfect features relax as her hand holds her head gently, the soft glow of the far-off lights of the city reflects on her brown eyes, making them look like shining jewels.
She's enjoying the city view, and I'm enjoying hers.
I clear my throat and bring her attention back to me. "I may or may not did this," she is confused by my random statement, "but I must apologize for our first interaction. You were right. It was definitely wrong to behave that way. I was angry from a previous talk with the team, and then the accident happened and I didn't control myself. So my apologies." She blinks, once then twice, "If you felt bad, then why did you tell my boss?" Confused, I connect my eyebrows, "What do you mean?" I wait for her to elaborate, curious about what she's getting at. "My boss informed me that he received a complaint about me after the accident," she explains, looking at me with an unpleased expression.
"I didn't."
"You said you would."
"That was a joke, I didn't tell him. I acknowledged my fault and didn't tell anybody," I defend myself, "So I called Mr. Lincoln to apologize." I am saying the truth. I did joke about telling him, but I wasn't stupid or heartless enough to do it. She seems unconvinced, "Then who is this somebody if it isn't you?" "I don't know. But I can assure you, it wasn't me." She nods slowly, still not believing me. "I understand that it may be difficult to believe, but you should know that I'm being completely honest with you." I hold her gaze, hoping she sees the sincerity in my eyes. She studies me for a moment before she nods, "Apology suspended," she tastes some of her wine, "But you still have something else to apologize for," I raise my eyebrow, wondering what else I could have done wrong, "The phone call," she clarifies.
I lean back in my chair with the wine glass in my hand, pointing it toward her, "That? I don't feel bad for it." She runs her index finger around the rim of her glass, "You stalked me, then took a call that wasn't meant for you," she pauses, "You should be ashamed of it."
"Well, I apologize for the stalking. But I won't for what I said."
"Why?"
"Because it was the truth," I explain firmly, "And sometimes people need to hear, though they don't want to." I could feel her grip on the glass tighten as she narrows her eyes at me, "Listen, you dumbass, don't act like you're doing me a favor─
"You do love your job more than anything else, Eleanor," I cut in, leaning in closer to her "If there is someone who needs to do a favor to themselves, is whoever that person on the other end of that call was. I don't care if my words were harsh, but they needed to hear them."
"I didn't ask for your help, Alvarez," she slaps her palms on the table. "You didn't need to voice it out, Eleanor. It was all obvious from the way you talked, you moved, the way you breathed even." We look at each other for seconds, our heavy breathing filling the silence, "I can read you like an open book, Eleanor. You don't need to hide it from me."
"Hide what? I don't need your care or concern. I'm capable of taking care of myself," she retorts, her voice rising with every word.
"Dad or Mom?"
My question seems vague, but it seems to catch her off guard. "What do you mean?" she swallows hard, her face softening a little. "I said Dad or Mom, Ele? You know what I mean," she blinks a few times before averting her gaze at anything except my eyes, and I could tell she was trying to hide the truth. "I don't know what you're saying," she tucks her hand behind her ear, and I could read her body language clearly; her eyes looking around, her shoulders tense, her lips a bit dry, and her posture shifting in discomfort. Little did she know that I'd been
observing her for a while now, and I know all her tells.
"Dad, then," I assert, leaning back in my chair and looking out the window. I don't want to press on her much more, so I purse my lips and take a deep breath. Silence settles between us as we both take a moment to gather our thoughts. I feel a bit of guilt for putting her in the spotlight, but I know she needs to face the truth sooner or later.
I'm thankful for the waiter who arrives at our table and places our food in front of us, breaking the tension in the air. Once he leaves, we divert our attention to our dishes and start eating in silence. I could feel that she is forcing herself to eat when she takes some bites and swallows them with effort. I choose to shut my mouth, afraid that I might hurt her more.
If only you went with the other choice, Rafe.
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It's very late, still a couple of hours before midnight.
The dinner lasted not too much since we only enjoyed our food. Each time I wanted to start a conversation with her, questioning anything that could bring her a bright side, I held myself before I did, choosing to stay calm and let the clicking of the forks on the plates be the only speech hearable.
Alexandro paid for the whole dinner. He said it was Eleanor's first visit, and as Italians, they should well welcome their guests. He even got us a free dessert, a lovely tiramisu. Chef Dante is very talented.
We're heading to her hotel, and the silence is always there. Whenever I glance at her, she seems lost in her thoughts, her eyes holding a hint of sadness. It is the same hint I noticed this morning when she was daydreaming in the pitlane, replaying memories over and over again n her head. I want to offer any words of comfort, but I know that she'll think I'm pitying her, and that's the last thing she needs right now.
We're always silent, no word being exchanged, the tension thick between us. I inhale deeply, her perfume sneaking its way to my senses and I could feel my heart racing in response. I wish I didn't wear my cologne tonight, afraid that it might overpower her scent. I inhale heavily, feeling drunk on her essence, but I keep myself composed as much as I can.
We stop in front of the hotel, the place is still empty and quiet. I take off my seatbelt, hurrying up to go out and lock the car's doors. I know she won't let me open the car door for her, so why not oblige that? I'm going around the car when she tries to open the door and it doesn't. Once I reached her side, I click the button and open the door for her. "Congratulations! You finally found your lost mind and knew how to use it," I laugh at the joke. She accepts my help hand to get out of the car but lets go of it once she's safely standing. A moment I wished it would last longer. "Let's see," she looks at her wrist, checking her watch, "About two hours and a half, the time I lost from this date." I smile softly, trying to ease the tension, "That seems like two hours and a half in heaven for me." Her expression remains unchanged, still holding her guard up. "Believe me, the only thing I enjoyed is the food."
"That counts as something."
"Whatever. You had what I owed you." I nod. "Still something left?" She asks.
"A kiss?" I tease with a grin, my urge to make her annoyed always getting the best of me."Absolutely fucking not," she glares at me and gets past me, walking toward the hotel entrance.
"Good night, Lopez," I shout out behind her.
"Fuck you, Alvarez," she holds her middle finger up without looking back, her voice laced with irritation.
"Can't wait for it, I hope it's soon."
And we that she goes in, disappearing from my sight. I expire lightly, a smile not leaving my appearance. I go for the driver's seat and start the engine, willing to leave.
That was something, I thought to myself.
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I'm back to my hotel, greet the front desk with a polite nod and head to the elevator. I can't help but replay the event of the date in my head, cherishing every minute of it, though it turned out a bit rocky at the end. The memory of her scent lingers in my mind, enough to wake up my senses again. As much as I try to suppress my feelings they always find a way to resurface and overwhelm me. What did you do to me, woman? I whisper to myself with a chuckle.
I'm on my way to my suit when the door of Luke's suit opens, showing my very close friend. He's beaming with joy, with no sight of exhaustion on his face through the long day we had."So? How did it go?" He leans on the door frame, arms crossed and teasing me with his infectious smile. "Good evening to you too, Luke."
"I said how was it." He's pressing information out from me, very interested in my evening. He will keep doing so until he gets every detail, so there is no point in avoiding him. "It was good."
"Good?" I nod. "That's it?" I nod again. "No boubou, kisses, hugs?"
"No Luke, don't even start with your sex-crazed mind," I avoid him and climb up the stairs, my body feeling so sour from the tiredness. "Hey, hey, hey!" He's following me while I'm continuing my path, not bothering myself to stop and talk to him. "Don't blame me. You've been very thoughtful and interested in this woman for a while that I've lost count." He continues as I open my door. "You finally reached out to her, though your first interaction was really bad because you're an angry dumbass. So after all that, you didn't get a kiss from her? Not even a hug?"
I'm standing at my doorframe, holding my door open listening to his whole speech. I give him a cold glare, not amused at all. My head is pounding from the long day and I can't wait to just crash on bed. "Not everyone thinks with their hormones like you do. Now, goodnight Luke," and I close the door in his face. I hear him scream "Asshole!"
I'll deal with him tomorrow. Time to get some rest.
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