Chapter 11 Eric

Chapter 11 Eric

I ran down the hallway until I reached the entrance organizing my ideas to plan the perfect dinner. Cathy had agreed to go out with me, something I thought wasn’t going to happen because of her distant attitude.

"Lucas, exactly the man I needed to see." I walked over to my mother’s security guard, well-known in the pack for being skilled with the girls. "I need some advice."

Lucas raised his eyebrow and paused. "On what exactly."

"I have a date today with a woman who is very important to me, and I want her to feel comfortable and make it an unforgettable night," I said.

He rested his hand on his chin.

"Do you have something in mind?" he asked.

"I thought I’d take her out for Asian food," I replied.

He immediately wrinkled his face.

"It’s cliché if you want a more romantic and enjoyable atmosphere... I recommend Italian food," he said.

"I like that idea." My heart was pounding so hard from the excitement that I felt like it would burst out of my chest; it felt like the day was going by too fast, and I wouldn’t have time to get everything ready. "I’m going to ask you one more favor. When our guest is ready, take her to the address I’m going to give you."

He smiled as he put two and two together and discovered that my date was with Cathy. "Count on it," he said.

I went up to my room. It was all tidy, and the bed was made, my shelf of finance books stacked in size order forming a ladder, and my desk where I had my personal belongings was neat.

I opened my laptop, went to Google, and searched for "Italian food restaurant." A lot of them popped up, and I checked the customer reviews and photos of the place and its dishes.

"This will be it," I said.

Casa D’Angelo looked familiar, and after going through the pictures of the place, I remember we once had a family gathering there. The service was so good that my father managed to get the owner’s personal card. All in all, it was an elegant, minimalist restaurant that reminded me of a typical corner restaurant in Milan. The perfect place, and the food looked delicious.

I checked their website and got the phone number.

"Good evening, how can I help you," asked a lady.

"Hello, I would like a reservation," I said.

"When would the date be and for how many people, sir?" she asked.

"For today, for two people, but I want to book the whole restaurant," I said.

"I don’t think it’s possible," she said. "Reservations are made days in advance, but if you leave me your name and e-mail, I can estimate when we can make your reservation."

"It has to be today," I replied. "I’ll pay anything." She was silent for a while as if, for some reason, my words had been enough to come to an agreement.

"Let me put you in touch with my supervisor," she said.

The lady put me on hold and began to play a melody of an Italian song that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember it.

"Hello, my name is Giovanni. You want to book the whole restaurant?" Said a man with a thick accent.

"Yes, and I need it ready in an hour," I said.

"Can you tell me whose name the reservation would be in?" he asked.

"Eric Night."

"Mr. Night? You should have said earlier that it was you," the man said. "Is there anything special you want?"

I sorted my thoughts in my head quickly. "Yes, I want the best wine you have, a full gourmet menu with all the food from your restaurant, and for you to decorate the place with flowers."

I heard the sound of a pencil against paper. "Anything else?"

I finished giving him the last requests and hung up to get ready. In my mind, I had already pictured the scenario and wanted to be there first to make sure everything was perfect.

I took off my clothes and threw them on the bed. I walked completely naked to the bathroom and stepped into the shower, I let the cold water pour over me to freshen up a bit, and as I did, I couldn’t get Cathy out of my mind. I wished she was here with me.

I dried off and looked in my closet for something that would be perfect for the occasion—a gray suit with a white shirt, black tie, and casual shoes. The suit was custom-made by the best tailor in New York, I had never worn it before, and this was the perfect occasion. Besides, the color of it was similar to the color of her eyes.

I came out of my room, and my mother was just coming out of hers, and I stopped in time before we collided.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked me.

I didn’t want to reveal my intentions to my mom, more because I didn’t want her to ask Cathy uncomfortable questions that could bring down everything I was accomplishing.

"A business meeting," I said.

"At this hour? And so fancy?"

"Yes, it’s really important business," I replied. "And I’m already running a little late."

I walked past my mother and continued on my way, feeling her gaze accompany me, she was very astute and didn’t believe anything I told her, but she wouldn’t make an effort to investigate further.

"It will be at Casa D’Angelo." I ran into Lucas on my way to the garage.

"Good choice. I know where it is," he said. "Drive carefully."

I grabbed the keys to my Porsche 911, climbed into it, and looked in the rearview mirror before turning the key. I went over what I was supposed to do and drove down the road.

Everything was going well. There wasn’t as much traffic as usual. I looked at the clock every few minutes and felt like the time was flying by, but in reality, it hadn’t even been ten minutes since I left the house.

I arrived at the restaurant and was greeted by a man whose voice I recognized.

"Giovanni?" I asked to make sure.

"Yes, Mr. Night, it is an honor to welcome you to our restaurant," Giovanni said. He was dressed in an impeccable chef’s uniform. He had his sleeves folded up and left half of his forearms visible, and he had green eyes, little hair, and a belly bulging in his shirt. He looked like a typical reality show chef. "Follow me."

There were tables outside filled with diners, but inside, the place was completely empty and decorated with flowers, as I had requested. There were arrangements of red and white roses, orchids, and lilies. I was expecting something less elaborate for the short time I gave them, but they surprised me.

"Wow, the place turned out splendid," I said.

"We did the best we could, sir." He held out his hand to the side to lead the way.

The restaurant had glass walls that allowed you to see the whole panorama outside, and the chairs were black and high. The tables were aesthetically arranged in a sort of column, and all had clean plates, crystal glasses, and cutlery on them.

Giovanni guided me to my table, which was in a more private place, next to a white wall with glass decorations that simulated rain.

"She must be a very special woman," he said as I settled in.

"She is, and that’s why I want everything to be perfect," I said.

"It will be."

After a few minutes of waiting in the driveway, the gray Rolls Royce arrived. I walked toward it, and I opened the door to help Cathy out.

"Thanks, Lucas."

He nodded and drove off.

All the people on the street and those still eating outside the restaurant fixed their gaze on us, but especially on Cathy, who looked gorgeous with a lock of hair behind her left ear, simple makeup, a short silver sequined dress, and heels of the same color.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" she said, lowering her pretty head and clinging to my arm.

"Because you look gorgeous. I bet no one had ever seen a woman as beautiful as you," I took the opportunity to speak my mind.

We walked in, and she admired the restaurant, the decorations, and every detail as we made our way to the table.

"How did you get everything arranged so quickly?"

"I got a little help."

Giovanni approached with a bottle of wine and filled our glasses. Followed by two slim girls in black uniforms who brought a tray with cuts of various types of cheese, serrano ham, and olives.

"Enjoy your evening," he said and left.

"The attention is incredible," she said and then popped a piece of cheese poked with a toothpick into her mouth. She sighed as she chewed it. "But not as much as this cheese. Here try it."

Before I could take the fork, Cathy took another piece and brought it close to my mouth.

The cheese was soft and creamy, melting in my mouth, and its flavor made my palate rejoice.

"You’re right," I said.

Two tall girls entered the hotel carrying a bouquet of roses. Cathy turned the instant they reached the table.

"Are they for me?" she asked, reading the letter hanging from the bouquet. "These roses are beautiful, but they don’t compare to your beauty," she read aloud.

She turned to look at me, her cheeks flushed.

"You like them?"

"I love them."

The girls smiled, and as Cathy took the gift, they walked away.

"What’s that smell?" she suddenly said, placing the bouquet of roses on the chair next to her.

"Have you noticed?" said I. "It’s one of your fragrances. I asked them to spray that scent for you."

Cathy closed her eyes and sighed delicately with pride, enjoying the scent. "You sure know how to persuade a woman," she told me.

"In fact, the only woman I’ve ever cared to persuade is you," I added.

She blushed more and began massaging her cheeks to try to hide it.

Giovanni brought a tray with two pasta dishes. First, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, a simple but typical Italian meal, showing that he wanted her to experience Italy for a moment. After taking her first bite, Cathy opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth with two fingers.

"This is the freshest pasta I’ve ever eaten in my entire life," she said. "I can taste every single flavor. It’s delicious."

Giovanni’s eyes lit up, and he removed the appetizer tray so we had more room at the table. "I’m glad you’re enjoying it," he said, returning to the kitchen.

"I love this place. I can’t believe I’ve lived so close to such a great restaurant and never been inside," she added. "From now on, this will be my favorite restaurant."

As she spoke, I lost myself in her lips and basked in her smile. I saw that her glass was empty and refilled it for her.

"Thank you for coming," I said, "You don’t know how much I’ve been looking forward to being alone with you."

She took a sip of wine and smiled at me.

"Thank you for..." she looked at the decorations and flower arrangement I had given her. "Such a wonderful dinner. No one has ever done anything like this for me before."

I took her hand. I felt her skin react to mine, and the connection grew stronger.

"You are an extraordinary woman, and you deserve this and more."

Her cheeks tensed in a forced attempt not to turn red. She was trying not to show me how she felt, but just by looking into her eyes, I could sense everything going through her head.

"I wish things had happened differently," she said.

"What do you mean?" I enclosed her hand in mine.

"The party. If only we had met differently and under different circumstances..."

She looked up at the ceiling with a nostalgic look.

"Hey, that doesn’t matter now," I said. "It matters what happens in the present and what will happen in the future. Don’t let the past keep haunting you, or you’ll never get past it."

She nodded, and her face lit up.

"I know what to do to make you change that mood," I told her.

She raised an eyebrow and watched me closely as I stood up from the chair.

"What are you doing?" she looked around as if expecting something to happen. "What are you planning?"

I put one of my hands behind my back and gave a little bow. "Would you dance with me?"

She stood up, and I led her to the center of the venue, where there was a small dance floor.

"I don’t know how to dance," she murmured.

"I’ll teach you," I answered, smiling excitedly.

"I’m embarrassed," she replied, fixing her dress.

The music was soft, an instrumental waltz where the violin took center stage.

"No one will see you," I said, pointing to the empty tables around us. "It’s just you and me. Just close your eyes and let me guide you."

She wrapped her arms around me and closed her eyes. I took her by the hips and began to sway back and forth with her to get her to relax. Her legs were shaking, and she was very stiff.

"Come closer," I asked her.

She hugged me and leaned her face against my chest. Her breathing was ragged, as was my heartbeat.

We danced, letting the music guide our steps while my mind was lost in Cathy, the woman who was meant for me.

After dancing and finishing dinner, I thanked Giovanni and his team for the meal and headed to my car with Cathy clinging to my arm. I opened the door for her and drove home feeling like the luckiest man in the world.

"Thank you for dinner. I enjoyed it very much," she told me.

"I enjoyed it too, and I hope it won’t be the last," I told her sincerely.

We arrived at the house, and it was quiet. My mother was sleeping, and the rest of the staff was at their workstations.

"Then I guess I’ll go to my room," she said.

She looked down, the corners of her lips were tense, and I could tell she didn’t want to say goodbye.

I lifted her head and, without thinking, kissed her. She put her arms around me, stood on tiptoe, and kissed me back.

I took her by the waist and guided her to my room, made sure to lock the door, and undressed her between kisses. I laid her down on the bed, and as I kissed her belly, I took off my clothes.

We were completely naked. Her body and mine desired each other, and now that we were here, I couldn’t think of anything else but her.

I laid on top of her and started kissing her neck. She moaned and tensed.

"Keep going. Kiss me more," she kept telling me.

I was getting hard, and she rubbed my cock with her legs until she took it with one of her hands and, after massaging it, put it on top of her pussy and looked into my eyes. "Make me yours," she begged me.

I slid myself inside her and gently began to move.

"I wanted this more than anything in the world," I told her.

"I don’t want you to stop," she told me. "Keep going."

I kissed her and caressed her lips as I made her mine. Her pussy was tight and hot and, at the same time, soft and very wet. I slid easily into her, and the harder I did, the louder she moaned.

"I don’t want to let you go," I told her.

She looked at me and bit her bottom lip, and started panting. "I want to stay forever."

We made love all night, and when we finished, she fell asleep on my chest. I covered her with my arms, and I could sleep peacefully, knowing my world was complete.