A Q U I L A
Aquila stood in front of the bakery and looked around. His heart throbbed. What the hell was he doing here? He peered into the store. It was closed and the windows were pitch black. Standing there in the cold made him feel stupid. Why did he agree to this? He picked up his pace. Was he a fool to come here? When April asks, he is excited about spending more time with Atiya . But now, standing on the pavement, he felt ridiculous. He, Atiya , and April had nothing in common. They came from different worlds. Perhaps he should call Georgia to pick him up. The pounding of his heart rang in my ears, and memories of Atiya came flooding back. She seemed so confident and confident when they spoke earlier in the day. She was what he lacked. After Rose 's death, the only thing he was sure of was the fact that he wasn't sure about everything. He rubbed his face with his free hand and sighed. Why is he so stupid at times? Did he think that spending more time with Atiya might make her feel for him? He could only imagine what Raquel would say if she knew she was seeing the workers. Why did he think it could be different this time?Oh, even in his head he sounded stupid. He held the wine bottle close to his chest and gasped as he watched his breath escape. What a fool he was! Someone behind him cleared his throat as he reached into his cell phone pocket. "How long have you been standing there?" asked Atiya 's sweet voice. Putting the phone back on, he cowered and grew tense. He turned around and took a deep breath. Atiya stood next to the open door. She shifted her gaze over him with a mischievous smile on her lips. She swapped her apron and flour pants for skinny jeans and a dark blue sweater. It accentuated her white skin. Well, there was no chance of escape. He was trapped inside. "It's been a while. Where are you from?" he asked as he looked around and saw the stairs. Oh he should have known. Many of these buildings had apartments on the top floors. "We live there," she said, pointing to a row of brightly lit windows. "How long have you lived with your aunt?" he asked after her aunt. They went up the stairs. "She gave me the shop so I could open a bakery. Before mine was a coffee shop. New York's premier real estate. After her father died, I thought I had to come to terms with it." She paused on the door. Her hand was on the doorknob. A sharp pain of grief seized Aquila . She knew what her loss was like. Just like him. He looked up at her and lost herself in her gaze for a moment. She was only a foot away from him. The smell of her perfume mixed with her baked goods enveloped her. It made him drunk. He took a step back and swallowed. He acted like a broken child. He had to stop it. Now. "My condolences," he said. She shrugged. "That's fine." As she turned the handle, the scent of garlic bread and marinara wafted through her open door. Aquila ' stomach growled. He hasn't eaten anything since he ate a donut earlier. I thought the idea of home cooking was great. "Here you go, Aunt April ," she said as she took off her shoes at the door. Aquila reached out his hand and took off her shoes. As he straightened his spine, he looked around the small living room. I had too much furniture. The pink sofa and the two-seater sofa were at right angles. Both were covered with colorful flower pillows. The largest wall was lined with bookshelves filled with books. He fixed his gaze on an old suitcase standing in the middle of the room with a vase on it. The walls were covered with photographs and paintings. A stark contrast to the white house his mother designed for him as an interior designer. This place felt like home. It felt like an operating room. "We're going to eat over there," Atiya said, nodding to the small round table to the right of where they were standing. "I know it doesn't compare to what we have at home, but it works."
Aquila tapped his foot with his finger. "It's perfect." And it was true. Atiya snorted. "What kitchen do you have? That's great. I can only imagine what it would be like to bake in something that big."
Aquila stared at her. She seemed convinced that a big kitchen or money would fix everything. She didn't know he was full of suspicions. He would give up everything for Rose to come back. Because he has wasted his precious time in pursuit. He cleared his throat. He had to put it together. "Thank you," he muttered. "I didn't scare you after all, did I?" April asked as she emerged from the kitchen with a steaming bowl of pasta in her hand. "Atiya was worried I was too strong." She leaned forward.
Aquila shook his head. "You didn't scare me." He was used to her woman interfering in his life. He smiled and handed her a bottle of wine. "I brought it."
"Dominus Estate. It's an expensive bottle," said April , pointing to an empty spot on the table. When he put it down, she put the bowl of noodles next to it. "Atiya , get me a glass of wine. The marinara will be ready soon." She smiled at him and disappeared into her kitchen. Atiya opened the door to the hut only inches from the table. She picked up three wine glasses. "I didn't have to do that," she said, pointing to the bottle. Desperate to help, Aquila reached out to her and grabbed one of the glasses she was holding and placed it in the farthest place. "You'll find that bringing wine is the only way I cook."