She blinked in surprise.
He moved back from her and took an umbrella beside the door and one of her black casual sneakers.
He then opened the door and gestured for her to come out.
The once heavy downpour had now reduced to a steady drizzle, causing the things outside to seem like a blur from afar.
"Are you coming or not?" She rushed towards where he was standing and stared outside in disbelief.
Was this a trap?
She looked at him, and though his eyes were hard to read, she saw a faint streak of sincerity embedded within.
She stood on her tiptoes, cupped him by the jaw, and laid a peck on his cheek.
She released him and ran outside.
She was barefooted, but she didn't care.
She allowed the moisture of the damp grass to soak into her feet, and the gentle feather-like brush of the breeze and spray of drizzle to greet her like an old friend.
A bolt of lightning flashed across the dark velvet sky, which was followed by a loud cackle of thunder.
She laughed and looked up to the sky.
"Nice to feel you again too!" she greeted back as though she were talking to someone.
He watched her with warmth and adoration.
He could only describe her in one statement; Fucking perfection!
Or maybe that was one of the many statements that summed up her perfection.
His eyes roamed her body.
Her hair bounced freely with every movement she made, her skin glowed softly under the lights all around them in addition to the tiny drops of water that touched her in places he wanted to.
He moved to her waist.
Hips so sweet that he could rock into them all night, cushioned by that fat bottom protruding even through the shorts, and then to her legs.
Her elongated, shaped, flawless legs!
He could do anything to have those legs wrapped around him.
And though she was only wearing a black hoodie, and gray shorts, and was twirling like a barefooted little child in the grass, he didn't mind.
SHE WAS GORGEOUS, and no one could tell him otherwise.
He forced himself out of his fantasies and descended down the stairs.
"Come on, let's get going!" he urged and unlocked the car, pulling the door open for her.
She giddily entered the car, letting him shut the door behind her. He then made his way round and entered the driver's side.
"You didn't say where we're going to" she protested, "That depends on you" he replied while trying to buckle his seatbelts.
He then looked up at her.
"Where do you want to go?"
Butterflies swarmed her stomach at the sight of his sharp eyes, making a tiny wave of nervousness flush over her.
"The weather looks perfect for a walk. Let's get out of Bel-Air and take a walk in Downtown"
"Anything the lady wants" he smirked and began driving.
She smiled and strapped on her seatbelt.
********************************************
She got out once he parked his car in a lot and took in a breath of the damp icy cold air that came running to her.
"Shall we go?" she heard him ask from behind her.
She nodded and took his outstretched hand as they began walking.
They entered the bustling streets of Downtown, lights shining generously, cars and people moving freely...
He slightly tightened his grip on her hand but felt something sharp.
He lifted her hand up to see a shiny yellow diamond-studded ring on her left ring finger.
"Wasn't this the ring you showed Camilla as our wedding ring?" She nodded.
"I never gave it to you" "It isn't yours or mine, it was my Mum's" she replied.
"That was the only thing she left behind when she ran away from me and my dad"
Ran away?
That wasn't what he had heard.
Her gaze shifted to a store a few blocks away from them, and she instantly lit up with a wide grin.
"You said you wanted to make it up to me right?" "Yeah?"
He followed her line of sight and found her staring at an ice cream store a couple of blocks away with huge gleaming eyes.
"Oh no!"
"Oh yes!"
"Love..."
"Okay, so the first step to amending your mistake is to take me on an ice cream date"
"Do I look like the kind of guy that goes on an ice cream date with a girl? I don't have time for all this..."
"But you said you would 'make it up to me'. You're supposed to keep your word even if it means doing something you find absurd, weird or whatever" she glared at him.
"Besides, if you know you're going to rush me through this night, then you shouldn't have brought me out in the first place" She pouted and turned away vexed.
He sighed.
"Okay, fine. We will go on your ice cream date and I won't rush you. We can spend as long as you want before we go home. Happy?"
She turned back with a smile.
"Ecstatic. Come on, let's go," She urged and pulled his hand, dragging him with her as she raced to the store.
*****************************************
At the window of the cafe next opposite...
"Ecstatic. Come on, let's go," she said and took his hand as she ran towards the store happily, as though stealing someone else's lover was an achievement.
"Shameless woman!" she hissed underneath her breath as she watched them enter the store.
It was a huge slap to her face seeing how her lover adored and chose another woman over her.
It was unbearable and infuriating.
She wanted nothing more than to have her hands wrapped around her neck and squeeze them so tight until she runs out of air and dies...
Or maybe stabbing and slicing her body would be a better option.
Whichever one she chooses, she was going to make it a valuable lesson to her.
But she couldn't trash that strange feeling that she knew her. It was more than just recognizing her face, this whore seemed vaguely familiar as if she knew her from somewhere.
Her body, her look, her voice, her accent...
"Where do I know her from?"
*****************************************
Instead of making an order, he just watched her being all giddy, excited, and happy while she made the order.
They took the ice cream back and sat by the glass window where she began eating.
"Won't you have some?" she asked, "I'm fine. Ice cream is too sweet anyway"
"Your loss" She shrugged and continued eating.
"You haven't finished telling me about your life so far" "You want to know about my life?"
"Why not? Voglio dire, se devo restare sposata con uno stronzo arrogante e presuntuoso, dovrei almeno sapere qualcosa su di lui [I mean if I'm going to be stuck married to an arrogant, cocky asshole, I should at least know something about him]"
"Translate" "I should know something about my husband at least"
He eyed her skeptically and then continued.
"What do you want to know?" "That depends, what is there to know?" she cast a sly grin his way, making him chuckle.
"Not much though... I did my elementary and middle years of school in New York but went to Chicago for my high school and university education" he began,
"I officially became the Don by eighteen years but was already introduced into the Mafia life at fifteen when my Dad fell ill"
"Was there time for any girlfriend-boyfriend relationships?" "Of course!"
A pang of jealousy scratched her heart. She rolled her eyes and took a bite of her cold dessert.
"Relax, baby girl! You were the one that asked" he chuckled. "And besides, none of them were a love-based relationship. Sure they were crazy about me, but all I wanted from them was sex"
"Sex addict!" "I'm a healthy male, love. It's all part of being a male human being"
"So which girl did you enjoy the most?"
She couldn't believe she was asking all these questions.
What was even more surprising to her was the huge flame of jealousy burning inside her.
"Careful, love. Your jealousy will make your ice cream melt"
She scowled at him and shot him a death stare before rolling her eyes.
"If there was any girl I enjoyed the most, that would be Natasha!" he answered.
"Natasha?"