Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Ellie Miller

It was an Italian restaurant.

And beautiful, very beautiful.

If it was like this on the outside, imagine the inside.

" I hope you like food Italian" he says as soon as he parks the car in front of the restaurant, " “I'll open the door for you. " He says and gets out of the car, turning around quickly.

He was handsome already, and even more so when he was a gentleman.

I shake my head, dismissing this thought, which came out of nowhere.

" Thanks! " I say as soon as he opens the door and gives me his hand to hold it.

And just like the first time, I feel electricity running through my body.

And when I look into his eyes, it looks like he felt the same thing, because he was looking at me the same way.

He moves closer, his eyes still locked with mine, and for a second I wanted to kiss him.

And it had never occurred to me like this, like anyone else, before.

But I regain consciousness and move away from him, who continued to hold my hand. He gives the valet the key and we head inside.

He puts his hand on my waist to guide me, and instantly I feel a shiver again.

I disguise and head inside.

I had already heard about this restaurant, it was attached to a luxurious hotel, just one water here would cost me my kidney.

“Hello, Sidney,” Dan says as soon as we pull up to the entrance to the restaurant.” Is our table ready yet?”

" Good night, Sir. Mancini! " says a man, he was thin, tall and couldn't even disguise his curiosity towards me " Yes, come with me, please.”

He turns and walks between the tables, several of them occupied.

Inside it was bigger than I thought, we followed him to a table at the back, more reserved, and sat down.

"Are you going to want to advance the order?" ’ he asks, still looking at me.

I look over at Dan, and he's staring at Sidney with an arched brow, I clear my throat to get his attention.

"Sidney, bring the usual wine, please." He agrees and leaves.

"It's really beautiful here," I comment when silence settles in mesa," Do you have a habit of attending?”

He looks at me before starting to speak.

" Yes, this hotel is part of my family's business. " he speaks.

My God! To have a hotel of this size says a lot about how successful they are.

" Are you of Italian descent? I ask curiously.”

" Yes, actually, my grandparents are " he says and looks at the clock. " He is late.”

"Have you done business with this investor before?" I ask

"Yes and no" He looks at me, as if pondering whether or not to tell me.. " We did an exchange of favors a while ago.

" I understood.”

He stared at me without saying anything for long seconds, and when he opens his mouth to speak, his phone rings.

“Excuse me a minute,” he says and stands up.

I sigh and look at the beauty of this place.

" Miss… " astonishment when I noticed Sidney beside me " I don't know your name.”

"Oh yes, of course, I'm Ellie,"I talk and I extend my hand.

He puts wine on the table and shakes my hand.

" Only Ellie, without Miss.”

"So just Ellie, do you want the wine now or will you wait?"

"You can leave it there, I'll wait for Mr. Mancini ended the call. " I say smiling

"Anything, just call." he salutes me again and leaves.

About five minutes later Dan returns, his face betraying how pissed off he is.

He sits up, takes a deep breath, and looks at me.

“Our guest has just been informed that he will not be able to attend." Speaks bad controlling your anger.

" As? And come warn now? "I talk indignant.

" Just imagine, he can only think I'm joking " he sighs again " Since we're here, let's have dinner I'll take you later at home.”

"No need, we can go...”

" I insist " cuts me off already calling the waiter, and putting wine in our glasses. " What do you want?”

" You can choose for me " I say without grace, I didn't know what any of those dishes were. " I'm not used to eating Italian food.”

"Then I'll surprise you," he says and gives me a smile. " And let me say it again, you look beautiful tonight.”

I instantly crack a smile, because shit, I was so simple.

Simple! There was nothing magnificent about me.

I look like an idiot not being able to control a damn smile.

Caught the glass of wine to try to cover it up, I'm sure I'm getting dizzy.

" And smiling gets even more " my God, I didn't even drink and I must be drunk already " And it's red!”

I certainly looked like a clown smiling, a compliment was good, and a compliment from him, the way he spoke, was a thousand times better.

" You don't look too bad either " I say, because I noticed that when I started to speak, his irritation was disappearing " I can't afford it.”

He laughs, loudly.

" I have toto be pazzo " (I must be crazy) did he speak Italian?

" As?”

" Nothing " she smiles, faces me " You have something that makes me curious Ellie, if I may call you that, and I'd like you to call me Dan, something that fascinates me.”

"I don't understand Italian," I say with embarrassment because of the way he's looking at me, like he's unraveling me.

" Questa è l'intenzione, angelo mio " he says, and surely he must be making fun of me.

"I think I recognize the word angel," he chuckles.

When he was about to say something, our orderhe arrives. I make a mental note to try to look up the translation of everything he said.

" Buon appetito." the waiter says, and pours wine into our glasses.

" How do you say thank you in Italian? "face And.

" Thank you" He speaks slowly so I can understand.

“Grazie? " I say half uncertainly, and he confirms with his head. Then I turn to the waiter. "Grazie!”

The waiter smiles and excuses himself. I turn back to Dan, who is staring at me with a small smile.

" What it was? " I ask " And don't talk to me in Italian!”

He laughs some more, a laugh, loud and not caring where we are.

I'd like to read her mind, know what goes through her. He doesn't look like he smiles much, but right now he's exactly the opposite of what I thought.

I must be really crazy.

" Our! That is great " comment about the food.

"Glad I surprised you."

I take a sip of wine and look at him.

" Good night, my dears. " I turn to the small stage that had, in it, a middle" get man was sitting in front of a piano “I'll play some songs for you. I would like any suggestions for the first song, anyone has?”

Sidney gets in his ear and says something, and they get into a conversation.

“I love music,” I tell Dan.

" My dears, I have just been informed that today we are in the presence of the owner of this wonderful restaurant. " At the same time all faces turned to us, I must be turning like a bell pepper. "Then I'd like the first song suggestion they'd grace us with, if possible."

I looked at him in anticipation of the chosen song.

He opened his mouth to say something, but before that he looked at me and said:

" You choose a song that you like " he says to me.

" I? But I don't know how to choose anything, I'm doubtful and...”

"Then the beautiful lady at your side could choose one?" and everyone stares at me, now surely already I have to be purple!

"Err... Could it be Ed Sheeran's Perfect?" I ask.

" Of course!" he cheers up, " I hope you enjoy the night, the music, and let's go!”

Then the melody of Perfect takes over the environment.

" This song is very beautiful." Dan comments taking a sip of wine.

Can this man get even more handsome?

" True.”

The singer starts to sing the song.

A strange feeling hits me, a senseless nervousness, a good feeling.

Then he plays, the lyrics so meaningful, so engaging, an urge to sing hits me.

I look at Dan who is staring at me and I blush at the time, maybe he wasn't as rude as I imagined.

When he finishes, everyone applauds, including me. It was beautiful.

“Grazie, Grazie,” thanks the audience.

" That I understand " I turn to Dan who is applauding in his seat.

" Gradually you learn." Why did I feel that he wanted to say something else? " What's your favorite part of the song?”

" Wow, let me see, " I think for a few seconds " I can't choose! I love the whole song, but if I could pick one moment from it to say it, it would be about running across the grass, barefoot and listening to our favorite song, because it feels real, something that could really live. And yours?”

He fixed me with that enigmatic gaze.

" I've found love for me and honey, you look perfect tonight.”

"Low blow, no."I understand." I give another sip of wine.”

" I said 'I found a love for me' because it's the beginning of everything. " speaks and smiles.

Tonight surprised me, in a good way.

Maybe, just maybe,And Mancini would be a person I would like to have as a friend.