MELANIE
BLAINE TOOK MY ARM AS WE WALKED INTO THE ELEGANT ITALIAN RESTAURANT.
The dimmed lighting and soft music playing in the background piqued my interest. I’d dined in my fair share of fine restaurants, but I’d never had Italian food in a Spanish–speaking country. This could go extremely well or horribly wrong.
Either way, it was going to be quite an experience. I already liked the ambience though, so there was that. Coupled with the fact that I’d walked in on the arm of a very attractive, sweet and attentive man who was already attracting stares, I was feeling pretty good.
We were met by the blonde bombshell of a hostess who had a smile so white she must have a standing appointment with a dentist.
“Good evening and welcome to Sofia’s Italian Steakhouse, the ultimate dining experience. Do you have a reservation?” she gave her rehearsed line without a hitch.
“We do. Daniels, table for two” Blaine answered. She checked her tablet before giving us another polite smile.
“Of course. If you’ll come with me” she led us to a table with a view out the window, announced that a waiter would be with us shortly and left.
Blaine pulled out a chair for me and I sat then he folded a napkin over my lap with the air of a distinguished butler. I laughed softly, not wanting to disturb the other diners. He took a seat across from me and did the same for himself.
“How am I doing so far? It’s no strip joint, but…” he shrugged. I smiled.
“You’re full of jokes tonight.” I looked around the place again “It’s beautiful, but if they don’t bring out a menu soon it won’t remain so” I joked.
He cocked a brow at me “Something tells me you’re not joking.”
On cue, a waiter appeared with two glasses of water and menus and a smile even brighter than the hostess‘.
He placed them on the table, gave me a very flattering glance and a wink, and promised to be back shortly. I held up the menu to avoid looking at Blaine but finally gave up when he wouldn’t stop snickering.
“What?” I snapped.
“Seems like you already have an admirer,” he said, amused.
I rolled my eyes “Oh, come on. He was just being nice. It’s probably part of his job description” I said, focusing on my menu
again.
“I disagree. Any man with eyes and a working brain knows you’re the most beautiful girl in the room“, he replied, giving me that soft look that awoke the butterflies in my stomach.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d enjoyed a man’s company as much as I enjoyed Blaine’s. The guy made me blush, for heaven’s sake. I couldn’t remember the last time that had happened either.
I turned my attention back to the menu
with its fancy lettering and gold leaf, prepared to encounter the small servings and huge prices associated with fancy places. However, it wasn’t that bad.
Very aware of my astute lack of finances- which I keep meaning to speak to Jordan about but keep forgetting- I scanned the menu for what I could order that wouldn’t make me too much of a burden.
“Hey,” Blaine drew my attention “feel free to order whatever you want, okay? It’s on me.”
I bit a tiny corner of my lip, uncertain. Him buying me a burger or pizza ingredients was one thing, but not being able to afford a fancy dinner irked me. Another black mark next to Cadell’s name. He saw my hesitation and spoke again.
“You know what? I’ll just order for both of us. Do you have any preferences or dislikes?” he asked.
I couldn’t help but smile at him again; he had a way of putting me at ease.
“Salad” I supplied and he nodded as the waiter came back “For the Appetizer, we’ll have the fried calamari with hot sauce
and crab cakes, skip the salad, then chicken piccata, penne pasta with vodka sauce with a side of meatballs” Blaine reeled off
7/2
- 21.
Setting
14 34 C
CHAPTER 44
and the waiter nodded, writing everything down.
He came back shortly with steaming plates of calamari and we dug in.
The food was nothing short of delicious. It was made even more enjoyable by the easy and light conversation Blaine and I had, and the constant laughter that earned us some disapproving looks and some smiles from the diners around us.
Towards the end of the meal, the waiter came back and set a bowl of chocolate gelato in front of me.
“Oh, we didn’t order any dessert” I started to say and he just smiled at me.
“On the house,” he said.
“Thanks, but there’s only one” Blaine pointed out.
The waiter barely looked at him as he said “For the lady.”
Flattered, I shook my head as Blaine muttered “But I’m pretty too” into his
“Thank you so much, but I can’t accept this,” I said.
He didn’t budge, just repeated “On the house” and left again.
“Still think he was just being nice?” Blaine asked.
pasta.
“Shh. You’re just salty because you didn’t get free dessert” I teased, polishing off my pasta and meatballs and sliding the gelato closer.
“I was going to take you to this amazing dessert place after. Guess we’re not going anymore” he told me, taking a drink of sparkling water.
“But why?” I whined and ate a spoonful of gelato. Mm, tasty. “You’ve already got dessert. Unless you share” he replied, the gleam in his eye making me slide my gelato even closer.
“No.”
He shrugged. “Okay then, I guess we’ll just go home.”
I weighed my options, considering. Finally I sighed and offered the bowl. He took it with a smile, then I blinked and half of it was gone. I stared open–mouthed as he gave it back. “Delicious. You can never go wrong with good gelato” he said. Saying nothing, I finished off the rest as he called for the check. We left after I’d pestered him into leaving an unusually large tip for the charming waiter. Blaine suggested we walk to the dessert place because it wasn’t far and we could enjoy the crisp, cool night air while walking off all the food we just ate.
I agreed and he linked arms with me and we started down the road, talking about everything and nothing and telling bad jokes.
I felt a prickle of awareness on the back of my neck and stopped.
“Did you hear something?” I asked Blaine when he gave me a puzzled look. He shook his head and I scanned the relatively empty street for the cause of that feeling. Finding nothing, I resumed walking.
I’d just laughed at something he said when my arms were suddenly pinned at my back roughly. I turned my head quickly to see Blaine being held too. I started to scream but a bag was thrown over my head, muffling my voice and darkening my vision.
I felt a sharp prick on my arm and before I could process what was happening, I crumpled to the ground.
