CAPO

3. Coffee

Arabella stirred the tea with her spoon, thankful for the heat it casted against her fingers. She stared down at it, completely ignoring the man that sat before her, stirring his own coffee.

They were seated in a quiant little coffee shop, Arabella's pick. Giovanni had followed behind her in his matte black Mercedes AMG.

She looked up once she noticed him put his mug down on the small round table. His eyes searched her face curiously, taking her in. She raised her brow and he sat back, putting his hands in his pockets as his lips pulled into a teasing smile.

"So, talk,"

"In a moment, I'm not done,"

"Done with what?"

"Observing you," He said. Her brows shot up, and then they frowned. She straightened her back then, bringing the mug to her lips as she looked between his eyes.

"What have you observed?" She asked once she swallowed the small sip of tea.

He shrugged, "You seem shy,"

"Why do you say that?" She asked, putting her chin in her palm and her elbow on the table. "You only looked at me when I put my cup down, afraid of eye contact, I assume. You don't like looking people in the eye,"

"I'm looking at you, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are. It's because you like me, that's why you're looking at me like that,"

She snorted, rolling her eyes, "I met you ten minutes ago,"

He leaned forward on his forearms, "Time is of no relevance. And that night in the club, you didn't seem so shy then,"

"I was drunk,"

"And you lie quite often," He teased. Arabella narrowed her eyes at him, "I don't lie,"

He raised his eyebrow, "That's the second lie in less that fifteen minutes. I think you might have a problem," The girl couldn't help but laugh gently, shaking her head. He sat back, smirking.

"What's your boyfriend like?"

The question caught her off guard and she licked her lips before speaking, "Wonderful. And incredibly nice and he's so—"

"He sounds boring," He said, narrowing his eyes, awaiting her reaction. He was surprised when she laughed softly, "He is, and so am I. Boring relationships are safe,"

"But boring,"

"That's the only con," He exhaled sharply through his nose, "Boring, mediocre conversation and boring good mornings and nights and the worst of all, boring sex,"

She shrugged, "Safety above adventure,"

"Boring above good sex," He remarked. The girl rolled her eyes, "Sex isn't everything, Mr Armani,"

"I suppose. But one cannot live in such a boring relationship forever."

The girl took a sip from her tea, "I've been observing you too, you know?" She said then. She peaked his interest the third time in twenty minutes. He raised his brows, "Oh? And what did you see?"

"You talk with your hands and you sit like that," She motioned towards him, making him look down at his lap, "To assert dominance. Which is futile because you're the largest person in the building probably wherever you go,"

"I sit absentmindedly. I assert dominance with every breath I take, Arabella,"

She parted her lips, the way her name rolled off his tongue made her nearly fall off her chair. She cleared her throat, "Your ego is the size of a mountain,"