Alena: Story of The Coquette

Chapter 8

That morning, she received the text from Kilian. He would pick her up at ten. She smiled at the thought of it. She did not even know where he would take her but she had a feeling it would be a lovely day. She got ready and headed over for breakfast.

It was quite lovely and she managed to have some time for herself before starting her day. She savored every little moments while taking pictures here and there as keepsake.

That particular morning, she felt like wearing something white, the weather was also quite warm so it would be perfect. She pulled a summer dress and paired it with a brown glasses and a white bag with nude kitten heels.

Once she was ready, he called her and told her he was waiting outside. What a perfect timing, she walked out wearing the watch he gave her the day before just to see his reaction. Once she arrived at the lobby, she saw him and he took her hand like before, kissing the back of it and bid her good morning.

"You look so fresh and beautiful. Did you have a good sleep last night?" He asked.

"Yes, I did. The view of the room you booked for me is incredible. How could I not have a good sleep?" She questioned.

"I'm glad to hear that. Then, I guess we should get going now, the chauffeur has been waiting for us." He reminded her. He held out his hand and she took it. They went inside the car and she turned to ask him where they were heading.

"The Musee Oceanographiqure. It's supposedly the oldest aquarium in the world. I don't know about that, but what I do know is you'll most likely enjoy it there." He assured. She smiled at him and observed his overall appearance.

Last night when she met him, he was wearing a black-tie suit, this time, he was wearing something a little bit more chill, but still quite formal. It made her wonder if he actually loved dressing like that or if he was just trying to impress her.

They eventually arrived there and Alena was impressed by the grandiose layout and design of the museum, it definitely still had its vintage touch here and there but for the most part, it seemed modern enough for her liking.

"Do you mind if we take some pictures together while we're here?" He asked her. She wondered why he had to ask for such a thing, it made her feel like she was a celebrity but eventually she agreed.

"Please take pictures of me alone as well." She requested and he agreed. In the end, as they were exploring the aquarium, he took several pictures of her and the two of them together. While enjoying the place, they also had several interesting conversations regarding different topics such as business, history, art, animals and the most obvious subject. Love.

"I didn't get to have this chance last night but I wish to ask you, which part of my story intrigued you. I think you briefly mentioned the reason, but you weren't specific on it. Perhaps it would be a good feedback for my future books." She asked him.

"Hm, where do I start? There are many parts of the red lady that intrigued me. First of all, the main character, the red lady herself is a fascinating woman. She's like a female casanova, but you could tell she is much smarter than that.

She is able to seduce all these men without actually seducing them. Even though she did a lot of manipulative acts throughout the story, you couldn't help but love and support her. Even I, as a reader, end up fascinated by her charm and wit." He explained.

Alena knew the answer would be somewhat similar to that but she did not expect him to be as detailed. It was one of her favorite part of the book too. The Red Lady. She was a character inspired by Alena herself. Thus a compliment to her was like a compliment to Alena.

"But, if you were to ask me in detail, I think one of my favorite part is when the red lady met the gold merchant for the first time. You could tell right away that they are meant for each other. Although I am a bit upset about the ending, it's such a cliffhanger." He admitted. Alena chuckled when she heard his reasoning.

"Why of course, I'm a writer. The Red Lady would have its sequel. If I just finish everything in one go, how will I attract the interest of the readers?"

"Why do you always do that? Ending every sentence with a question mark?"

"Couldn't I?" She laughed and it was contagious.

"You're really no ordinary woman." They saw a lot of things within the aquarium while talking. She even had a chance to touch some of the fishes directly. At first, it felt sort of weird and dangerous, but when she gathered her courage, it felt so much better than she thought.

Of course, he couldn't help but take a picture of her. She was shining so bright even through picture. It was difficult to imagine what it would be like if it was another woman in her position right then. His heart was beating so fast, after years of simply watching her through the phone screen, he met her in person and it was even more amazing than he thought.

"You should stop staring at me so much, someone would think there's something between the two of us." She whispered as soon as she was done with the fish and it sent shiver down his spine. He was caught off guard and she smirked at him teasingly, enjoying his reaction.

"Well, I'm sure they'll understand me, then. Anyway, are you hungry, we can have lunch at the rooftop restaurant." He told her. She agreed and the two of them headed there to have their lunch. Once they were done with lunch, it was almost three.

"I think you should go back to the hotel first and rest, I will pick you up again for dinner so you have some time to get ready. What do you say?" He asked and she agreed to it.

They drove her back to the hotel where she rested for a while and took a breather. Their first trip together was better than she expected.

Although going to aquarium was not exactly something she enjoyed doing, she wouldn't tell him and just enjoyed herself while she could.

Kilian, he was something. It was not the first time a man had tried to lavish her with wonderful gifts, however, it was the first time someone had gone to such a length just to impress her and she enjoyed it.

"I think I'm willing to see where this one goes."