ONE ITALIAN LOVE

- Chapter 2 -

Bianca blinked. Although blinking didn't help her one bit. It did not help the man standing before her either. Blinking twice also failed to release the tension building up inside her. And then, she felt something odd she never felt before. Odd and strangely... liquidlike. That was the sensation of ice-cold coffee dripping down her blouse and her already cracked phone, which was still in her hand jammed between her and the man looking down on her with a set of eyes she found impossible to look away from.

The glaring red-hot flashes of anger must have flared in her eyes because the man standing no more than a breath away finally blinked, and then took his slow gaze downward. Much to Bianca's fuming temperament the man said nothing and just stood there. Silent. Puzzled. And his only display of emotions was a raised eyebrow.

Of all the misfortunes that ever happened to Bianca, she considered this turn of events to top her list of 'never-agains'. She was furious. She was appalled. She was speechless. How on green earth was it possible for someone to blindly run into her and cause her already poor mood to sour into something she was barely able to accept without shouting right in the man's face? What made the matter worse was the fact that the man continued to just look at her, neither moving nor apologizing. He just stood with his body rammed against hers, looking at her as if he was sizing her up.

Was he the one who rudely invaded her space by crushing into her? Yes. Was the ice-cold drink dripping down her blouse his drink? Yes! Was he guilty of ruining her perfect outfit right before she was supposed to pick someone up on her grandmother's behalf? Yes!!! A big resounding YES!!!

Bianca held her breath, bit her tongue for as long as she could, and wished for the ice-cold drink to turn into an evaporating hot steam of regret on the mystery man's part.

Then again...

Since the man guilty of ruining her peace did not move, Bianca was forced to do so first. She clenched her jaw, narrowed her eyes on him, and took a decisive step back. Much to her horror the ice-cold drink fell to the ground between them, spilling its remaining contents all over the man's sneakers. Bianca looked down and swore under her breath at the soaken state of her blouse, her skirt, as well as the man's white shirt and pale blue jeans which no longer looked pale.

"I agree," the mystery man whispered back, causing Bianca to look up in an instant.

"And what is it that You agree with?" Bianca shot him an ominous look while trying her best not to raise her voice. She failed. "The fact that You walk around irresponsibly running into unsuspecting people? Or the fact that You ruined my clothes?"

"Neither." The man replied in short.

"Oh really?" She fired back through her teeth, raising her voice after all.

"Really." He repeated after Bianca. "You ran into me. As such, I would gauge the irresponsibility of Our run-in falls upon You. As for ruined clothes, it appears that You owe me a beverage seeing that You spilled it before I was able to take the first sip."

"Excuse me?!?" Bianca exclaimed, forgetting her poise and manners.

"You should be excused. Your manners fall short of the image You seem to imitate," the man lowered his raised eyebrow and took a step back, examining his clothes.

"I beg Your pardon?!?" She all but choked on the words. "You ran into me! As for manners, You should look in the mirror!"

"I'd rather not. I would rather put the image of my tarnished clothes out of my memory instead of cementing it in my mind," the man said stoically. "Though I can honestly say that the image of You will haunt me for quite some time."