Only You

Chapter 37

Alexey

I have something special planned for Elora tonight. After not receiving a cancelation message from her a day after my major freakout, I texted her and asked if I could organize today's date. She replied with a simple "ok" that's been stuck in my head ever since.

She's mad. Of course, she is. She has every right to be. Today, I'll make it up to her, though. As best as I can. For the sake of our professional relationship, of course.

I'm waiting for her in front of a restaurant a few buildings away from our actual location so what I planned remains a surprise as long as possible. My nerves are killing me and I thank myself eternally for having chosen a black shirt today so Elora won't see that I'm sweating more with every second she's letting me wait.

I was ten minutes early.

Now she's three minutes late.

Which is nothing, really. And yet, I'm scared it means she won't come at all. I check my phone obsessively, praying no message from her comes in to tell me she can't make it. I wouldn't blame her. But I really want to see her. To apologize. And see her reaction to my surprise.

God, I hope I got this right.

The distant click of heels has my head snapping up and my eyes instantly latch onto the marvelous woman heading my way. Her expression is unsure as she comes closer while my face breaks into the biggest grin. First, because I'm so relieved she's actually here that I'm dizzy. Also because she's wearing red like I hoped she would.

"Hello, Sunshine. I'm glad you could make it," I tell her, greeting her with a kiss on her cheek. That, at least, has a blush creeping up her delicate neck in the most precious way.

"Of course," she mumbles in return.

For once, I decide to own up to my shit. "I wouldn't have blamed you if you stood me up with the way I acted the last time. I'm truly sorry for how I snapped at you. It's just a very sore topic for me and I didn't know how else to handle everything I was feeling but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"It's okay," Elora says, though she's still not smiling like she usually would at this point in our date.

"It's really not. But I'll make it up to you tonight, yes?" I ask, knowing I must sound like a hopeful toddler but not giving a shit.

"Sure." I nod and reach for her hand, taking it in mine as I start leading her toward the cinema. The woman to my right audibly swallows after a few minutes of silence, clearly gathering the courage for something. I fight the urge to turn to her and prompt her to speak. "So, how was the date?" she finally asks.

If there was one question that could dim the warmth her hand in mine has evoked around my heart, it was that. Because she sounded scared asking it. Cautious and reserved and horribly unlike herself.

"Sweetheart, there wasn't a date. I haven't met with a single client since our first date. I promise. After I stormed out on you, I went home and took a verbal lashing from my cousin for how I acted," I tell her. The last part might be exaggerated since Cai was rather nice to me but at that moment, it had felt like a whole-body beating. Finally, my comment pulled a laugh from my date, making the small lie more than worth it.

"I'm glad to hear that," she admits, sounding like a weight was dropped from her shoulders.

"Oh yeah? You like knowing that I was miserable?" I tease her.

"Well, you did manage to turn the best birthday I've ever had into the worst so I'd say I'm entitled to a little malevolence," she says and despite the lighthearted smile on her lips, I know her words ring true. Something in my stomach twists but instead of uselessly apologizing again, I halt, tug at the girl's hand to nearly make her stumble into my chest, and kiss her like I wanted to since I saw her.

It's just a close-mouthed press of the lips, lacking so much of the desperation and passion of our usual kisses. Yet, it has something in my chest loosening, and my stomach hums. Her hands twist the front of my shirt as she pulls me closer while I cup her cheeks with all ten fingers. When I step closer, placing my feet around hers to be as close as possible, the woman in my arms sighs and melts against me the rest of the way.

When I eventually pull away, we're both a little dazed. "Ready to see my surprise? We need to get going if we want to make it," I tell her, remembering that I have a whole plan that doesn't exclusively include kissing Elora. No matter how alluring that sounds.

She nods and so I put us back on track, getting us to the small cinema around the corner. We have just enough time to get snacks and find our seats before the lights dim and the random trailers start playing.

"What are we watching?" Elora asks, leaning so close to my ear that her breath fans against the sensitive skin of my neck. My eyes close for a brief second before I manage to pull myself together.

"Just wait and see," I tell her, my earlier anxiety about her not liking it returning. I've never had to plan a real date, certainly not one with so much at stake and so much to make up for. Before college, I was always focused on school. Whenever I wasn't helping out at the family restaurant or watching my siblings, that is. Then I had the accident and picked up this job. Hence, I never really dated.

I've been on more dates than most people my age, I assume, but it had never been up to me what to do, where to go, or what to eat. Who would have thought that taking the reigns would be so nerve-racking?

The movie finally starts and while my date is happily munching on her M&M's, I'm anticipating her reaction to what's to come too much to eat. So I wait just a moment longer in this horribly suspenseful moment.

Then it finally happens. The traditional Greek music starts. The boss lady in the red dress appears. Elora sucks in a breath, clutching my arm. Finally, I smile, equal parts relieved and proud.

It's good that I had two days to plan this because finding a cinema here in the states that streamed the Greek version of a telenovela was not easy, to say the least. That's why we're further away from our hotel and closer to my district than we've ever been.

The look in my date's eyes and her whispered, "How?" make it worth it, though.

"Told you I'd make it up to you." I lean a little closer. "Did I manage?"

She hums. "It's a good start."

I smile against her, loving the way she shivers when I press a chaste kiss to the edge of her jaw. "You gonna make me work hard to earn your forgiveness?" I whisper in her ear, turning my body fully to hers.

She replies with a sound somewhere between confirmation and a moan. It's the best thing I've heard in my entire life.

"You'll be glad to know that I'm determined to get back on your good side, then." With one more kiss on her cheek, I force myself to pull away, not trusting myself to stay so close in this dark, nearly empty room. "Watch the movie, Sweetheart. And eat your food. You'll need your strength."

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Is he doing a good job at grovelling?👀

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